Battle of Fraustadt

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Battle of Fraustadt
Part of Great Northern War
Date February 3, 1706
Location Fraustadt, Poland
Result Decisive Swedish victory
Combatants
Sweden Saxony,
Poland,
Russia
Commanders
Carl Gustaf Rehnskiöld Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg
Strength
3,700 infantry
5,700 cavalry		 16,000 infantry,
2,000 cavalry,
32 guns
Casualties
424 killed,
760 wounded		 7,300 killed,
7,600 captured
Great Northern War
Narva – Daugava – Kliszów – Gemauerthof – Fraustadt – Holowczyn – Lesnaya – Poltava – Helsingborg – Gadebusch – Storkyro – Gangut – Stralsund – Dynekilen – Ösel – Stäket – Grengam

The Battle of Fraustadt was fought on February 3, 1706 between Swedish and Saxon-Russian forces near Fraustadt (present-day Wschowa) in Poland.

Contents

[edit] Deployment

The Saxons took a strong defensive position, in two lines, with cavalry on both flanks, between the villages of Geyersdorf and Röhrsdorf and ahead of the town of Fraustadt, entrenched behind frozen lakes and marshes Opposing the Saxon-Russian army, Rehnskiöld placed his infantry in the center in three columns and his cavalry on both flanks [1].

[edit] Initial cavalry engagements

On the left flank, the Swedish cavalry had some trouble passing through a frozen swamp, but the Saxon cavalry did not use that advantage. After regrouping, the Swedes charged the Saxon Garde du Corps and Chevaliers Garde regiments three times, utterly routing them. COL E.D. von Krassow, commander of the Swedish cavalry on the right flank, passed outside the left Russian flank with 12 dragoon squadrons, near the village of Rörsdorf, and engaged the Saxon Cavalry covering the Russian flank. After witnessing the destruction of the Saxon right flank, the left flank fled, and were routed by the Swedish dragoons. COL von Krassow's cavalry then wheeled clock-wise into the Saxon-Russian rear, which caused several of the Saxon regiments to break formation.

[edit] Swedish infantry actions

On the Saxon left flank, facing Rhenskiöld's infantry, the Russians were deployed with their uniforms inside-out to conceal their lesser quality (the Saxons wore red uniforms, the Russians had green uniforms that had a red lining). The Swedish infantry assaulted the Saxon-Russian line frontally, under heavy cannon and musket fire. Upon discovering that the left wing of the enemy line was held by the inferior Russian troops, Rhenskiöld directed his infantry to assault their positions, which were also being attacked from the rear by COL von Krassow's cavalry. The Russian infantry were quickly surrounded and dispersed.

[edit] Saxon-Russian surrender

The Saxon middle had its flank and rear exposed, and its regiments buckled and broke formation in short order under the pressure along its left flank. The Saxon right flank initially held, inflicting some damage to the Swedish infantry until the cavalry in the frozen swamp attacked their rear. The Saxon-Russian army fell apart and the main body fled to the south through Fraustadt. The Swedish cavalry, previously bogged down in the swamp, raced ahead on the open terrain, and met the fleeing Saxons and Russians on the far outskirts of the town. Trapped by Swedish cavalry to their front and infantry to their rear, the defeated Saxon-Russian forces surrendered en masse.

[edit] Casualties

In the end 7,600 Saxons were taken prisoner and over 7000 were killed in the battle. The captured Russians (some 500) were all executed by an order from Rehnskiöld, due to atrocities Russia had committed in the Baltic States [2]. The Swedes suffered some 1100 casualties.

[edit] Aftermath

King August II of Poland gave up his claim on the Polish crown, although he remained Elector Frederick Augustus I of Saxony. He would later regain the Polish throne in 1709.

[edit] References


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