Battle of Porrassalmi

Battle of Porrassalmi
Part of the Gustav III's Russian War
Date 13 June 1789 Location Porrassalmi, Finland Result Swedish Victory
Belligerents
Russia	Sweden
Commanders and leaders
General Georg Magnus Sprengtporten	Jakob Karl Gripenberg
Strength
6,000–7,000 men	Around 750 men
Casualties and losses
300 killed 700 wounded[1]	53 killed 150 wounded

The battle of Porrassalmi was a battle fought near the bight of Porrassalmi in Savonia on 13 June 1789. A Swedish force of about 700 Finnish men succeeded in stopping the northbound advance of a Russian force numbering 6,000-7,000 men.^[2]

The Swedish forces blocked the road to Mikkeli at a narrow watercrossing with a bridge near the bight of Porrassalmi. Despite numerous Russian charges against the vastly numerical inferior Swedes, they couldn't break through. The Russians lost 1000 men dead or wounded including their commander general Georg Magnus Sprengtporten who was seriously wounded. The Swedes lost in total 176 men dead or wounded. The battle brought to prominence major Georg Carl von Döbeln, whose iconic black silken bandanna was worn over a wound suffered in the battle.

References

1. ↑ http://hem.bredband.net/b111807/Svenska/Gustav%20III/sw-jagerhorn-1789.htm
2. ↑ "Porrassalmi 1789". Svenska Slagfält. Wahlström & Widstrand. 2005. pp. 382–387.