First Battle of Krasnoi
First Battle of Krasnoi | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of the French invasion of Russia | |||||||
Belarusian Polatsak (Połacak) | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
French Empire | Russian Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Michel Ney | Dmitry Neverovsky[1] | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
20,000[2] | 6,000-7,000[2][3] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
500 killed, wounded or captured[2][3] | 1,500 killed, wounded or captured[2][3] |
The First Battle of Krasnoi was a battle fought on 14 August between Ney's French troops and Neverovsky's Russian troops. It ended with a victory for the French, but the Russians retreated in good order to Smolensk.
Prelude[]
Bagration had reinforced Neverovsky's troops with some cavalry and ordered him to cover Krasnoi and especially westwards the direction of Orsha.[1]
Battle[]
Ney drove him out of Krasnoi and captured part of his artillery, the first trophies of the entire campaign. Neverovsky assembled his 6,000 to 7,000 men into a huge square Ney's cavalry could not break. The square moved across the field over a palisade fence and Ney's cavalry could not follow. Neverovsky's troops were able to get away in good order but left 1,500 men behind.[3]
Aftermath[]
Neverovsky returned to Smolensk and reported.[3] The battle of Smolensk started only two days later.
Notes[]
- ^ a b Riehn 1990, p. 212.
- ^ a b c d Bodart 1908, p. 435.
- ^ a b c d e Riehn 1990, p. 213.
References[]
- Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905). Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- Riehn, Richard K. (1990). 1812 : Napoleon's Russian campaign. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
- Conflicts in 1812
- Battles of the Napoleonic Wars
- Battles involving Russia
- Battles involving France
- 1812 in the Russian Empire
- August 1812 events
- Battles of the French invasion of Russia
- Napoleonic Wars stubs
- Battle stubs