Articles about Kobrin: As a part of the Russian Empire

Battles at Kobrin and Gorodechno

Kobrin, the small town in the Grodno province standing on the river Mukhavtsa near the Russian-Polish border. In it the garrison from Saxon infantry and a cavalry numbering about 5 thousand people at 8 tools under command of the general Klengel was located.

At the beginning of Patriotic war of 1812 Bug passed the Austrian case of Schwarzenberg which was at war on Napoleon's party. the 3rd Observation army under command of the general Tormasov A.P. it appeared in the deep back on Volhynia and had to cover southwest areas and Kiev from the right wing of Great army as a part of which there was the Austrian case of K. Schwarzenberg and Saxon the general Ge. Rainier. The French case of the general Schwarzenberg intended for defense of the Warsaw duchy, on June 22 he occupied Brest, but received the new order from Napoleon – to move ahead through Slonim and Nesvizh on connection with the main forces. Against Tormasov only one 7th Saxon case of Rainier began to operate.

On July 6 Tormasov began the movement from Lutsk on Kobrin. It should be noted that Napoleon initially underestimated forces of the 3rd Western army of Tormasov. On different sources its army totaled from 25 to 45 thousand people whereas Rainier's strengths made no more than 17 thousand soldiers. The general Tormasov directed two divisions to Brest-Litovsku which occupied the city, and then turned on Kobrin where also the main forces of the 3rd army had to approach.

Attack of Russians the hussar in fight near Kobrin

15 battle at Kobrin took place on July (27). Troops of the general major Lambert K.O. borrowed Brest and Pruzhansky are expensive and attacked Saxon garrison in Kobrin. Lambert struck blow to Klengel from the North and the West while the main Russian forces came from the South and the East, having cut with the opponent a way to connection with the case. Hussars of the lieutenant colonel prince Madatov G.V. attacked two squadrons of Saxons on Pruzhanskaya Road. The enemy tried from the left coast of river Mukhavets a gun-fire to destroy our cavalry, but the French tools were suppressed by fire of the Russian horse artillery pieces. And the Saxon infantry covering guns under the pressure of speshenny the dragoon receded in Kobrin. At this time vanguard of the 3rd army of Tormasov under command of the major general Chaplits E.I. it is reserved, on the wood, passed to the antopolsky road, suppressed resistance of two squadrons of the opponent and rushed into Kobrin. Thus, the Saxons surrounded from all directions receded to the downtown. It should be noted that the opponent was protected with unusual persistence more than two hours.

From artillery firing in the city in a number of areas the fires began. Saxons persistently continued to defend on ruins of the fort constructed even at the time of Northern war with Karl XII. However after rigid fight the opponent capitulated. The Russian side took the 4th banner, 8 tools; in captivity two generals, 76 officers gave up, more than 2 thousand soldiers also approximately as much died. Our losses made: 77 killed and 172 wounded. After defeat in Kobrin Rainier's case receded to Slonim, pursued by parts of the general Tormasov. Napoleon directed the 33-thousand case of Schwarzenberg to the aid of Rainier's troops, thereby, having weakened the French forces on the central direction.

For battle at Kobrin the emperor Alexander I Tormasovu welcomed the Order of Saint George of the 2nd degree and 50 thousand rubles, to the count Lambert – the gold saber decorated with diamonds with the inscription "For Bravery", to the prince Madatov – the Order of St. Anna of the 2nd degree with diamonds.

Battle under Gorodechno

19 on July (31) the 3rd Western army numbering 18 thousand people of Tormasov began the movement from Kobrin on Gorodets. On July 22 Schwarzenberg's Case returned to Slonim and moved to Kosovo to provide withdrawal of the case of Rainier. Schwarzenberg received Napoleon's order to head the integrated forces of two cases and to reject Tormasov's army to Volhynia. Lambert's division by order of the general Tormasov for several days detained Austrian-Saxon troops that gave the chance of the Russian army of the first to leave to Gorodechno where Tormasov planned to give battle. On Pruzhana Road – Gorodechno occurred a number of collisions of the Russian troops with the coming opponent, especially furious it was in of Kletnoye.

Saxon and Austrian troops about 40 thousand people approached Gorodechno, the settlement in the southwest of Belarus, on July 30 (on August 11) and at once began to attack the Russian position. The Russian parts were on advantageous positions: battalions, regiments stood on eminences before which the marshy stream proceeded. Next day Rainier's case tried to attack, but is ineffectual. Then the Austrian and Saxon dragoons tried to bypass the left flank of the Russian position but were rejected by Lambert's hussars. At this time Tormasov turned all army the front on the West, having left against Gorodechno only two regiments with artillery.

Rainier did not manage to bypass the Russian troops from the right edge. Then Schwarzenberg led the troops in a frontal attack through bogs in the village of Poddubno. When to our positions there were about 200 m, Russians went to counterattack, overturned the opponent and dumped it in a bog. The Russian troops held positions before dark, reflecting attacks of superior forces of the enemy. The Russian side in this battle lost okolo1300 persons, Saxons – 1 thousand people.

Then divisions of the 3rd army in a full fighting order departed on the South, to Lutsk where expected connection with the Danube army of the admiral Chichagov P. V. Saxons tried to attack the receding Tormasov's army, but these attempts did not make success. After battle at Gorodechno on the left flank of the Russian army, in the Western Ukraine, there came the calm.



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