Battle of Loschniza

Battle of Loschniza
Part of the French invasion of Russia
Crossing of the Berezina by Felician Myrbach
Date 23 November 1812 Location Loschniza, Minsk Governorate, Russian Empire 54°13′40″N 28°30′17″E / 54.22778°N 28.50472°E / 54.22778; 28.50472 Result French victory
Belligerents
French Empire	Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Nicolas Oudinot	Pavel Chichagov
Strength
3,600[1]	2,800[1]
Casualties and losses
Unknown[1]	2,000[1]

French invasion of Russia

500km
300miles

Loschniza

Pultusk

15

Gorodeczno

14

Drohiczyn

13

Tauroggen

12

Riga

11

Tilsit

10

Warsaw

9

Berezina

8

Maloyaro-
slavets

7

Moscow

6

Borodino

5

Smolensk

4

Vitebsk

3

Vilna

2

Kowno

1

  

  current battle

  Prussian corps

  Napoleon

  Austrian corps

The Battle of Loschniza took place on 23 November 1812, between parts of the French army and parts of the Russian armies. The French army under Nicolas Oudinot defeated the Russian troops under Pavel Chichagov.^[1]

The French had suffered a defeat just one week earlier during the Battle of Krasnoi. Napoleon's army amounted to no more than 20,000 combatants. However, the union with Victor, Oudinot and Dombrowski at the Bobr brought the numerical strength of the Grande Armée back up to some 49,000 French combatants as well as about 40,000 stragglers.^[2] But Minsk had been occupied by Chichagov on 16 November 1812 who reached the Berezina with about 31,500 combatants.^[3]

On the 21 November, the Russians under Lambert had occupied Borisov in the morning before Oudinot could come up as the sentries had been ambushed. Dombrowski had about 2,000 men left. The Russians casualties were about 2000, including Lambert, mortally wounded. On the 22 November Oudinot got to Loshnitsa, where Corbineau's brigade united with him.^[3] But the Russians had destroyed the bridge at Borisov on the same day and held occupied the far bank.^[3]

On 23 November, Chichagov took the majority of his army across the Beresina at Borisov and his advance guard reached Losnitza. The advance guard attacked Oudinot without waiting to be reinforced and was thrashed. Oudinot marched to Borisov and ejected the Russians.

The damage of the Borisov bridge increased the danger for the remains of the Grande Armée that was surrounded by three Russian armies and was no longer strong enough for a breakthrough. A quick construction of a new bridge had to be done and Oudinot had forded the Beresina at Studienka on 22 November, see Battle of Berezina.^[3]

• List of battles of the French invasion of Russia

• Bodart, Gaston (1908). Militär-historisches Kriegs-Lexikon (1618-1905). Retrieved 10 April 2021.
• Chandler, David (1966). The Campaigns of Napoleon. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. ISBN 9780025236608. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
• Riehn, Richard K. (1990). 1812 : Napoleon's Russian campaign. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 9780070527317. Retrieved 10 April 2021.

• Media related to Battle of Loschniza at Wikimedia Commons