Battle of Mir (1792)
| Battle of Mir | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Polish–Russian War of 1792 | |||||||
 Map of the Polish–Russian War of 1792 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth |  Russian Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Józef Judycki | Boris Mellin | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 8,000 men (Russian source[2]) | 5,500 men (Polish source[1]) | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Up to 400 killed, up to 150 men captured (all the losses include retreat to Słonim) | 6 killed, 21 wounded (Russian source[2]) | ||||||
By Fedor Solntsev
Battle of Mir was one of the first battles of the Polish–Russian War of 1792. It took place in the town of Mir, which is now part of Belarus, on June 11, 1792.
Despite Lithuanian numerical superiority (8,000–10,000[2] against 5,500), they were defeated.[1]
Boris Mellin's corps encamped at the village of Świerżeń Stary (10 June N.S.). On 11 June he attacked the Polish-Lithuanians hiding in Mir. The Russian jaeger battalion was the first to enter the place. The Polish-Lithuanians cleared it. F. Buxhoeveden with the Smolensk Dragoon Regiment pursued General Bielak at a distance of 9.6 km (6.0 mi) and captured 2 cannons. L. Bennigsen with the Izyum Regiment and a battalion of the Murom Infantry Regiment pursued at a distance of 7.4 km (4.6 mi) up to 10,000 men under Józef Judycki, who had fled to Słonim.[2]
The Russian army of B. Mellin defeated the Lithuanian force under General Judycki. The confrontation could have gone the other way if the 900 troops under Stanisław Kostka Potocki and Tomasz Wawrzecki were used to augment the defence; instead Judycki called a two-hour counsel. This gave time for the Russian forces to regroup and they were then able to prepare a final counterattack.
On that day there was also an assault and conquest of the Mir Castle Complex by Mellin's corps.[2] Judycki left his troops and resorted to Grodno.
Disgraced Judycki was relieved of command soon afterwards, on June 17, to be replaced by Michał Zabiełło.[1]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Jerzy Łojek (1986). Geneza i obalenie Konstytucji 3 maja. Wydawn. Lubelskie. p. 306. ISBN 978-83-222-0313-2. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g Хронологический Указатель военных действий русской армии и флота [Chronological Index of Military Operations of the Russian Army and Navy]. Volume 1. 1695—1800. St. Petersburg. Типо-Литография С.-Петербургской тюрьмы, Arsenal'naya Naberezhnaya, 5. 1908. p. 198.
Further reading
[edit]- Wolański Adam, Wojna polsko-rosyjska 1792 r, Wydawnictwo Volumen, Warszawa 1996, ISBN 83-85218-48-3
- Derdej Piotr, Zieleńce Mir Dubienka 1792, Wydawnictwo Bellona, Warszawa 2000, ISBN 83-11-09108-0