Bagration flèches

The Bagration flèches (Russian: багратионовы флеши) are certain historic military earthworks named after Pyotr Bagration who ordered their construction. They were the pivotal Russian strongholds on the left flank during the Battle of Borodino in 1812. Located south-west of the village of Semyonovskoye, the flèches consisted of two lunettes and one redan, which were stormed eight times in the course of the battle.

The flèches were constructed by infantry divisions of the 2nd Army and militiamen to give an opportunity to the artillery of firing not only to the French front, but also the flank. Five hundred men were detailed to their construction from each division, except the 27th, which sent six hundred. The left work was erected by the 26th Infantry Division, the right by the 2nd Grenadier Division and the middle one by the 2nd Combined Grenadier. The construction was finished on August 25, 1812 (O.S., used by the Russians) (September 6, N.S., used by the French).

The Bagration flèches were occupied by the 11th and the 32nd Russian Battery Companies. The left work had twelve guns, the middle one had seven and the right five. Each work also had one battalion from the 2nd Combined Grenadier Division. Twenty eight guns were stationed near the flèches. On August 26 / September 7, about 6 a.m., Napoleon launched the fight for the flèches according to plan. Two infantry divisions of Joseph Marie, Count Dessaix and Jean Dominique Compans, supported by 102 guns, assaulted the flèches directly. The first attack was repelled by fire from the guns and Jäger infantry units.

In the second attempt, the French dragged their artillery closer to the Kamenka Brook and strengthened the troops with three extra infantry divisions from Michel Ney's corps, three from Joachim Murat's cavalry corps and additional artillery. After the attack at about 7 a.m. Compans' troops burst into the left flèche. The assault was repelled again by Russian infantry, the Akhtyr hussars and Novorossiyan dragoons. Bagration ordered Nikolay Raevsky to move the entire line of his 7th Infantry Corps (eight battalions) to the left-flank works. During the struggle, several French generals were wounded, and Louis-Nicolas Davout received a concussion after falling from a horse killed under him.

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