Battle of Ochmatów (1644)

Battle of Okhmativ (Ochmatów)
Part of Tatar raids on the Commonwealth
Date 30 January 1644 Location Okhmativ, in modern Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine Result Polish victory
Belligerents
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth	Crimean Tatars
Commanders and leaders
Stanisław Koniecpolski	Toğay bey
Strength
19,130	under 20,000
Casualties and losses
unknown	4,000

The Battle of Okhmativ or Battle of Ochmatów (Polish: Ochmatów) of 30 January 1644 refers to the engagement between the Polish forces under hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski and the horde of Crimean Tatars under Toğay bey. Koniecpolski dealt a crushing defeat to Toğay bey's forces near Okhmativ. This was the greatest Polish victory over the Tatars in the first half of the 17th century, and brought international fame and recognition to Koniecpolski.

After several years of relative quiet, the Crimean Tatars, united after a civil war, began raiding the Polish border in strength in the early 1640s. Provoked by a Cossack raid, a large Tatar raiding force began assembling in late 1643 near Ochakiv. In response, Polish military commander, Grand Crown Hetman, Stanisław Koniecpolski, ordered his forces to concentrate near Vinnytsia for 27 December. With the Tatars evading scouts, he split his forces around the possible incursion points. In early January Koniecpolski became aware of the horde movement.

Estimates of the Tatar army, commanded by Toğay bey, supported by Murtaza aga, Ahmed murza, Temir aga and Omer aga, are between 10,000 and 20,000; Leszek Podhorodecki notes that the 20,000 to 40,000 estimates are exaggerated.

Koniecposki had an army of some 19,130 soldiers (60% of them, magnates' private armies; Koniecpolski's own forces numbered 2,200), divided into two main groups; one under his own command, and the other, under Jeremi Wiśniowiecki. According to Frost, Jeremi had a permanent force of 1,500-3,000, and could quickly raise 2,000 more, 6,000 in an emergency; of the 19,130 troops present at the battle, there were 3,500 regulars, 4,000 Cossacks and 11,530 private troops. Other notable Polish participants in the battle included Marcin Kalinowski, Samuel Korecki, Stefan Czarniecki, , Jan Zamoyski and Krzysztof Grodzicki.

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