Battle of Ostrołęka (1807)

Part of the War of the Fourth Coalition

Date	16 February 1807
Location	Ostrołęka (now in Poland)
Result	French victory

Belligerents

French Empire

Russian Empire

Commanders and leaders

A. J. M. R. Savary

Ivan Essen

Strength

20,000

25,000

Casualties and losses

60 dead (including 1 general),
400-500 wounded

1,300 dead (including 2 generals),
1,200 wounded (including 3 generals), 7 cannon captured

The Battle of Ostrołęka was fought on 16 February 1807 between a First French Empire force under General of Division Anne Jean Marie René Savary and a Russian force under Lieutenant General Ivan Essen. The French defeated the Russians and forced them to retreat to the east to Wyoki Mazowiecki. Weather conditions caused both sides to go into winter quarters immediately after the battle, which occurred during the War of the Fourth Coalition, part of the Napoleonic Wars. Ostrołęka is located in the northeast part of modern Poland, but in 1807 it belonged to the Kingdom of Prussia.

See Battle of Mohrungen and Battle of Eylau articles.

Savary was "in command of the 5th corps" "on the extreme French right" so as "to guard the approaches to Warsaw by the Narew and Bug, and to cover the right rear of the movement northwards". After the French were "driven out of Ostrów" "on the 3rd February", "Savary received orders to abandon Brok and retire upon Ostrolenka, so as to strengthen his communication with the Emperor's army." "Essen was ordered by Bennigsen to drive back Savary, who, at the same time, had made up his mind to assume the offensive". Essen, with "25,000 men, advanced to Ostrolenka on the 15th, along the two banks of the Narew". Savary "decided to hold Ostrolenka on the defensive" "on the 15th February", "leaving 3 brigades" on the "low hills outside Ostrolenka" flanked by "batteries on the opposite bank", whilst he "assumed the offensive" "on the morning of the 16th" "against the Russian force coming down the right bank"

Early on 16 February General of Division Honoré Théodore Maxime Gazan arrived at the vanguard with part of his division. At 9 AM he "met the enemy on the road to Nowogród" and attacked and routed them, but at the very same moment the Russians "attacked Ostrołęka by the left bank".General of Brigade François Frédéric Campana, with a brigade from Gazan's division, and General of Brigade François Amable Ruffin, with a brigade from General of Division Nicolas Charles Oudinot's division, defended the town. Savary sent General of Division Honoré Charles Reille, his chief of staff. The Russian infantry, in many columns, wished to take the city but the French let them advance halfway up the streets before charging them, leaving the "streets covered with the dead". The Russians "abandoned the town" and took up positions "behind the sand hills that covered it".

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Wikipedia