Battle of Ratan and Sävar

Battle of Sävar and Ratan

Date	19–20 August 1809
Location	The village of Sävar and the village of Ratan, slightly north of Umeå, Sweden
Result	Sävar: Russian victory Ratan: Swedish victory

Belligerents

Sweden

Russia

Commanders and leaders

Gustav Wachtmeister

Nikolay Mikhailovich Kamensky

Strength

6,800 troops

6,000 troops

Casualties and losses

Total: 1 000.
Sävar: 850 (396 dead, 450 wounded).
Ratan: 150 (26 dead, 2 prisoners)

Total: 1 750.
Sävar: 1 600 (600 dead, 1000 wounded).
Ratan: 150 (dead and wounded)

The Battle of Sävar and Ratan is two battles fought a day apart. They are mentioned together as the same armies fought both battles and the later battle was essentially an extension of the first. The battle of Sävar and Ratan was the last battle on Swedish soil and the last between Swedish and Russian forces.

The Russians had successfully captured the city of Umeå and driven the Swedish army commanded by Sandels south, to Härnösand. Tsar Alexander I of Russia demanded that Sweden cede all of Finland. To achieve a better negotiating position, the Swedish army command planned to land troops north of the Russian positions in Umeå to attack the Russian army from the rear, while the mainland army of 3,400 men under Fabian Wrede attacked them from the front.

Chosen to lead the sea-borne task force was Lieutenant-General Gustav Wachtmeister. Battle proven in the Prussian army, in the Russo-Swedish War 1789-1790, and in the Pomeranian War just two years earlier. There was talk on giving the command to von Döbeln, but Wachtmeister was chosen.

There was no threat from the Russians possible on the waters, as the combined force of the Swedish Örloggsflottan and the British Navy had the Russian fleet at bay. The task force left on 8 August and sailed north towards Ratan 45 km north from Umeå. To avoid detection by the Russian army in Umeå, the task force sailed east of Holmön. It arrived at Ratan 16 August. The attack was planned for 19 August.

The Swedish task force sent was composed of:

On 17 August the Swedish army disembarked from their ships in Ratan. Later the same day, they destroyed a small Russian detachment in Djäkneboda.

The Russian commander, Lieutenant-General Nikolay Mikhailovich Kamensky, was marching south when he learned of the Swedish task force. He quickly wheeled around and marched north to face Wachtmeister's army before Wrede's arrived.

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Wikipedia