Battle of Strėva

Part of the Lithuanian Crusades

Date	2 February 1348
Location	Strėva River near Žiežmariai 54°48′N 24°25′E / 54.800°N 24.417°E / 54.800; 24.417Coordinates: 54°48′N 24°25′E / 54.800°N 24.417°E / 54.800; 24.417
Result	Teutonic Order Victory

Belligerents

Teutonic Order

Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Commanders and leaders

Grand Commander Winrich von Kniprode

Kęstutis or Narimantas

Battle of Strėva, Strebe, or Strawe was fought on 2 February 1348 between the Teutonic Order and pagan Grand Duchy of Lithuania on the banks of the Strėva River, a right tributary of the Neman River, near present-day Žiežmariai. Chronicler Wigand of Marburg publicized this battle as a great victory for the Knights: he claims that some 18,000 Lithuanians were killed or drowned while only 8 knights and 60 other soldiers died on the Order's side.Narimantas and Manvydas, two sons of Gediminas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, are thought to be killed in the battle.

In 1347, the Teutonic Knights saw an influx of crusaders from France and England, where a truce was made during the Hundred Years' War. Their expedition started in late January 1348 but due to bad weather bulk of the forces did not proceed further than Insterburg. A small army led by Grand Commander and future Grand Master Winrich von Kniprode invaded and pillaged central Lithuania (probably areas around Semeliškės, Aukštadvaris, Trakai) for a week before being confronted by Lithuanian troops. The Lithuanian army included contingents from its eastern territories (Volodymyr-Volynskyi, Vitebsk, Polotsk, Smolensk) which shows that the army was assembled beforehand, probably for a campaign into the Teutonic territory.

The Knights were in a difficult position: they could cross the frozen Strėva River only a few men at a time and once major forces had crossed, the remaining soldiers would be annihilated. The knights had limited supplies and could not wait. The Lithuanians, led by Kęstutis or Narimantas, also had short supplies and decided to attack by hurling arrows and spears injuring a great number. However, at the critical moment the crusaders counterattacked with their heavy cavalry and Lithuanians lost their formation. So many of them drowned in the river that Knights could cross it with "dry feet." This episode caused much criticism of the source: the Strėva River is shallow, especially during winter, and could not have caused such a massive drowning.

...
Wikipedia