A Swedish force of 750 halted a Russian advance of 5,000 at a narrow crossing, shaping the Russo-Swedish War's Finnish campaign.
Key Facts
- Swedish force size
- ~750 men
- Russian force size
- ~5,000 men
- Russian casualties
- 425 killed and wounded
- Swedish casualties
- 203 killed and wounded
- Date
- 13 June 1789
- Notable figure promoted
- Major Georg Carl von Döbeln
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–90, a Russian corps under General Georg Magnus Sprengtporten — a Swedish officer who had defected to Russian service — advanced northward through Savonia toward Mikkeli. Sprengtporten believed Finnish troops would not fight for the Swedish Crown, encouraging a confident Russian push along a road controlled by a narrow water crossing at Porrassalmi.
On 13 June 1789, approximately 750 Swedish defenders blocked the bridge at Porrassalmi against roughly 5,000 Russian infantrymen. Despite repeated Russian charges in overly dense formations, the defenders held the narrow crossing. The Russian commander Sprengtporten was seriously wounded, and his forces ultimately withdrew, covered by Cossack and Bashkir cavalry.
The Russian advance toward Mikkeli was stopped, demonstrating that Finnish troops would resist despite Sprengtporten's predictions. The battle elevated Major Georg Carl von Döbeln to prominence, and Sprengtporten attributed his defeat to poor officer coordination. Russian staff officer Ivan Sazonov acknowledged the defenders' valor while crediting their advantageous position for the outcome.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Georg Carl von Döbeln.
Side B
1 belligerent
Georg Magnus Sprengtporten, Ivan Ivanovich Michelson.