A rearguard action during the Great Northern War in which Russian forces overwhelmed Saxon troops covering the Swedish army's evacuation from Ingria.
Key Facts
- Swedish force evacuated
- Up to 11,279 men
- Russian attackers
- 3,000–3,500 men
- Saxon rearguard size
- 600–800 men
- Russian casualties
- ~50 killed, ~220 wounded
- Horses slaughtered by Swedes
- ~4,000
- Duration of evacuation
- October 18–27, 1708
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following a failed Swedish campaign in Swedish Ingria aimed at recovering territory lost to Russia, General Georg Lybecker ordered the withdrawal of his Finnish-based army back to Finland. Russian commander Fyodor Apraksin, with a force of 3,000–3,500 men, saw an opportunity to disrupt the evacuation and waited until only a small Saxon rearguard of 600–800 men remained on the beaches.
Between October 18 and 27, 1708, near Kolkanpää, Russian forces launched repeated assaults against the Saxon ex-prisoners who had been recruited into Swedish service and left behind to cover the evacuation. Overwhelmed by superior numbers, nearly all the Saxons were killed or captured before the engagement ended.
The bulk of the Swedish army successfully escaped to Finland, but the Saxon rearguard was almost entirely destroyed. To prevent their horses from falling into Russian hands, the Swedes slaughtered approximately 4,000 animals. Russian losses were relatively light, at roughly 50 killed and 220 wounded, marking a tactical Russian success within the broader Great Northern War.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Georg Lybecker.
Side B
1 belligerent
Fyodor Apraksin.