Forgotten victories of the Russian army. The battle of Klyastitsy (1812) - debunking the myth of the invincibility of Napoleon's army.

During the Patriotic war of 1812 between the Russian army and the troops of Napoleon I Bonaparte was not a few battles in which Russian soldiers and showed the wonders of bravery and heroism, and the generals - his leadership talent and ingenuity. Here only for some reason one battles became public, and others, not less significant and brilliant, are known only to a narrow circle of historians. One of these battles took place on July 29 - August 1, 1812. While Napoleon's main forces were rushing to Moscow, pursuing the retreating 1st and 2nd Russian armies, two separate corps were put forward to the North-West of Russia. The 1st corps of Marshal udino numbering 28 thousand people took Polotsk and moved to the connection with the 2nd corps of Marshal McDonald (30 thousand people), which operated in the Riga direction. After the capture of Riga and the connection of the French corps had to go to the capture of the Russian capital of St. Petersburg. The 1st infantry corps of Lieutenant General p. H. Wittgenstein (20 thousand) opposed the French in this direction. people) left for cover of St. Petersburg, also on the Riga direction there was a group of 18 thousand soldiers under command of the Riga Governor-General Essen. Wittgenstein realizing that as soon as the enemy corps unite, he will not have a single chance to resist them. So he decides to break up the French marshals one by one.  Crossing the Dvina river near Polotsk on July 29, udino captured the village of Klyastitsy, but his troops were stretched. This and decided to take advantage of General Wittgenstein. Sent in exploration, major General Y. P. Kulnev with four etidronate hussars and 500 Cossacks attacked avngard of the enemy, consisting of three cavalry regiments of the French. Despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, hussars and Cossacks Kulnev managed to overturn it and capture the village. However after learning about the approach of the main forces of Marshal Oudinot 27 thousand persons, with 114 guns, Russian General left the village and returned to the P. H. Wittgenstein the next day on July 30, the avant-garde detachment of General Kulnev collided with the infantry division of Claude Juste Langran in the village of Yakubovo, but to knock the French out of the village in view of their numerical superiority, failed.  July 31 Yakubovo approached the main forces of the corps of General Wittgenstein and entered into a night battle with the enemy. After several attacks of the Russian troops managed to dislodge the French from the village and they began to retreat back to Klyastitsy. At this time, Wittgenstein sends a cavalry detachment, which was to cross the river Nisch and hit the French on the right flank. The retreating French set fire to the bridge over the river Nisch, but the soldiers of the 2nd Grenadier regiment managed to attack the enemy right through the burning bridge and throw it away. And the crossing of the river the Grodno hussars and the Yamburg field regiments of major General Kulneva struck a flank attack and drove the enemy from the village. Marshal udino began to withdraw his troops to the river Drissa. August 1 Russian avant-garde under the command of General Kulnev crossed the Drissa pursuing the retreating enemy, but near the village of Boyar he was ambushed. French artillery shot Russian hussars and unfortunately one of the cannonballs was killed and major General Y. p. Kulnev. Encouraged the French defied the retreating Russian avant-garde division of General Verdier. Learning of this, Wittgenstein took up a position near the village of Golovchino and let the French close first opened heavy artillery fire, and then attacked the enemy simultaneously on the front and on the flanks. The French division was crushed on its head. As a result of this battle, Marshal udino lost 10 thousand soldiers killed and 3 thousand prisoners, returned to Polotsk. P. H. Wittgenstein managed to prevent the connection of the two French buildings and prevent their advance to St. Petersburg and thus save the Russian capital. It was the first major victory of the Russian army over the French, debunking the myth of the invincibility of Napoleon's troops. Russian losses in this battle amounted to 4 thousand people.