Battle of Villmanstrand

The Battle of Villmanstrand, also referred to as the storming of Villmanstrand, was fought during the Russo-Swedish War on 3 September 1741, when Russian forces of 10,000 men (13,000, or 16,000–18,000, according to Swedish estimates), under the command of General Peter von Lacy, assaulted the fortress of Villmanstrand (Finnish: Lappeenranta).

Lacy drawn up in 2 storming lines: the 1st (grenadier and 4 infantry regiments) was commanded by General Fyodor Stoffeln, the 2nd (5 infantry regiments and all cavalry) by General Ivan Bakhmetev.

Fighting began around 2pm but the Swedes under Carl Henrik Wrangel, counting 3,000–4,000 men (5,256–5,600 according to Russian estimates) withdrew already at 5pm. The Swedes occupied a strong position, protected by the natural landscape, reinforced and fortified. A field combat ensued at the defensive positions near the fortress walls between 2 and 5 pm. The Swedes managed to repel the initial assaults, but were overwhelmed by flanking maneuvers and retreated behind the walls. The Russians sent a drummer to deliver a demand for the fortress's surrender, but he was simply shot in response. Between 5 and 7 pm Lacy's Russians broke into the fortress under the cover of fire from their own and captured cannons. At 7pm the Swedes surrendered.

Swedish casualties amounted to between 2,000 and 2,500 men, or 3,300–4,000 killed and wounded, and 1,337 captured (among them General Carl Henrik Wrangel), with four colours, 12 cannons and one mortar lost according to Russian estimates. Soon after, the Swedes rallied 1,400 men from the Södermanland (300), Dalarna (above 400), Västerbotten (above 300), and Tavastehus (370) regiments (including sick or elsewhere commanded troops not present at the battle). This number does not count the Karelian Dragoons, Savolax Regiment or the Willebrand infantry which were the first Swedish units to flee and thus suffered the least casualties.

The Russians admitted a loss of 515 killed and 1,870 wounded. After the battle, the Swedes claim to have received reports from captured Russian officers stating a loss of 8,000 Russians killed. Von Lacy did not continue his movement after the battle. Henrik Magnus Buddenbrock was executed for his perceived incompetence.