Battle of Calafat
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| Battle of Calafat | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Austro-Turkish War (1788–1791) | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Habsburg Monarchy |
 Ottoman Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Count Clerfayt General Buslach | Unkown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 10,000 | 8,000-12,000 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 210 | 1,500 | ||||||
The battle of Calafat (Turkish: Kalafat Muharebesi; German: Gefecht bei Kalafat) took place on 26 September 1790 and was one of the battles of the 1787-1791 Austro-Turkish War. It ended in a Habsburg victory despite the stubborn defence of the Ottoman soldiers.
Battle
[edit]In 1790, the Turks, driven out of Wallachia by the Russians and Austrians, defeated the troops of Prince Coburg at the siege of Giurgiu following a successful sortie. Encouraged by their success, the Turks crossed into Wallachia again via Vidin. They decided to attack the weaker detachment of field marshal François Sébastien de Croix. On 14 June, 2,000 Ottoman soldiers left Vidin and, having crossed by boat to the left bank of the Danube, landed at Calafat.
Clerfayt, who had 17,000 men under his command, scattered in a cordon along the Danube from Brașov to the Olt. He sent a detachment under the command of General Buslach (4 battalions and 4 divisions of cavalry) to Kalafat. The appearance of this detachment forced the Turks to start a return crossing to the right bank of the Danube. However, having decided to firmly occupy Kalafat, 8,000–12,000 men crossed the river once more and entrenched themselves on the hills near the village on 24 June whilst 7 ships with guns, the so-called “gulls”, were located on the flanks of the trenches.
Clerfayt decided to force 10 battalions and 8 divisions of cavalry to push the Ottomans from the Danube and at 5am on 26 June he appeared in front of the Turkish camp, ordering the infantry in two lines. The cavalrymen lined up behind them and distributed their guns partly in the gaps and some of them were directed towards the Turkish ships. Gunfire started the fight but had little effect on the Janissaries behind the redoubts, and Clerfayt ordered the infantry to attack immediately to give the Turks no time to call in further reinforcements from Vidin. However, just as the battalions began to move, Sipahis appeared on the adjacent heights to surround the Austrian soldiers on the left flank. Clerfayt immediately sent four squadrons and two battalions from the unattacked wing to meet them. The Sipahis were repulsed, and after a stubborn resistance from the Turks, the trenches were captured by the remaining battalions. The Turks fled across the river; some by gulls whilst others were forced to swim.
The Austrian losses amounted to 10 officers and 200 men killed and wounded. The Turks lost 1,500 men, most of whom drowned in the Danube.
Sources
[edit]- Петров А. Н. Вторая турецкая война в царствование Императрицы Екатерины II. 1787—1791 г. — СПб.: Тип. Р. Голике, 1880. — Т. II. 1787—1789 гг. Вторая турецкая война в царствование императрицы Екатерины II. 1787-1791 гг. Том II. 1789-1791
- August von Witzleben: Prinz Friedrich Josias von Coburg-Saalfeld, Herzog zu Sachsen, K.K. und des Heil. Röm. Reiches Feldmarschall, Verlag der Königlichen Geheimen Ober-Hofbuchdr. Decker, Berlin 1859 Prinz Friedrich Josias von Coburg Saalfeld, Herzog zu Sachsen, K.K. und des heil. röm. Reiches Feldmarschall