The Battle of Komarno took place on October 9, 1672, during the Polish-Ottoman War (1672-1676). It was part of

Jan III Sobieski John III Sobieski ( pl, Jan III Sobieski; lt, Jonas III Sobieskis; la, Ioannes III Sobiscius; 17 August 1629 – 17 June 1696) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death in 1696. Born into Polish nobility, Sobie ...

’s autumn expedition, aimed at destruction of mounted Tatar units, which plundered southeastern provinces of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...

. After the Battle of Niemirow, Crown

Hetman ( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military co ...

Jan Sobieski John III Sobieski ( pl, Jan III Sobieski; lt, Jonas III Sobieskis; la, Ioannes III Sobiscius; 17 August 1629 – 17 June 1696) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death in 1696. Born into Polish nobility, Sobi ...

headed towards

Grodek Jagiellonski __NOTOC__ Horodok ( uk, Городо́к, pl, Gródek) is a city in Lviv Raion, Lviv Oblast (region) of Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Horodok urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: . History Horodok was first men ...

, with some 2,500-3,000 cavalry and dragoons. When his unit reached the area of Jaworow, Sobieski realized that main Crimean Tatar forces advanced towards Przemysl and then southwards to Sambir. Polish hetman decided to stop their retreat, and after a skirmish at the village of Hoszany, Tatar prisoners told the Poles that a 10,000 strong army under Noradin-Soltan camped in a valley near the town of Komarno. The Tatars were supported by the Cossacks of

Petro Doroshenko Petro Doroshenko ( uk, Петро Дорофійович Дорошенко, russian: Пётр Дорофе́евич Дороше́нко, pl, Piotr Doroszenko; 1627–1698) was a Cossack political and military leader, Hetman of Right-bank Ukr ...

. Sobieski wanted to surprise the enemy, ordering his soldiers to march 57 kilometers in a heavy rain and along muddy roads. His plan for the battle was to carry out a mock attack in the center of the Tatar-Cossack camp, and then to use his main forces to attack the left wing, in order to keep the Tatars away from the Wereszyca river Wereszyca river crossing. Polish forces were divided into two groups - a 1,000-strong unit under Stefan Bidzinski, and a 1,500-strong unit with the hussars under Sobieski. At app. 4 p.m. the Tatars noticed the group of Bidzinski and mounted an attack, using their main forces. Soon afterwards, the hussars of Sobieski attacked their left wing, which resulted in a Tatar retreat towards the river. Those enemy soldiers who tried to cross the Wereszyca were killed, while other Tatars managed to flee towards Rudki. The slaughter of the invaders continued until nighttime, and only 1,500 Tatars managed to cross the

Dniester The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and th ...

, and return to their homeland. Sobieski’s forces also freed some 20,000 civilians, captured by the hordes.

Gallery

File:Monument to victims of the Tatar raids XVII century. Komarno.JPG, Monument to victims of the Tatar raids 17th century. Komarno. File:Grave of Polish soldiers of the times of the Polish–Ottoman War (1672–76).jpg, Monument to victims of the Polish-Turkish war (1672–76) near village Hradivka

References

Sources

* Mala Encyklopedia Wojskowa, Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, Warszawa 1967, Wydanie I, Tom 2
Mista UA Komarno
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle Of Komarno Conflicts in 1672 1672 in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Komarno Komarno 1672 in the Ottoman Empire Komarno