Battle of Gorodechno

The Battle of Gorodechno was a battle between the army of the allies of Napoleonic France and Russia at Gorodechno, a town in Kobryn Uyezd, Grodno Governorate (now Pruzhany District, Brest Region).

Plan of the Battle of Gorodechno

On August 12, 1812, a battle took place between the part of the 3rd Reserve Observation Army (about 18,000 men) under the command of General Tormasov and the Austrian and Saxon corps of the Austrian prince Schwarzenberg and Reynier (about 40,000 men). The Russian position from the front was accessible only by three dams, which passed through the marshy tributary of the Mukhavets River; its right flank rested against the swamp; the left was covered by a forest (considered impassable), through which the road to Kobryn passed. Prince Schwarzenberg sent a detachment bypassing the left flank, the unexpected appearance of which caused Tormasov to draw almost all the troops there. All enemy attacks on the Russian left flank were repulsed, and nothing decisive was attempted against the Russian front. Thanks to this Tormasov, despite the great superiority of forces from the enemy side, stayed on the position until the evening. At night, fearing for his retreat, he went to Kobryn.