Battle of Ratan and Sävar
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Sävar and Ratan is actually two separate battles fought a day apart. They are mentioned together as it was the same armies that fought both battles and the later battle was essentially an extension of the first one. The battle of Sävar and Ratan was the last battle on Swedish soil. http://www.savar1809.se/
and driven the Swedish army commanded by Sandels
south, to Härnösand
. Tsar
Alexander I of Russia
demanded that Sweden cede all of Finland
. To achieve a better negotiating position, the Swedish army command planned to land troops north of the Russian positions in Umeå to attack the Russian army from the rear, while the mainland army of 3,400 men under Fabian Wrede
attacked them from the front.
Chosen to lead the sea-borne task force was Lieutenant-General Gustav Wachtmeister
. Battle proven in the Prussia
n army, in the Russo-Swedish War 1789-1790, and in the Pomeranian War
just two years earlier. There was talk on giving the command to von Döbeln
, but Wachtmeister was chosen.
There was no threat from the Russians possible on the waters, as the combined force of the Swedish Örloggsflottan and the British Navy
had the Russian fleet at bay. The task force left Stockholm
on August 8 and sailed north towards Ratan 45 km north from Umeå. To avoid detection by the Russian army in Umeå, the task force sailed east of Holmön. It arrived at Ratan August 16. The attack was planned for August 19.
The Swedish task force sent was composed of:
The Russian commander, Lieutenant-General Nikolay Mikhailovich Kamensky, was marching south when he learned of the Swedish task force. He quickly wheeled around and marched north to face Wachtmeister's army before Wrede's arrived.
The Swedish force under Wachtmeister was delayed at Sävar
20 km north of Umeå
. The Russians attacked Wachtmeister's force in Sävar
at 07:30 August 19. The Russian force took possession of high ground immediately and the Swedes counterattacked the Russians uphill. A fierce battle broke out and despite the Swedes success in the fighting Wachtmeister ordered his forces to retreat back to Ratan. The Battle of Sävar was over at 15:00. Although the Battle of Sävar turned out as a Russian victory, the Russian army was too damaged to dare face Wrede advancing from the south.
In Sävar, Sweden suffered casualties of 396 men dead and around 450 wounded, the Russians suffered around 600 men dead and around 1000 wounded.
After the Battle of Sävar, the Swedish force fell back to the village of Ratan, in which they immediately prepared for another battle. On August 20 Kamensky ordered his army to attack the Swedes in a delaying battle to secure the Russian supply wagons retreat north. This time Sweden had support from their artillery
, not only the ground based, but also the cannons loaded on the Swedish fleet. Altogether, around 100 cannons were available for the Swedish army
. The artillery barrage destroyed large parts of the village and its surroundings.
During the Battle of Ratan, Wachtmeister managed to hold off Kamensky, who afterwards retreated north towards Piteå
. Shortly after, Swedish troops entered Umeå.
Casualties at Ratan numbered 150 Swedes (26 dead, 2 prisoners) and 150 Russians (dead and wounded).
one. The Russian army could not stay with the enemy advancing from the south having just suffered so many casualties. Instead it retreated north after the battle, easing up the situation for the Swedish army. The battles' outcome have also been argued to have helped Sweden achieve a better position in the peace negotiations with Russia. The Russian Tsar Alexander had demanded all of Österland, Åland, the parts of Norrland in present day Finland
and parts of Norrland in present day Sweden. The Czar's demand was that the border was to be drawn at the Kalix River
. The engagements in Sävar and Ratan have been argued to have helped move the border north to the Tornio
and Muonio
rivers in the peace talks.
Having the border further north than demanded by the Russians in the initial talks turned out to be fortunate for Sweden in the long run as major findings of iron ore were discovered in these areas later.
Prelude to the battle
The Russians had successfully captured the city of UmeåUmeå
- Transport :The road infrastructure in Umeå is well-developed, with two European highways passing through the city. About 4 km from the city centre is the Umeå City Airport...
and driven the Swedish army commanded by Sandels
Johan August Sandels
Count Johan August Sandels was a Swedish soldier and politician, being appointed Governor of Norway 1818 and Field Marshal in 1824...
south, to Härnösand
Härnösand
Härnösand is a locality and the seat of Härnösand Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 18,003 inhabitants in 2005. It is called "the gate to the High Coast" because of the world heritage landscape rises just some miles north of Härnösand...
. Tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
demanded that Sweden cede all of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. To achieve a better negotiating position, the Swedish army command planned to land troops north of the Russian positions in Umeå to attack the Russian army from the rear, while the mainland army of 3,400 men under Fabian Wrede
Fabian Wrede
Count Fabian Wrede was an advisor to King Charles XI, King of Sweden. In his birthright, the 3rd Baron of Elimäki in Finland, he was created 1st count of Östanå as reward for his service in financial administration of the king.-External links:**...
attacked them from the front.
Chosen to lead the sea-borne task force was Lieutenant-General Gustav Wachtmeister
Gustav Wachtmeister
Gustav Wachtmeister was a Swedish Army officer made famous at the Battle of Valkeala in Finland in 1789 against Russia where he was wounded by a musket shot to his arm, which had to be amputated...
. Battle proven in the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n army, in the Russo-Swedish War 1789-1790, and in the Pomeranian War
Pomeranian War
The Pomeranian War was a theatre of the Seven Years' War. The term is used to describe the fighting between Sweden and Prussia between 1757 and 1762 in Swedish Pomerania, Prussian Pomerania, northern Brandenburg and eastern Mecklenburg-Schwerin....
just two years earlier. There was talk on giving the command to von Döbeln
Georg Carl von Döbeln
Georg Carl von Döbeln was a Swedish friherre , Lieutenant General and war hero.-Early life:Georg Carl was born at the Stora Torpa manor in Segerstads parish in Västergötland to Johan Jakob von Döbeln and Anna Maria Lindgren...
, but Wachtmeister was chosen.
There was no threat from the Russians possible on the waters, as the combined force of the Swedish Örloggsflottan and the British Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
had the Russian fleet at bay. The task force left Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
on August 8 and sailed north towards Ratan 45 km north from Umeå. To avoid detection by the Russian army in Umeå, the task force sailed east of Holmön. It arrived at Ratan August 16. The attack was planned for August 19.
The Swedish task force sent was composed of:
- 2 ships of the lineShip of the lineA ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
(Adolf Fredrik and Försiktigheten) - 1 frigateFrigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
(Jarramas) - 44 gun sloopSloopA sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
s - 6 galleys
- 20-40 troop transport ships
- 6,800 soldiers
Description of the battle
On August 17, the Swedish army disembarked from their ships in Ratan. Later the same day, they destroyed a small Russian detachment in Djäkneboda.The Russian commander, Lieutenant-General Nikolay Mikhailovich Kamensky, was marching south when he learned of the Swedish task force. He quickly wheeled around and marched north to face Wachtmeister's army before Wrede's arrived.
The Swedish force under Wachtmeister was delayed at Sävar
Sävar
Sävar is a locality situated in Umeå Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden with 2,672 inhabitants in 2005.It is located by E4 about 15 km north of Umeå, Sweden. Sävar is mostly known for being the last battlefield of the Finnish War....
20 km north of Umeå
Umeå
- Transport :The road infrastructure in Umeå is well-developed, with two European highways passing through the city. About 4 km from the city centre is the Umeå City Airport...
. The Russians attacked Wachtmeister's force in Sävar
Sävar
Sävar is a locality situated in Umeå Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden with 2,672 inhabitants in 2005.It is located by E4 about 15 km north of Umeå, Sweden. Sävar is mostly known for being the last battlefield of the Finnish War....
at 07:30 August 19. The Russian force took possession of high ground immediately and the Swedes counterattacked the Russians uphill. A fierce battle broke out and despite the Swedes success in the fighting Wachtmeister ordered his forces to retreat back to Ratan. The Battle of Sävar was over at 15:00. Although the Battle of Sävar turned out as a Russian victory, the Russian army was too damaged to dare face Wrede advancing from the south.
In Sävar, Sweden suffered casualties of 396 men dead and around 450 wounded, the Russians suffered around 600 men dead and around 1000 wounded.
After the Battle of Sävar, the Swedish force fell back to the village of Ratan, in which they immediately prepared for another battle. On August 20 Kamensky ordered his army to attack the Swedes in a delaying battle to secure the Russian supply wagons retreat north. This time Sweden had support from their artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, not only the ground based, but also the cannons loaded on the Swedish fleet. Altogether, around 100 cannons were available for the Swedish army
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army is one of the oldest standing armies in the world and a branch of the Swedish Armed Forces; it is in charge of land operations. General Sverker Göranson is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Army.- Organization :...
. The artillery barrage destroyed large parts of the village and its surroundings.
During the Battle of Ratan, Wachtmeister managed to hold off Kamensky, who afterwards retreated north towards Piteå
Piteå
Piteå is a locality and the seat of Piteå Municipality in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The town has 22,650 inhabitants out of a municipal total of 41,000 in 2008.- Geography :...
. Shortly after, Swedish troops entered Umeå.
Casualties at Ratan numbered 150 Swedes (26 dead, 2 prisoners) and 150 Russians (dead and wounded).
Aftermath
Although the battle was a Russian victory, it was a pyrrhicPyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
one. The Russian army could not stay with the enemy advancing from the south having just suffered so many casualties. Instead it retreated north after the battle, easing up the situation for the Swedish army. The battles' outcome have also been argued to have helped Sweden achieve a better position in the peace negotiations with Russia. The Russian Tsar Alexander had demanded all of Österland, Åland, the parts of Norrland in present day Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and parts of Norrland in present day Sweden. The Czar's demand was that the border was to be drawn at the Kalix River
Kalix River
The Kalix River is one of the four major rivers of Norrland, northern Sweden, that are untouched by water power...
. The engagements in Sävar and Ratan have been argued to have helped move the border north to the Tornio
Tornio
Tornio is a town and municipality in Lapland, Finland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. The population density is , with a total population of . It borders to the Swedish municipality of Haparanda...
and Muonio
Muonio
Muonio is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Lapland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...
rivers in the peace talks.
Having the border further north than demanded by the Russians in the initial talks turned out to be fortunate for Sweden in the long run as major findings of iron ore were discovered in these areas later.