Battle of Villmanstrand


The Battle of Villmanstrand, also the storming of Villmanstrand, was fought during the Russo-Swedish War on 23 August 1741, when Russian forces of 10,000 men, under the command of General Peter von Lacy, assaulted Villmanstrand.
Lacy drawn up in 2 storming lines: the 1st was commanded by General, the 2nd by General.
Fighting began around 2pm but the Swedes under Carl Henrik Wrangel, counting 3,000–4,000 men withdrew already at 5pm.
Swedish casualties amounted to between 2,000 and 2,500 men, or 3,300–4,000 killed and wounded, and 1,337 captured, with four colours, 12 cannons and one mortar lost according to Russian estimates. Soon after, the Swedes rallied 1,400 men from the Södermanland, Dalarna, Västerbotten, and Tavastehus regiments. 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.

Swedish units

Russian Colonel Christoph Hermann Manstein's estimates of the Swedish strength, reportedly derived from Wrangel's muster roll at the day of the battle. It is unknown if this also includes sick and elsewhere commanded soldiers not present at the battle. Manstein's figures does, however, include the Kymmenegård battalion and the second Savolax battalion, neither of which were present at the battle.