230 years ago, on September 22, 1789, the Russian-Austrian troops under the command of Suvorov utterly defeated the superior forces of the Turkish army on the Rymnik River.
The victory of the Russian troops at Rymnik. Colored engraving by H. Schütz. End of the 18th century
The situation on the Danube front
In the spring of 1789, the Turks launched an offensive with three detachments - Kara-Megmet, Yakub-agi and Ibrahim. The Russian division under the command of Derfelden defeated the enemy in three battles at Barlad, Maksimen and Galats (Derfelden's division defeated the Turkish army three times). In the summer of 1789, the Turks again tried to go on the offensive and defeat separately the weak Austrian corps of the Prince of Coburg, and then the Russians in Moldova. Suvorov managed to come to the aid of the allies and on July 21 (August 1) defeated the Turkish corps in the battle of Focsani (Battle of Focsani). Turkish troops retreated to the fortress on the Danube. Alexander Vasilyevich suggested that the command use the success and go on the offensive until the Turks came to their senses and moved forward again. However, they did not listen to him.
In August 1789, the Russian army under the command of Potemkin laid siege to Bendery. The Russian commander-in-chief acted, as during the siege of Ochakov in 1788, extremely passively. Prince Nikolai Repnin, who advanced with his division to southern Bessarabia, defeated the Turkish troops at the Salchi River on September 7, 1789. Taking care of further strengthening his army, Potemkin pulled almost all Russian troops under Bender, leaving only Suvorov's numerically weak division in Moldova.
The Turkish commander-in-chief vizier Yusuf Pasha decided to use the favorable moment, the remote location of the troops of the Prince of Coburg and Suvorov, to defeat them separately, and then go to the rescue of Bender. At first, they planned to defeat the Austrian corps at Fokshan, then Suvorov's division at Byrlad. Gathering a 100 thousand army, the Turks crossed the Danube at Brailov and moved to the Rymnik River. Here they settled in several fortified camps located several kilometers from each other. The Austrians again asked for help from Alexander Suvorov. Immediately, the Russian commander began the march and on September 10 (21) joined the allies. He walked with his soldiers for two and a half days through impassable mud (heavy rain washed out the roads) 85 miles, crossed the river. Seret. The allies had 25 thousand soldiers (7 thousand Russians and 15 thousand Austrians) with 73 guns. Ottomans - 100 thousand people with 85 guns.
The defeat of the Turkish army
The Austrians doubted that it was necessary to attack the enemy. The forces were too unequal. In addition, the enemy occupied fortified positions. Turkish troops were stationed between the rivers Rymna and Rymnik. The first Ottoman camp was located on the banks of the Rymna, near the village of Tyrgu-Kukuli, behind it at the village of Bogza - the second, near the forest of Kryngu-Meylor and Rymnik - the third. Only in the first camp there were twice as many Ottomans as Russians. The Austrian commander proposed to act on the defensive. However, Suvorov said that then he would attack only with his own forces. The Prince of Coburg has surrendered. The Russian commander decided to first attack the camp at Tyrgu-Kukuli with his own forces, while the Austrians would guard the flank and rear, then connect and strike at the vizier. The count was on surprise and swiftness of action. Until the enemy came to his senses and used the small number of allies, dismembered them, bypassed from the flanks and rear.
The Russian commander did not hesitate and set out. In a hidden night march, the allies left Focsani, crossed the Rymna River and reached the camp of the Ottoman army. The Turkish command, confident of victory over the weak Austrian corps (they did not yet know about the arrival of the Russians), was taken by surprise. The Turks, despite the presence of numerous cavalry, were unable to organize effective reconnaissance. The allied forces fielded two lines of infantry, behind them was the cavalry. The Russian-Austrian army lined up at an angle, apex to the enemy. The Russians, who became regimental squares, made up the right side of the corner, the Austrians - the left. The Russian division played the role of the main striking force, the Austrian corps was supposed to provide the flank and rear, while Suvorov smashed the enemy. During the movement between the Russian and Austrian troops, a gap of more than two miles was formed, it was covered only by a small Austrian detachment under the command of General Karachai (2 thousand people).
The battle began at 8 o'clock on 11 (22) September 1789. Russian troops reached the first Turkish camp. The Turks opened fire. Here on the way of the soldier there was a ravine, only one road led through it. Most of the troops were forced to wait for their turn. The first line has stopped. Suvorov was thrown across the ravine by the grenadier of the Fanagoria regiment. They hit with hostility. Behind them crossed the ravine and the Absheron regiment. The attack was swift, panic broke out in the Turkish camp, the Russians captured the battery. Standing in the area of the Kayata forest, the Turkish cavalry counterattacked, and the Turkish infantry supported it. The Ottomans tried to strike the flank of the Russian soldiers crossing the ravine. The enemy crushed the Russian carabinieri and attacked the Absherons, they met the enemy with rifle and cannon fire and bayonets. For about half an hour the Ottomans tried to break the square. At this time, the carabinieri recovered and launched a new attack. In addition, the Turks came under fire from the Smolensk regiment, which also crossed the ravine. The enemy flinched and ran. The first camp was captured.
Vizier Yusuf Pasha gathered all his numerous cavalry (about 45 thousand people) and sent 7 thousand detachment to the left flank of the Russians, taking advantage of the fact that the second Russian line had not yet overcome the ravine. He also sent 18 thousand horsemen between the Russian and Austrian troops, against the weak detachment of Karachai and 20 thousand people bypassing the left flank of the Austrians. The battle raged for several hours. Wave after wave of Turkish cavalry tried to break and overturn the square of the allies. Suvorov's regiments stood unwavering, and the Austrians also held out. Karachai was in a particularly difficult situation, but with the support of the Russians he survived. Huge masses of Turkish cavalry crashed against the correct order of the allied forces and were repelled by fire. All the cavalry of the Ottoman army was scattered. The vizier made a mistake, did not throw the main forces of his cavalry against the Austrians or Russians, but separated them.
Suvorov again led the troops on the offensive:
"Only forward! No step back. Otherwise we will perish. Forward"!
The Russians attacked the Turkish positions near the village of Bogza. Turkish artillery fired, but it was ineffective and did little harm. Russian cannons fired accurately, breaking the enemy's resistance. The Turkish cavalry attacked again, but also without success. Turkish vultures were beaten off everywhere. As a result, even here the resistance of the Ottomans was broken, grenadiers and musketeers broke into the village. The Turks fled to Kryngumaylor Forest, where their main camp was located.
At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, the allies reached the main Turkish camp, here they attacked with one front. The vizier had up to 40 thousand fresh troops, the Russian-Austrian troops fought in the morning, they were tired, there were no reserves. The Ottomans built fortifications at the Kryngumaylor forest, which occupied 15 thousand elite troops - janissaries, with artillery. The cavalry covered the flanks. It was necessary to surprise the enemy with something. In the morning the Ottomans were struck by the sudden attack of the Russians, who were not expected to be seen here. Suvorov, seeing that the field fortifications were built carelessly, threw the entire allied cavalry into the attack - 6 thousand sabers. The Turks were overwhelmed by this absolutely amazing cavalry attack on the trenches. The first to break through the fortifications was the Starodubovsky Carabineri Regiment. A bloody hand-to-hand fight began. The Russian infantry arrived in time for the cavalry, and struck with bayonets. The Janissaries were killed, and at 4 pm the victory was complete. The Turkish army has become a running mass. Many soldiers drowned in the stormy waters of the flooded Rymnik.
Thus, the Russian commander showed a brilliant example of the complex maneuvering of troops on highly rugged terrain. The allies made a covert concentration, struck a quick blow at the vastly outnumbered army and defeated it piece by piece.
A missed opportunity to end the war
The Turks lost only about 15-20 thousand people killed, and several hundred prisoners. The trophies of the allies were four enemy camps with all the reserves of the Ottoman army, all Turkish artillery - 85 guns and 100 banners. The total losses of the allies amounted to 650 people. For this battle, Alexander Suvorov received the title of Count of Rymnik and was awarded the Order of St. George 1st degree. Joseph of Austria awarded the commander the title of Reichsgraf of the Roman Empire.
The victory was so great that nothing prevented the allies from crossing the Danube and ending the war. In fact, the Turkish army was no longer there. Only about 15 thousand Turkish soldiers came to Machin. The rest fled. However, the Russian commander-in-chief Potemkin, envious of Suvorov's victory, did not use the favorable moment and remained with Bender. He only ordered Gudovich to take Khadzhibey and Ackerman, which the Russian troops did. In November, Bendery surrendered, and the campaign of 1789 ended there. If there was a more decisive and energetic commander-in-chief in Potemkin's place, the war could have ended this year.
The Austrian army was also inactive, only in September the allies crossed the Danube and took Belgrade. Coburgski's corps occupied Wallachia and was stationed near Bucharest. In the meantime, Istanbul made an alliance with Prussia, which fielded an army on the borders of Austria and Russia. Encouraged by Britain and Prussia, the Ottomans decided to continue the war. In a year, the Turks recovered from the Rymnik defeat, gathered their forces and concentrated them again on the Danube.
Monument to A. V. Suvorov in Tiraspol. Sculptors - brothers Vladimir and Valentin Artamonov, architects - Ya. G. Druzhinin and Yu. G. Chistyakov. Opened in 1979
