The Battle of Chetat

The Battle of Chetat is an episode of the Crimean War .

The Battle of Chetat
Main Conflict: Crimean War
Karl Lanzedelli's painting: “The Battle of the Chetary”
date of	December 19 (31), 1853 - January 25 (6), 1853
A place	Chetati village
Total	The victory of the Russian troops
Opponents
Russian empire Ottoman Empire
Commanders
A.K. Baumgarten Omer Pasha
Forces of the parties
5,000 people 6 guns 18,000 people 24 guns
Losses
2,000 3,000, 6 guns

During the Danube campaign, a detachment of Colonel Baumgarten was located near the village of Chetati, consisting of the Tobolsk infantry regiment , a squadron of hussars and hundreds of Cossacks, with 6 guns.

On December 19 (31), 1853, the Turkish cavalry attacked the detachment, including about two thousand people. The attack was repelled.

On the morning of December 25, 1853 ( January 6, 1854 ), Russian troops were attacked by significant forces of the Turks (up to 18 thousand, with 24 guns). The enemy took the road that led to Mocecei, where another Russian detachment stood, under the command of Belhard . Despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, the detachment of Colonel Baumgarten successfully repelled all attacks. By 10 o’clock in the morning he had only ten companies left in action, and there were only three companies in reserve. An order was given to retreat, during which the Turks attacked the regimental convoy and part of it was killed. Behind the village of Chetati, the Russians took up positions and began to shoot point blank; in hand-to-hand combat, the Turks, who also fought very bravely, were driven back.

At the most critical moment, when half of the Russians were already out of order, the artillery did not have any shells left, and Baumgarten was wounded, although he continued to command, Major General Belgard's team arrived to the Russians to rescue the village of Mocecei. Having entered the battle, the Odessa infantry regiment of Major General S. O. Zhigmont immediately began to suffer heavy losses from the Turkish trenches. And although, at the cost of heavy losses, the Turks managed to drive the Turks out of the trenches, but attempts to develop the offensive failed.

Only in the evening, having received news that General Anrep had finally moved with great strength to the place of battle, the Turks rushed to flee from Chetat to Calafat ; the Russians persecuted them for some time and stabbed many. General Menkov noted:

The German count started celebrating the Russian holiday of the Nativity of Christ . To do this, he dressed up a church parade. At 8 o’clock in the morning in Byleshti they heard the first shot that rang out at Chetat. The festive count Anrep forgot the disposition given to them the day before and, having received congratulations from the Wallach bastard, went to create a church parade. Despite all the ideas to meet the enemy, to the rescue of his own - Anrep went to church! <...> “Our people are beaten, and we pray like old women, instead of helping our own!” It’s not good, brethren, the soldiers said among themselves, “God will not forgive us!” The soldier was indignant that day not only that, having full opportunity, Anrep hesitated for hours and did not give help to the perishing regiment, but another obvious circumstance: speaking to the battlefield only at about two in the afternoon, Anrep with fresh strength did absolutely nothing to turn this Chetat case into a brilliant victory, which would have huge consequences.

Another participant in the events wrote:

Already galloped up and a Cossack (a driven horse fell right under him) from the Belhard detachment with the news that Belhard and his small detachment had come to the aid of Baumgarten, whom the Turks had attacked with excellent forces. Nevertheless, a prayer for many years to Nicholas and a long prayer holds back all the authorities in the church. Finally, Count Anrep himself appears in the square and gives an order that is no longer needed.

In this battle, the Turks lost up to 3 thousand people, 6 guns and 2 banners; 2 thousand people out of 7 thousand in both groups (Baumgarten and Belgard) fell out of order with the Russians. This battle ended the first period of the Danube campaign.