The battle of Kashkbair and Karahasankiyoe

Parts of the army corps under the command of Khasan Pasha (7 camps) on August 9 (21), 1877 attacked and captured the dominant heights near Kashkbair which were occupied by Russian troops.

At 21:30 on August 10 (22), reinforcements of 8 battalions and two artillery batteries approached the Russians. Together, they attacked and regained control of the heights. The Russians repulsed a dozen fierce Ottoman counterattacks , which lasted until the morning of August 11 (23). Under pressure from superior forces, the Russians were forced to retreat to the west bank of the . The losses of the Russian imperial army amounted to 350 people killed and wounded. The victory achieved by the Ottomans created the conviction among the Turks that they could immediately carry out large-scale offensive operations ^[2] .

Disposition before the battle

The success gained by the Turks at Ayaslar greatly boosted their fighting spirit, and Mehmet-Ali decided to go on the offensive against the Ruschuk detachment. Trying to take control of the right bank of Kara-Loma, the Turks planned to occupy the heights of Karakhasankoye ^[3] .

The grouping of forces on the Kara-Loma line by this time was as follows: the Ruschuk detachment (48 battalions, 45 squadrons and hundreds, with 224 artillery pieces) stood at the front of Pyrgos - Ablanovo - Ayaslar (55 versts), having on the right flank, in the Kovacice area - Gagovo - Pop-koi detachment of the commander of the XIII corps of Lieutenant General Ghana (24 battalions, 14 squadrons and hundreds at 107 opudii); the nearest center group was 12 miles to the north and a ledge back; the general reserve of the Ruschuk detachment was at the villages of Idzhekiy and Udzhekiy . The main forces of Ghana stood near the village of Kovacitsy , having advanced detachments at the villages of Karahasankiyoy, Gaidar-kiyoy and Ayaslara ^[3] .

Turks (104 battalions, 60 squadrons with 174 guns) were located on the line Ruschuk - Torlak - Gaidar-koi . The plan of their attack at the front position of the XIII corps was as follows: the Nejib Pasha’s division (19 battalions, 6 squadrons and 5 batteries) was to attack Karahasankiya from the front; the Assafa Pasha division brigade (8 battalions and 2 batteries), having captured the village of Sadina , attack Karahasankiya from the northeast; Sabit Pasha’s brigade (7 battalions, 8 squadrons and 3 batteries) advance through Bashlar and along the Kara-Loma valley, threatening the escape route from Karahasankoi; In order to distract the attention of the Russians, on their flanks they sent: 3 battles, 6 squadrons and 2 batteries against Gaidar-kyoi, and 6 battalions, 6 squadrons and 2 batteries against Ayaslar ^[3] .

The position of the Russian army at Karahasankiyoy was located east of the village, on a gentle slope; the right flank was a grove south of the village, and the left rested on the village of Kecheler. The right flank controlled the area to the south and southeast, had good fire and there were no approaches to it. The front of the position was limited to Spalahar heights, located 3 miles from the front; from the left flank and from the rear, the position was surrounded by heights and forest. Two batteries of 2 opudia, trenches at the edge of the grove and at the front of the position, as well as in the rear at the eastern edge of the village of Karahasankoi, were arranged at the position. Major General Leonov had at his disposal 3 battalions, 5 squadrons and hundreds with 10 guns ^[3] .

Battle

Having received a report from the cavalry on the movement of significant enemy forces to the village of Spalahar , General Leonov, sending Colonel Nazarov with 2 companies and 2 opudies to the village of Sadina, and Lieutenant Colonel Glazenap with 2 companies, 2 squadrons and two equipment to the village of Spalakhar, ordered the detachment take a position: two companies with 2 guns - in the center, 1 company and 4 opudia - in a grove on the right flank and 3 companies in the trenches - on the left flank; the remaining 5 companies made up the general reserve ^[3] .

Meanwhile, the Lubentsy, having discovered the cavalry of the enemy at Spalakhar Heights, attacked her, but the appearance of infantry forced her to withdraw, after which Glazenap's detachment was located south of the Kecheler Forest. Leonov supported Glazenap with 3 companies and ordered Nazarov to move away from Sadin to Kecheler, where he would take charge of the left flank of the detachment. Meanwhile, Glazenap, due to strong enemy fire, was forced to retreat to position ^[3] .

By half-past nine in the morning Leonov’s detachment was located as follows: one battalion occupied the trenches on the left flank, the other was in the center, 3 companies in a grove on the right flank; one and a half companies on the way to Kecheler; hussars kept near the Kecheler forest; the Atamans were located northwest of the village of Kechelera, watching the left flank, and a hundred Donts - south of the grove, watching the right. Meanwhile, the Turks, strengthening the battle line, launched an attack by the Nejib Pasha brigade on the left flank of the Russians. The trenches changed hands several times, but despite the assistance of the hussars who attacked the Turks, the left flank was forced to withdraw to Karahasankia. His retreat led to the withdrawal of the center, which the Turks could threaten from the left flank. The Turks were content to capture our position and began to gain a foothold on it ^[3] .

By this time, the Assafa Pasha division brigade had reached Sadin and continued to advance towards the village of Kecheler, and the Sabita Pasha brigade had occupied Bashlar and stopped. By 11 o’clock Leonov’s detachment settled in 2nd position near the eastern outskirts of Karahasankiyoy. One battalion, led by Major Zavoisky, occupied a grove north of Karakhasankioya; 7 companies and 6 guns (Major Shlyupovich) occupied the eastern slopes of the heights on which the village of Karahasankiyoy is located; 3 companies and 4 guns (Major Igovsky) were on the eastern edge of the grove; 1 squadron of Atamantsev observed the left flank at an altitude west of Sadin, and the rest of the cavalry (4 squadrons and hundreds), under the command of Glazenap, guarded the right flank of the Russian forces ^[3] .

Meanwhile, around noon, a brigade from the Assafa Pasha division occupied Kecheler and launched a series of attacks on Zavoisky, but was repulsed. An hour later, the Turks began to attack the center. Six times villages passed from hand to hand; Zaraitsy bravely defended themselves, straining their last efforts (later, in gratitude to the feat of soldiers and officers of the Zaraysk Infantry Regiment , the Bulgarians renamed Karahasankiya to Zaraevo ) ^[3] .

At about 4 pm, a new danger began to threaten Leonov’s detachment: the Sabit Pasha brigade, which was still inactive at Bashlar , went on the offensive, and another brigade began to descend from Spalakhar heights. Thus, the Turks introduced into battle almost an entire division of fresh troops. Under these conditions, Leonov could not hope to maintain his position, but having ordered to stay, he sent reinforcements arrived (9 companies of Morshantsev): one battalion at the disposal of Zavoisky, and 2 companies to strengthen the center. The battle flared up with renewed vigor, and General Leonov heroically held on for another two hours. At about 6 pm, when the movement of the Sabit Pasha brigade began to threaten the retreat, Leonov ordered a retreat to Gagovo. The retreat was accomplished harmoniously, although not without difficulty; significant assistance on the right flank and in the center was rendered by artillery retreating in parts; on the left flank, for lack of artillery at the end of the battle, Zavoisky had to restrain the Turks from switching to a counterattack. By 9 o’clock in the evening the whole Leonov’s detachment gathered in Gagovo, leaving cavalry outposts along Kara-Lom ^[3] .

Losses

Losses of the Russian army: 4 officers and 105 lower ranks killed, 22 officers and 359 lower ranks wounded ^[3] .

Summary

Despite the seizure of several settlements, the Ottoman command was unable to seize the strategic initiative and the Russian units were able to take new positions to continue fighting against the Turks.

• Description of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877–78 on the Balkan Peninsula. Ed. military-historical commission of the main administration of the general staff, St. Petersburg. , 1906.