"This nut was very cruel, however, thank God, it was happily gnawed." Brutal assault on Noteburg
A. E. Kotzebue. Assault on the Noteburg Fortress
prehistory
After Narva, the Swedish king came to grips with his main enemy, the Saxon elector. Charles XII led an army into Lithuania and Poland and got stuck there chasing after Augustus II. The Swedish ruler considered Russia a secondary enemy, unworthy of special attention. The border with Russia was left to cover small detachments that supported the Navy and which relied on a system of fortresses in the Baltic and Karelia.
Meanwhile, Peter was restoring the army at an accelerated pace, began to build a fleet, and developed military production. Against the enemy in Ingermanland (Ingria, Izhora land, regions along the banks of the Neva, Lake Peipus and Ladoga, Sheremetev's army was put up.
After reconnaissance in battle, the Russian command realized that the enemy had rather weak forces here. In the battle of Erestfer in December 1701, Sheremetev defeated the Schlippenbach detachment (Defeat of the Swedes at the Battle of Erestfer). In July 1702, Russian troops defeated the Swedes near the town of Hummelshof (The defeat of the Swedish corps Schlippenbach in the battle of Hummelshof). The Russians marched with fire and sword throughout southern Livonia, destroying fortifications, capturing prisoners and food supplies.
As a result, the Swedish troops lost the opportunity to fight in the open field. The remaining forces hid behind the walls of the fortresses and waited for reinforcements from the king. The entire countryside was abandoned. In the autumn of 1702, Russian troops devastated Livonia, and the following year, Estonia:
After these events, Schlippenbach was replaced as commander in chief of the southeastern strategic direction by General Adam Lewenhaupt. Schlippenbach received the post of vice-governor of Estonia.
At the same time, the Russians won a number of victories on the water. Peter I began to build and arm small vessels (plows, karbasy, boats, etc.). Small teams of soldiers were planted on them - 10-20 fighters each. rivers were created flotilla on the Ladoga, Onega lakes, on the rivers Svir, Tikhvin, Volkhov. The Russians bravely attacked the Swedish small warships and boarded the yachts.
As a result, the Russians broke into Lake Peipsi, and the Swedes had to leave Lake Ladoga. Swedish ships sailed along the Neva to the Gulf of Finland. Russian troops got the opportunity to take the Noteburg fortress (ancient Russian Oreshek) at the source of the Neva River, which could not be done if the enemy dominated the water.
Siege and assault
Nut was of strategic importance, since at that time it closed the exit from Lake Ladoga to the Baltic Sea. Not a single ship could pass this fortress. The Swedes perfectly understood the importance of this fortress, so Noteburg, long before the Northern War, was turned into the main stronghold for control over the occupied territories. There were 150 guns on the walls and bastions, the garrison numbered 450 people. An additional difficulty was that the stronghold was located on an island, and it was believed that it could not be taken by attack.
In August 1702, Peter personally came out with the guards from Arkhangelsk (where he at that time led the construction of the fleet), sending an order to Sheremetev to concentrate forces around the fortress. At the end of September, Sheremetev's army occupied both banks of the Neva near the fortress. To block the fortress from the sea, 50 boats were dragged from Lake Ladoga to the Neva. Batteries were placed on the banks for shelling Noteburg - 51 guns.
The Russians had more than 12 thousand soldiers near Oreshok itself and over 20 thousand on the near approaches to it. The Swedish commandant Gustav von Schlippenbach expected to be assisted by the commander of the Swedish forces in Ingria Kroniort, and refused to capitulate. But help did not come to the Swedish garrison: shortly before the start of the siege of Noteburg, Apraksin completely defeated the detachment of Kroniort on the banks of the Izhora River.
On October 1 (12), 1702, the bombardment of Oreshok began. The shelling lasted ten days and partially damaged the fortress walls. But it was not possible to break through a full-fledged gap. On October 11 (22), the assault on the fortress began, the soldiers were transferred to the walls by boats. A fierce battle went on for 12 hours, but the Swedes repelled all attacks. Russian troops suffered heavy losses.
As a result, Tsar Peter decided to stop the attack and continue the siege. The situation was saved by the initiative of Prince Mikhail Mikhailovich Golitsyn. He refused to leave:
And he ordered to push the boat away from the shore, so that the soldiers would not be tempted to retreat. Part nevertheless escaped, the deserters were then severely punished (disgraced and executed). They sent a detachment under the command of Menshikov to help them. A hundred soldiers led by Menshikov managed to break through to one of the walls.
The Swedes, having exhausted the possibilities of defense (most of the soldiers died or were injured) and not wanting to die, threw out the white flag. The capitulation was accepted on honorable terms: the Swedes were released on all four sides, the banners were kept. The freedom of choice - to stay or leave - was also given to the townspeople.
The Swedes lost 367 men killed and wounded. The total losses of the Russian army are about 2 thousand people. The assault was heavy and bloody.
- wrote the sovereign Peter A. Vinius.
Russia returned the ancient Russian fortress Oreshek. Peter called it Shlisselburg - "the key-city", because it opened the way to mastering the mouth of the Neva. Tsar Peter I greatly valued the conquest of the Noteburg fortress. On December 6 (17), 1702, on the occasion of the capture of the fortress, he made a solemn entry into Moscow. During his reign, when time allowed him, he celebrated the victory 5 times in Shlisselburg itself.
Ancient engraving of the battle for the fortress
The application.
P. P. Dirin. History of the Life Guards Semyonovsky Regiment. St. Petersburg, 1883
On the same day, a flying bridge was thrown across the Neva. On the night of the 11th, 3 volleys of mortars were fired, the agreed signal for the assault; on this signal, the hunters of the Semyonovsky regiment, including 40 people under the command of Sergeant Mordvinov, moved towards the fortress, running under a hail of bullets and buckshot to the moat, they went down into it, rushed to the breach, but were repulsed.
Then a detachment was sent to help them under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Semyonovsky Regiment Prince Mikhail Golitsyn, the hero of that day. The Semyonov detachment consisted of 122 people, not counting the hunters ...; Following this reinforcement was sent from the Preobrazhensky Regiment under the command of Major Karpov, who at the very beginning of the case was wounded in the rib and arm by buckshot.
The fierce struggle continued for 13 hours in a row, but did not lead to anything, the Russians remained in the places where they were at the very beginning of the battle, and could not move forward, since the assault ladders turned out to be 1,5 fathoms shorter than the height of the breach, and retreat did not want; the Swedes defended stubbornly, firing from top to bottom with buckshot, red-hot cannonballs and dropping logs and stones on the attackers.
During the battle, there was one moment when several soldiers rushed to run to the river; then Prince Golitsyn, in order to take away any thought of retreat, ordered all free boats to be pushed away from the shore.
Peter, not seeing success, sent a command to retreat, but the one sent to the prince could not get through. Some, claiming that the messenger reached Prince Golitsyn, but received an answer: “Tell the Sovereign that now I do not belong to Peter, but to God.”
Meanwhile, the scorer, Lieutenant Menshikov, on the opposite bank, without waiting for orders, began to catch boats, put on them as many Preobrazhensky and Semyonovites as he could, and came to Golitsyn to help.
Seeing such perseverance on our part after 13 hours of battle, the commandant at 5 o'clock ordered the drums to be beaten for surrender. The attack immediately stopped, and secretary Shafirov was sent to the Swedes for negotiations.
On the same day, the surrender of Noteburg was signed and ours, without entering the city itself, took up guards along with the Swedes in three breaches.
Silver medal in honor of the capture of Noteburg
- Alexander Samsonov
- https://ru.wikipedia.org/
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