The end of June. Deltuva battle
2009-08-26 11:42
It is a wonderful event for the lovers of a history and a soldiership. It is really worth to plan a visit to this event in the end of June. French and Russian armies confronted with each other for the first time in Lithuanian territory on the 28th of June in 1812 in Deltuva village (Ukmerge region). This battle is known like a battle of Deltuva and Vilkmerge.
Russian artillerists
On the 24th of June the army of Napoleon Bonaparte started to move through the river Nemunas. A legendary French marshal Udino leaded the first units. Russian army did not fight and quickly fell back. General lieutenant L. Vitgenstein leaded the Russians fall back. French pursued the falling back Russian units. L. Vitgenstein understood that his units would not be able to get of the pursuers so he sent French to stop a rearguard, which was led by the major J. Kulnev. There were battalions of the gamekeepers, hussars, Cossacks and six cannonries of the cavalry in the rearguard. To stop the enemy there were the total of 3600 warriors.
There were 12 800 men in the French rearguard, which consisted of the Horse gamekeepers, infantry and 28 gunnery.
The battle started unsuccessfully for the Russians. Russian reconnaissance met French reconnaissance near Milasiunai. The Russians fell into a trap and after a short fighting, they were crushed. 5 Russian riders died, about 60 hussars and some Cossacks got prisoned. The general J. Kulnev took up a good position beyond Deltuva to the direction of Seta. He spread three gunnery of the Horse artillery there. The infantrymen gamekeepers and hussars protected each of them. Soon the Horse French gamekeepers in green uniforms showed up from the wood. The infantrymen gamekeepers protected them from the sides. The fire of the Russian artillery pushed the French to go back to the wood. One shot exploded round the corner of marshal Udino - his horse and some other officers' horses were injured.
The French align and attack
The 8th division of the infantrymen came in a midday. This division and the cavalry started the attack, trying to go around the Russians from the wings. General J. Kulnev understood that his warriors would not be able to withstand an attack, so he turned his warriors back to the stream of Store. The French took a village, situated their artillery in the entire front and fired the Russians. The Russian dragoon units of Riga, Yamburg, Nazinski went to the counter-offensive and fight with the French force near the cemetery of the village and Stanislav‘s manor.
At that time the main force of the Russian‘s, led by L. Vigenstein, went through the river of Sventoji and the rearguard started to go back. Russian gamekeepers cleverly used the locality and fired the attacking gamekeepers. The hussars from Gardinas and the dragoons attacked one more time near Ukmerge. The rest of the Russians also successfully went through the river of Sventoji. The battle, which lasted for 16 hours ended.
The French attack
The Russians lost 65 soldiers, 37 soldiers were injured in a battle. 240 soldiers were prisoned. The French lost 50 soldiers, 100 soldiers were injured, and 20 men were prisoned.
We can say, that it was J. Kulnev revenge for the defeat in the Fridland battle on the 14th of June in 1807, when marshal Udino defeated the units of J. Kulnev. A destiny was always connecting those generals together, unfortunately, their last meeting occurred after a month when J. Kulnev near the river of Dauguva attacked the corps of Udino. The Russian units were beaten and J, Kulnev died, when the ball pulled both his legs.
Soldiers from Ukmerge attack (the first infantry regiment of the Grand Hetman of Grand Duchy of Lithuania)
In the instant will boil up a battle with the sword-bayonets
Since 1998, when an obelisk, which showed a symbolic place of the battle was built near the village, a theatricalized battle of Deltuva was started to perform here. Over a hundred participants met together there from the clubs of the history of war not only from Lithuania but also from the abroad in 2009. The battle was commented by Arvydas Pociūnas - the director of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas‘ Museum of War. He told to the numerous attendances about the participants of the battle and the process of it.
In a field, where the gamekeepers on their hunkers could hide in a tall standing grass, a battle, which happened a couple of hundred years ago, was repeated. The field was encrusted with the puff, the ears could not hear anymore because of the shoots, the signals of the cars screamed. It was a good chance to appreciate the stay and courage of our ancestry, when they have to fight face to face for 16 hours in a burning heat.
The Russian gamekeepers
The first infantry regiment of the Grand Hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
The sutlers
The main organizer of Deltuva battle - a history club of Ukmerge - „The first infantry regiment of the Grand Hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania" - showed up perfectly not only organizing the event, but also in a field of the battle. The audience could touch the ancient armament, ammunition and clothing after the battle.