Battle of Smolensk (1812)

The First Battle of Smolensk took place on August 17 1812, between 175,000 French under Napoleon Bonaparte and 130,000 Russians under Prince Bagration, of whom about 50,000 and 60,000 respectively were actually engaged. Bagration's corps occupied the town of Smolensk, which Napoleon attacked, carrying two of the suburbs. During the night the Russians set fire to the place and evacuated it, having lost in the action about 11,000 killed and wounded. The French lost 9,000.

Battle

Smolensk was a city of 12,600 inhabitants, and had no strategic value other then it being in the way of the French. It was enforced by bastion towers and a thick stone wall, and occupied both sides of the river Dnieper, which prevented encirclement.

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The best way for the French to fight the battle would have been to cross the Dnieper further east, and come in from behind the city. This could have forced surrender from the Russians, and saved Napoleon countless men. However Napoleon believed that the Russians would come out to protect their city as it housed a religous icon, and that they would not allow their holy city to be reduced to rubble. As it happened the Russians did not come out to fight, but Napoleon had by that time committed to taking the city by force.

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The main battle began on August the 16th. An initial probing force carried two of the suburbs, but failed to bring the Russians out of the city, and Napoleon ordered a general assault with three corps of the Grande Armee, supported by two hundred artillery pieces. This was successful for a time, but when the French forces reached the city walls, they had no ladders or climbing apparatus to scale them. They tried in vain to climb onto each others shoulders, all the time taking fire from Russian artillery. Throughout the day the French still failed to make any progress. Predictably the intense artillery bombardment set the city on fire, and most of it was burning by nightfall. At the end of August 16th, the French had made no ground, and had lost about 7,000 men, while the Russians had lost about 11,000.

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At this point Barclay made the decision to abandon the city in order to save the army. Before he did he set fire to all ammunition stores and destroyed the bridges. He also left a small force to hold out for two more days to ensure his retreat.

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