Battle of Revolax
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Revolax took place on April 27, 1808 at Revonlahti
Siikajoki
Siikajoki is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is...
, (now part of Siikajoki
Siikajoki
Siikajoki is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is...
) in Northern Ostrobothnia
Northern Ostrobothnia
Northern Ostrobothnia is a region of Finland. It borders to the regions Lapland, Kainuu, Northern Savonia, Central Finland and Central Ostrobothnia.- Municipalities :Main article: Municipalities of Northern Ostrobothnia...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, when the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
supreme commander Wilhelm Mauritz Klingspor
Wilhelm Mauritz Klingspor
Wilhelm Mauritz Klingspor was a Swedish noble military officer and one of the Lords of the Realm. He is probably best known from his time as field marshal during the Finnish War and for participating in the coup that dethroned Gustav IV of Sweden....
and the Savolax brigade under colonel Johan Adam Cronstedt
Johan Adam Cronstedt
Count Johan Adam Cronstedt was a Swedish Lieutenant General and governor of Östergötland County. He joined up aged 14 and first saw action in the Russo-Swedish War , but he is most notable for his part in the 1808-09 Finnish War and his command of the Savo Brigade....
, a total of about 2,250 Swedes surprised an isolated Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n column of about 1,800 men under Major General Michail Leontjevich Bulatov. The Russians were surrounded and tried to cut their way through but failed and the Russian general Bulatov was taken prisoner by the Swedes.
This, and the preceding battle of Siikajoki
Battle of Siikajoki
The Battle of Siikajoki was fought between Swedish and Russian troops on April 18, 1808 at Siikajoki, near Oulu, Finland. During the first stage of the Finnish War the Swedish commander Wilhelm Mauritz Klingspor had decided to retreat from southern Finland, so that the Swedes would gain time, and...
nine days earlier, are considered very important events since they are the first Swedish victories after about 2 months of planned retreat. The next battle took place at Pulkkila
Pulkkila
Pulkkila is a former municipality and a village located in Northern Finland. Pulkkila is the administrative center of the municipality of Siikalatva and belongs to the region of Northern Ostrobothnia....
on May 1.
The summer offensive begins
The Swedish commander Klingspor continued his retreat towards OuluOulu
Oulu is a city and municipality of inhabitants in the region of Northern Ostrobothnia, in Finland. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the sixth most populous city in the country. It is one of the northernmost larger cities in the world....
after the Swedish victory at the Battle of Siikajoki
Battle of Siikajoki
The Battle of Siikajoki was fought between Swedish and Russian troops on April 18, 1808 at Siikajoki, near Oulu, Finland. During the first stage of the Finnish War the Swedish commander Wilhelm Mauritz Klingspor had decided to retreat from southern Finland, so that the Swedes would gain time, and...
. They were closely followed by the Russians. A Russian fore, commanded by Bulatov, had set camp at the village of Revonlahti
Siikajoki
Siikajoki is a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is...
. Cronstedt prepared an assault to drive them away. He led a force of some 1,800 men through the night of 26 and 27 April. The Swedes could hear the sound of musket fire to the north, where Adlercreutz were fighting against the forward Russian unit which had been advancing on him. However Adlercreutz managed to stop the advance.
Cronstedt and his 4th Brigade prepared themselves for the battles that were to be fought the next day. Bulatov and his Russian troops were entrenched inside the village. The Russian units consisted also of the Mohilev Regiment and the Perm
Perm
Perm is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. From 1940 to 1957 it was named Molotov ....
Regiment. The Russians had three guns. In the morning of April 27 the Swedish attacked with two equally strong columns: the right column was led by Gustav Aminoff. It consisted of two battalions from the Savolax Infantry Regiment
Savolax Infantry Regiment
The Savolax Infantry Regiment was an infantry musketeer regiment in the Swedish Army, in the province of Savolax . The Regiment was created in 1626 as the Savolax and Nyslotts Land Regiment. It became an Indelta regiment in 1695...
, the third battalion from the Savolax Jaeger Regiment, the second battalion of the Carelian Jaeger Corps and two 3-pound guns; the left column was led by Lieutenant Colonel Adolf Ludwig Christiern and consisted of two battalions from the Savolax Infantry Regiment, the first battalion from the Savolax Jaegar Regiment, the first battalion from the Carelian Jaeger Corps, and two 3-pounder guns.
The right column managed to sweep away all the Russian resistance and were advancing along the river, towards the village. At the same time, the left column prepared its troops to assault the vicarage, where Bulatov had set up his headquarters and gathered most of his troops. The attack on the vicarage became a difficult operation, as the Russians defended themselves viciously. The Swedes finally stormed the building at 10 a.m. and a bloody close-combat battle ensued.
More than 94 Swedes and 600 Russians had died, were wounded or captured when the violence finally ended. The Swedish victory at Revolax meant the end of the fist Swedish retreat. Klingspor, who was known to be a cautious and sceptical man, acted against his temperament, and ordered a counter-offensive towards the south. The Savolax Brigade, which was led by av Sandels, and of whome Cronstedt's men were a part of, were to fight a bloody war in the southern parts of Finland. Sandel's newly formed 5th Brigade would soon take commence resistance fighting in the eastern parts of Finland. The Swedish counter offensive had begun and it would continue all the summer of 1808.