Battle of Šumatovac

The Battle of Šumatovac (Serbian: Bitka na Šumatovcu) or Battle of Aleksinac (Turkish: Aleksinaç Muharebesi) happened in 1876, in central Serbia, near the town of Aleksinac. The outnumbered Serbian army, led by colonel Kosta Protić, won a tactical victory in this defensive battle against the Ottoman forces. In a major tactical blunder the Ottomans spent a whole day frontally attacking a well-entrenched pentagonal redoubt defended by two Serbian battalions armed with muzzle-loading rifles and 6 cannons supported by about 40 additional artillery pieces positioned on the overlooking hills. The Ottomans finally retreated towards the end of the day having lost 500 killed and 1,500 wounded and captured. The Serbian army did not press the advantage with a counterattack, however so it ended up as just a tactical success.[1]

Battle of Šumatovac
Part of Serbian-Ottoman War (1876-1877)
Date23 August 1876
Location
Šumatovac, near Aleksinac, Principality of Serbia
Result Serbian victory
Belligerents
Principality of Serbia  Ottoman Empire
Commanders and leaders
Kosta Protić
Milojko Lešjanin
Đura Horvatović
Strength
58,000 93,000
Casualties and losses
135 killed and 1,436 wounded 500 killed and 1,500 wounded and captured

Notes
  1. MacKenzie 1967, pp. 135–136

References
  • MacKenzie, David (1967). The Serbs and Russian Pan-Slavism, 1875-1878. Cornell University Press. pp. 135–136. OCLC 231808.
  • "Turci Padali Ko Snoplje".


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