How Swedes held their ground against Winged Hussars (29.07.1656)

**Peterski** · 10-01-2017, 08:25 PM

The battle of Warsaw in 1656 was the largest (in terms of number of combatants) of all Polish-Swedish battles. It lasted for 3 days. During the 2nd day fo the battle, on 29.07.1656, there took place one of the few defeats that Polish Winged Hussars ever suffered. The Swedish army managed to stop and drive back the afternoon charge of Polish heavy cavalry, with both sides suffering large losses.

Situation on the 2nd day of the battle (orange area = where the main fighting took place):

http://s22.postimg.org/43ht5ntf5/Sec...arsaw_1656.png

Deployment of the opposing forces prior to the charge:

Polish-Lithuanian forces included 8 squadrons of winged hussars, under the command of:

Machowski,
Lanckoronski,
Wilczkowski,
Zamoyski
Polubinski,
K. Radziwill (not to be confused with traitor B. Radziwill who fought for the Swedish army)
Kruniewicz,
Chalecki,

Each squadron was about 100 horsemen strong, so the total number was 800 hussars:

http://s22.postimg.org/fav8rik6p/War...Po_ubi_ski.png

Brief description of daily plans of the opposing armies on 29 July 1656:

http://s9.postimg.org/hfnsih6y7/Wars...o_ubi_ski2.png

First phase of the charge:

Second phase of the charge:

http://s22.postimg.org/fva9u7df5/War...o_ubi_ski4.png

Third phase of the charge:

http://s10.postimg.org/y4c4vrf6h/War...o_ubi_ski5.png

Final phase and the belated order to send in reinforcements for charging units (soon cancelled):

http://s12.postimg.org/f14ykv4sd/War...o_ubi_ski6.png

Main sources:

- M. Nagielski, "Warszawa 1656", "Historical Battles" series
- Radosław Sikora's doctoral thesis about Winged Hussars
- http://www.husaria.jest.pl/warszawa1656.html
- http://forum.historia.org.pl/topic/7...warszawa-1656/
- http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/Warsaw.htm

Panoramas of the battle of Warsaw (28 July - 30 July 1656):