Battle of Bolshie Ozerki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Bolshie Ozerki
Part of the Allied North Russia Intervention during the Russian Civil War
Date 31 March – 2 April 1919 Location Bolshie Ozerki, Russia Result See Aftermath section
Belligerents
United Kingdom  United States White Movement Poland	Russian SFSR
Commanders and leaders
Edmund Ironside George Evans Stewart	Aleksandr Samoylo
Strength
~2,000	~7,000
Casualties and losses
At least 75 killed	~2,000 (Allied claim)

The Battle of Bolshie Ozerki was a big fight during the Russian Civil War. It was part of the North Russia intervention, where several countries helped one side in Russia.

This battle happened from March 31 to April 2, 1919. It took place at a village called Bolshie Ozerki in Russia.

Forces from the British, American, Polish, and White Russian armies fought against the Red Army. Even though the Allied forces were outnumbered, they managed to stop the Red Army's attacks. The Red Army eventually had to pull back.

This battle was the last major fight for British forces in this intervention. It was also one of the last big battles for American troops in the area. American forces later defended their camp in the Siberian Intervention at Romanovka. They also caused many casualties during the Suchan Valley Campaign.

Why Was Bolshie Ozerki Important?

Bolshie Ozerki was a small village located between the port city of Onega and an important Allied base. This base was called Obozerskaya Station, and it was along a key railroad line.

The main Allied base at Arkhangelsk would freeze over in winter. This meant that new soldiers and supplies had to come by land from Murmansk, a port that didn't freeze. The road from Murmansk to Obozerskaya went right through Bolshie Ozerki.

The Red Army wanted to capture Bolshie Ozerki. Their goal was to stop British soldiers from reaching Obozerskaya. If they controlled the village and the railroad, they could then move on to take Arkhangelsk.

Early Fights at Bolshie Ozerki

Before the main battle, there were smaller fights in the village. On March 17, a Red Army ski team secretly checked out the village's defenses. They captured two guards and learned where the Allied positions were.

With this information, a Red Army group of 600 to 800 men attacked. They quickly took over the village from about 80 to 160 French and White Russian soldiers. The next day, the Allies tried to take it back but failed.

The Red Army commander, Aleksandr Samoilo, then ordered his men to stop attacking. He said they didn't have enough warm clothes and that the weather was too cold. Temperatures were around -30°C (-22°F), and many soldiers were getting frostbite.

On March 23, Allied forces tried to attack Bolshie Ozerki again. About 320 British soldiers and 70 American troops attacked from the west. The deep snow and heavy machine gun fire stopped their attack.

At the same time, 300 White Russians and 40 to 80 British soldiers attacked from the east. They also faced strong enemy fire and couldn't advance. An American unit tried to go around the enemy through the forest. But they were too tired and their special "Shackleton boots" were very slippery in the snow. They had to turn back. The Allies lost about 75 men in these attacks.

General Edmund Ironside then ordered a heavy artillery bombardment of the village. By March 25, Bolshie Ozerki was mostly destroyed.

Getting Ready for Battle

Even with the bad weather, both sides brought in more soldiers and supplies. The Allies built wooden forts, log walls, and shelters about 4 miles east of the village.

By the end of March, the Allies had brought all their available artillery guns. These were mostly 75mm guns operated by White Russian soldiers. They also gathered all their troops from other areas. This included American soldiers from the 339th Infantry Regiment, White Russian companies, and British platoons. An important group of US engineers also joined them.

The Allied force had less than 2,000 soldiers. They faced about 7,000 Red Army troops. The Red Army also had powerful 4.2-inch artillery guns.

The Main Battle Begins

The Battle of Bolshie Ozerki (March 31 - April 2, 1919).

On the morning of March 31, 1919, around 8:30 AM, Red Army soldiers cut the telephone lines. This cut off communication between Obozerskaya and the Allied positions.

Three Red Army battalions then tried to go around the Allied forces from the north. They aimed to capture two 75mm guns. But the White Russian officer in charge, Lieutenant Kukovsky, quickly turned the guns around. He fired four powerful shots directly into the Red Army troops.

Strong fire from an American machine gun team also stopped the Red Army. They suffered heavy losses. The fighting then moved to the front lines. The Red Army launched many attacks from Bolshie Ozerki all day. But the Allied artillery and strong fire from their forts pushed back every attack until nightfall.

Day Two: April 1

The main Red Army attack started around 3:30 AM on April 1. They launched strong attacks from the front and weaker attacks from the back. Again, all their attacks were stopped by machine gun, rifle, and artillery fire.

Sometimes, rifle grenades were used when Soviet troops got close enough. Some Soviet soldiers who gave up said that their units were losing hope. An entire company of the 97th Saratov Regiment even refused to attack. Despite this, the Allies launched a fake attack on the village from the west. This was to take pressure off their heavily fighting units in the east.

Day Three: April 2

The Allies had planned their fake attack for 3:00 AM on April 2. British and White Russian soldiers were supposed to move along forest trails. Polish soldiers and American machine gun teams would also help.

However, this attack didn't go well. One British company got lost in the deep snow and couldn't reach its target. The Polish soldiers suffered many casualties and had to pull back. Another British company was partly surrounded and forced to retreat.

Lieutenant Clifford F. Phillips, an American officer, rushed forward with his platoon to cover the British retreat. He was badly wounded while fighting bravely to stop the enemy. He held them off for an hour until more soldiers arrived. He later died from his wounds.

His award for bravery said that he "kept them all in line and his Lewis guns going with great effectiveness and gave ground slowly and grudgingly, in spite of casualties and great severity of cold."

Artillery and mortar fire continued for the rest of the day. Then, at 5:30 PM, the Allies launched a successful counterattack. The Red Army pulled back around 7:00 PM. About an hour later, the Allies also moved back to safer areas under the cover of darkness. Many soldiers were very tired and had severe frostbite.

On April 2, there was a heavy exchange of artillery and mortar fire. By noon, the Red Army's infantry attacks had mostly stopped. No more attacks followed. By April 5, the Soviets left the area. They knew that if they waited longer, their guns and sleighs might get stuck in the spring mud. The Allies began leaving Arkhangelsk as soon as the ice melted.

What Happened After the Battle?

Men of the American 339th Infantry Regiment in northern Russia.

The intense battles at the end of March and beginning of April were the last major fights in northern Russia. The Allies managed to stop the Soviet forces and defend their positions. However, they couldn't push the Red Army out of Bolshie Ozerki.

Both sides suffered greatly from the cold. Even though it was sunny, the melting snow soaked through soldiers' boots. This caused more cases of frostbite than even the coldest winter days. One Soviet report said that 500 soldiers from just one group got frostbite. These soldiers had been sent from a warmer area without proper winter clothes. Many soldiers suffered from frostbite or froze to death because they were out in the open for days. Because of this, the Allied guess of 2,000 Red Army casualties might even be too low.

At least 10 British soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment died during the fighting in April 1919.

In mid-April, Brigadier General Wilds P. Richardson arrived in Arkhangelsk. He had been personally told by President Woodrow Wilson to manage the removal of U.S. forces from North Russia. Over the next few months, American troops slowly left the fighting areas and moved to bases near Arkhangelsk. Control of the area then went to the White Army, led by Governor-General Yevgeny Miller.