Battle of Lokalaks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Lokalaks |
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| Part of the Finnish War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Sweden |
 Russian Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Albrekt von Lantinghausen |
Pyotr Bagration |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 2,500–3,000 4 guns |
? 5 guns |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 140 killed, wounded and captured | 200 killed, wounded and captured | ||||||
The Battle of Lokalaks (also called Lokalax) was a fight between Swedish and Russian armies. It happened in Lokalaks, Finland (now called Nystad), on September 17–18, 1808. This battle was part of the larger Finnish War.
Why the Battle Happened
After a big fight called the Battle of Oravais, the Swedish king, Gustav IV Adolf, had a plan. He wanted to send about 4,000 soldiers by ship to the coast near Nystad. General Albrekt von Lantinghausen led these soldiers.
Their main goal was to stop the Russian army from moving easily between Nystad and Åbo. The Swedes also hoped to meet up with another Swedish army led by Eberhard von Vegesack. However, Vegesack's army landed much further north, making it hard for the two groups to work together.
The Battle Begins
On September 17, General Lantinghausen's Swedish force landed at Lokalaks. He had fewer than 3,000 soldiers, and they were not well-prepared. They lacked good equipment and enough ammunition.
The Russian commander, Pyotr Bagration, was ready for them. He had about 1,200 soldiers and 5 cannons.
After landing, the Swedish army didn't move forward very quickly. When they reached Lokalaks Church, the Russians attacked them around 6:00 PM. The fighting was not very intense and stopped after two hours because it got dark.
The Second Day
The next morning, at 6:00 AM, the Russians attacked again. General Lantinghausen's Swedish troops stayed in their positions and did not try to attack back.
After six hours of fighting, Bagration's Russian forces attacked both sides of the Swedish army. Seeing this, Lantinghausen decided it was best to put his soldiers back on their ships and sail away.
What Happened After
The battle ended with a Russian victory. The Swedish army lost about 140 soldiers, who were either killed, wounded, or captured. The Russian army lost around 200 soldiers.
After this battle, King Gustav IV Adolf was not happy with General Lantinghausen. He removed him from command. Another general, Gustaf Olof Lagerbring, took over just a few days before another event called the Helsinki village landing.
