The Battle of Cahul, July 21, 1770

Among the many victories of the Russian Army, the victory at Cahul, it is one of the most brilliant. In this battle, Russian soldiers, under the command of Count Rumyantsev, defeated ten times superior Turkish army.
During the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. Turks possessed a much more numerous army than Russian, due primarily to light and maneuverable cavalry, so Russian army often used the square as the basic form of construction of the army in battle. Commander Peter Rumyantsev also introduced an innovation - the movement of military columns maneuver that quickly turns into a loose form of construction of the army. With numerous cavalry fought with the help of artillery.
Events unfolded in the South of Moldova. After the defeat of the Turkish army at the pockmarked Tomb and Larga, Chief of the Turkish Grand Vizier Ivazzade Halil Pasha he divided the army into two parts. Crimean Tatars (80 000 soldiers), under the leadership of Khan Giray Kaplan II, stepped aside and Chilia Ishmael, and Turks (150 000 to 150 instruments) went with the flow of the river Cahul, on its left bank. Rumyantsev had 32 000 soldiers and officers and 118 guns. But in the battle with the Turks took part in a total of 17 000 Russian soldiers, of which Russian cavalry was 5 000 people, against the Turks, with the number of cavalry 100, 000 people.
Grand Vizier The plan was to cross the Danube and attack the Russian troops from the front, while the Crimean Khan has promised to hit from the rear. The situation was aggravated by the lack of Russian food. Considering all these factors, the victory of the Turks seemed certain.
July 14, Turkish troops crossed to 300 ships on the Danube. Rumyantsev was waiting for convoys with food. The Turks perceived expectation for how Russian awareness of their defeat, so the Turks cheered. The Turkish army is located seven miles from the Russian attack was scheduled for July 21. But the Russian commander in chief ahead of them, early in the morning on July 21, he overcame Trajanov shaft and five columns attacked the Turks. He wanted to smash them before attacking the Tatars, or the Russian army would be doomed.
When the Turks saw Russian forwards, they immediately launched a massive counter-attack the cavalry. Russian soldiers formed a square. Russian repulsed Turkish counterattack, and again went on the attack. Turkish artillery began to bombard heavy squares generals Plemyannikova and Olitsa. In addition, from the valley suddenly appeared about 10 thousand Janissaries, attacking a square Plemyannikova which already trembled and began to crumble. The moment was critical. The soldiers fled in the direction of the square and threatened to overturn Olitsa flight and his quads. At this point, Rumyantsev himself rode towards them, shouting: "Wait, guys." The soldiers, the affected brave chief, turned around, went to a bayonet attack and gave a decisive rebuff to the janissaries.
There has come a decisive turning point. Corps Bour and Bruce hit the Turks in the flanks, and Repnin went to the rear. The Turks began to flee in panic, pursued by the Russian cavalry as much as 5 km. The Tartars did not dare to fight. In total, the Turks lost about 20 000 people and almost all the guns. Russian captured the treasury of the Grand Vizier. The losses of the Russian army were relatively small - about 1, 000 people.
As a result of the victory of Russian liberated from the Turks Ishmael, Salchi, Chilia, Braila, Bucharest, Bender and the entire left bank of the Danube (right was reclaimed in 1771), and Peter Rumyantsev was awarded the title of Field Marshal.

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