Battle of Šumatovac
| Battle of Šumatovac | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of First Serbian–Ottoman War | |||||||
Battle of Šumatovac | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Serbia | Ottoman Empire | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Kosta Protić M. Chernyayev |
Nadir Pasha Eyüb Pasha | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
3,000–4,000 men 40-50 cannons | 30,000 men | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 240 dead and wounded | 1,000+ dead and wounded | ||||||
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.