Siege of Stettin (1659)
| Siege of Stettin | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Northern War of 1655–1660 | |||||||||
1696 copper engraving by Erik Dahlbergh depicting the siege from a birds eye view | |||||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Swedish Empire |
Austria Brandenburg Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Paul Würtz Carl Gustaf Wrangel Gustav Adolf Horn von Schwerin |
Jean-Louis de Souches Friedrich zu Dohna | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
|
Stettin garrison City militia |
Three infantry regiments Two cavalry regiments | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
2,770–2,771 men 36 guns 4 mortars | 6,500–7,000 men | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
| Heavy |
150–200 killed 100–130 captured Several guns destroyed | ||||||||
The siege of Stettin (Swedish: belägringen av Stettin; German: belagerung von Stettin) occurred from 19 September to 5 November during the Second Northern War. In the middle of September, an Austrian/Imperial army of 5,000 men under the command of Jean-Louis Raduit de Souches crossed the Oder and Reglitz rivers to besiege the city as part of an Allied offensive into Swedish Pomerania. In support of these, Brandenburgian reinforcements in the form of three infantry and two cavalry regiments, in total 1,500–2,000 men under the command of Friedrich zu Dohna. Additionally, a Polish force was also present during the siege.
The Allied forces quickly besieged the city, being forced to do so after their request for its capitulation was refused. On 7 October, they captured a redoubt on the nearby Oberwiek mountain, and by the middle of the month they were only some 30 or 80 paces from the Passauer bastion and the curtain going to the Holy Spirit bastion. On 20 October, after the Allies had received heavier siege artillery, they created 13 new batteries and began a new bombardment of the city after yet another request to surrender was rejected. The city burghers soon became discouraged, requesting reinforcements from Carl Gustaf Wrangel. These were granted, and on 1 November, the Swedes sortied with a force of 870–970 men. The Swedes caught the Austrians by surprise, killing and capturing hundreds along with disabling a few cannons. They also destroyed a majority of the Brandenburgian artillery.
On 5 November, Wrangel departed from the city, and the Allies soon did the same, abandoning their positions. The Austrians and Brandenburgians withdrew to Greifenhagen and Löcknitz respectively, and later withdrew completely from Pomerania, securing Sweden's dominion over it.