Battle of Krasnobród (1672)

The Battle of Krasnobród took place on 5 and 6 October 1672, during the Polish-Ottoman War. It was part of Jan III Sobieski’s autumn expedition, aimed at destruction of mounted Tatar units, which plundered southeastern provinces of the Kingdom of Poland.

In early October 1676, Hetman Jan Sobieski was stationed in Krasnystaw. On 5 October after finding out that several Tatar units were plundering the area of Zamosc, he decided to destroy them. The main Tatar forces camped near Krasnobrod, and in the night of October 5/6, Sobieski began a 52-kilometer march, which took place in a heavy rain. Early in the morning, Tatar camp was attacked by pro-Polish Cossacks, loyal to Mykhailo Khanenko. When news of the skirmish reached Sobieski, he decided to intervene, arriving at the site of the battle after 30 minutes. Polish forces joined the fighting, while Khanenko himself left Krasnobrod and headed to Zamosc. Several Tatar units were destroyed, and some 2,500 Polish civilians were captured by the invaders.

Sources

• Mala Encyklopedia Wojskowa, Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, Warszawa 1967, Wydanie I, Tom 2