Battle of Kay

The Battle of Kay (German: Schlacht bei Kay), also referred to as the Battle of Sulechów or Battle of Paltzig, was a battle fought on 23 July 1759 during the Seven Years' War. It occurred near Kay (Kije) in the Neumark, now part of Poland.

General Carl Heinrich von Wedel, the commander of the Prussian army of 26,000 men, unwisely attacked a larger Russian army of 70,000 men commanded by Count Pyotr Saltykov, and was defeated. The Prussians lost 8,300 men; the Russians lost less than 5,000 men. After the battle, King Frederick II of Prussia determined to force the Russians into a decisive engagement in order to prevent them joining up with the main Austrian army, but was defeated at Kunersdorf by a combined Russian-Austrian army.

Saltykov was able to rapidly increase the size of his army, as he had 41,000 men at Kunersdorf, but three weeks later was able to field an army of 70,000 Russian troops.