# Battle of Kurttepe

The battle of Kurttepe was a phase of the 1828–1829 Russo-Turkish War. The Ottoman army, under the command of Omer Vrioni, defeated the Russian army under Duke Eugen Württemberg at Kurttepe near Varna on 30 September 1828.

## Prelude

During the 1828–1829 Russo-Turkish War, whilst the siege of Varna was taking place, the Russians learned that Omer Vrioni was marching onto Varna after a battle at Hacıhasanlar. In response, they sent reinforcements to Yevgeny Golovin in the Galata Burnu area to meet the Turkish relief forces coming from the south. Karl von Bistram was appointed in command of all Russian forces south of Varna. General Golovin had 2,500 men and 12 guns, while the other group had 6,500 men and 18 guns. In addition, a Russian contingent under the command of Duke Eugen Württemberg, concentrated near Yenipazar, was tasked with cutting Omar Viryoni Pasha off from his rear. Some of these troops forced the Turkish troops stationed at Hacıhasanlar to retreat to Kurttepe on 27 September. The Russian army aimed to surround the Turkish army with troops under the command of Württemberg and Bistram.

## Battle

On 28 September 1828, Omer Vrioni began his assault with an army of 15,000 men while General Bistram was preparing for the offensive. The Turkish garrison at Varna simultaneously organised a sortie from the fortress, inflicting considerable casualties on the troops under General Golovin's control. The Russian forces, attacked from the front and flanks, were stabilised by a counterattack of the Finnish regiment. On the same day, a Russian unit under the command of General Suhazant, which left Hacıhasanlar for reconnaissance, wrongly assessed that the Turkish army at Kurttepe consisted of 8,000 men and suggested a double flank attack. Accordingly, Duke Württemberg informed other commanders that he would start the offensive at 14.00 on 29 September., However, when he realised that the Turkish forces at Kurttepe numbered 26,000, he wanted to postpone the offensive for two days. Tsar Nicholas I, on the other hand, considered Prince Württemberg's assessment exaggerated and ordered the army under Omer Vrioni to be dislodged from the vicinity of Varna before reinforcements under the Grand Vizier arrived.
The 11,000-strong Russian army went on the offensive at 10:00 on 30 September and succeeded in capturing the bastion 1 kilometer west of Kurttepe. They then began an intense barrage of fire with the 10 guns they had brought forward. Several attacks by the Turkish army, which was in battle formation, were defeated. The Russians wanted to continue their offensive with the support of the artillery and sent forward the Azov regiment under the command of General Durnov. As the Turkish troops retreated, Württemberg increased the intensity of the offensive with reinforcements. However, as the Azov regiment suffered heavy losses, he added the Dnieper Regiment and the Ukrainian battalion under the command of General Simanski to the offensive. However, a significant part of these units were also destroyed by the effective resistance of the Turkish army. The 5 Russian battalions at the edge of the forest were also in danger of annihilation and withdrew. The wounded Duke Württemberg retreated to Hacıhasanlar with the available troops, while the Russian army suffered 1,400 casualties. General Bistram's troops also suffered over 500 casualties.

## Aftermath

Despite this victory, Omer Vrioni did not follow the retreating Russian army and fortified his position in case the Russians attacked again. Feeling no pressure, the Russian army intensified their siege of Varna and the fortress surrendered on 11 October 1829.