Battle of Kłecko The Battle of Kłecko was fought on May 7 , 1656 , between forces of the Polish - Lithuanian Commonwealth commanded by Regimentarz Stefan Czarniecki and Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski and a Swedish force commanded by prince Adolf Johan av Pfalz - Zweibrücken . The Polish - Lithuanian force was more than 12 , 000 strong and consisted mostly of cavalry , while the Swedes numbered around 7 , 000 artillery , infantry and cavalry . The Swedes achieved a tactical victory in that they escaped destruction by the Poles , who were unable to get to the Swedish army entrenched behind the Welnianka River , and various ditches and swamps . Swedish army lost 500 dead , while Polish army sustained 70 dead and wounded or 3 , 000 dead ( depending on sources ) , including 40 companion s dead ( both hetman Czarniecki and Polish hussar companion Kochowski ( who was fighting in this battle ) quote this number of Polish losses ) . Background . In the spring of 1656 , Hetmans Stefan Czarniecki and Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski were sent with their forces to Greater Poland , in order to support anti - Swedish insurrection , which had begun there . King Charles X Gustav , who had just managed to escape encirclement in the confluence of the Vistula and the San river , decided to head to Greater Poland , with 10 , 000 soldiers . Charles Gustav left Warsaw on April 17 , 1656 , reaching Pakosc on April 28 . There , he split his forces into two groups . The King himself left with 2 , 000 soldiers towards the besieged Gdansk , while the remaining 8 , 000 under Gustav ’ brother , Adolph John I , Count Palatine of Kleeburg , continued to chase the Poles . Polish army , which camped along northern bank of the Notec river , concentrated on May 3 in Pila . On the next day , the Poles crossed the Notec near Ujscie , and marched towards Oborniki Wielkopolskie . After bypassing Poznan , the Poles reached Gniezno ( May 5 ) , while on the next day , Adolph John with his army arrived at the village of Jablkowo near Klecko , 15 kilometers northeast of Gniezno . When news of Charles Gustav ’ s departure to Royal Prussia reached Polish commandants , they decided to face the Swedes in an open field . The Battle . Polish army had 12 , 000 soldiers , mostly cavalry , while Swedes had 7 , 000 – 8 , 000 men with strong artillery units . According to the battle plan of Czarniecki , two Polish cavalry regiments ( under Mariusz Stanislaw Jaskolski and Jacek Szemberk ) were to engage the Swedes on a dike across a swampy stream called Welnianka , near the village of Brzozogaj . The dike was a trap , behind which four experienced Polish regiments awaited the enemy . The plan initially was a success , as after an exchange of fire , the Poles organized a mock retreat towards the dike . Swedish soldiers began to chase them , but the trap failed , when the four awaiting regiments entered the frail too soon . The Swedes retreated to their well - prepared positions , preventing the destruction of their army . Due to strong Swedish fire , the Poles did not attack their camp , and the battle ended after five hours . Polish losses were estimated at app . 70 , while Swedes lost some 500 men . Aftermath . The battle once again confirmed the notion that Polish cavalry was unable to defeat well - positioned Swedish infantry . Czarniecki himself later admitted , that without infantry and artillery , it was impossible to win battles with Swedish forces . After the battle , Polish army marched towards Pleszew and Uniejow , where it camped on May 16 . The situation of Swedes deteriorated , as by the end of May , Poles recaptured Leszno , Koscian and Sieradz .