Battle of Porrassalmi

The battle of Porrassalmi was a battle fought near the bight of Porrassalmi in Savonia on June 13, 1789. A Swedish force of about 700 Finnish men succeeded in stopping the northbound advance of a Russian force numbering 6,000-7,000 men.

The Swedish forces blocked the road to Mikkeli at a narrow watercrossing with a bridge near the bight of Porrassalmi. Despite numerous Russian charges against the vastly numerical inferior Swedes, they couldn't break through. The Russians lost 1000 men dead or wounded including their commander general Georg Magnus Sprengtporten who was seriously wounded. The Swedes lost in total 176 men dead or wounded. The battle brought to prominence major Georg Carl von Döbeln, whose iconic black silken bandanna was worn over a wound suffered in the battle.