Battle of Warsaw (1656) - Second Day

Second Day

On the second day, Frederick William led a personal reconnaissance mission and noticed that a hillock against the forest, known as the "Colline", was on high enough ground to see over the Białołęka Forest and was also a prime position to put his guns. He had it assaulted and occupied by Brandenburg's infantry and dragoons and soon positioned his cannon on it, holding off against repeated Polish charges against the hillock.

With the Germans having shifted attention to the Colline hillock, the highly mobile Swedish cavalry began a daring maneuver. Wheeling around the Białołęka Forest unseen and to the Polish-Lithuanian right flank, they consolidated a new position which made the Poles' battle lines untenable. The sudden appearance of the Swedish army on their flank caused them to rush uncoordinated attacks that petered out by nightfall, although mounted Tatar forces continued to harass the allied forces.

During the night, John II Casimir realized that victory was unattainable and decided to evacuate the baggage train and his infantry across the Vistula River, while the cavalry was to prolong the fighting in order to cover the retreat and then withdraw south along the river.

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