The Battle of Šumatovac () or Battle of Aleksinac () happened in 1876, in central Serbia, near the town of Aleksinac. The outnumbered Serbian army, led by colonel Kosta Protić, won a tactical victory in this defensive battle against the Ottoman forces. In a major tactical blunder the Ottomans spent a whole day frontally attacking a well-entrenched pentagonal redoubt defended by two Serbian battalions armed with muzzle-loading rifles and 6 cannons supported by about 40 additional artillery pieces positioned on the overlooking hills.
Background
Military operations
After the quick collapse of the Serbian offensive on all fronts (July 2-11th 1876), Serbian eastern and southern armies were pushed back (July 15-August 6), and the Ottoman forces took Zaječar and Knjaževac. However, Ottoman eastern army was unable to push further into Serbia proper on the eastern front, due to very rough and inpassable mountain terrain of the eastern Serbia. In fact, although the Ottomans have successfully occupied the Timok Valley (two counties of Zaječar and Knjaževac), the only route from there into the rest of Serbia was through but two mountain passes (Čestobrodica and Bovan Gorge), which were already fortified and heavily defended by the Serbian eastern army. So, the main Ottoman army (some 60,000 strong) had to attack from the south, from its base at Niš through the Morava Valley.
However, the Serbian southern border and the Morava Valley were defended by heavily fortified towns of Aleksinac and Deligrad, where was also the base of the main Serbian army, some 68,000 strong, with more than 100 cannon.
Aleksinac fortified position
Aleksinac was the main military base of the Serbian army on the southern border, protecting the road into the Serbia proper along the South Morava river. The town was heavily fortified, defended by a ring of 20 redoubts and batteries on the surrounding hills encompassing both sides of the South Morava, stretching from the Đunis hill on the western flank (on the left bank of Morava) to the Prugovac redoubt on the eastern flank (on the right bank of Morava). Serbian fortifications were armed with 44 cannon, 6 howitzers (Cal 160 mm), 10 mortars, 4 fixed and 2 field batteries (8 guns each), in all about 100 artillery pieces. Aleksinac was manned by 4 Serbian brigades under the overal command of colonel Kosta Protić, two of the First (Smederevo and Belgrade First class brigade) and two of the Second class (Smederevo and Kragujevac Second class brigade), as well as parts of the Šabac, Ćuprija and Combined brigade, who were retreating from the southern border. The eastern flank of the Serbian position (on the right bank of Morava) was defended by some 15–16.000 soldiers, stretched thin between Aleksinac and Prugovac, some 6 km apart. However, fortified batteries on the hills east of Aleksinac, armed with some 40-50 cannon, fully dominated the eastern bank of Morava and were well positioned to support the outlaying defences
The eastern side of Aleksinac was defended by the strong fortifications on the Rujevica hill (armed with 8 cannon and 6 mortars), closest to the town, a small redoubt on Šumatovac hill some 2.5 km to the northeast, and a weak redoubt at Prugovac, further 3.5 km to the northeast. Between Šumatovac and Prugovac was the wooded Šumatovac hill, with no Serbian fortifications at all.
Šumatovac redoubt was a small 5-sided field fortification on a rocky outcrop, some 300 m from Šumatovac hill, that dominated the valley between Rujevica and Šumatovac hill. Rujevica was heavily fortified, while the wooded Šumatovac hill had no other Serbian positions except the small Prugovac redoubt further 3.5 km to the northeast. On the eve of battle, Šumatovac hill was defended by two companies (300-400 soldiers) of the Kragujevac Second class brigade, four 4-pounder guns and 2 howitzers.
Against these Serbian forces came the Ottoman army from Niš, some 30,000 strong, attacking the Aleksinac position from the east and forcing it's way through the valley between Rujevica and Šumatovac hill, with nothing but small Šumatovac redoubt to stop them.