. Enlarge for detailed view – Zhovti Vody (
Żółte Wody) is the south-easternmost battle marked. On 28 April 1648,
Stefan Potocki's forces came upon
Khmelnytsky's forces in an area near the present-day city of
Zhovti Vody. Numbering 3,500 the
Commonwealth's forces were greatly outnumbered at this point in comparison with Cossack-Tatar troops, which consisted of 4,000–5,000
Zaporozhian Cossacks, as well as of 3,000–4,000
Crimean Tatars under the command of
Tugay Bey. On 30 April 1648, the main
Tatar force had arrived and four hours later the
Cossack force joined them . Thereafter the Poles were encircled. On that day, there was no fighting. 1 May,
Tatars and
Cossacks decided to launch an attack from two sides on the Polish camp, after the initial firing of the camp, the Cossacks began their attack. They tried to distract the defenders from
Tugay Bey attacking them from behind, but the Tatars were late and attacked at a time when the Cossacks (after two unsuccessful attacks) had already withdrawn. This made it possible to effectively repulse the Tatars. Later
Bohdan Khmelnytsky and
Tugay Bey still tried (4 or 5 times) to attack the Poles, but each time unsuccessfully. After a six-hour struggle,
Tatars and
Cossacks suffered significant losses and retreated. On the night of 1 May to 2 May, the Cossacks built near the Poles a rampart and placed their cannons, but at dawn, the defenders quickly attacked, seized the position, and destroyed the fortifications. A period of blockade began, interrupted by frequent fighting (during the day attacked by Tatars, and at night by Cossacks). On 4 May 1648, near Kamianyi Zaton, Mykhailo Krychevsky's 1,500
registered Cossacks mutinied, killing all the officers (Krychevsky himself was taken prisoner and would join
Khmelnytsky's army). The Poles managed to get out of the encirclement, but the Tatars heard about the marching Poles and began to pursue. The Tatars attacked the Poles but were repulsed,
Tugay Bey all night long trying to attack but without success. At dawn Polish wagons move on Kniazhi Bairaky, Cossacks are only now arrived at the place and began artillery fire on
Poles,
Tatars forced the
Cossacks to stop firing because they wanted to taking as much as possible captives. Again
Tatars and
Cossacks rushed to the assault in which
Stefan Potocki was wounded and Jan Sapieha took command but the attack was repulsed. A moment later began the second attack which was successful. The Commonwealth forces were surprised by a hail of arrows from
Tugay Bey's Tatar forces, From the battlefield fled only one soldier but other source says that survived more soldiers.
Hetman Mikołaj Potocki, who had received word on 3 May 1648, of his son's plight, could not move his forces in time to reinforce the
Commonwealth's position, with his forces getting to within 100 km from the site of the battle. == Aftermath ==