The Second Battle of Svensksund (fi: Ruotsinsalmi, ru: Rochensalm) was a naval engagement fought in the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea, outside the present day city of Kotka, on 9-10 July 1790 during the Russo-Swedish War (1788-1790) (also known as King Gustav III's Russian War) in which Swedish naval forces defeated the Russian coastal fleet. It was one of the largest naval battles in history. Gustav IIIs Russian War, also known as the Russo-Swedish War, was fought between Sweden and Russia from June 1788 to August 1790. ... July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 175 days remaining. ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... (Some entries on this page have been duplicated on August 1. ... The Julian calendar was introduced in 46 BC by Julius Caesar and took force in 45 BC (709 ab urbe condita). ... Kotka (finnish Eagle) is a town and municipality of Finland. ... Gustav III (13 January 1746 (O.S.) (24 January 1746 (N.S.))–March 29, 1792) was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. ... Ships of the line were 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-rated ships in the rating system of the Royal Navy. ... A French galley and Dutch men-of-war off a port by Abraham Willaerts, painted 17th century. ... A French galley and Dutch men-of-war off a port by Abraham Willaerts, painted 17th century. ... KIA is a three-letter abbreviation for killed in action, a term often used in military histories and narratives to count the number of casualties in a conflict, or the status of an individual. ... WIA is a three letter abbreviation meaning wounded in action. ... Combatants Sweden Russia Commanders Prince Karl, Duke of Södermanland Samuel Greig Strength 15 ships of the line 17 ships of the line Casualties {{{notes}}} The naval Battle of Hogland took place on 17 July (July 6 OS) 1788 during the Russo-Swedish War (1788-1790). ... There was another naval battle in 1676 called the Battle of Öland. ... Combatants Sweden Russia Commanders Ehrensvärd Prince Charles of Nassau-Siegen The First Battle of Svensksund also known as the First Battle of Rochensalm from the Russian version of the (Finnish: Ruotsinsalmi) was a naval battle fought in the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea, outside the present day... Combatants Sweden Russia Commanders Prince Karl, Duke of Södermanland Vasili Chichagov Strength 22 ships of the line 11 ships of the line Casualties Two ships of the line lost, 51 men killed, 81 wounded, and 250 captured 8 killed and 27 injured The naval Battle of Reval took place... Finnish ( (help· info)) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92%) and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. ... Russian (Russian: русский язык, russkiy yazyk, (help· info)) is the most widely spoken language of Eurasia and the most widespread of the Slavic languages. ... The Baltic Sea The Gulf of Finland is an arm of the Baltic Sea that extends between Finland (to the north) and Estonia (to the south) all the way to the city of Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. ... The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53 deg. ... Kotka (finnish Eagle) is a town and municipality of Finland. ... July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 175 days remaining. ... July 10 is the 191st day (192nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 174 days remaining. ... 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Gustav IIIs Russian War, also known as the Russo-Swedish War, was fought between Sweden and Russia from June 1788 to August 1790. ... Gustav IIIs Russian War, also known as the Russo-Swedish War, was fought between Sweden and Russia from June 1788 to August 1790. ... The question of the the largest naval battle in history is controversial, and depends on the definition of battle and the criteria used to assess the size, such as personnel, the number of ships, their tonnage, the area involved, and the duration. ...

Origins

The Swedish king Gustav III started the war to cover up for domestic political problems, but also to be able to fulfill the role as the king and hero. The war started in 1788 and was supposed to be won by a surprise assault on St Petersburg, conducted by the royal navy and the Army´s navy; (Skärgårdsflottan). The latter was a superb brown-water force, designed for coastal amphibious warfare in the baltics and the elite of the Swedish armed force in the late 18th century. Gustav III (13 January 1746 (O.S.) (24 January 1746 (N.S.))–March 29, 1792) was the King of Sweden from February 12, 1771 until his death. ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... The Swedish Naval Ensign Coat of arms of the Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy (Swedish: Marinen) is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. ... This article is about a military strategy involving land troops dispatched from Naval ships. ... Swedish Army - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ...

After the Battle of Hogland (1788) (a tactical tie but a strategic failure for the Swedes) the Russians gained the initiative and the tensions in Sweden rised. The First Battle of Svensksund on August 24, 1789 and ended in a massive Swedish defeat. Combatants Sweden Russia Commanders Prince Karl, Duke of Södermanland Samuel Greig Strength 15 ships of the line 17 ships of the line Casualties {{{notes}}} The naval Battle of Hogland took place on 17 July (July 6 OS) 1788 during the Russo-Swedish War (1788-1790). ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Sweden Russia Commanders Ehrensvärd Prince Charles of Nassau-Siegen The First Battle of Svensksund also known as the First Battle of Rochensalm from the Russian version of the (Finnish: Ruotsinsalmi) was a naval battle fought in the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea, outside the present day... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Battle

In 1790 an attempt to assault Viborg failed, and the Swedish navy, caught in a trap in the Bay of Vyborg was able to escape but with heavy losses on the 3rd of July. After retreating to Svensksund, the King Gustav III together with his Flag Captain Lieutenant-Colonel Carl Olof Cronstedt waited and prepared the fleet for the expected Russian attack. On the 6th of July, the final descisions were made for the defences, and early in the morning on the 9th of July, 1790 the "Ordre de Bataille" was given and the battle started. 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Viborg refers to: Viborg - a city in Denmark Viborg - a city in Karelia (also known as Vyborg) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Bay of Vyborg or Bay of Viipuri is a deep inlet running northeastward near the eastern end of Gulf of Finland. ... July 3rd is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 175 days remaining. ...

The second battle of Svensksund was the biggest naval battle ever at the time: 500 ships (including supply ships and other ships not involved in combat), close to 30,000 men and several thousand cannons. In Svensksund, the Swedes boasted to have destroyed 40 percent of the Russian coastal fleet.

The Russians lost 9,500 of 14,000 men and one third of their fleet captured, compared with Swedish losses of 6 ships and 300 men. Along with 21 other ships the swedes captured the flagship of Prince Nassau, the Catarina.

The battle is considered one of the biggest naval battles in history because of the number of vessels involved. Only the Battle of Leyte Gulf has involved a larger number of vessels. Combatants United States, Australia Japan Commanders William Halsey, Jr Jisaburo Ozawa Strength 17 aircraft carriers 18 escort carriers 12 battleships 24 cruisers 141 destroyers Many other ships, PT boats, and submarines About 1,500 planes 4 aircraft carriers 9 battleships 19 cruisers 34 destroyers About 200 planes Casualties 3,500...

Aftermath

This defeat encouraged Russia to negotiate with Sweden eventually signing the Treaty of Värälä on August 14, 1790. Neither side gained any territory. This ended Gustav IIIs Russian adventure on the terms favorable to Russia ... August 14 is the 226th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (227th in leap years), with 139 days remaining. ... 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

After the war the Russian started a massive fortification programme on the eastern, Russian, side of the Kymi river, building the sea fortress Fort Slava and the land fortress Kyminlinna. The forts later grew into the port city of Kotka. Kotka (finnish Eagle) is a town and municipality of Finland. ...

Sankt Nikolai

The Russian frigate Sankt Nikolai was sunk in the battle. She was found in 1948 almost intact in the sea bottom outside Kotka. Over 2300 objects have been recovered from her hull by divers. [1] Frigate is a name which has been used for several distinct types of warships at different times. ... Sankt Nikolai The Russian frigate Sankt Nikolai was sunk in in the Baltic Gulf of Finland in the Battle of Svensksund in 1790. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... Kotka (finnish Eagle) is a town and municipality of Finland. ...

External links

• Vyborg and Rochensalm in History of Russian Navy
• The Sea Battle at Svensksund 1790
• The Swedish-Russian Sea Battles of 1790
• The Swedish Navy 1788-1809
• Ruotsinsalmi from the east
• The wreck of Saint Nikolai