Battle of Vyborg Bay

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For the 1944 battle, see Battle of the Bay of Viipuri.

Date	July 4, 1790
Location	Krysserort near Vyborg, Russia
Result	Partial Russian victory

Combatants

Russia

Sweden

Commanders

Vasily Chichagov

Gustav III of Sweden
Charles XIII of Sweden

Strength

50 ships
72 galleys
8 frigates

21,000 sailors and soldiers

21 ships of the line
13 frigates
366 smaller ships
3,000 guns
40,000 sailors and soldiers

Casualties

5 ships of the line
3 frigates

Russo-Swedish War (1788-1790)
Hogland – Kvistrum Bridge – Öland – 1st Svensksund – Reval – Kronstadt – Vyborg Bay – 2nd Svensksund

The Battle of Vyborg Bay (or Gauntlet at Vyborg Bay) was a naval battle fought between Russia and Sweden on July 4, 1790 during the Russo-Swedish War (1788-1790). The Swedish Navy was suffered heavy losses, losing six battleships and four frigates, but Gustav III of Sweden eventually ensured a Swedish naval escape through a Russian naval blockade composed of units of the Baltic Fleet, commanded by Admiral Vasily Chichagov. The battle ranks among the world's largest historical naval battles and also among the most influential, as it introduced for the first time the naval battle concept of "firepower over mobility".

[edit] Introduction

The stage for battle was set in the first week of June 1790. Northern white nights were nearly as light as the day and, to King Gustav's consternation, unfavorable southwesterly winds at the fleets' bows prevented the Swedish force from sailing to Swedish-controlled southeasterly Finnish waters, and allowed both Russian fleets to join forces.

He thus ordered a two-part Swedish naval force of 400 ships (with 3,000 guns and 30,000 sailor and soldiers) to anchor temporarily between the islands of Krysserort and Biskopsö just inside the mouth of Vyborg Bay, Russia, in the Gulf of Finland. This strategic position placed the Swedish navy within striking distance of the imperial capital, Saint Petersburg.

The force's naval fleet of 21 ships of the line, 13 frigates, various smaller ships, and 16,000 men, was led by flag-captain Admiral Nordenskiöld, under command of the then inexperienced storadmiral Grand Admiral Duke Carl, brother to Gustav III of Sweden. The galley flotilla of 14,000 sailors and army soldiers was led by flag-captain Colonel Geroge de Frese, under personal charge of Gustav III of Sweden.

On June 8, 1790, Admiral Vasily Chichagov of Russia, waiting for Prince Nassau-Siegen to arrive from Kronstadt, concluded a naval blockade of the only two navigable channels in and out of Vyborg Bay and locked the Swedish fleet therein. This blockade consisted of a primary force of 50 ships (with 2,718 guns and 21,000 men), and a secondary force of 20 rowed galleys (led by Captain Shlissov), 8 rowed Archipelago frigates (led by Vice-Admiral Kozlyaninov) and 52 other rowed galleys.

By Chichagov's orders, four sets of ships (each with a trailing bomb ship were positioned east to west, broadsides to this Swedish force. The first set, led by Major General Pyotr Lezhnev consisted of four ships of the line in the narrow eastern channel. In the dangerously shallow western channel sat a set of five chain-linked ships of the line between Krysserort and Repiegrund, a set of five frigates (three led by Rear Admiral Pyotr Khanykov and two led by British-born Russian admiral Robert Crown) further south between Lilla Fiskarna island, the Pensar Islets (Pensarholmarna) and the shoreline, and a set of 5 ships (including 2 frigates) further west at Pitkäpaasi.

Meanwhile on June 18, 1790, an assault on the Russian galley fleet at Trångsund, ordered by Gustav III of Sweden and started two days earlier, failed due to lack of support of its center force and returned. Shortages of onboard food and water prompted Gustav III of Sweden to act. On June 19 1790, he instructed admiral Nordenskiöld to formulate a plan for the breakout for when the winds changed, one which would include a distraction with gun sloops at Kanonslupar with an actual breakout at Krysserort, and one which the king would lead personally. Then on July 2, 1790, two circumstances happened to please the king. The wind shifted to the north, favorably for the Swedish supreme command at Vyborg Bay, which met in session, and a Swedish reconnaissance force apprehended a Russian unit at Björkö sound in the Battle of Björkö sound.

[edit] Battle and the Explosion

On June 21 1790, Prince Nassau-Siegen, with 89 ships attacked the Swedes at Bjorke Sound. Then at nightfall on July 3, 1790 Gustav III of Sweden ordered the breakout to commense from Krysserort at ten o'clock on the following day. At two o'clock a.m. on July 4, 1790, Swedish units bombarded Russian shore batteries. At the same time, Swedish sloops, led by Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Tönningen, attacked a Russian naval unit just west of Vasikansaari Island, west of Björkö sound.

Just prior to seven o'clock a.m. that morning, Gustav III of Sweden spoke with then captain Count Johan af Puke of the 64-gun ship of the line, The Dristigheten, which would lead the breakout. He appealed to Puke for a sense of courage and spirit similar to Puke's father's. Moments later, Puke, aboard "The Dristigheten", led a line of ships and the Swedish naval fleet away from the bay, through the western channel, around the Salvors shallows into the middle of the channel between the shallows and Krysserort, and towards the first Russian set's ships of the line, the Seslav and Saint Peter.

This line of ships consisted of the flagship King Gustaf III (with Grand Admiral Duke Carl aboard), Seraphimerorden (with Gustav III of Sweden aboard) - in the line's center, the The Bravery (sister to "The Dristigheten"), the other ships of line, the navy frigates, the frigate "Zemire", the 70-gun ship of the line "Enigheten", and three fire barges, used to set fire to enemy ships. Meanwhile, the flotilla protected the naval fleet, paralleling it's course further west, nearer the shoreline.

Suddenly, Gustav III transferred onto a smaller sloop. Puke ordered all non-essential personnel below decks and, moments later, the Swedish navy engaged the Russian blockade, splitting between the "Selsav" and the "Saint Peter". Gustav III of Sweden was rowed through the fire, but"King Gustaf III" was hit and the Grand Admiral Duke Carl was injured. One Russian ship was destroyed by multiple broadside hits.

Once through the first set of ships, Gustav III of Sweden reboarded "Seraphimerorden". The king's personal ship, "Amphion" survived with no damage. Further west, the galley fleet line of ships consisting sequencially of the frigates "Styrbjörn" and "Norden", six Turuma squadron ships, "Säallan Värre", the remaining archipelago frigates, the "Malmberg" ships, the "Hjelmstierna" ships, and Colonel Jacob Tönningen's assigned gun sloops and gun tenders, passed the first Russian set of ships, then engaged the second. "Styrbjörn" though under heavy fire, managed to pass through and score several hits on Russian commander Povalishin's ship and on the bomb ship "Pobeditel".

As the brunt of both Swedish fleets passed through the blockade, Ensign Sandels, commanding officer of the fire barge, "Postiljonen" towed by the ship of the line "Enigheten", set his ship on fire too early. It drifted towards "Enigheten", set it on fire, and then collided with and exploded with "Zemire" in an enormous channel-covering cascade of debris and smoke. The explosion severely damaged or destroyed only ships within or trying to get through the blockade. The Russian ship sets blocking the Swedish fleets' were basically destroyed by passing Swedish ships.

The Swedish navy lost altogether eight ships (seven due to heavy smoke from the explosion): four grounded ships of the line - "Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotta" (though it's captain, Jindric Johan Nauckhoff, continued firing at the Russian frigates until the end), "Finland", at the Salvors shallows, "Lovisa Ulrika", at the Passaloda shallows just south of Reipie, and "Ömheten", at the Pensar islets - and one shipwrecked ship of the line ("The Auroras"), though it's onboard king's adviser, Sidney Smith was saved; three frigates including "Uppland" and "Jarrislawitz" (captured in 1788 from Russia), both at the Passaloda shallows; and about 4,000 Swedes.

The Swedish galley flotilla lost four galleys due to the shallows: "Ehrenpreuss", "Palmstierna", "Ekeblad" and "Uppland", all grounded at the Pensar islet, close to the second set of Russian ships and the Russian ship "Nole Me Tangere", where they struck their flag. Those naval ships that survived the breakout headed into open seas, assembled at Vidskär skerry just south of Pitkäpassi, and then sailed to Sveaborg fortress near Helsinki, Finland for repairs. Chichagov was late in pursuing the Swedish navy, but pursued them to Sveaborg. The next day, Captain Crown captured the Retvisan with the help of the Izyaslav. The Swedish galley fleet departed days later for Svensksund, near Kotka.