Battle of Vyborg Bay 1790

Today in 1790 king Gustaf III ordered and carried out a successful attempt to break through the Russian naval fleet in order to break free.

Gustav III had destroyed the Russian naval fleet that was stationed at Fredrikshamn on May 15 the same year and had moved on to Viborg with the intention to do the same there. Parts of the Swedish naval fleet had failed at Reval on the 13th and moved east as well to meet up with Gustaf III. By June 7 the Swedish naval force had reached the Vyborg Bay and the Russian fleet cut of the entrance the following day. The Swedish fleet had 34 ships, along wiht some samller ones, and had 16 000 men. The Swedish archipelago fleet had around 200 ships and 13 000 -14 000 men, both crew and land troops.

Both sides made plans and on the night between July 2nd and 3rd The prince of Nassau a small part of the Swedish archipelago fleet. At the same time 4 divisions sloop-of-war attacked 5 Russian ships.

During the night the wind changed and made an breakout possible. Gustaf III wanted to go east but Nordenskjöld, an officer who had taken part in the American Revolutionary War on first the British side and then the French, advised the king to go west instead. Which they did.

When the Swedish fleet reached the harbour at Sveaborg July 5 the naval force had lost 5 000 men and several ships. The archipelago fleet did not loose many ships and reached Svensksund on the 4th and 5th. There the king was joined by Cronstedt and retaliated on the 9th and 10th which ended the war in Swedish favour.


Source: http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viborgska_gatloppet

Picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Russian_victory_vyborg.jpg/1280px-Russian_victory_vyborg.jpg

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