Archipelago fleet
Encyclopedia
The archipelago fleet officially the fleet of the army (arméns flotta), was a branch of the armed services of Sweden
between 1756 and 1823. Its purpose was to protect the coasts of Sweden, which was surrounded by a natural barrier of archipelago
es (or skerries
). Throughout its existence it was a largely independent arm of the Swedish army
, separate from the navy with the exception of a few years in the late 1760s.
Its vessels consisted of traditional Mediterranean-style galleys, pram
s, gunboat
s and specially-designed broadside
-armed "archipelago frigates". All types had in common the ability to operate under oars and a small draft
, enabling them to navigate the shallow and often treacherous inshore waters.
The archipelago fleet was active in several wars from from 1757 to 1814, the Swedish involvement in the Seven Years' War
, the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90
, the Finnish War
(1808–09) and the brief Swedish-Norwegian War of 1814.
in 1721, the Swedish high command realized the need of a fast and agile marine unit that could maneuver in littoral waters. A squadron based in Stockholm was the first to be created. However, the Russo-Swedish War of 1741–1743 proved that the unit was too small to meet the Russian threat. An official fleet of the army was planned, and the ships would be modelled after Mediterranean galleys and xebec
s (a sailing ship hybrid with oar propulsion). These were fast and dangerous ships that were used by the Barbary pirates off the coast off North Africa. The Swedish galleys were redesigned somewhat, and made smaller.
The archipelago fleet was detached from the high seas navy
(örlogsflottan) and the admiralty based in Karlskrona
, and on October 18, 1756, it was set up as a unit under the command of the army. In 1756, the archipelago fleet consisted of two units, a Stockholm squadron and a Finnish squadron. General Augustin Ehrensvärd
was appointed commander of the fleet.
The fleet had some initial successes. During the Seven Years' War
the new galleys supported by heavy gun prams were victorious against Prussia
at the battle of Frisches Haff
, but their short range limited their use. It was only with a deliberate boarding action that the battle was won. The ship designer Fredrik Henrik af Chapman
had joined the navy in 1757 and was charged with creating new ship types that would better fulfill the needs of the archipelago fleet. In 1760, the archipelago fleet was granted independent status, and renamed the "fleet of the army" or "the united archipelago fleets", by suggestion of Ehrensvärd.
In 1766, the ruling Caps
faction of the Swedish parliament ordered that the archipelago fleet would once more be merged with the navy. But the ruling was partially reversed when the rival Hats
regained political power in 1770. The Finnish squadron was returned to the army, while the Stockholm squadron remained under navy command, but was renamed the "galley fleet" (galärflottan). On November 14, the same year, both units were once again merged into one unit and in 1777 renamed arméns flotta, the "fleet of the army".
The main headquarters of the archipelago fleet were located at Stockholm and Sveaborg, with smaller stations established elsewhere over time. The Bohus squadron was formed in Gothenburg in 1789, an additional Finnish squadron in Åbo in 1793. A Pomeranian squadron was created in Stralsund, and moved to Landskrona in 1807. Further there were some smaller units in Malmö
, Kristina
and Varkaus
.
During the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–90 the Swedish high seas navy was roughly equal in quality and often superior in number and size of ships in comparison to the Russian navy. It failed to achieve the major victory that was required to leave the Russian capital of Saint Petersburg open to invasion, and struggled throughout the war, sustaining considerable losses and achieving at best only tactical draws. The archipelago fleet suffered a few initial setbacks, including a tactical defeat against its Russian equivalent at the Svensksund
in August 1789, but achieved a resounding success when it dealt the Russian inshore fleet a crushing defeat at a second battle of Svensksund
on July 9, 1790. The experiences of the war against Russia showed that the heavy archipelago frigates lacked the mobility and required for inshore operations, while smaller rowed craft proved to be the most efficient.
The archipelago fleet was heavily involved in the Finnish War
of 1808-09 against Russia, but with less success. Russia attacked the Swedish forces in Finland during the winter, when ice prevented either naval forces from intervening. Sveaborg, the cornerstone of the defense of Finland was also lost at an early stage, along with most of the ships of the Finnish squadron. The war ended with a harsh peace treaty where Sweden lost all of Finland to Russia for good.
During the latter phases of the Napoleonic Wars
, Sweden was allied with Great Britain against Napoleon and participated in battles in continental Europe in 1813. The archipelago fleet was deployed in 1814 in a short war against Norway to conquer strategic fortresses and strong points with the objective to force Norway into a union with Sweden (at the expense of the arch-enemy Denmark). This was also the last war Sweden participated in actively.
In 1823 the archipelago fleet was once again merged with the high-seas navy and had a minor renaissance between 1866 and 1873 as part of the coastal artillery.
, to bolster the hitting-power of the new Swedish arm and to provide it with better naval defense and greater fire support
capabilities during amphibious operations. The result was four new vessels that combined the maneuverability of oar-powered galleys with the superior rigs and decent living conditions of sailing ships: the udema
, pojama, turuma
and hemmema
, named after the Finnish regions of Uudeenmaa (Uusimaa
), Pohjanmaa
, Turunmaa and Hämeenmaa (Tavastia
). All four have been referred to as skärgårdsfregatter, "archipelago frigates", in Swedish and English historical literature, though the smaller udema and pojama are also described as "archipelago corvettes" originally. The first new ship, Norden, a turuma vessel, was launched in Stralsund in 1761.
The archipelago fleet also employed traditional galleys and several types of pram
s and sloop
s. After the war of 1788-90, it consisted mostly of smaller vessels, primarily specially designed yawl
s and sloop
s that carried only one or two heavy guns, usually 24-pounders.
In 1790, the fleet consisted of 285 armed vessels. These were crewed by 320 officers, 675 NCOs, and about 6.000 sailors. Additionally the vessels carried 593 officers and some 17.000 men from the army.
mortar longboat was designed to operate at shallow waters. Vessels were usually only 10 meters long and had 7 oar pairs. Mortar longboat was armed with single 40-pound mortar at midships and total of four lighter (3-pounder) 'nikhaka' guns on sides.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
between 1756 and 1823. Its purpose was to protect the coasts of Sweden, which was surrounded by a natural barrier of archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
es (or skerries
Skerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
). Throughout its existence it was a largely independent arm of the Swedish army
Swedish Army
The Swedish Army is one of the oldest standing armies in the world and a branch of the Swedish Armed Forces; it is in charge of land operations. General Sverker Göranson is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Army.- Organization :...
, separate from the navy with the exception of a few years in the late 1760s.
Its vessels consisted of traditional Mediterranean-style galleys, pram
Pram
Pram may refer to:*Pram, Austria* Pram , a musical group* Pram , a type of shallow-draught, flat-bottomed ship * A type of dinghy with a flat bow* A type of wheeled baby transport...
s, gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
s and specially-designed broadside
Broadside
A broadside is the side of a ship; the battery of cannon on one side of a warship; or their simultaneous fire in naval warfare.-Age of Sail:...
-armed "archipelago frigates". All types had in common the ability to operate under oars and a small draft
Draft (hull)
The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
, enabling them to navigate the shallow and often treacherous inshore waters.
The archipelago fleet was active in several wars from from 1757 to 1814, the Swedish involvement in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90
Russo-Swedish War (1788-1790)
The Russo-Swedish War of 1788–90, known as Gustav III's Russian war in Sweden, Gustav III's War in Finland and Catherine II's Swedish War in Russia, was fought between Sweden and Russia from June 1788 to August 1790.-Background:...
, the Finnish War
Finnish War
The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and the Russian Empire from February 1808 to September 1809. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire...
(1808–09) and the brief Swedish-Norwegian War of 1814.
History
After the Treaty of NystadTreaty of Nystad
The Treaty of Nystad was the last peace treaty of the Great Northern War. It was concluded between the Tsardom of Russia and Swedish Empire on 30 August / 10 September 1721 in the then Swedish town of Nystad , after Sweden had settled with the other parties in Stockholm and Frederiksborg.During...
in 1721, the Swedish high command realized the need of a fast and agile marine unit that could maneuver in littoral waters. A squadron based in Stockholm was the first to be created. However, the Russo-Swedish War of 1741–1743 proved that the unit was too small to meet the Russian threat. An official fleet of the army was planned, and the ships would be modelled after Mediterranean galleys and xebec
Xebec
A xebec , also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that was used mostly for trading. It would have a long overhanging bowsprit and protruding mizzen mast...
s (a sailing ship hybrid with oar propulsion). These were fast and dangerous ships that were used by the Barbary pirates off the coast off North Africa. The Swedish galleys were redesigned somewhat, and made smaller.
The archipelago fleet was detached from the high seas navy
Blue-water navy
The term blue-water navy is a colloquialism used to describe a maritime force capable of operating across the deep waters of open oceans. While what actually constitutes such a force remains undefined, there is a requirement for the ability to exercise sea control at wide ranges...
(örlogsflottan) and the admiralty based in Karlskrona
Karlskrona
Karlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
, and on October 18, 1756, it was set up as a unit under the command of the army. In 1756, the archipelago fleet consisted of two units, a Stockholm squadron and a Finnish squadron. General Augustin Ehrensvärd
Augustin Ehrensvärd
Field marshal count Augustin Ehrensvärd was a Swedish military officer, military architect, artist, creator of the Sveaborg fortress and the Swedish Archipelago fleet,...
was appointed commander of the fleet.
The fleet had some initial successes. During the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
the new galleys supported by heavy gun prams were victorious against Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
at the battle of Frisches Haff
Battle of Frisches Haff
The battle of Frisches Haff or battle of Neuwarp was a naval battle between Sweden and Prussia that took place September 10, 1759 as part of the ongoing Seven Years' War...
, but their short range limited their use. It was only with a deliberate boarding action that the battle was won. The ship designer Fredrik Henrik af Chapman
Fredrik Henrik af Chapman
Fredrik Henrik af Chapman was a Swedish shipbuilder, scientist and officer in the Swedish navy. He was also manager of the Karlskrona shipyard 1782-1793...
had joined the navy in 1757 and was charged with creating new ship types that would better fulfill the needs of the archipelago fleet. In 1760, the archipelago fleet was granted independent status, and renamed the "fleet of the army" or "the united archipelago fleets", by suggestion of Ehrensvärd.
In 1766, the ruling Caps
Caps (party)
The Caps were a political faction during the Age of Liberty in Sweden. The primary rivals of the Caps were known as the Hats. The Hats are actually responsible for the Caps' name, as it comes from a contraction of Night-cap, a name used to suggest that the Caps were the soft and timid party...
faction of the Swedish parliament ordered that the archipelago fleet would once more be merged with the navy. But the ruling was partially reversed when the rival Hats
Hats (party)
The Hats were a Swedish political faction active during the Age of Liberty . Their name derives from the tricorne hat worn by officers and gentlemen. They vied for power with the Caps. The Hats, who ruled Sweden from 1738 to 1765, advocated an alliance with France and an assertive foreign policy,...
regained political power in 1770. The Finnish squadron was returned to the army, while the Stockholm squadron remained under navy command, but was renamed the "galley fleet" (galärflottan). On November 14, the same year, both units were once again merged into one unit and in 1777 renamed arméns flotta, the "fleet of the army".
The main headquarters of the archipelago fleet were located at Stockholm and Sveaborg, with smaller stations established elsewhere over time. The Bohus squadron was formed in Gothenburg in 1789, an additional Finnish squadron in Åbo in 1793. A Pomeranian squadron was created in Stralsund, and moved to Landskrona in 1807. Further there were some smaller units in Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
, Kristina
Ristiina
Ristiina is a municipality of Finland. It was founded in 1649 and it was named after Kristina Stenbock, the wife of Governor General and Count Per Brahe....
and Varkaus
Varkaus
Varkaus is a Middle-Savonian industrial town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Northern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .The municipality is...
.
Battle of Svensksund (1789)
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 city of Kotka, on August 24, 1789 during the Russo-Swedish War .-Order of...
in August 1789, but achieved a resounding success when it dealt the Russian inshore fleet a crushing defeat at a second battle of Svensksund
Battle of Svensksund
The Battle of Svensksund was a naval battle fought in the Gulf of Finland outside the present day city of Kotka on 9 July 1790. The Swedish naval forces dealt the Russian fleet a devastating defeat that resulted in an end to the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–90...
on July 9, 1790. The experiences of the war against Russia showed that the heavy archipelago frigates lacked the mobility and required for inshore operations, while smaller rowed craft proved to be the most efficient.
Finnish War
The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and the Russian Empire from February 1808 to September 1809. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire...
of 1808-09 against Russia, but with less success. Russia attacked the Swedish forces in Finland during the winter, when ice prevented either naval forces from intervening. Sveaborg, the cornerstone of the defense of Finland was also lost at an early stage, along with most of the ships of the Finnish squadron. The war ended with a harsh peace treaty where Sweden lost all of Finland to Russia for good.
During the latter phases of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, Sweden was allied with Great Britain against Napoleon and participated in battles in continental Europe in 1813. The archipelago fleet was deployed in 1814 in a short war against Norway to conquer strategic fortresses and strong points with the objective to force Norway into a union with Sweden (at the expense of the arch-enemy Denmark). This was also the last war Sweden participated in actively.
In 1823 the archipelago fleet was once again merged with the high-seas navy and had a minor renaissance between 1866 and 1873 as part of the coastal artillery.
Vessels
Several new ships were designed in the 1750s and 1760s by the naval architect Fredrik Henrik af ChapmanFredrik Henrik af Chapman
Fredrik Henrik af Chapman was a Swedish shipbuilder, scientist and officer in the Swedish navy. He was also manager of the Karlskrona shipyard 1782-1793...
, to bolster the hitting-power of the new Swedish arm and to provide it with better naval defense and greater fire support
Fire support
Fire support is long-range firepower provided to a front-line military unit. Typically, fire support is provided by artillery or close air support , and is used to shape the battlefield or, more optimistically, define the battle...
capabilities during amphibious operations. The result was four new vessels that combined the maneuverability of oar-powered galleys with the superior rigs and decent living conditions of sailing ships: the udema
Udema
An udema was a type of warship built for the Swedish archipelago fleet in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was developed for warfare in the Archipelago Sea and along the coasts of Svealand and Finland against the Russian navy...
, pojama, turuma
Turuma
A turuma was a type of warship built for the Swedish archipelago fleet in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was developed for warfare in the Archipelago Sea and along the coasts of Svealand and Finland against the Russian navy...
and hemmema
Hemmema
A hemmema was a type of warship built for the Swedish archipelago fleet in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was developed for warfare in the Archipelago Sea and along the coasts of Svealand and Finland against the Russian navy...
, named after the Finnish regions of Uudeenmaa (Uusimaa
Uusimaa
Uusimaa, or Nyland in Swedish, is a region in Finland. It borders the regions Finland Proper, Tavastia Proper, Päijänne Tavastia and Kymenlaakso...
), Pohjanmaa
Pohjanmaa
Pohjanmaa is the name of a geographical region in Finland which can refer to:-Former entities:...
, Turunmaa and Hämeenmaa (Tavastia
Tavastia
Tavastia may refer to:* Tavastia , a historical province of the kingdom of Sweden, located in modern-day Finland* Tavastia Proper, a modern region of Finland* Päijänne Tavastia, another region of Finland...
). All four have been referred to as skärgårdsfregatter, "archipelago frigates", in Swedish and English historical literature, though the smaller udema and pojama are also described as "archipelago corvettes" originally. The first new ship, Norden, a turuma vessel, was launched in Stralsund in 1761.
The archipelago fleet also employed traditional galleys and several types of pram
Pram (ship)
A pram or pramm describes a type of shallow-draught flat-bottomed ship.They were used in Europe during the 18th century, particularly in the Baltic Sea during the Great Northern War and Napoleonic Wars, as the pram's shallow draught allowed it to approach the shore. They typically carried 10-20...
s and sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
s. After the war of 1788-90, it consisted mostly of smaller vessels, primarily specially designed yawl
Yawl
A yawl is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an additional mast located well aft of the main mast, often right on the transom, specifically aft of the rudder post. A yawl (from Dutch Jol) is a two-masted sailing craft similar to a sloop or cutter but with an...
s and sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
s that carried only one or two heavy guns, usually 24-pounders.
In 1790, the fleet consisted of 285 armed vessels. These were crewed by 320 officers, 675 NCOs, and about 6.000 sailors. Additionally the vessels carried 593 officers and some 17.000 men from the army.
Gun sloop
Gun sloop comes from Swedish 'kanonslup' which refers to a vessel equipped with two collapsible masts armed with 'chaser' guns on both bow and stern. They were 15 to 19 meters in length and 3.5 - 4 meters in width while having draft of slightly less than one meter. They had 10 to 12 oar pairs with two man at each oar and they were equipped with two collapsible - sloop tackled - masts. Armament consisted of single 12- to 24-pound gun at both bow and stern - though some of the first gun sloops carried only a single gun at bow - and single 3-pound 'nikhaka' swivel gun on both sides. Some sloops carried carriages to allow their guns to be used as a shore battery. When not in combat the guns were secured at the bottom of the vessel. Later slightly larger decked versions of gun sloops were built which were called gun schooners (sv. kanonskonert). Crew complement was from 50 to 64 men.Gun yawl
Gun yawl comes from Swedish 'kanonjolle' which refers to a vessel equipped with two collapsible masts armed with stern 'chaser' gun. The heavy gun and the small size of the vessel required design to have a distinct tail for stability. Designed along same principles as the slightly larger gun sloops they were roughly 11 to 15.3 meters in length while having draft of only 0.75 meters. They had 5 - 10 oar pairs with one man at each oar and they were equipped with two collapsible masts. Armament consisted of single 18- to 24-pound gun at stern. Their advantage was their shallow draft and their low crew complements (only 24 men or so).Cannon longboat
Cannon longboat comes from Swedish 'kanonbarkass' which refers to a vessel equipped with two schooner tackled masts armed with cannons. Only roughly 13 meters in length they were equipped with 8 oar pairs with single 12- to 24-pound cannon at bow and total of 16 lighter 3-pound (nikhaka) cannons mounted along the sides.Mortar longboat
Mortar longboat comes from Swedish 'mörsarbarkass' which refers to a vessel equipped with two schooner tackled masts armed with a mortar. Related to bomb ketchBomb vessel
A bomb vessel, bomb ship, bomb ketch, or simply bomb was a type of wooden sailing naval ship. Its primary armament was not cannon —although bomb vessels carried a few cannon for self-defence—but rather mortars mounted forward near the bow and elevated to a high angle, and projecting their fire in a...
mortar longboat was designed to operate at shallow waters. Vessels were usually only 10 meters long and had 7 oar pairs. Mortar longboat was armed with single 40-pound mortar at midships and total of four lighter (3-pounder) 'nikhaka' guns on sides.
Gun pram
Gun pram comes from Swedish 'skottpråm' which refers to a vessel intended for broadside engagements at shallow waters. It was equipped with three masts and with 7 pairs of oars placed between the gun ports. They were built in different sizes but the common size was roughly 40 m long and 10 m wide with draft of less than 3 meters. The armament consisted of up to twenty-four 12-pound and sixteen 3-pound guns. Crew complement was around 250 men.Commanders
- Augustin EhrensvärdAugustin EhrensvärdField marshal count Augustin Ehrensvärd was a Swedish military officer, military architect, artist, creator of the Sveaborg fortress and the Swedish Archipelago fleet,...
(1756–66) - Christopher Falkengréen (1767–70)
- Augustin Ehrensvärd (1770–72)
- Henrik af TrolleHenrik af TrolleHenrik af Trolle was a Swedish naval officer and commander of the Swedish archipelago fleet. He was ennobled in 1772...
(1772–84) - Carl August EhrensvärdCarl August EhrensvärdCount Carl August Ehrensvärd was a Swedish naval officer, painter, author, and neo-classical architect.Ehrensvärd was born in Stockholm, and died in Örebro. Though active as a naval officer during his entire life, he is mostly remembered for the burlesque caricatures of often famous people from...
(1784–90) - Johan Gustaf Lagerbjelke (1790–1811)
- Victor von Stedingk (1812–23)
Further reading
- Anderson, Roger Charles, Naval wars in the Baltic during the sailing-ship period 1522-1850. Gilbert-Wood, London. 1910.