Battle of Gangut
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Gangut took place on July 27Jul.
/ August 7, 1714Greg.
during the Great Northern War
(1700–21), in the waters of Riilahti Bay, north of the Hanko Peninsula
, near the site of the modern-day city of Hanko, Finland
, between the Swedish Navy
and Imperial Russian Navy
. It was the first important victory of the Russian fleet in its history.
in the name of the battle is a romanization
of Гангут, which is the traditional Russian cyrillization
of Hangöudd, the traditional Swedish
name of the Hanko Peninsula
. Seldom used names are Battle of Hangö (Finnish
Hanko) and Battle of Hangöudd (Finnish Hankoniemi). The battle took place in the Rilax bay north of the Hanko Peninsula. In Sweden
and Finland, the battle is therefore known as the Battle of Rilax (Finnish Riilahti). It is also known in some sources as the battle of Ahvenanmaa, the Finnish name of the Åland Islands
which Russia seized with its victory.
Peter I
had begun his offensive in Finland in the spring of 1713. The Russian armies quickly advanced all the way to Turku
on the southwestern coast of Finland, but naval advances had been blocked by a strong Swedish naval presence. The Russian governor in Finland, Prince Mikhail Galitzine
, with his headquarters in Turku, was unable to receive support by sea, which was then far more important than land-based support. Admiral Apraksin
's fleet was sent by the Tsar to open these service lines.
A plea for help was also sent to the Tsar, who was with the rest of the Baltic Fleet
in Reval
(now Tallinn). Admiral Apraksin specifically let the tsar know that he should come personally to lead the attack.
(equivalent of a Rear Admiral
) Nils Ehrenskiöld to intercept the Russians.
Ehrenskiölds detachment consisted of following ships:
Pram
Galleys
Smaller vessels (skerry-boats)
The second attempt by the Russians was to try to take advantage of the calm weather on the morning of 26 July, the day of Saint Pantaleon
. The small galleys were easily maneuvered, whereas it was exceedingly difficult to try to turn the heavy Swedish battleships in such a weather. Apraksin initially sent 20 small galleys and when it became obvious that the Swedish fleet couldn't stop them, he sent 15 more.
Wattrang's fleet was moving outwards trying to block the Russian breakthrough, when Apraksin issued an order at midnight 26/27 July for the remaining ships to break through the Swedish lines. Only one galley was lost when it ran aground.
After the breakthrough Ehrenskiöld's detachment became encircled, and he ordered his vessels in a defensive line between two islands. The largest Swedish ship, the pram
Elefant, was positioned broadside-on to the approaching Russian vessels. Three galleys were stationed end-on on each side, with the two boats behind each end of Elefant.
After Ehrenskiöld refused to surrender
, the Russian fleet attacked. The Russian galleys, commanded by the tsar, attacked twice (first with 35, second with 80 galleys) but were thrown back. The third time, when attacking with reinforcements and a combined force of about 95 galleys, the Russians managed to capture the Swedish ships. During the capture the galley Tranan capsized and sank, and admiral Ehrenskiöld himself was taken prisoner of war
on the deck of his own flagship
.
The Russians substantially outnumbered the Swedish, according to some sources 15 to one. The Russian superiority in the battle was such that there wasn't even enough room for all the Russian vessels to fight at once.
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The battle was the first major victory of the Russian galley fleet, and can be as such compared with the Battle of Poltava
. Due to the victory Russia was able to prevent Swedish ships from entering the waters east of the Sea of Åland
and thus prolonging the occupation of Finland up to 1721, when the Treaty of Nystad
ended the war.
The victory is even nowadays celebrated by the Russian Navy, which has a long tradition of always having one vessel named Gangut
. The first series of Dreadnought
battleships for the Imperial Navy
was also named the Gangut class.
The first monument to commemorate the Russian Navy, a wooden cross, was erected on the site in 1869 by Rear Admiral Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
. The wooden cross was replaced by a more permanent stone cross in 1870 by the order of Tsar Alexander II
.
Julian calendar
The Julian calendar began in 45 BC as a reform of the Roman calendar by Julius Caesar. It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year .The Julian calendar has a regular year of 365 days divided into 12 months...
/ August 7, 1714Greg.
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
during the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
(1700–21), in the waters of Riilahti Bay, north of the Hanko Peninsula
Hanko Peninsula
The Hanko Peninsula , also spelled Hango, is the southernmost point of mainland Finland. The soil is a sandy moraine, the last tip of the Salpausselkä ridge, and vegetation consists mainly of pine and low shrubs...
, near the site of the modern-day city of Hanko, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, between the Swedish Navy
Swedish Navy
The Royal Swedish Navy is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet – as well as marine units, the so-called Amphibious Corps .In Swedish, vessels of the Swedish Navy are given the prefix "HMS," short for Hans/Hennes...
and Imperial Russian Navy
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...
. It was the first important victory of the Russian fleet in its history.
Name of the battle
The word GangutGangut
Gangut is the Russian transliteration of the Swedish name for Hanko Peninsula. It may have the following meanings:* The Battle of Gangut in 1714**Ships of the Imperial Russian Navy named after the battle:...
in the name of the battle is a romanization
Romanization
In linguistics, romanization or latinization is the representation of a written word or spoken speech with the Roman script, or a system for doing so, where the original word or language uses a different writing system . Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written...
of Гангут, which is the traditional Russian cyrillization
Cyrillization
A Cyrillization is a system for rendering words of a language that normally uses a writing system other than the Cyrillic alphabet into a Cyrillic alphabet. A Cyrillization scheme needs to be applied, for example, to transcribe names of German, Chinese, or American people and places for use in...
of Hangöudd, the traditional Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
name of the Hanko Peninsula
Hanko Peninsula
The Hanko Peninsula , also spelled Hango, is the southernmost point of mainland Finland. The soil is a sandy moraine, the last tip of the Salpausselkä ridge, and vegetation consists mainly of pine and low shrubs...
. Seldom used names are Battle of Hangö (Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
Hanko) and Battle of Hangöudd (Finnish Hankoniemi). The battle took place in the Rilax bay north of the Hanko Peninsula. In Sweden
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....
and Finland, the battle is therefore known as the Battle of Rilax (Finnish Riilahti). It is also known in some sources as the battle of Ahvenanmaa, the Finnish name of the Åland Islands
Åland Islands
The Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland...
which Russia seized with its victory.
Background
The Russian TsarTsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Peter I
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
had begun his offensive in Finland in the spring of 1713. The Russian armies quickly advanced all the way to Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
on the southwestern coast of Finland, but naval advances had been blocked by a strong Swedish naval presence. The Russian governor in Finland, Prince Mikhail Galitzine
Galitzine
For Orthodox clergyman and theologian, see Alexander Golitzin.The Galitzines are one of the largest and noblest princely houses of Russia. Since the extinction of the Korecki family in the 17th century, the Golitsyns have claimed dynastic seniority in the House of Gediminas...
, with his headquarters in Turku, was unable to receive support by sea, which was then far more important than land-based support. Admiral Apraksin
Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin
Count Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin was one of the first Russian admirals who governed Estonia and Karelia from 1712 to 1723, general admiral , presided over the Russian Admiralty since 1718 and commanded the Baltic Fleet since 1723.-Early shipbuilding activities:The Apraksin brothers were...
's fleet was sent by the Tsar to open these service lines.
Arrival at Hanko
When the Russian ships arrived near the peninsula they were met by a strong Swedish naval fleet under the command of Admiral Wattrang. Apraksin decided to move his ships farther away to the other side of the peninsula and call for reinforcements. The majority of the troops in Turku were moved according to his request to the peninsula.A plea for help was also sent to the Tsar, who was with the rest of the Baltic Fleet
Baltic Fleet
The Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet - is the Russian Navy's presence in the Baltic Sea. In previous historical periods, it has been part of the navy of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union. The Fleet gained the 'Twice Red Banner' appellation during the Soviet period, indicating two awards of...
in Reval
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
(now Tallinn). Admiral Apraksin specifically let the tsar know that he should come personally to lead the attack.
The breakthrough
The first attempt in breaking through the Swedish lines was made by attempting to pull the galleys over the peninsula. The friction was reduced using oxskins between the ground and the ships. The first galley was successfully pulled over with much trouble, but the second was damaged, and the attempt was subsequently abandoned. However, Admiral Wattrang had been informed of the Russians' attempt, and he sent a small naval detachment consisting of 11 ships led by SchoutbynachtSchout-bij-nacht
Schout-bij-nacht is a Dutch Naval rank, equivalent to Rear Admiral in the US Navy and Royal Navy. It is the second most junior Admiral position of the Dutch Navy, ranking above Commandeur and below a Vice-admiraal ....
(equivalent of a Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
) Nils Ehrenskiöld to intercept the Russians.
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...
- Elefant, his flagship
Galleys
- Örnen
- Tranan
- Gripen
- Laxen
- Gäddan
- Valfisken
Smaller vessels (skerry-boats)
- Flundran
- Simpan
- Gripen
- Mörten
The second attempt by the Russians was to try to take advantage of the calm weather on the morning of 26 July, the day of Saint Pantaleon
Saint Pantaleon
Saint Pantaleon , counted in the West among the late-medieval Fourteen Holy Helpers and in the East as one of the Holy Unmercenary Healers, was a martyr of Nicomedia in Bithynia during the Diocletian persecution of 303 AD...
. The small galleys were easily maneuvered, whereas it was exceedingly difficult to try to turn the heavy Swedish battleships in such a weather. Apraksin initially sent 20 small galleys and when it became obvious that the Swedish fleet couldn't stop them, he sent 15 more.
Wattrang's fleet was moving outwards trying to block the Russian breakthrough, when Apraksin issued an order at midnight 26/27 July for the remaining ships to break through the Swedish lines. Only one galley was lost when it ran aground.
The battle
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...
Elefant, was positioned broadside-on to the approaching Russian vessels. Three galleys were stationed end-on on each side, with the two boats behind each end of Elefant.
After Ehrenskiöld refused to surrender
Surrender (military)
Surrender is when soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and eventually become prisoners of war, either as individuals or when ordered to by their officers. A white flag is a common symbol of surrender, as is the gesture of raising one's hands empty and open above one's head.When the...
, the Russian fleet attacked. The Russian galleys, commanded by the tsar, attacked twice (first with 35, second with 80 galleys) but were thrown back. The third time, when attacking with reinforcements and a combined force of about 95 galleys, the Russians managed to capture the Swedish ships. During the capture the galley Tranan capsized and sank, and admiral Ehrenskiöld himself was taken prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
on the deck of his own flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
.
The Russians substantially outnumbered the Swedish, according to some sources 15 to one. The Russian superiority in the battle was such that there wasn't even enough room for all the Russian vessels to fight at once.
Consequences
Battle of Poltava
The Battle of Poltava on 27 June 1709 was the decisive victory of Peter I of Russia over the Swedish forces under Field Marshal Carl Gustav Rehnskiöld in one of the battles of the Great Northern War. It is widely believed to have been the beginning of Sweden's decline as a Great Power; the...
. Due to the victory Russia was able to prevent Swedish ships from entering the waters east of the Sea of Åland
Sea of Åland
The Sea of Åland is the waters located in the southern Gulf of Bothnia, between the Åland islands and the Swedish mainland. The sea connects Kvarken and the Bothnian Sea with the Baltic Sea proper. The seas are often choppy here. The narrowest part is named Södra Kvarken or South Kvarken....
and thus prolonging the occupation of Finland up to 1721, when the Treaty of Nystad
Treaty 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...
ended the war.
The victory is even nowadays celebrated by the Russian Navy, which has a long tradition of always having one vessel named Gangut
Russian battleship Gangut
The Russian Navy has had many ships named after the Battle of Gangut in 1714. The first was built by shipwright Richard Cosenz in early 18th century.* Russian battleship Gangut * Russian battleship Gangut...
. The first series of Dreadnought
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
battleships for the Imperial Navy
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...
was also named the Gangut class.
The first monument to commemorate the Russian Navy, a wooden cross, was erected on the site in 1869 by Rear Admiral Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five.The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie, refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev , César...
. The wooden cross was replaced by a more permanent stone cross in 1870 by the order of Tsar Alexander II
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
.
Related battles
- Battle of GrengamBattle of GrengamThe Battle of Grengam of 1720 was the last major naval battle in the Great Northern War that took place in the Åland Islands, in the Ledsund strait between the island communities of Föglö and Lemland. The battle marked the end of Russian and Swedish offensive naval operations in Baltic waters...
(1720) — was fought on the same day six years later and marked the end of Swedish supremacy in the Baltic waters; - Battle of SvensksundBattle of SvensksundThe 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...
(1790) — Sweden's most ambitious attempt to regain supremacy in the Baltic.