Battle of Öland (1789)
Encyclopedia
The naval Battle of Öland took place on 26 July 1789 during the Russo-Swedish War (1788-1790)
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:...

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Origins

Having assembled 21 ships of the line and eight large frigates under his flag, Prince Karl, Duke of Södermanland
Charles XIII of Sweden
Charles XIII & II also Carl, , was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 until his death...

 decided to intercept the Russian fleet near the island of Öland
Öland
' is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of 1,342 km² and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. The island has 25,000 inhabitants, but during Swedish Midsummer it is visited by up to 500,000 people...

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Battle

The Swedish fleet came in contact with the Russians on 26 July 1789 just south of Öland. The Russians took the defensive position, with the Swedes making some indecisive attacks and firing at long range. Duke Karl would have won a signal victory but for the unaccountable remissness of his second-in-command, Admiral Per Liljehorn whose second division of the Swedish fleet did not reach the fighting in time, failing to follow orders to attack. Having met with strong resistance, the Swedes disengaged.

Aftermath

For three days the fleets manoeuvred within sight of each other, but finally the Swedes retreated to the naval base at 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...

. The battle ended in a draw, but the Russians returned east.

Admiral Liljehorn was put to trial, convicted and barely escaped death as his life was spared by the government.

Sweden

Wladislaff 76

Enigheten 74

Götha Lejon 74

Kung Adolf Fredrik 74

Kung Gustaf III 74

Louise Ulrika 74

Sophia Magdalena 74

Fäderneslandet 66

Äran 64

Dristigheten 64

Dygden 64

Försightigheten 64

Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotta 64

Manligheten 64

Ömheten 64

Prins Carl 64

Prins Fredrik Adolf 64

Tapperheten 64

Rättvisan 62

Wasa 62

Riksens Ständer 60

Gripen 44

Uppland 44

Euredice 40

Fröya 40

Galathea 40

Minerva 40

Thetis 40

Zemire 40

Russia

Rostislav 100

Dvyenadtsat Apostolov 100

Knyaz Vladimir 100

Iezekiil 78

Kir Ioann 74

Mstislav 74

Pobyedoslav 74

Prints Gustav 74

Sv. Elena 74

Sv. Petr 74

Yaroslav 74

Boleslav 66

Deris 66

Izyaslav 66

Pamyat Evstafia 66

Rodislav 66

Svyatoslav 66

Viktor 66

Vysheslav 66

Sources & references

R. C. Anderson Naval Wars in the Baltic, 1522-1850.
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