Claes Uggla
Encyclopedia
Claes Uggla was a Swedish Admiral
of the 17th century.
After serving as a soldier in the Thirty Years' War
, in 1644 he entered the Navy, and served with distinction against the Dutch in the battle of Øresund
in 1658. Two years later he was appointed Lieutenant Admiral
, and commanded one of the squadrons in the disastrous Battle of Öland
on 1 June 1676, against the allied Danish and Dutch fleets under Niels Juel
and Cornelis Tromp
.
capsized, throwing the Swedish fleet's line of battle
into confusion. The enemy, taking advantage of the situation, surrounded Uggla's 94-gun flagship Svärdet, and he found himself attacked by four enemy vessels simultaneously, including both the Danish and Dutch flagships.
After a fierce battle lasting two hours Uggla's ship was dismasted and holed below the waterline. However even when a fire broke out aboard his ship Uggla refused to surrender. Finally, when he saw that the flag that he refused to strike had been burned, he jumped overboard and was drowned along with the large majority of the crew, who went down with the ship when it finally exploded.
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
of the 17th century.
After serving as a soldier in the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
, in 1644 he entered the Navy, and served with distinction against the Dutch in the battle of Øresund
Battle of the Sound
The naval Battle of the Sound took place on 8 November 1658 during the Second Northern War, near the Sound or Oresund, just north of the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Sweden had defeated Denmark and an army under Charles X of Sweden had Copenhagen itself under siege...
in 1658. Two years later he was appointed Lieutenant Admiral
Lieutenant Admiral
Lieutenant admiral is a senior naval military rank in some countries of the world. The rank is considered by many nations to be a direct equivalent of a vice admiral....
, and commanded one of the squadrons in the disastrous Battle of Öland
Battle of Öland
The battle of Öland was a naval battle between an allied Dano-Norwegian-Dutch fleet and the Swedish navy in the Baltic Sea off the east coast of the island of Öland on 1 June 1676. The battle was a part of the Scanian War that was fought for supremacy over the southern Baltic...
on 1 June 1676, against the allied Danish and Dutch fleets under Niels Juel
Niels Juel
Niels Juel was a Dano–Norwegian admiral. He was the brother of the diplomat Jens Juel.-Biography:Niels Juel was born the son of Erik Juel and Sophie Clausdatter Sehested, both were descendant of Danish nobility, who lived in Jutland where the father had a career as a local functionary and judge...
and Cornelis Tromp
Cornelis Tromp
Sir Cornelis Maartenszoon Tromp, 1st Baronet was a Dutch naval officer. He was the son of Lieutenant Admiral Maarten Tromp. He became Lieutenant Admiral General in the Dutch Navy and briefly Admiral General in the Danish Navy...
.
Battle of Öland
As a result of intemperately ordering his ship to turn hard south, even though he was under full sail and had open cannon ports, the Swedish commander Lorentz Creutz's ship KronanKronan (ship)
Kronan, also called Stora Kronan, was a Swedish warship that was the flagship of the Swedish navy in the Baltic Sea in the 1670s. When built, she was one of the largest seagoing vessels in the world. The construction of Kronan lasted 1668–72, delayed on account of difficulties with financing and...
capsized, throwing the Swedish fleet's line of battle
Line of battle
In naval warfare, the line of battle is a tactic in which the ships of the fleet form a line end to end. A primitive form had been used by the Portuguese under Vasco Da Gama in 1502 near Malabar against a Muslim fleet.,Maarten Tromp used it in the Action of 18 September 1639 while its first use in...
into confusion. The enemy, taking advantage of the situation, surrounded Uggla's 94-gun flagship Svärdet, and he found himself attacked by four enemy vessels simultaneously, including both the Danish and Dutch flagships.
After a fierce battle lasting two hours Uggla's ship was dismasted and holed below the waterline. However even when a fire broke out aboard his ship Uggla refused to surrender. Finally, when he saw that the flag that he refused to strike had been burned, he jumped overboard and was drowned along with the large majority of the crew, who went down with the ship when it finally exploded.