1758 - Naval operations in the Baltic
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The campaign took place from July to November 1758
Description of events
On April 26, 1758, a treaty was signed between the Swedish and Russian courts to combine their fleets in the Baltic in order to prevent any action of the British Navy against the trade in this sea and any intervention of the same navy to protect Prussia.
At the beginning of July, a Russian squadron assembled at Kronstadt and Reval (present-day Tallinn in Estonia). It then effected a junction with a Swedish squadron at the island of Gotland.
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From July, the combined Russo-Swedish fleet cruised at the entry of the Baltic between Danish Zealand and the Swedish coast. It was under the command of the Russian Admiral Michovkov, Vice-Admiral Polanski, and Rear-Admirals Lapukhin and Martuinov.
On July 27, the Russo-Swedish fleet anchored in the roadstead of Copenhagen, where it remained until September 9, despite the representations of the Danish government at the courts of St. Petersburg and Stockholm.
During this campaign the British Navy made no attempt to enter the Baltic Sea. The Russians lost 2 x 66-guns, one exploded while the other one foundered off the coast of Jutland.
In October, 22 Russian transports where lost while carrying supplies to the Russian corps which had undertaken the siege of Colberg.
In November, the two fleets returned to their respective bases: Kronstadt in Russia and Karlskrona in Sweden.
References
This article is mostly made of abridged and adapted excerpts from the following book which is now in the public domain:
- Tielke, J. G., An Account of some of the most Remarkable Events of the War between the Prussians, Austrians and Russians from 1756 to 1763, Vol. 2, Walter, London, 1788, pp. 264-267
Grosser Generalstab Kriegsgeschichtliche Abteilung II: Die Kriege Friedrichs des Grossen, Part 3 Der siebenjährige Krieg 1756-1763
- Vol. 7 Olmütz und Crefeld, Berlin, 1909, Anhang 3
- Vol. 8 Zorndorf und Hochkirch, Berlin, 1910, p. 24
