Battle of Gangut
Phase 1: Swedish dominance ( 1700-1709 )
Humlebæk • Tonning I
Jungfernhof • I • Riga Pühhajoggi Narva • • • Dvina Rauge Erastfer • • • Hummelshof Peipussee • • Tartu Narva II • Wesenberg
Nöteborg Nyenschanz • • • Systerbäck Petersburg, Vyborg • I • Porvoo
Salads • James City • Gemauerthof • Jelgava • Grodno Nyasvizh • • • Kletsk Ljachowitschi •
Klissow • Pultusk • Thorn • Lviv • Warsaw • Posen • Punitz • Tillendorf • Rakowitz • woman • City Kalisch
Golowtschin Moljatitschi • • • Rajowka Lesnaja Koniecpol • • • Weprik Krasnokutsk • Poltava
Phase 2: Sweden on the defensive ( 1710-1721 )
Riga Vyborg II • II • • Pärnu Kexholm Reval • • • Pälkäne Storkyro • Hanko
Helsingborg • Køge Bay Frederikshald • I • Dynekilen Fjord Gothenburg • I • II • Marstrand Frederikshald Strömstad • • • Gothenburg Osel II • Södra Stäket • Grönham • Sundsvall
Lübow • I • Stade Stralsund Rügen • • • Altona • Gadebusch Tonning II • Szczecin • Fehmarn • Wismar Stralsund • II • Jasmund • Peenemünde • Stresow
The Battle of Hanko (also: Battle of Gangut ), also called the Battle of Rilax, occurred on 27 Julijul / August 7 1714greg. . between the Imperial Russian Navy and the Swedish navy during the Great Northern War, the Rilaxfjord in the waters north of the Hanko Peninsula, near the present town of Hanko. It was the first major victory in the history of the Russian Navy. Gangut is the Russian transcription of the Swedish Hango udd ( Hangöudde, " Hanko Peninsula ").
Background
The Russian Tsar Peter the Great began his offensive in Finland in the spring of 1713. Armies of the Tsar moved quickly to Turku on the southwest coast of Finland before, the vital supplies across the sea but was blocked by the Swedish Navy. The Tsar then sent to the supply routes to reopen the Russian fleet under the command of Admiral Apraxin.
Arrival at Hanko
When the Russian ships were approaching the peninsula, they were already waiting for strong Swedish units under the command of Vice- Admiral Gustav Watt rank. Apraxin the fleet on the other side of the peninsula decided to station and sent a request for reinforcements to the Tsar, with the request that he should come in person to lead the attack. Tsar Peter I sent then the Baltic Fleet under his personal command.
The breakthrough
The first attempt to break through the Swedish lines failed when you tried to pull the galleys on the peninsula since emerged already at the second ship by land transport damage. Admiral Watt rank but had been informed of the attempt to break through the Russians and sent a small naval unit, consisting of 11 ships under the command of Rear Admiral Nils Ehrenskiöld to intercept the Russians. Ehrenskiölds unit consisted of the following vessels:
- Pramm: Elephant, its flagship
- Galleys: Örnen, Tranan, Gripen, Laxenburg, Gäddan, Valfisken
- Smaller vessels: Flundran, Simpan, Gripen, Mörten
The second attempt to break through, took place on July 26. Apraxin ordered 20 of the small, easily maneuverable Russian galleys to break through the Swedish lines. Due to the calm weather it was not to turn the heavy Swedish battleships possible effective. As Apraxin was clear that the Swedish Navy 's ships could not stop, he sent 15 more, and in the night of 26 July 27, the rest of the fleet.
The Battle
After the Russian breakthrough Ehrenskiölds units were encircled. He placed his ships between two small islands on the defensive, with the broad side of the flagship Elephant directed to the Russian galleys indicator in the middle, while the smaller boats were wrong, and 3 galleys at the end of the line.
After Ehrenskiöld refused a surrender, attacked the numerically superior Russian fleet. The Russian superiority was so overwhelming, that was not even enough space to attack with all ships simultaneously. The Russian galleys, commanded by Tsar personally intervened twice ( first with 35, the second time with 80 galleys ) but were repulsed. On the third try with 95 galleys the Russians succeeded but to board the Swedish ships, and capture Rear Admiral Ehrenskiöld on the deck of his flagship.
Follow
The battle was the first major victory of the Russian galley fleet, and can be compared as such with the Russian victory at the Battle of Poltava. The victory Russia was able to prevent further maritime operations of Sweden in the waters east of Åland, so that the occupation of Finland could be maintained until 1721 until the Peace of Nystad ended the war.
Today 's victory is still honored by the Russian Navy by it became a tradition to lead a ship named Gangut.