Finnish War
1808–1809
After Tilsit, Napoleon's new ally Russia attacked Sweden, Britain's last friend on the continent, in February 1808 and overran Finland. In May the great fortress of Sveaborg surrendered without a real fight, handing the Russians most of the Swedish archipelago fleet. Through the summer the war at sea was fought by galleys, gunboats and gun sloops among the skerries of the south-west Finnish archipelago, as the Swedish coastal fleet tried to stop the Russians moving along the coast towards Åland; a British fleet under Sir James Saumarez joined the Swedish battle fleet in the Baltic and drove the Russian battle fleet into harbour. But Sweden could not hold Finland, and in the Treaty of Fredrikshamn in 1809 it gave the whole country to Russia.
How the fleets moved
Click a route to see which ships made it, or a battle for its summary. Routes are approximate.
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British movement
Russian movement
Battle (size: ships engaged)
Routes are approximate.
Major battles
The 4 biggest of the 5 battles covered here, by ships engaged.
6 May 1808
Surrender of SveaborgSveaborg (Suomenlinna), Helsinki
Russian success; the fortress and the archipelago fleet surrendered
0
2 August 1808
Battle of SandöströmSandöström, Kimito archipelago
Indecisive; the Russian flotillas joined up
0
vs
0
26 August 1808
Capture of the VsevolodOff Baltic Port (Paldiski), Estonia
British victory; Vsevolod captured and burned
2
vs
1 (1 lost)
30 August 1808
Battle of GrönvikssundGrönvikssund, Turku archipelago
Swedish victory; the Russians gave up their plan to invade Åland
0
vs
0