Battles of the Finnish War
1808–1809 · 5 battles covered, in date order. Click a battle on the map for its summary.
Battle (size: ships engaged)
British movement
Russian movement
Routes are approximate.
6 May 1808 · Sveaborg (Suomenlinna), Helsinki
Surrender of SveaborgRussian success; the fortress and the archipelago fleet surrendered
Sveaborg, the island fortress off Helsinki that held the main base of the Swedish archipelago fleet, was called the Gibraltar of the North. Besieged by a smaller Russian army, and misled by false news and Russian promises, its commander, Vice-Admiral Carl Olof Cronstedt, the victor of Svensksund in 1790, surrendered it with some 6,000 men, more than 700 guns and most of the Swedish archipelago fleet, frozen in the ice. It was one of the great disasters of Swedish history, and it left the Russians free to move along the Finnish coast.
2 August 1808 · Sandöström, Kimito archipelago
Battle of SandöströmIndecisive; the Russian flotillas joined up
Through the summer of 1808 the Swedish coastal fleet tried to keep the Russian galley flotilla moving west from Helsinki apart from the Russian boats at Turku. At Sandöström in the narrow waters of the Kimito archipelago the Swedish gunboats fought the Russians for most of a day without a decision, and the Russian flotillas were able to join, giving them the advantage in the archipelago.
0
vs
0
26 August 1808 · Off Baltic Port (Paldiski), Estonia
Capture of the VsevolodBritish victory; Vsevolod captured and burned
A Russian fleet of nine ships of the line under Admiral Pyotr Khanykov met the combined Swedish fleet and two British ships of the line, Implacable and Centaur, off Hanko, and turned away for the shelter of Baltic Port. The British ships, much better sailers than the Swedes, chased it, and Implacable caught the straggling Vsevolod and pounded her into surrender before Khanykov sent ships back to help her and she was towed away. Vsevolod ran aground at the harbour mouth, where Centaur came alongside, lashed the two ships together and took her by boarding under the eyes of the Russian fleet. She was too firmly aground to get off, and was burned. The Russian fleet was blockaded in Baltic Port until the winter.
2
vs
1 (1 lost)
30 August 1808 · Grönvikssund, Turku archipelago
Battle of GrönvikssundSwedish victory; the Russians gave up their plan to invade Åland
The Swedish coastal fleet attacked the Russian flotilla in the sound of Grönvikssund, in the archipelago west of Turku. After a hard day's fighting among the islands the Russians fell back, and they gave up their plan to cross to the Åland Islands and threaten Stockholm, going on to the defensive in the archipelago for the rest of the year.
0
vs
0
17–18 September 1808 · Palva Sund, north of Turku
Battle of Palva SundIndecisive; the Swedish landing at Lokalahti withdrawn
The Swedes landed troops at Lokalahti, on the mainland north of Turku, to strike at the Russian army's communications, and the coastal fleet covered them from the sound of Palva. It held off the Russian flotilla for two days, but the landing force was driven back and re-embarked, and the last Swedish attempt to regain a foothold in Finland came to nothing.
0
vs
0