Battle of Hogland

17 July 1788, Off Hogland, Gulf of Finland

Tactically indecisive, each side taking one ship; a strategic Russian victory

Gustav III's plan depended on the battle fleet clearing the way for a landing near St Petersburg. It sailed from Karlskrona in June under his brother, Duke Charles of Södermanland, and met Admiral Samuel Greig's fleet from Kronstadt off Hogland. In light airs the two lines drifted together in the late afternoon, using their boats to turn the ships. The Swedes fired high, at masts and rigging; the Russians concentrated on the Swedish flagship and the ships near her. At about 8 pm Prins Gustaf, carrying Vice-Admiral Wachtmeister's flag, was surrounded and struck by 10 pm, while the Russian Vladislav, drifting into the Swedish line, surrendered too. Out of heavy shot, the Swedes withdrew to Sveaborg in the night. There Greig blockaded them for the rest of the year, and the invasion of Russia from the sea was over.

Royal Swedish Navy

22 ships, 1 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
Konung Gustaf III Duke Charles; the focus of the Russian fire	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Damaged
Prins Gustaf Vice-Admiral Wachtmeister; struck at about 10 pm	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Captured
Sophia Magdalena	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Survived
Enigheten	Ship of the line Third rate, 70 guns	Survived
Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotta	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Ömheten	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Rättvisan	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 62 guns	Survived
Dygden	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Wasa	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 62 guns	Survived
Fäderneslandet	Ship of the line Third rate, 66 guns	Survived
Äran	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Försiktigheten	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Prins Carl	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Prins Fredrik Adolf	Ship of the line Third rate, 64 guns	Survived
Kronprins Gustaf Adolf	Ship of the line Fourth rate, 62 guns	Survived
Thetis	Frigate Fifth rate, 40 guns	Survived
Minerva	Frigate Fifth rate, 40 guns	Survived
Fröja	Frigate Fifth rate, 40 guns	Survived
Camilla	Frigate Fifth rate, 40 guns	Survived
Gripen	Frigate Fifth rate, 44 guns	Survived
Jarramas	Frigate Fifth rate, 34 guns	Survived
Yaroslavets As the Swedish Jarislawitz	Frigate Fifth rate, 32 guns	Survived

Imperial Russian Navy

24 ships, 1 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
Rostislav Admiral Greig	Ship of the line First rate, 100 guns	Survived
Vladislav Drifted into the Swedish line and struck	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Captured
Kir Ioann	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Yaroslav	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Svyatoy Pyotr	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Mstislav	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Svyataya Elena	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Vseslav	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Ioann Bogoslov	Ship of the line Third rate, 74 guns	Survived
Pamyat Evstafiya	Ship of the line Third rate, 66 guns	Survived
Viktor	Ship of the line Third rate, 66 guns	Survived
Izyaslav	Ship of the line Third rate, 66 guns	Survived
Rodislav	Ship of the line Third rate, 66 guns	Survived
Mecheslav	Ship of the line Third rate, 66 guns	Survived
Vysheslav	Ship of the line Third rate, 66 guns	Survived
Boleslav	Ship of the line Third rate, 66 guns	Survived
Deris	Ship of the line Third rate, 66 guns	Survived
Bryachislav	Frigate Fifth rate, 38 guns	Survived
Mstislavets	Frigate Fifth rate, 42 guns	Survived
Slava	Frigate Fifth rate, 32 guns	Survived
Vozmislav	Frigate Fifth rate, 32 guns	Survived
Podrazhislav	Frigate Fifth rate, 32 guns	Survived
Pryamislav	Frigate Fifth rate, 32 guns	Survived
Nadezhda Blagopoluchiya	Frigate Fifth rate, 32 guns	Survived

Map

The Swedish fleet sails for the Gulf of Finland June – July 1788
Greig sails from Kronstadt July 1788
The Swedes fall back on Sveaborg 18 July 1788