- Battle of Stäket
Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Stäket
partof=TheGreat Northern War
caption=
colour_scheme=background:#cccccc
date=August 13 ,1719
place=Baggenstäket , southeast ofStockholm
result=Swedish victory
combatant1=flag|Sweden|naval
combatant2=flagicon|RussiaTsardom of Russia
commander1=Frederick of Hessen-Kassel
Carl Gustaf Dücker
Rutger Fuchs
commander2=CountFyodor Matveyevich Apraksin
strength1=about 1,200
strength2=3,000
casualties1=30 killed
71 wounded
casualties2=about 500 killed or woundedThe Battle of Stäket was a minor battle during the
Great Northern War . A probingRussia n force, circumventingVaxholm Castle , attempted to pass throughBaggenstäket , a very narrow passage in theStockholm archipelago . After a desperate counterattack bySödermanlands regemente the Russian force departed.Prelude
After the death of
Charles XII of Sweden atFredriksten in1718 , the Swedish armies had pulled back from all fronts. Surrounded by hostiles, it was clear that a peace treaty would not be forthcoming without large territorial losses. An attempt was made to play the adversaries against each other, but Russia forced the issue by building and equipping a large Baltic fleet with orders to pillage and harass the eastern Swedish seaboard. On July 11, 1719 the fleet was spotted off the Swedish coast. The Swedish navy was shattered after the long war, but still offered some resistance. The Russian fleet on its side didn't commit to a battle, but proceeded burning cities (likeNorrköping ) and farmsteads.Admiral
Fyodor Matveyevich Apraksin had already investigatedBaggenstäket , "the backdoor to Stockholm" as a way to reach the capital city without passing the fortress atVaxholm . The Russian's interest was noticed. Under the supervision of the colonel of fortificationsBaltzar von Dahlheim boulder-filled boats were towed into the very narrow strait, where they were sunk in the shallowest and narrowest parts to render it impassable. A smallredoubt with three cannon and 400 men guarded the channel, while fourgalley s were anchored in theLännersta sound beyond.Probably in order to apply more pressure on Sweden in the peace negotiations, Apraxin decided to attempt an attack on Stockholm. On August 10, Russian units were spotted around
Gålö ,Muskö , andOrnö , about 20 kilometers from Baggenstäket. If they could pass through Baggenstäket it would be possible to reach the capital while completely out of reach of the cannon of Vaxholm.The Battle
On the morning of August 13, generaladjutant
Filip von Tessin returned from a scouting mission to Baggenstäket to report that Russian galleys had been spotted at the entrance to the passage. The closest large Swedish army unit, the 800-manSödermanlands regemente , was alerted and under its commanderRutger Fuchs force marched 19 kilometers to meet the enemy. Lieutenant-colonelJohan von Essen was sent ahead with a force to protect the arrival of the rest of the regiment. After a rapid march through rocky and densly forested terrain under a hot summer sun, von Essen reached Baggenstäket before 7pm without encountering any fire. However the Russians by then had disembarked their forces, on both sides of the channel's eastern entrance. Continuing their rapid march, von Essen's unit suddenly came under fire from the fields around Skogsö gård. Its position was very exposed and the unit took losses; von Essen himself was wounded.At 8 pm, Fuchs' battalion arrived and received news of von Essen's situation. To his right von Essen had a marsh, which forced Fuchs to pass von Essen on his left, a difficult move through snarled and hilly terrain as darkness was falling. The Russians heard Fuchs' approach and opened fire. Fuch's battalion responded and caused losses to the tightly grouped Russians, but was soon also in danger of being outflanked, on its left. Fuchs' started to withdraw into the woods and the Russians didn't pursue. After two hours of confused fighting the battle was over, and the Russian solidiers retreated into their landing craft.
Aftermath
Apraksin's probe had been repulsed and the immediate threat to Stockholm had been averted. Due to unfavorable winds, Apraksin's fleet was forced to remain in
Baggensfjärden the next day, but eventually left before the arrival of an English fleet commanded byAdmiral John Norris and theKarlskrona squadron.Rutger Fuchs was acclaimed as a hero and "saviour of Stockholm" after the action and was promoted to
Major General and madefriherre . However, the Russian fleet was untouched and would continue to harass the eastern coast of Sweden the next year.References
* "Svenska Slagfält", 2003, ISBN 91-46-21087-3 (Wahlström & Widstrand).
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