Battle of Revel
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The naval Battle of Revel took place on 2 May 1790 during the Russo-Swedish War (1788-1790), near the port of Revel (now Tallinn, Estonia).
The Battle
The Swedish fleet under the command of General-Admiral Duke Carl of Södermanland consisted of 22 ships of the line, four frigates and four smaller vessels. It entered the raid and started passing by the anchored Russian ships. The Russian fleet (9 ships of the line, 5 frigates) was anchored in a line going from the Revel harbor towards the Wims mountain. The first line was comprised of nine ships of the line and frigates (the 100-gun battleships Rostislav and Saratov, 74-gun Kir Ioann, Mstislav, Sv. Yelena and Yaroslav, 66-gun Pobedonosets, Boleslav and Izyaslav and the 40-gun frigate Venus). In the second line, four frigates - Podrazhislav (32 guns), Slava (32), Nadezhda Blagopoluchiya (32) and Pryamislav (36). Two bomb-vessels were deployed on the flanks. The third line was composed of seven launches.
Due to the strong winds and inaccurate aiming most of the Swedish projectiles ricocheted past their targets. The Russian ships that were anchored within the protected area of the harbor were able to use their guns much more effectively. The ship of the Swedish General-Admiral, which could not be brought into the wind due to a rigging problem, was forced to drift towards Rostislav and received major damage from grapeshot. The 64-gun battleship Prins Karl, number 15 the Swedish line, lost her rudder to Russian fire and had to strike her colors.
The Duke of Södermanland directed the battle onboard of the frigate Ulla Fersen, located beyond the range of Russian fire. After two hour artillery duel he ordered to break off the engagement; hence the last ten ships of Swedish line veered off without firing a shot. The Swedish ship Riksens Ständer hit the reef north of Wolf island. The attempts of the Swedes to dislodge it proved to be unsuccessful, and they were forced to burn Riksens Ständer so that it would not be reached by the Russians.
Aftermath
The Battle of Revel can be considered a Russian victory. The Swedes lost two ships of the line, and were forced to retreat despite their almost two-fold numerical superiority. Swedish losses were 150 killed and injured, and 250 captured. Russian losses amounted to 8 killed and 27 injured. After the battle the Swedish fleet partially repaired at the sea, and then sailed away east of Gogland island.