Gustav III of Sweden, undaunted by the…
May 1790 CE
General-Admiral Duke Karl approaches Reval on May 13 with twenty-two ships of the line and four large frigates mounting a combined sixteen hundred and eighty cannon.
Chichagov, preparing to meet the enemy in the harbor, forms a battle line made up of nine ships of the line and and five frigates, including the frigate Venus.
Due to strong winds and inaccurate aiming, most Swedish projectiles miss their targets, while the Russian ships anchored within the protected area of the harbor are able to use their guns much more effectively.
The ship of the Swedish General-Admiral, which cannot be brought into the wind due to a rigging problem, is forced to drift towards Rostislav and receives major damage from grapeshot.
The sixty-four-gun battleship Prins Karl, fifteenth in the Swedish line, loses her rudder to Russian fire and has to strike her colors.
The Duke of Södermanland directs the battle from the frigate Ulla Fersen, beyond the range of Russian fire.
After a two-hour artillery duel he orders his ships to break off the engagement; hence the last ten ships of Swedish line veer off without firing a shot.
The Swedish ship Riksens Ständer hit the reef north of Aegna (Wolf) island.
Swedish attempts to dislodge her fail, and the Swedes are forced to burn her so that the Russians will be unable to take her.
The battle is a resounding Russian victory.
The Swedes have lost two ships of the line, and are forced to retreat despite their almost twofold numerical superiority.
Swedish losses are fifty-one killed, eighty-one wounded, and two hundred and fifty captured.
Russian losses are eight killed and twenty-seven injured.
Contemporary sources report Russian casualties of four killed, seven seriously wounded and eighteen lightly wounded, with almost four hundred Swedish sailors, soldiers and officers captured and one hundred and thirty presumed killed.
After the battle the Swedish fleet partially repairs at sea, then sails away east of Hogland Island.