The Russian coastal fleet consists of nine…
July 1790 CE
The Russian fleet carries around nine hundred cannons compared to four hundred and fifty Swedish cannons and has clear superiority in both number of ships and men.
The Russian coastal fleet is eager to attack, especially on 9 July, the anniversary of Catherine the Great's proclamation as Empress of Russia.
Recognizing the failure to decisively defeat the Swedish archipelago fleet a year earlier at the same location, the Russian commander, Prince Charles of Nassau-Siegen, chooses to commit his whole force from the south.
This is done to prevent the Swedes from escaping to the shelter of Svartholm fortress, since Nassau-Siegen is expecting a clear victory, having numerical superiority in ships and artillery as well as in men.
On the morning of July 9 Gustav III abruptly names Lieutenant-Colonel Cronstedt as his flag-captain after relieving Colonel George de Frese from his duties.
The reason for this sudden change is likely that de Frese has been in favor of withdrawing from Svensksund to a more favorable location while Cronstedt has advocated fighting the Russians at Svensksund.
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