Battle of Gottland

Battle statistics

**Battle of Gotland** is a naval battle, occurring in 1677, during the Rhine War, between the Polish fleet and a squadron of Russian frigates. It ended with the victory of the Polish fleet and the sinking of the Kiev squadron.

## Before the Battle

The Rhenish War broke out on March 12, 1677, and Poland was immediately drawn into it. The Polish navy was put on alert - for it was to fight its Russian counterpart.

Just in March, a squadron of Russian frigates patrolled the trade routes leading to ports such as Riga near the Polish coast. Information about this immediately reached the Polish command, which decided to eliminate the first target. To their misfortune, the Kiev commander also learned of the Polish fleet's movements, as well as the outbreak of war, and attempted to escape. However, the Poles were faster and near the southern end of Gotland they cut off the retreat route. Having no choice, the Rus commander decided to fight.

## Battle

### Clash

Because of the fog, the two fleets did not know about each other until the end. The Polish fleet, which had been patrolling the waters off the southern exit of Kalmar Strait for several days in loose formation, sailed west. The Russian frigate squadron, sailing with a light wind from the south, still tried to withdraw before the Poles. Its commander did not know that he was approaching the enemy instead of moving away from him.

The two fleets did not see each other until after the fog had cleared, about nine o'clock. They were at a distance of about five nautical miles from each other. Both fleets immediately began to prepare for battle. The Poles made a turn to the south, taking advantage of the weakening night breeze, which was slowly being replaced by a day breeze.

The first shots from the bow batteries of both fleets were fired half an hour after the squadrons spotted each other. At first, those single shots had no effect, but after another quarter of an hour both formations, slowly moving towards each other, finally approached each other, against the will of the commander of the Kievs, and according to the plan of the commander of the Poles. Finally the flagship "Podlasie" fired the first shots from the battery on the starboard side. It was not a full salvo, but the shots of single guns, whose commanders lit the fuse when the target was in the firing line. After a few moments the first Russian frigate, completely perforated by the Polish cannons. And it was only the first ship. When the next galleon, "Little White Eagle", came behind "Podlasie", the crew of the Russian ship capitulated after the first few shots.

Meanwhile, Podlasie sailed on. It crossed the keel of the first Russian frigate in order to strike the next enemy ship with the cannons already loaded on the port side. With the next units it was done the same way - thanks to that the ship could use the full fire power of the side batteries. Even a single series of shots caused so much damage that one of the frigates began to sink after it. The Polish ships that followed the lead of the flagship completed the work of the first one, mercilessly drowning the enemy. One of them spectacularly exploded due to the explosion of an ammunition magazine. After forty minutes of fighting it was all over - of the eight Russian ships there were only wreckage and survivors floating in the water, while one, the first one, was already occupied by Polish sailors.

### Losses

 Kievan Rus

## The Aftermath

After the battle, the Poles gained the upper hand over the Rusyns.This changed only with the arrival of the Germany fleet in the Baltic, which, having joined with its Rusyn counterpart and together defeated the Polish fleet at the Åland Islands.