Raid on Baltischport
Part of Russo-Swedish War (1788-1790)

Admiral-Captain Baron Cederström with the two Swedish frigates Jarramas and Ulla Fersen raid the Russian fortress of Paldiski (Baltischport) in Estonia, on March 17, 1790
Date17 March 1790
Location
Baltischport, Governorate of Estonia (now Paldiski, Republic of Estonia)
Result

Swedish victory

  • Baltischport is sacked for 4000 rubles
  • All the cannons in Baltischport were disabled
Territorial
changes		 Paldiski's war material could no longer be used by the Russian fleet
Belligerents
Sweden Sweden Russian Empire Russia
Commanders and leaders
Sweden Rudolf Cederström Russian Empire Colonel de Roberty Surrendered
Strength
2 Frigates [1]
50-60 men [2]		 At least 6 times the size of the Swedish force [1]
Casualties and losses
none Entire garrison capitulated[2]

The Raid on Baltischport was a successful Swedish military operation during the Russo-Swedish war of 1788–1790 which targeted the small Estonian port of Paldiski (Roggersvik; then called Baltiyskiy Port). The Swedish force consisted of 2 frigates and 50-60 men led by Rudolf Cederström. The operation resulted in the Russian naval stores and war material located in Paldiski no longer being able to be used for the imminent mobilization.

Prelude

In 1788, the Swedish king Gustav III, who had become quite unpopular in Sweden, sought a solution, he first looked towards Denmark as a means for increasing his popularity, but this was scrapped as he was not able to get any support for a war with them.[3] He then he saw an opportunity in the east, which resulted in the Russo Swedish War 1788-1790.

After his participation in the Battle of Hogland, Cederström received a promotion to captain and soon after received command of his own frigate; with this he was ordered to spend the winter inside of the Finnish archipelago with another Frigate named Hector. In 1789, he mostly sailed around Gotland with the order of keeping the war command informed of Russian movements in the Baltic, he also succeeded in capturing a number of Russian merchant ships.[1]

He now received the attention of Gustav III and received his first significant order, which was to attack Paldiski before the sea had become fully ice free, which was thought to be the place where the Russians had constructed a fleet.[1]

The raid

Rudolf Cederström

After a stormy journey from the port of Karlskrona, Cederström arrived on the morning of March 17 with 2 frigates to Paldiski. Upon arriving he noticed that there was no Russian fleet to be seen. Despite this, he let the 50-60 strong force stationed on the ships disembark the ships in order to storm the small fortress there.[2] Despite being outnumbered by at least 6:1, he succeeded, and after a short shelling of the fortress he forced it to surrender, after which he demanded 4000 rubles in brandskattning (ransom) from the city.[4][5] He also burned all the storehouses with considerable amounts of material used for building ships and disabled all the cannons inside the fortress.[6][7][1]

Aftermath

After returning home from the raid, Cederström was quickly promoted to the rank of Major and it lived on in the form of a popular folk song.[1]

Catherine the Great, the Empress, was very resentful of de Roberty, the defender of Paldiski, and thought it was a shameful surrender. She hoped and believed that there would soon be an uprising against Gustav III. Her secretary Chrapovitsky retorts "such an enterprising king needs employment." Catherine sighed "Yes, that prankster!"[6]

Consequences

While the war material in Paldiski could no longer be used, the raid alerted the Russians on the Swedish war plans and allowed them to plan ahead.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "O Rudolf Cederström". sok.riksarkivet.se. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  2. 1 2 3 Eriksson, Fredrik; Gunnar, Åselius; Wolke, Lars (2022), "Från Savolaxbrigaden till Särskilda skyddsgruppen", Nordic Academic Press, Sweden: Nordic Academic Press
  3. ↑ Sundberg, Ulf (2002). Svenska krig 1521-1814 (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Stockholm: Hjalmarson & Högberg. p. 341. ISBN 9789189660106..
  4. ↑ Tartu, Gelehrte Estnische Gesellschaft (1874). Sitzungsberichte (in German).
  5. ↑ Khrapovit͡skīĭ, Aleksandr Vasilʹevich (1880). Utdrag ur sekreteraren hos Kejsarinnan Katarina II sedermera verklige geheimerådet A.V. Chrapovitskijs dagbok 1787-1792 (in Swedish). P.A. Norstedt & söner.
  6. 1 2 Hansson, Jim; Höglund, Patrik (2022). "VRAKEN I DJUPASUND" (PDF). karlskrona.se.
  7. ↑ Sveriges historia tll våra dagar ... (in Swedish). P.A. Norstedt & söner. 1925.
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