Archipelago fleet
|
Arméns flotta Fleet of the army |
|
|---|---|
-SMM-Fo132035DIA.jpg) |
|
| Active | 1756–1823 |
| Country |
 Sweden
|
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Fleet |
| Role | Coastal defence, amphibious warfare |
| Size | 285 ships (1790) |
| H/Q | |
| Colours | Blue |
| Engagements | |
| Disbanded | 1823 |
| Commanders | |
| Commander |
See list
|
| Insignia | |
| Blue Ensign (1761–1813) |  |
The archipelago fleet (Swedish: skärgårdsflottan), officially the "fleet of the army" (arméns flotta), was a branch of the armed forces of Sweden which existed between 1756 and 1823. Its purpose was to protect the coasts of Sweden, which was surrounded by a natural barrier of archipelagoes (or skerries). Throughout its existence, it was a largely independent arm of the army, separate from the navy, with the exception of a few years in the late 1760s. In a number of respects, it was a precursor of the Kustartilleriet and it's coastal fleet.
Its vessels consisted of traditional Mediterranean-style galleys, prams, gunboats and specially-designed broadside-armed "archipelago frigates". All types had the ability to operate under oars and a small draft, enabling them to navigate the shallow and often treacherous inshore waters.
The archipelago fleet was active in several wars from 1757 to 1814: the Swedish involvement in the Seven Years' War, the Russo–Swedish War of 1788–90, the Finnish War of 1808–09 and the brief Swedish–Norwegian War of 1814.
The Russian capture of Nöteborg and Nyen early in the Great Northern War allowed the Russians to access to the Baltic Sea, which had largely been under Swedish control before the war. Since Russian naval units were, at the time, based on coastal squadrons, the Swedes were prompted to start construction of their own small coastal squadrons. However, the small Swedish squadron, which had been hastily created during the war, was overwhelmed by the Russian galley fleet at the battle of Gangut in 1714, as the Russian fleet enjoyed tenfold superiority over the Swedish fleet.
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Wikipedia