Invasion of Rügen (1678)

Invasion of Rügen
The invasion fleet and the army in order of battle on 23 September 1678 near Neukamp
Date 22 September 1678 Location Island of Rügen, Baltic Sea Result Victory to Brandenburg and Denmark, recapture of Rügen
Belligerents
Sweden	Brandenburg-Prussia  Denmark
Commanders and leaders
Commander-in-Chief: GFM Otto Wilhelm von Königsmarck	Commander-in-Chief: Elector Frederick William Landing Corps GFM Derfflinger Battle fleet: Adm Gen Nils Juel Transport fleet: Adm Gen Cornelis Tromp
Strength
2,700 men including: 1,900 mounted 800 infantry soldiers	ca. 9,000 men including: 7,240 Brandenburg troops 1,800 Danes

Commander-in-Chief:

Commander-in-Chief:

Landing Corps

Battle fleet:

Transport fleet:

2,700 men
including:

ca. 9,000 men
including:

The invasion of Rügen of 22 to 24 September 1678, was a military operation in the Swedish-Brandenburg War, or Scanian War, that ended with the annexation of the Swedish-ruled island of Rügen by the Allies: Brandenburg-Prussia and Denmark.

The operation was a prelude to the long-planned Siege of Stralsund that followed shortly thereafter.

The first invasion of Rügen in this war took place on 17 September 1677, when the Danes landed and succeeded after the Battle of Bergen, in expelling the Swedes from the entire island. Soon after, the Swedes under the command of Field Marshal Otto Wilhelm von Konigsmark, began moves to recapture the island, which proved successful when they won the Battle of Warksow on 18 January 1678.

The island was not safe for long in spite of this Swedish victory, mainly because the Danes made several raids on Rügen over the summer.

The possession of the island of Rügen was strategically important for both warring parties, as the side that controlled the island could also guarantee the supply of the most important fortress in Swedish Pomerania, namely the town of Stralsund located on the mainland coast. The possession of the island was thus a prerequisite for a successful conquest of the fortress of Stralsund, which was in Swedish hands, by the Allies of Brandenburg and Denmark.

Denmark made a total of 27 warships available for the invasion, whose task was to protect the landing. In addition, Brandenburg had 10 warships at their disposal, seven of which were ships hired from Benjamin Raule (each with 107 cannon and 435-man crews) and three provided by the prince-elector himself.

A Brandenburg army had been standing by in Pomerania since mid-July 1678. The start of the operation was delayed by the late arrival, in August, of the Brandenburg squadron of warships under Benjamin Raule. In addition, Brandenburg required a lot of time to put together the required transport vessels. The transport fleet consisted of 210 large and 140 smaller ships.

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Wikipedia