Battle of Bornholm (1676) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Bornholm
Part of the Scanian War
Niels Juel
Date 25–26 May 1676 Location between the islands of Bornholm and Rügen Result Tactically indecisive Strategic Danish-Dutch victory
Belligerents
Denmark-Norway  Dutch Republic	Swedish Empire
Commanders and leaders
Niels Juel Jens Rodsten Philip van Almonde	Lorentz Creutz Claes Uggla Johan Bär
Strength
25 ships of the line 10 frigates	17 large, 13 medium-sized ships of the line 21 smaller vessels and armed merchants 8 fireships
Casualties and losses
55 killed, 15 wounded	1 storeship (Konung David) captured and burned, 1 fireship (Leopard) captured Unknown number of dead and wounded

The Battle of Bornholm was an important naval battle. It happened between a larger Swedish fleet and a smaller Danish-Dutch fleet. The fight took place on May 25–26, 1676. It was part of a bigger conflict called the Scanian War.

Both sides wanted to control the sea in the southern Baltic Sea. The Swedish commander, Lorentz Creutz, hoped to destroy the enemy fleet. Then, he wanted to send more troops to help Swedish forces in Germany. The Danish fleet, led by Niels Juel, aimed to stop these reinforcements. They also wanted to avoid their own fleet being destroyed by the larger Swedish force.

The Danish navy was ready for battle by March. They even captured the Swedish island of Gotland. This happened before the Swedish fleet could leave its base in Stockholm. The two fleets saw each other on the morning of May 25. By night, they were close enough to start firing. This was near the Jasmund Peninsula, off Rügen. Darkness stopped the fighting, and both fleets turned north.

The battle started again on the morning of May 26. Both fleets fought in long lines, firing at each other. No one tried to board the other ships. In the afternoon, Juel's fleet headed for Øresund, a strait between Sweden and Denmark. They anchored in shallow waters near Falsterbo. Creutz didn't dare follow them into the shallow area. He anchored near Trelleborg to get new orders from the Swedish King Charles XI.

The Swedish force lost three small ships. This was not a big loss in terms of tactics. But the allied fleet still won a major strategic victory. Juel's fleet was a bit damaged, but it was still ready to fight. Two days later, nine more ships joined them. The experienced Dutch admiral Cornelis Tromp also arrived and took command. The Swedish fleet's failure to win a clear victory caused arguments among their officers. This hurt their teamwork and discipline. Just a few days after the Battle of Bornholm, on June 1, the Swedish fleet lost badly at the Battle of Öland. They lost control of the Baltic Sea for the rest of the year.

Why the Battle Happened

The Battle of Bornholm was part of the Scanian War. This war involved Sweden, Denmark, and other European countries. In 1675, Sweden attacked Brandenburg to help its ally, France. France was fighting the Dutch Republic at the time. After a small defeat, more countries joined the war against Sweden.

Denmark saw a chance to get back lands it had lost to Sweden in 1660. These lands included Scania, Blekinge, and Halland. So, Denmark declared war on Sweden in September 1675. The southern Baltic Sea became very important for both sides. Denmark needed to use the sea to invade Sweden. Sweden needed the sea to send help to its armies in Germany. Both also needed to protect their trade routes.

In 1675, the Swedish fleet tried to sail. But bad weather, sickness, and lost equipment forced them back. King Charles XI blamed the commander, Gustaf Otto Stenbock. The next winter, the Swedish fleet was led by Lorentz Creutz. But a very cold winter kept the ships stuck in ice.

Getting Ready for Battle

In April 1676, a Danish fleet of 13 ships set sail. More ships joined them, including a captured Swedish ship. Danish forces landed on Gotland island. They quickly took the important port of Klintehamn and the fort of Visborg in Visby.

The Swedish fleet was ordered to leave port on May 4. But strong winds delayed them until May 19. By then, Admiral Juel had already left Visby. He sailed to Bornholm to meet up with a smaller Danish-Dutch force. The Swedish fleet was very large. It had 17 big ships, 15 medium ships, and many smaller vessels. It also had 8 fireships. These were ships filled with flammable materials to set enemy ships on fire. The Swedish fleet had about 2,200 cannons and 11,400 men.

Juel moved his fleet between Scania and Rügen island. He wanted to stop the Swedish navy from landing troops in Germany. His fleet was made stronger with more Dutch and Danish ships. Skilled commanders like Philip van Almonde and Jens Rodsten joined him. The two main fleets saw each other on May 24. They made contact the next day.

The Battle Begins

Around 6 AM on May 25, the two fleets were in sight. Creutz knew his force was bigger, so he attacked. Juel first sailed northwest, towards Öresund. Then he turned south, towards Jasmund on Rügen. The weather was calm, so the ships moved slowly. By nightfall, they were close enough to fight. Juel decided to accept the battle.

The Swedish fleet had trouble staying in formation. During one move, the Danish line managed to cut through the Swedish line. They captured a Swedish fireship called Didric. Another fireship, Leoparden, was driven into a different group of ships and captured.

Around midnight, not much had changed. The fleets pulled back but stayed in sight of each other. Around 7 AM on May 26, the Swedish force attacked again. The two fleets sailed side by side, firing their cannons. One of the allied admirals, the Dutch Philip van Allemonde, sailed too close. His flagship, Delft, was hit hard by the Swedish flagship Kronan. The damage was so bad that Allemonde had to move to another ship.

Even though the Swedish fleet had more ships, they couldn't get close enough to board and capture enemy ships. The battle became a long-range artillery duel. When Juel pulled away around 4 PM, only a few Swedish ships chased him. With less than half his ships, Creutz couldn't keep up the chase. Juel's fleet was able to escape into the shallow reefs near Falsterbo. The powerful Swedish fleet couldn't sink or disable any enemy ships. They only lost one small supply ship.

What Happened Next

After the battle, the Swedish fleet anchored near Trelleborg. King Charles XI was waiting there with new orders. He wanted them to recapture Gotland. The fleet was told to avoid fighting the allies until they reached the northern tip of Öland.

When the Swedish fleet left Trelleborg on May 30, the allied fleet soon found them. The allies began to chase the Swedes. The very next day, the Battle of Öland was fought. In that battle, the allied fleet defeated the larger Swedish fleet. This gave Denmark control of the sea for the rest of the year.

After the big loss at Öland, King Charles XI ordered an investigation. He wanted to know who was to blame. The investigation showed that the Swedish forces had not worked well together. The relationship between Admiral Creutz and his officers was very bad. Creutz felt his officers had not followed his orders. He even "scolded them like boys" for not chasing the retreating allied ships. Many officers said that Creutz's orders were unclear.

On the allied side, the Dutch admiral Philip van Almonde complained about his Danish colleagues. He said they avoided fighting. Admiral Juel himself noted that more damage could have been done to the Swedes if there hadn't been so much confusion. Historians believe Juel wanted a decisive victory. He knew that the famous Dutch admiral Cornelis Tromp was arriving soon to take over command. Juel wanted to test his fleet before he was replaced.

Ships in the Battle

Here are some of the main ships that fought in the battle. The number in parentheses shows how many cannons each ship had.

Allied Fleet

Danish Ships

• Churprindsen (68), Admiral Niels Juel's ship
• Fridericus III (64)
• Tre Løver (64)
• Christianus IV (58)
• Nellebladet (54)
• Gyldenløve (56)
• Christiania (54)
• Lindormen (46)
• Svenske Falk (46)
• Delmenhorst (44)
• Havmanden (36)
• København (36)
• Caritas (33)
• Hommeren (32)
• Hvide Falk (26)
• Havfruen (26)
• Spraglede Falk (18)

Dutch Ships

• Delft (62), Admiral Philip van Almonde's ship
• Waesdorp (68)
• Gideon (60)
• Oostergoo (60)
• Noortholland (44)
• Ackerboom (60)
• Dordrecht (46)
• Campen (44)
• Wapen van Utrecht (38)
• Frisia (36)

Supporting Vessels

• Fire Kronede Lilier (a type of small ship)
• Oranienbaum, Bon Adventure and two unnamed Dutch galiots (small, fast ships)
• S:t Jakob
• S:t Joris

Swedish Fleet

First Squadron

• Flagship: Kronan (124), Admiral Lorentz Creutz's ship
• Solen (74)
• Wrangel (60)
• Draken (66)
• Herkules (56)
• Neptunus (44)
• Maria (44)
• Fenix (36)
• Sundsvall (32)
• Enhorn (16)
• Pärlan (28, an armed merchant ship)
• Tre Bröder (12)
• Mjöhund (10)
• Sjöhästen (8)
• Jakob, Svan (fireships)

Second Squadron

• Flagship: Svärdet (94), Admiral Claes Uggla's ship
• Mars (72)
• Merkurius (64)
• Hieronymus (64)
• Svenska Lejonet (48)
• Göteborg (48)
• Fredrika Amalia (34)
• Uttern (24)
• Flygande Vargen (44, armed merchant)
• Järnvågen (24, armed merchant)
• Ekorren (8)
• Posthornet (8)
• Råbocken (8)
• Rödkritan, Duvan (fireships)

Third Squadron

• Flagship: Nyckeln (84), Admiral Johan Bär's ship
• Äpplet (86)
• Saturnus (64)
• Caesar (60)
• Wismar (54)
• Riga (54)
• Hjorten (36)
• Solen (54, a merchant ship)
• Salvator (30)
• Gripen (8)
• Sjöman (8)
• Leoparden, Postiljon (fireships)

Fourth Squadron (ships divided among other squadrons)

• Victoria (80)
• Venus (64)
• Jupiter (70)
• Carolus (60)
• Spes (48)
• Abraham (44)
• Nordstjärnan (28)
• Trumslagaren (34, armed merchant)
• Konung David (32, armed merchant)
• Elisabeth (12, armed merchant)
• Fortuna (12)
• Konung David (10)
• Måsen (8)
• Jägaren, Didrik (fireships)