Battle of Palva Sund facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Palva Sund
Part of the Finnish War
Date 18 September 1808 Location Finnish archipelago, near Velkua Result Russian victory
Belligerents
Sweden	Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Salomon von Rajalin	Aleksey Yefimovich Myasoyedov
Strength
31 gun sloops	70–80 gun sloops
Casualties and losses
30 killed 54 wounded 1 gun sloop sunk	200 killed, wounded or captured 3 gun sloops sunk

The Battle of Palva Sund was a naval battle fought on September 18, 1808. It took place between the navies of Sweden and Russia. This battle was part of the Finnish War (1808–1809). The fight happened in the narrow waters of the Finnish archipelago.

Why the Battle Happened

In September 1808, Swedish forces planned a landing in Finland. This was part of their effort to fight against Russia. About 3,000 Swedish soldiers landed near Lokalax. Their goal was to cut off Russian supply routes. They also wanted to connect with other Swedish troops further north.

However, the Swedish soldiers were not well-prepared. Many lacked warm coats, and they had little ammunition. Russian scouts quickly spotted the landing. Russian forces from Åbo (now Turku) were sent to stop them.

On September 18, the Russians attacked the Swedish landing force. The Swedes had more soldiers, but they ran out of ammunition quickly. This forced them to retreat. The Swedes lost 125 men, and 15 were captured. The Russians lost about 200 men. The Swedish commander, Major General Albrekt von Lantinghausen, was replaced. King Gustav IV Adolf ordered a new landing attempt.

The Battle in the Strait

Battle of Palva Sund on both sides of Lailluoto island

While the Swedish soldiers were landing, their small ships helped protect them. These ships were called gun sloops and yawls. They were small boats armed with cannons. Admiral Salomon von Rajalin led the Swedish fleet. He chose a narrow waterway called Palva Strait to stop the larger Russian fleet. A "strait" is a narrow passage of water connecting two larger bodies of water. It's a good place to defend because it limits how many enemy ships can attack at once.

Admiral Rajalin divided his ships into two groups. He placed them on both sides of Lailuoto island. The Russian fleet, led by Admiral Myasoedov, had over 70 gun sloops and yawls. They also had some larger ships. Myasoedov planned to attack both Swedish groups at the same time. He also sent a small group of six gun yawls to go around Talosmeri island. This was meant to surprise the Swedes from behind. Strong winds delayed the Russian attack by a day.

The battle began early on September 18, at 4:00 AM. It was still dark and foggy. Within an hour, the Swedes had pushed back the first Russian attack. The Swedes on the eastern side moved forward. They wanted to stop the Russians from getting behind them. However, some Russian gun yawls had already slipped through the narrows. They attacked the Swedish eastern group from the rear. This caused confusion and damage. The Swedish ships on the eastern side of Lailuoto island had to retreat.

By 9:00 AM, the Russians started using their reserve ships. They pushed back the Swedish ships on the western side too. The Swedes tried to regroup in the open water. But the Russian ships kept trying to get around them. Admiral von Rajalin realized he had to pull back further north.

After the Battle

After the battle, the Russians tried to move closer to the Swedish landing sites. But they found that the Swedes were defending all the narrow passages to the north. On October 1, during a heavy snowfall, the Russians tried to clear the Swedes from the narrows near Kahiluoto island. There was an artillery fight that lasted until dark. But the Russians could not force the Swedes out.

Since the Swedish landing forces had already retreated, Admiral Myasoedov decided not to continue fighting. He took his fleet back to Åbo for the winter. The Swedish ships that had held the narrows were ordered to leave on October 3. This was because the Russians were building artillery batteries further north. These batteries would block the only escape route from the Kahiluoto narrows.