Battle of Korpr Strom

Posted by Albert Parker on Tuesday 7th of November 2017 02:32

According to Swedish histories, the Swedish galley squadron from the "skärgårdsflotta" that attacked the Russians at Korpoström included 22 galleys and 3 gun prams (skottpråmar). However, the Russian commander observed only one pram, and three different Swedish diagrams or maps of the battle show only one (Herkules). The number of galleys actually present is hard to determine but seems to have been 19, as shown on the most detailed Swedish representation. The Russian squadron included prams Olifant and Dikii Byk and 20 out of 21 galleys (best guess is that when sick had been sent to the rear while the Russians were awaiting the Swedish attack, they went in o were escorted by one of the galleys). I have the names only of 14 of the Russian galleys. Other Swedish vessels present according to Jan-Erik Karlsson were galley Stå Bi and half-galley Stören. Correct spellings include Lidingön Snåll,and Löwen or von Löwen, and Töva Litet (which seems to mean "to be a little late"!) or Tövalite.

Posted by Albert Parker on Tuesday 7th of November 2017 02:17

The name for the strait and village from which the battle takes its name is "Korpoström" (all one word). In the 1740s it might sometimes have been spelled with a "C" instead of a "K." The Russian galley squadron with 2 gun prams was positioned between the island of Korpo (modern Finnish Korpoo) and the island of Årklobb, which is now connected to the island of Björkholm. This is all in the Åland archipelago, an autonomous Swedish-speaking region of Finland.