Då listan på de förlorade svenska skeppen är både lång & detaljerad, kan den intresserade följa länken nedan för vidare information.Swedish Warship Losses in Denmark's Skanian War 1675-1679
By Eric Nielsen
This article provides details on Swedish warship losses from all causes, both combat and non-combat, during the Skånian war of 1675-1679.
Sweden's 1675-1679 warship losses are particularly significant in Danish naval history because many of these Swedish warships were captured incorporated into the Danish navy. In fact, the 1675-1679 war captures of Swedish warships constitute the Danish navy's greatest accretion of naval strength, in Danish naval history, through combat captures.
The Swedish warship losses are listed in this article in chronological order, on the basis of these ships' individual loss dates. When numerous Swedish warships were lost on a single day, as in a major fleet battle, the individual Swedish warships are listed in the chronological sequence in which they became battle casualties.
In instances where only the year of a Swedish warship's loss is known, but neither the month nor day in that year, the warship is listed at the end of the compilation for the year in question.
Provisional Compilation
This article's compilation of Swedish warship wartime losses is a provisional or "preliminary" study, based upon available secondary sources, which are often defective, fragmentary, or contradictory.
Further research needs to be conducted to rectify or supplement the data contained in this list of Swedish warship losses. However, the data regarding the more important Swedish warship losses contained in this compilation is usually the most complete of the Swedish warships' data presented - it's expected that there will be fewer omissions of either ships or data in this category.
The Skånian War's Antecedents
Denmark's Skånian war had antecedents in the international power politics of its time, including the major international problems posed by (1) the French king Louis XIV's territorial ambitions; and (2) the commercial ambitions of the sea power rivals Britain and Holland. In this larger international arena with its complicated political alliances, Sweden became allied with Louis XIV's France. As a result, Sweden declared war on Brandenburg, a supporter of Holland which, in turn, was a perennial target of French aggrandizement.
Denmark had treaty obligations with Brandenburg, and thus became drawn into a war with Sweden once Sweden declared war on Brandenburg. However, Denmark's real, underlying concern in declaring war with Sweden was the appallingly adversity under which the Danish population of the Skånian provinces in Sweden suffered, by a hostile and brutal Swedish rule.
The Skånian War's Inception Date
The actual date marking the inception of the Skånian war can be debated. However, for purposes of this article, hostilities between Denmark and Sweden began on September 2, 1675. From this inception date, the Skånian war continued for exactly four years, until terminated by peace treaties signed at Fontainebleau on August 13, 1679, and at Lund on September 6, 1679.
Denmark's Allies: Holland and Brandenburg
Not all of the Swedish navy's combat losses in the 1675-1679 Skånian War were caused by Danish naval action. During Denmark's Skånian War, Danish naval operations were sometimes complemented by naval operations of Denmark's wartime allies, Holland and Brandenburg. This is reflected by the fact that a few Swedish warship losses were caused by one these two allies of Denmark during the 1675-1679 War, as is noted in the "Cause of Loss"entries in the individual Swedish warship data profiles for individual Swedish warships listed in this article's compilation.
Notwithstanding the participation of the naval forces of Holland and Brandenburg as Denmark's allies in the Skånian war, Denmark's navy was the predominant naval force on either side during the war, Denmark's naval operations caused most of Sweden's wartime losses, and most of Denmark's naval successes during the war were achieved while the Danish fleet was operating under Danish command.
Niels Juel's War
The distinguishing feature of the Skånian war from the standpoint of naval operations and, therefore, the importance of this compilation of Swedish warship losses, is that the Skånian war was "Niels Juel's war," i.e., the war in which Denmark's greatest admiral, Niels Juel, achieved his great naval victories.
Uniform Format - In Presenting Warship's Data
For ease of comparison between individual warships, this article presents the Swedish warships' individual data in a uniform format - to the extent that individual Swedish warship's data is available.
Warship Types
As "line of battle" naval tactics were still in their infancy during the Skånian war, the largest warships noted in this article's compilation are referred to as "battleships" rather than as "ships-of-the-line" - the latter term is only appropriate to capital warships during the age of "line of battle" naval tactics.
As a general rule, during the Skånian war, a "battleship" was a warship armed with forty or more cannon.
The term "frigate" was not widely used in the Skånian war, and "frigates" did not have the distinctive role which they had in later years. The frigate functions, as understood during the later stages of the age of sail, seem to have been performed not only by "frigates," but also by "jachts" and other light vessels. In the Skånian war, a "frigate" was just as likely to lay herself alongside a battleship and engage as was a fireship, although the latter had less gunpower.
The "(M)" Symbol - Merchantmen Converted to Warships
In the "Warship Type" entry under the profile of ship's data for individual Swedish warship losses, the symbol "(M)" often appears following the designated warship type. This "(M)" symbol alerts the reader to the fact that the Swedes converted the Swedish warship in question from a merchantman to a warship, on an emergency wartime basis.
Where the "Warship Type" is followed by the "(M)" symbol, the mercantile origin of individual Swedish warships is further explained in the "Notes" entry of a Swedish warship's data profile.
One of the most remarkable features of Sweden's warship procurement policy during the Skånian war years was Sweden's wholesale mobilization and conversion of Swedish merchantmen to warship status. Denmark did not have a similar policy, and converted no Danish merchantmen to warship status during the war years, although Denmark did retain on Danish naval strength captured Swedish warships which were mercantile in origin.
Sweden's remarkable wartime acquisition and conversion to warships of a large number of Swedish merchantmen, to augment the strength of the Swedish fleet, is even more noticeable when one examines the entirety of the entries on the Swedish navy's ship lists which enumerate all warships taken on strength - rather than isolated Swedish warship losses - regarding the origins of Sweden's available warships.
Even more remarkable, Sweden's conversion of merchantmen to warships succeeded in producing a considerable number of battleships, some of them with considerable gunpower, rather than in simply producing lesser warship types.
Warship Armament
The number of cannon noted under the "Armament" entry in each Swedish warship's data profile is that Swedish warship's Swedish armament, while in Swedish naval service, at the time of the Swedish warship's loss.
Occasionally, a Swedish warship's total armament is referred to in terms of "guns" rather than "cannon." This occurs where a Swedish warship's size, type, or function indicate that a particular Swedish warship's stated total number of armament carried may not have been comprised entirely of cannon but may have contained, for example, a large number of swivels - e.g., anti-personnel weapons - mixed in with a cannon armament.
Variations in a specific Swedish warship's armament, or an ex-Swedish warship's Danish armament while in Danish naval service - when known - are noted in parenthesis in the "Armament" entry in an individual Swedish warship's data profile. Other particulars of a specific Swedish (or ex-Swedish) warship's armament are detailed in comments contained in the "Notes" entry in an individual Swedish warship's data profile.
Warship Dimensions
Of particular interest, regarding Swedish warships captured by the Danes, are the sometimes significant or noticeable differences between the Swedish and Danish dimensions given for the same Swedish warship - in those instances when these different sets of national dimensions are available for comparison regarding an individual Swedish warship.
For some Swedish warships, no Swedish dimensions are available, so that the Danish dimensions, made by Denmark after a Swedish warship's capture by Denmark, are the only dimensions available - the same is also true with occasional dimension measurements which Brandenburgers made of captured Swedish warships.
Comparison of a Swedish warship's dimensions with those of other warships in the historical records is useful in identification of particular warships, either between Danish and Swedish entries regarding a warship, or between warship entries within the Danish and Swedish ship lists themselves. Warship identification is also often complicated by frequent differences in the spelling of a warship's name in the various historical records, and in instances where several different extant warships simultaneously had the same or similar names.
A glaring quirk of the Swedish dimensions provided for Swedish warships covered by this article is that no dimensions are available for Swedish warship drafts (i.e., the depth of a ship's hull below the waterline) - as is immediately evident when examining Swedish ship lists for this period. In this regard, Sweden apparently did not begin to keep dimension data on Swedish warship drafts until 1678, i.e., at the very juncture when Denmark's Skånian War of 1675-1679 was already nearing its termination.
As a general rule, in those instances where both Danish and Swedish hull dimensions are available for a particular Swedish warship, the Danish hull dimensions are usually noticeably smaller than the comparable Swedish dimensions. One explanation for this difference is that the Danish foot at this time was larger (313.8 mm) than the corresponding Swedish foot (297 mm), and therefore produced smaller aggregate Danish dimensions for the same warship.
Another reason for national differences in a particular warship's hull dimensions is the widespread lack of uniformity, precision, or architectural or shipwright skill, with which measurements of warship hulls were calculated at this historical time.
As another general rule, again in those instances where both Danish and Swedish hull dimensions are available for individual Swedish warships, one gains the impression from comparing the Swedish and Danish dimensions that most Swedish hull dimensions were "rounded off" to the nearest half-a-foot, whereas the Danish hull measurements for warships are more precise, specifically articulating the precise number of inches.
Swedish Warship "Capacity" in Swedish "Læsts."
Another indication of Swedish warship's relative size, in addition to or in lieu of the recorded hull dimensions of an individual Swedish warship, is a Swedish warship's "capacity" in terms of Swedish "læsts" - sometimes spelled "lasts" in English.
A "læst" was an old Scandinavian measure of either bulk or weight, which was in use during the Skånian war and in fact continued to be widely employed until into the beginning of the 19th century. A Scandinavian "læst" had differing values at different historical times, and sometimes in different localities.
A "læst" was typically a measurement of the cubic volume of a ship's hull capacity, rather than a measure of actual weight. Data on the "capacity" in Swedish "læsts" is usually available, if at all, for only mercantile Swedish ships hired or purchased into the Swedish navy after the outbreak of hostilities with Denmark, for conversion into warships.
In the mid-1600s, a Swedish "læst" was equivalent to about 1.6 tons "burthen," whereas toward the end of the 1600s a Swedish læst was equivalent to about 1.9 tons burthen. Therefore, it is presumed that the 1.6 ton equivalency figure is the measure employed when quoted for Swedish warships listed in this article. However, this presumption may be incorrect in individual instances.
In examining the Swedish entries for the "læst" figures for ex-mercantile Swedish warships, one notices that these are usually given in very round figures (e.g., 300, 250, 200, 170). Therefore, one suspects that these recorded measures are very general and lack precision. Nevertheless, these figures are useful in providing an additional perspective on the relative size of individual Swedish warships.
Danish Warship Losses, 1675-1679
The Danish navy suffered virtually no important warship losses, in terms of "capital" warships, during the Skånian War. Therefore, the Danish navy emerged from the Skånian War relatively unscathed, in comparison to the considerable wartime losses suffered by the Swedish navy - particularly in terms of Swedish "capital" warship losses.
The few significant Danish warship losses during the Skånian War are noted below - these Danish wartime warship losses are operational losses and, therefore, do not include Danish warships which the Danish admiralty condemned during the war as being no longer serviceable.
In July, 1676, the Danish battleship KØBENHAVN (50) accidentally ran aground while getting under way, during the approach of the Swedish fleet, and had to be burnt in order to prevent her capture under unfavorable circumstances. Three years later, on July 2, 1679, the elderly Danish battleship ENIGHEDEN (62), originally built in 1650 as the PRINS CHRISTIAN, was deliberately sunk by the Danes at Kalmar harbor as a blockship to blockade the harbor entrance.
Though not wartime combat losses, two important Danish warships were lost almost immediately after the conclusion of the peace treaty at Fotainebleau on August 13, 1679, which terminated the Skånian War. As these warships were returning from operations at the conclusion of the war, it is appropriate to consider these losses in making a final assessment of the Danish navy's wartime losses.
While returning home to Denmark from the large Swedish island of Öland at the conclusion of hostilities, the powerful Danish battleship NORSKE LØVE (86), built in 1665, was wrecked off the Danish island of Bornholm on August 16, 1679, i.e., just days after the formal signing of the peace treaty at Fotainebleau, which terminated the Skånian war.
When the Danish fleet arrived in Copenhagen after the conclusion of hostilities, it suffered another accidental loss on September 9, 1679, when the relatively new Danish frigate LOSSEN (30), built in 1675, accidentally burned. Thus, LOSSEN was lost just days after the signing of the second peace treaty, at Lund, on September 6, 1679.
The Final Reckoning in Warship Losses Between Sweden and Denmark
Denmark emerged from the Skånian war with her fleet intact, relatively unscathed, augmented in numerical strength, and utterly transformed in both power and war experience, compared to that of Sweden.
During the war, Denmark had only lost two battleships on operations, one of which was sunk on purpose, to blockade Kalmar harbor. Conversely, Sweden's navy had lost approximately twenty battleships on operations, the majority of which were either captured by the Danes, or were incorporated into the Danish fleet - three of the Swedish battleships had been captured by the Dutch, but were transferred to the Danish navy.
Denmark had entered the Skånian war with roughly 20 battleships, but finished the war with thirty, having only built one. Conversely, Sweden had begun the war with 36 battleships, but lost twenty, and ended the war with just over twenty.
Källa: http://www.milhist.dk/svenske_krigene/s ... skaane.htm
