A minor Swedish naval victory in the Northern Seven Years' War, followed by a storm that destroyed 15 Allied ships and drowned approximately 5,000 men near Gotland.
Key Facts
- Date of Battle
- 26 July 1566
- Allied ships destroyed by storm
- 15 (12 Danish, 3 Lübeck)
- Allied crew drowned
- ~5000 men
- Allied survivors ashore
- ~1400 men
- Storm location
- Near Visby, Gotland coast
- Swedish fleet returned to port
- Älvsnabben, by 6 August
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Northern Seven Years' War, Swedish admiral Horn encountered the combined Danish–Lübeck fleet heading toward Gotland near the northern tip of Öland on 25 July 1566. When the wind shifted in his favor, Horn chose to engage, initiating battle the following morning.
On 26 July 1566, the Swedish fleet fought the Allied Danish–Lübecker fleet just east of Öland. The engagement resulted in a slight Swedish victory before a sudden wind shift halted Swedish pursuit. The Allied fleet anchored off Gotland's coast, where Danish vice-admiral Christopher Morgisen, killed by cannonball, was buried ashore.
Two days after the battle, a violent storm struck the anchored Allied fleet off Gotland, smashing 15 ships and drowning around 5,000 men, with roughly 1,400 surviving. The Swedish fleet, at sea during the storm, escaped with minor damage and returned to Älvsnabben by 6 August.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Horn.
Side B
2 belligerents
Christopher Morgisen (killed).