BATTLE OF OLIWA

The naval 'Battle of Oliwa' or 'Battle of Gdańsk Roadstead' took place on 28 November 1627 during the Polish-Swedish War outside Danzig (Gdańsk) harbour. It is commonly known as the 'Battle of Oliva' (Polish: Oliwa), named after a village which at present is a district of Gdańsk. It was the biggest and the last naval battle of the Polish royal navy, but it brought a victory over a Swedish squadron.
The Swedes had a strong navy, and they maintained a blockade of the Baltic shore, especially Danzig (Gdańsk) harbour. On 28 November 1627, the Polish fleet engaged the Swedish blockading squadron. The Polish ships were more numerous, but only 4 galleons had full combat value, the rest were smaller ships. The Swedes had a longer tradition of a seamanship, while the Polish navy was new-born.
The Polish fleet of 10 ships, commanded by Admiral Arend Dickmann in the galleon ''Sankt Georg'' (''Święty Jerzy''), was anchored at Gdańsk roadstead, while the Swedish squadron of 6 ships sailed from the direction of the Hel Peninsula. The Poles raised anchors and rushed towards the Swedes, who did not expect such reaction. The battle soon split into two encounters.
The Polish flagship ''Sankt Georg'', supported by a smaller ship ''Meerweib'' (''Panna Wodna''), attacked the Swedish ''Tigern'', flagship of Admiral Nils Stiernsköld. The ships stuck together and the Polish naval infantry, fighting hand-to-hand, captured ''Tigern''. Meanwhile the Polish Vice-Admirals ship, the small galleon ''Meerman'' (''Wodnik'') attacked the bigger Swedish galleon ''Solen'' ("The Sun"). As a result the Swedish captain of ''Solen'' blew his ship up rather than allow its capture. The remaining 4 Swedish ships escaped and a pursuit failed. In the battle, both Admirals were killed.
The battle was propagated widely by the Polish court. There also appeared a saying, that: "the sun set at noon that day".
'Polish ships:'

''They were known in sources with German names (given in brackets), though now they are known for their reconstructed Polish names.''

★ 1st Squadron

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★ ''Rycerz Święty Jerzy'' (''Ritter Sankt Georg'') ("St George") - galleon, 31 guns, 400t (also known as ''Sankt Georg'')

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★ ''Latający Jeleń'' (''Fliegender Hirsch'') ("The Flying Deer") - galleon, 20 guns, 300t

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★ ''Panna Wodna'' (''Meerweib'') ("The Sea Virgo") - 12 guns, 160t

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★ ''Czarny Kruk'' ("The Black Raven") - 16 guns, 260t

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★ ''Żółty Lew'' ("The Yellow Lion") - 10 guns, 120t

★ 2nd Squadron

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★ ''Wodnik'' (''Meerman'') ("Aquarius") - galleon, 17 guns, 200t

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★ ''Król Dawid'' (''König David'') ("King David") - galleon, 31 guns, 400t, under Jakub Mora

★
★ ''Arka Noego'' ("Noah's Ark") - 16 guns, 180t

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★ ''Biały Lew'' ("The White Lion") - 8 guns, 200t

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★ ''Płomień'' (''Feuerblase'') ("Fireblaze") - 18 guns, 240t
'Swedish ships:'

★ ''Tigern'' ("The Tiger") - flagship, galleon, 22 guns, 320t - captured

★ ''Solen'' ("The Sun") - galleon, 38 guns, 300t - blown up and sunk by her own crew

★ ''Pelikanen'' ("The Pelican") - galleon, 20 guns, 200t

★ ''Manem'' ("The Moon") - galleon, 26 guns, 300t

★ ''Enhörningen'' ("The Unicorn") - galleon, 18 guns, 240t

★ ''Papegojan'' ("The Parrot") - 16 guns, 180t

Contents

References

See also

References

★ Anderson, R. C. ''Naval Wars in the Levant 1559-1853'' (2006), ISBN 1-57898-538-2

See also

★ Battle of Zatoka Świeża

★ Warship ''Vasa''

★ List of naval battles

★ Military history

★ History of Poland