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Svärdet (Swedish: "the sword") was a Swedish warship that sank on 1 June 1676 at the Battle of Öland during the Scanian War, with most of its crew.[1][2]
 A painting by Claus Møinichen ca. 1686 of the Battle of Öland. Svärdet is the rightmost Swedish ship, with two Danish ships on either side of her.
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| History | |
|---|---|
 Sweden | |
| Name | Svärdet |
| Ordered | c. 1660 |
| Laid down | 1662 |
| In service | 1663–1676 |
| Fate | Sunk in Battle of Öland, 1676 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Regalskepp |
| Tons burthen | 1700 tonnes |
| Length | 47.5 m (155 ft 10 in) |
| Beam | 12.5 m (41 ft) |
| Draught | 5.94 m (19 ft 6 in) |
| Troops | 220 |
| Complement | 400 |
| Armament |
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History
editSvärdet was, during the Scanian War, under the command of Claes Uggla, and fought in the Battle of Öland.[1] She was surrounded early in the battle, and fought for two hours until her main mast was destroyed and the ship surrendered. Before the surrounding enemies could board Svärdet, a Dutch fireship accidentally set her ablaze. The fire eventually reached the gunpowder store, which set off an explosion that sank the ship. Only about 50 of a crew of nearly 650 men survived.[2]
On 15 November 2011, it was announced that a wreck believed to be Svärdet had been found by divers off the island coast of Öland.[3][4]
General characteristics
edit- Displacement: 1700 tonnes[2]
- Length: 47.5 meters[2]
- Width: 12.5 meters[2]
- Armament: 86 cannons[2]
- 12 36-pounders (lower gun deck)
- 4 30-pounders (lower gun deck)
- 14 24-pounders (lower gun deck)
- 26 12-pounders (upper gun deck)
- 4 8-pounders (upper gun deck)
- 20 8-pounders (weather deck)
- 6 3-pounders (weather deck)
- Crew: 650 (both sailors and soldiers)[2]
See also
edit- Vasa, a Swedish warship which foundered and sank in 1628, was rediscovered in 1956, and was subsequently recovered
- Kronan, a Swedish warship that foundered in rough weather in 1676, was rediscovered in 1980, with artefacts on display in Kalmar County Museum
- Mars, a Swedish warship which sank in 1564, and was rediscovered in 2011, and is under active exploration
References
edit- ^ a b Munck, Anders (16 November 2011). "Mångmiljonvärden kan finnas ombord på Svärdet". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Svärdet" (in Swedish). Maritime Museum. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
- ^ Munck, Anders (15 November 2011). "Regalskeppet Svärdet hittat utanför Öland". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
- ^ "Skeppet Svärdet funnet utanför Öland". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 15 November 2011. Archived from the original on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.
External links
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