Notable Point · 36:27-38:26

Could Sweden have broken the Russian line at Öland?

A counterfactual Swedish line-breaking attack separates a maneuver known in theory from a fleet's confidence that its officers, crews, and ships could execute it.

Notes

A counterfactual asks whether Sweden could have offset Russian weight by using eight of its 64s to occupy the eight Russian 66s, then concentrating against part of the heavier line. The remaining Swedish ships would still have to contain the Russian 74s while combining against selected targets. The proposed attack would divide the Swedish fleet into two columns and try to break the Russian formation. Öland takes place in 1789, before Trafalgar in 1805, but breaking the line is already a known tactic. Professional officers should therefore have understood the concept. Failure to attempt it is interpreted here as either unwillingness or a judgment that the crews and ships could not carry it out, rather than proof that the tactic was unavailable.