Archipelago fleet

The archipelago fleet (Swedish: skärgårdsflottan), officially the "fleet of the army" (Swedish: arméns flotta), was a maritime branch of the Swedish Armed Forces which existed between 1756 and 1823. Its purpose was to protect the coasts of Sweden, which was surrounded by a natural barrier of archipelagoes (or skerries). Throughout its existence, the fleet was a largely independent arm of the Swedish Army, separate from the Swedish Navy, with the exception of a few years in the late 1760s. In a number of respects, it was a precursor of the Swedish Coastal Artillery and its coastal fleet. The fleet's vessels consisted of traditional Mediterranean-style galleys, prams, gunboats and specially designed broadside-armed "archipelago frigates". All types had the ability to operate under oars and a small draft, enabling them to navigate the shallow and often treacherous inshore waters. The archipelago fleet was active in several wars from 1757 to 1814, such as the Seven Years' War, the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–1790, the Finnish War and the brief Swedish–Norwegian War of 1814.