Udema
Encyclopedia
An udema was a type of warship built for the Swedish archipelago fleet
in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was developed for warfare in the Archipelago Sea
and along the coasts of Svealand
and Finland
against the Russian navy. The udema was designed by the prolific naval architect Fredrik Henrik af Chapman
for use in an area of mostly shallow waters and groups of islands and islets that extend from Stockholm all the way to the Gulf of Finland.
naval power in the Baltic
challenged the interests of Sweden, at the time one of the major powers in the Baltic. The Swedish empire
at the time included territory in Northern Germany, all of modern Finland and most of the Baltic states
, a dominion held together by the Baltic sea routes. Russian Tsar Peter the Great had established a new capital and naval base in Saint Petersburg
in 1703. During the Great Northern War
Sweden lost its Baltic state territories, and experienced destructive Russian raiding in Finland and along the chain of islands and archipelago
s that stretched all the way from the Gulf of Finland
to the capital of Stockholm
. The traumatic experience led to the establishment of inshore flotillas of shallow-draft vessels. The first of these consisted mainly of smaller versions of the traditional Mediterranean warship, the galleys. Most of these more akin to galiot
s and were complemented with gun pram
s. The disastrous war against Russia 1741-43 and the minor involvement in Prussia
in the Seven Years' War
1757-62 showed the need for further expansion and development of the inshore flotillas with more specialized vessels.
Traditional galleys were effective as troop transports for amphibious operations, but were severely under-gunned, especially in relation to their large crews; a galley with a 250-man crew, most of whom were rowers, would typically be armed with only one 24-pounder cannon
and two 6-pounders, all in the bow. However, they were undecked and lacked adequate shelter for the rower-soldiers, great numbers of which succumbed to illness in the war of 1741-43. The Swedish military invested considerable resources into the establishment of the "archipelago fleet
" (skärgårdsflottan), a separate branch of the armed forced that organizationally belonged to the army. In 1756, it was even officially designated Arméns flotta, "Navy of the Army", though it was in many ways a highly independent organization that attracted a social and cultural elite and enjoyed the protection of Gustav III
after his 1772 coup that empowered him as an absolute monarch.
Several new ships were designed by the naval architect Fredrik Henrik af Chapman
to bolster the hitting-power of the new Swedish arm, to provide it with better naval defense and greater fire support
capabilities during amphibious operations. The result was four new vessels that combined the maneuverability of oar-powered galleys with the superior rigs and decent living conditions of sailing ships: the udema, pojama, turuma
and hemmema, named after the Finnish regions of Uusimaa
("Uudenmaan" in genitive form), Pohjanmaa
, Turunmaa and Hämeenmaa (Tavastia
). All four have been referred to as skärgårdsfregatter, "archipelago frigates", in Swedish and English historical literature, though the smaller udema and pojama are also described as "archipelago corvettes" originally. The name "udema" has been carried on (in its more modern variant) as a traditional vessel name in the Finnish navy, with several ships
named after the type.
sails with the later two ships adding an additional mizzen mast. It was later provided with a square sail rig similar to that of a polacca bark
without topgallant sails. It had a low hull with a small quarterdeck structure and an arrangement of guns that was completely unique for its time. Its main armament consisted of a single line of eight 12-pound guns along the centerline of the ship and two 12-pounders in the bow facing forwards.. The centerline guns used pivoting carriages that could be rotated 360 degrees and aimed to either side of the ship in a manner reminiscent to the modern dreadnought battleships
of the 20th century.
The first udema Gamla was c. 30 m (100 ft) long and with a draft of 1.5 m (5 ft). The later udemas, Torborg and Ingeborg were both longer and wider, 37 m (121 ft) long and almost 9 m (29 ft) wide with a draft of just over 3 m (10 ft). Torborg, built in 1772, had three additional 12-pounders, eleven in the centerline and two in bow facing forwards, housed under a decked superstructure with gun ports, but with the rowing seats left undecked. This arrangement proved to be less successful with reports about problems with splintering and lingering gunpowder smoke. She was also a poor sailer and slow under oars, earning the udema a poor reputation.
The Ingeborg, built in 1776, had an eight-12-pounder centerline armament which was open to the elements, but two heavy 18-pounders in the bow and two 6-pounders chase guns in the stern. The rowing benches with room for three men per bench were on either side of the centerline battery, but had to swung forwards and outwards to allow the guns to pivot to either side.
For additional maneuverability, the udema carried 14-18 pairs of oars. Rowers sat on the weather deck on either side of the main armament with the oarpoarts placed on a rectangular outrigger
which improved their leverage. Rowers sat on the gun deck right next to the main battery and could not operate the oars when they were fired. In action, the udema had to rely on its sails for propulsion.
The concept of hybrid frigates with oar propulsion capabilities was not new. Small "galleass
es" had been built for the English navy as early as the mid-16th century, and the Royal Navy
had equipped the equivalent of sixth rates with oar ports on or below the gundeck as early as the 1660s. "Shebecks", Baltic variations on the Mediterranean xebec
s, had been introduced in the Russian navy for inshore duties during the 18th century. Both of these have been suggested as possible inspirations for af Chapman's new designs.
Only three udemas were built for the Swedish navy. Russian ship builders copied the Swedish designs, particularly around the time of the war of 1788-90
, and it is believed that a type named simply "secret vessel" could have been a Russian udema. However, the conclusion has been questioned on account of the number of guns (44 in total), making it possible that it was actually a considerably larger turuma
, one of larger "archipelago frigates".
The three Swedish udemas served in the Finnish archipelago squadrons throughout the Russo-Swedish war of 1788-90
by supporting amphibious operations, raiding the opposing Russian archipelago fleet, and protecting the left flank of Swedish army's operations on the Finnish mainland. Udemas fought in both the first and second battles of Svensksund
. In the latter, which was one of the largest naval battles ever fought, a disastrous defeat for the Russians, and one of Sweden's greatest naval victory ever, the udema Ingeborg was among the few Swedish vessels lost.
Like the other specialized archipelago vessels, the udema proved to have only limited advantages. While it had superior firepower, its sailing qualities were poor, even compared with galleys, and were slow even under oars. The unconventional artillery layout was also deemed to be too weak and radical. The second battle of Svensksund showed that the smaller gunboats and gunsloops were far more efficient for the same operations and had almost entirely replaced the "archipelago frigates" by the Finnish War
of 1808-9, where Sweden finally lost all of its Finnish possessions.
Archipelago fleet
The archipelago fleet , officially the fleet of the army , was a branch of the armed services of Sweden between 1756 and 1823. Its purpose was to protect the coasts of Sweden, which was surrounded by a natural barrier of archipelagoes...
in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was developed for warfare in the Archipelago Sea
Archipelago Sea
Archipelago Sea is a part of the Baltic Sea between the Gulf of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland and the Sea of Åland, within Finnish territorial waters...
and along the coasts of Svealand
Svealand
Svealand , Swealand or Sweden proper is the historical core region of Sweden. It is located in south central Sweden and is one of three lands of Sweden, bounded to the north by Norrland and to the south by Götaland. Deep forests, Tiveden, Tylöskog, Kolmården, separated Svealand from Götaland...
and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
against the Russian navy. The udema was designed by the prolific naval architect Fredrik Henrik af Chapman
Fredrik Henrik af Chapman
Fredrik Henrik af Chapman was a Swedish shipbuilder, scientist and officer in the Swedish navy. He was also manager of the Karlskrona shipyard 1782-1793...
for use in an area of mostly shallow waters and groups of islands and islets that extend from Stockholm all the way to the Gulf of Finland.
Background
In the early 18th century, the establishment of RussianRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
naval power in the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
challenged the interests of Sweden, at the time one of the major powers in the Baltic. The Swedish empire
Swedish Empire
The Swedish Empire refers to the Kingdom of Sweden between 1561 and 1721 . During this time, Sweden was one of the great European powers. In Swedish, the period is called Stormaktstiden, literally meaning "the Great Power Era"...
at the time included territory in Northern Germany, all of modern Finland and most of the Baltic states
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
, a dominion held together by the Baltic sea routes. Russian Tsar Peter the Great had established a new capital and naval base in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
in 1703. During the Great Northern War
Great Northern War
The Great Northern War was a conflict in which a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in northern Central Europe and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the anti-Swedish alliance were Peter I the Great of Russia, Frederick IV of...
Sweden lost its Baltic state territories, and experienced destructive Russian raiding in Finland and along the chain of islands and archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
s that stretched all the way from the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
to the capital of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. The traumatic experience led to the establishment of inshore flotillas of shallow-draft vessels. The first of these consisted mainly of smaller versions of the traditional Mediterranean warship, the galleys. Most of these more akin to galiot
Galiot
Galiots were types of ships from the Age of Sail.In the Mediterranean, galiots were a type of small galley, with one or two masts and about twenty oars, using both sails and oars for propulsion...
s and were complemented with gun pram
Pram
Pram may refer to:*Pram, Austria* Pram , a musical group* Pram , a type of shallow-draught, flat-bottomed ship * A type of dinghy with a flat bow* A type of wheeled baby transport...
s. The disastrous war against Russia 1741-43 and the minor involvement in Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
1757-62 showed the need for further expansion and development of the inshore flotillas with more specialized vessels.
Traditional galleys were effective as troop transports for amphibious operations, but were severely under-gunned, especially in relation to their large crews; a galley with a 250-man crew, most of whom were rowers, would typically be armed with only one 24-pounder cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
and two 6-pounders, all in the bow. However, they were undecked and lacked adequate shelter for the rower-soldiers, great numbers of which succumbed to illness in the war of 1741-43. The Swedish military invested considerable resources into the establishment of the "archipelago fleet
Archipelago fleet
The archipelago fleet , officially the fleet of the army , was a branch of the armed services of Sweden between 1756 and 1823. Its purpose was to protect the coasts of Sweden, which was surrounded by a natural barrier of archipelagoes...
" (skärgårdsflottan), a separate branch of the armed forced that organizationally belonged to the army. In 1756, it was even officially designated Arméns flotta, "Navy of the Army", though it was in many ways a highly independent organization that attracted a social and cultural elite and enjoyed the protection of Gustav III
Gustav III of Sweden
Gustav III was King of Sweden from 1771 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Adolph Frederick and Queen Louise Ulrica of Sweden, she a sister of Frederick the Great of Prussia....
after his 1772 coup that empowered him as an absolute monarch.
Several new ships were designed by the naval architect Fredrik Henrik af Chapman
Fredrik Henrik af Chapman
Fredrik Henrik af Chapman was a Swedish shipbuilder, scientist and officer in the Swedish navy. He was also manager of the Karlskrona shipyard 1782-1793...
to bolster the hitting-power of the new Swedish arm, to provide it with better naval defense and greater fire support
Fire support
Fire support is long-range firepower provided to a front-line military unit. Typically, fire support is provided by artillery or close air support , and is used to shape the battlefield or, more optimistically, define the battle...
capabilities during amphibious operations. The result was four new vessels that combined the maneuverability of oar-powered galleys with the superior rigs and decent living conditions of sailing ships: the udema, pojama, turuma
Turuma
A turuma was a type of warship built for the Swedish archipelago fleet in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was developed for warfare in the Archipelago Sea and along the coasts of Svealand and Finland against the Russian navy...
and hemmema, named after the Finnish regions of Uusimaa
Uusimaa
Uusimaa, or Nyland in Swedish, is a region in Finland. It borders the regions Finland Proper, Tavastia Proper, Päijänne Tavastia and Kymenlaakso...
("Uudenmaan" in genitive form), Pohjanmaa
Pohjanmaa
Pohjanmaa is the name of a geographical region in Finland which can refer to:-Former entities:...
, Turunmaa and Hämeenmaa (Tavastia
Tavastia Proper
Tavastia Proper is a region of Finland. It borders to the regions Finland Proper, Pirkanmaa, Päijänne Tavastia, and Uusimaa.Hämeenlinna is the largest urban area in the region...
). All four have been referred to as skärgårdsfregatter, "archipelago frigates", in Swedish and English historical literature, though the smaller udema and pojama are also described as "archipelago corvettes" originally. The name "udema" has been carried on (in its more modern variant) as a traditional vessel name in the Finnish navy, with several ships
Uusimaa (disambiguation)
Uusimaa is the name of a geographical region in Finland which can refer to:* Uusimaa, a current region of Finland* Eastern Uusimaa, a former region of Finland* Uusimaa Province, a former province of Finland...
named after the type.
Design
The first udema was built in 1760 and had two masts (mainmast and foremast) that were originally rigged with lateenLateen
A lateen or latin-rig is a triangular sail set on a long yard mounted at an angle on the mast, and running in a fore-and-aft direction....
sails with the later two ships adding an additional mizzen mast. It was later provided with a square sail rig similar to that of a polacca bark
Polacca
A polacca is a type of seventeenth-century sailing vessel, similar to the xebec. The name is the feminine of "Polish" in the Italian language. The polacca was frequently seen in the Mediterranean...
without topgallant sails. It had a low hull with a small quarterdeck structure and an arrangement of guns that was completely unique for its time. Its main armament consisted of a single line of eight 12-pound guns along the centerline of the ship and two 12-pounders in the bow facing forwards.. The centerline guns used pivoting carriages that could be rotated 360 degrees and aimed to either side of the ship in a manner reminiscent to the modern dreadnought battleships
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
of the 20th century.
The first udema Gamla was c. 30 m (100 ft) long and with a draft of 1.5 m (5 ft). The later udemas, Torborg and Ingeborg were both longer and wider, 37 m (121 ft) long and almost 9 m (29 ft) wide with a draft of just over 3 m (10 ft). Torborg, built in 1772, had three additional 12-pounders, eleven in the centerline and two in bow facing forwards, housed under a decked superstructure with gun ports, but with the rowing seats left undecked. This arrangement proved to be less successful with reports about problems with splintering and lingering gunpowder smoke. She was also a poor sailer and slow under oars, earning the udema a poor reputation.
The Ingeborg, built in 1776, had an eight-12-pounder centerline armament which was open to the elements, but two heavy 18-pounders in the bow and two 6-pounders chase guns in the stern. The rowing benches with room for three men per bench were on either side of the centerline battery, but had to swung forwards and outwards to allow the guns to pivot to either side.
For additional maneuverability, the udema carried 14-18 pairs of oars. Rowers sat on the weather deck on either side of the main armament with the oarpoarts placed on a rectangular outrigger
Outrigger
An outrigger is a part of a boat's rigging which is rigid and extends beyond the side or gunwale of a boat.In an outrigger canoe and in sailboats such as the proa, an outrigger is a thin, long, solid, hull used to stabilise an inherently unstable main hull. The outrigger is positioned rigidly and...
which improved their leverage. Rowers sat on the gun deck right next to the main battery and could not operate the oars when they were fired. In action, the udema had to rely on its sails for propulsion.
The concept of hybrid frigates with oar propulsion capabilities was not new. Small "galleass
Galleass
The galleass developed from large merchant galleys.Converted for military use they were higher and larger than regular galleys. They had up to 32 oars, each worked by up to 5 men. They usually had three masts and a forecastle and aftcastle. Much effort was made in Venice to make these galleasses...
es" had been built for the English navy as early as the mid-16th century, and the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
had equipped the equivalent of sixth rates with oar ports on or below the gundeck as early as the 1660s. "Shebecks", Baltic variations on the Mediterranean xebec
Xebec
A xebec , also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that was used mostly for trading. It would have a long overhanging bowsprit and protruding mizzen mast...
s, had been introduced in the Russian navy for inshore duties during the 18th century. Both of these have been suggested as possible inspirations for af Chapman's new designs.
Service
Russo-Swedish War (1788-1790)
The Russo-Swedish War of 1788–90, known as Gustav III's Russian war in Sweden, Gustav III's War in Finland and Catherine II's Swedish War in Russia, was fought between Sweden and Russia from June 1788 to August 1790.-Background:...
, and it is believed that a type named simply "secret vessel" could have been a Russian udema. However, the conclusion has been questioned on account of the number of guns (44 in total), making it possible that it was actually a considerably larger turuma
Turuma
A turuma was a type of warship built for the Swedish archipelago fleet in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was developed for warfare in the Archipelago Sea and along the coasts of Svealand and Finland against the Russian navy...
, one of larger "archipelago frigates".
The three Swedish udemas served in the Finnish archipelago squadrons throughout the Russo-Swedish war of 1788-90
Russo-Swedish War (1788-1790)
The Russo-Swedish War of 1788–90, known as Gustav III's Russian war in Sweden, Gustav III's War in Finland and Catherine II's Swedish War in Russia, was fought between Sweden and Russia from June 1788 to August 1790.-Background:...
by supporting amphibious operations, raiding the opposing Russian archipelago fleet, and protecting the left flank of Swedish army's operations on the Finnish mainland. Udemas fought in both the first and second battles of Svensksund
Battle of Svensksund
The Battle of Svensksund was a naval battle fought in the Gulf of Finland outside the present day city of Kotka on 9 July 1790. The Swedish naval forces dealt the Russian fleet a devastating defeat that resulted in an end to the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–90...
. In the latter, which was one of the largest naval battles ever fought, a disastrous defeat for the Russians, and one of Sweden's greatest naval victory ever, the udema Ingeborg was among the few Swedish vessels lost.
Like the other specialized archipelago vessels, the udema proved to have only limited advantages. While it had superior firepower, its sailing qualities were poor, even compared with galleys, and were slow even under oars. The unconventional artillery layout was also deemed to be too weak and radical. The second battle of Svensksund showed that the smaller gunboats and gunsloops were far more efficient for the same operations and had almost entirely replaced the "archipelago frigates" by the Finnish War
Finnish War
The Finnish War was fought between Sweden and the Russian Empire from February 1808 to September 1809. As a result of the war, the eastern third of Sweden was established as the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland within the Russian Empire...
of 1808-9, where Sweden finally lost all of its Finnish possessions.
Influence
Though somewhat of a disappointment in Swedish service, historian Lars-Olof Berg suggest that the radical new design of rotating gun mounts may have influenced shipbuilders in other countries. Russian floating batteries were equipped with similar mounts by 1790. Designs were also presented and built in Great Britain and the US. Pivoting mounts were used in the US Jeffersonian so-called gunboat navy, even in much smaller craft, though it was often proved risky since the recoil could destabilize vessels with a small displacement, especially if fired over the side. The genuine breakthrough for true centerline armament layouts, however, did not come until the advent of armored steamships in the late 19th century.Ships
Only three udemas are know to have been built, all of them for the Swedish archipelago fleet. These are listed below with launch year in parenthesis. Two udemas armed with a 24-pound armament were planned in 1760-62, but were never built.- Gamla, also called Uusima (1760)
- Torborg (1772)
- Ingeborg (1776, sunk at the battle of SvensksundBattle of SvensksundThe Battle of Svensksund was a naval battle fought in the Gulf of Finland outside the present day city of Kotka on 9 July 1790. The Swedish naval forces dealt the Russian fleet a devastating defeat that resulted in an end to the Russo-Swedish War of 1788–90...
)