New types of vessels
Ehrensvärd was a man of versatile character who did not limit himself to just making policy on the defensive strategy of the country but was also indulged in the art of ship building. Together with shipbuilding master Fredrik Henrik of Chapman, Ehrensvärd developed a variety of vessel models that were adapted to the special requirements of archipelago warfare. The galleys were at this time considered aged and impractical due their disproportionately large crews in relation to the ship’s armaments. Galleys built in the late 1740s had a crew of 250 men, mainly Army soldiers acting as rowers. It was a disadvantage that the crew could not be accommodated on board and that there was no room for provision. The galleys were armed with a single 24 pound gun and two 6 pound guns at the bow that were only capable to fire straight forward.
Archipelago frigates
In order to replace the outdated galleys, some twenty archipelago frigates were commissioned between 1760-1790. These modernized vessels became the most important craft in the Finnish squadron. The above mentioned ships were divided into four types named after provinces in Finland: Hämeenmaa (Tavastland), Turunmaa (Turku), Uudenmaa (Nyland) and Pohjanmaa (Österbotten). The archipelago frigates handled better and therefore had smaller crews than previous vessels. Both wind and oars were used to sail the vessels. Tactically, the archipelago frigates were intended for defensive position defense.
Gun sloops and dinghys
During the 1770s Chapman added smaller, more shallow going vessels to the newly formed Army fleet. They were well adapted to the requirements of warfare at sea with efficient firepower fire, fast movement and protection against enemy fire. The positive qualities of the sloop and the dinghy are in their shallow dept and limited target surface area along with good maneuverability and the capacity to hold significant numbers of armed forces. To their disadvantage there was no room to lodge crews on board and the men had to sleep in tents on land. Food and equipment were carried along in separate cargo vessels. The gun sloops were 19 meters long and fitted with 10 pairs of oars, two men at each oar. The armament consisted of a singe 18 pound cannon in the bow and a 12 pound cannon at the stern and four 2 pound swivel guns.
The Gun dinghys can be described as floating platforms for a 18- or 24 pound cannon in the stern. The crew was made up of 24 men. On board the sloops the army crew amounted to about 50, on board the smaller dinghy the same ratio was 18 men. Tactically, these boats were intended for offensive operations and their powerful armed forces were of crucial importance in the Swedish victory in the battle of the Svensk sund in 1790.
