Battles of Usedom

The Battles of Usedom were fought on 21–27 April and 31 July–22 August 1715, between Swedish and Prussian, Saxon and Danish forces. In 1711, the Great Northern War spread to Germany as the anti-Swedish coalition invaded Swedish Pomerania, capturing the islands of Wolin and Usedom, as well as Stettin (Szczecin) in 1713. In pursuit of allies, Sweden's enemies offered neutral Prussia to hold guardianship over the conquests, an offer which the ambitious Frederick William I accepted. Charles XII of Sweden launched a preemptive strike to retake Usedom on 21 April 1715, to prevent the allies from utilising its waterways against Stralsund. All Prussians troops were forcibly removed from the island by the 27th, resulting in a Prussian declaration of war. In July, Prussia, Denmark–Norway, and Saxony blockaded Stralsund.

An invasion of Usedom was deemed necessary to have equipment shipped to the blockading army, and to cut Stralsund off from Sweden proper by capturing Rügen. A Prussian–Saxon army crossed the Swine (Świna) strait from Wolin on 31 July 1715, compelling Charles to withdraw to the last strong-point on the island, Peenemünde Sconce. A small Swedish rearguard that was covering the retreat was cut down. Charles quit the sconce the next day and instructed its commander to fight to the end. It was taken by storm on 22 August, with the allies suffering heavy losses and the entire garrison being killed or captured.

The loss of Usedom weakened the Swedish defence of the Greifswald bay, which protected the island of Rügen from an allied invasion. A Danish fleet forced an entry into the bay on 25 September. A formal siege of Stralsund began on 19 October, with the start of trench-digging and artillery bombardment. On 15 November, the allies landed on Rügen as the Swedes were occupied in the front. Charles counter-attacked but was repulsed, resulting in the loss of the island and the inevitable fall of Stralsund. Charles escaped the encirclement on 22 December, and Stralsund surrendered the next day. The city was returned to Sweden by the treaties of Stockholm and Frederiksborg, but Usedom, Wolin and Stettin were ceded to Prussia.