Carl XIII

Karl XIII (Sweden. Karl XIII, Carl XIII; 7 October 1748, Stockholm, Sweden - 5 February 1818, Stockholm) was the King of Sweden from 5 June 1809, from 4 November 1814 also the King of Norway (as Karl II, see Sweden-Norway Union) from the Holstein-Gottorp dynasty.

The second son of King Adolf Fredrik, he was appointed Duke of Södermanland in 1772 (the German spelling "Karl of Südermanland" is also common in Russian tradition).

During the Russo-Swedish War (1788-1790), with the rank of Admiral, he commanded the Swedish fleet during the Battle of Åland in 1789, and (together with his brother, Gustav III) during the Battle of Viborg in 1790.

According to Sytin's Encyclopaedia of War (1910s):

A vigorous but enthusiastic and unbalanced naval commander, very similar in fervour of character and excessive hotness to his brother Gustav III, he achieved no success at sea during his entire command of the fleet in this war, despite his well trained personnel and excellent condition of materiel. In his encounters with our fleet, Charles XIII had a constant superiority in strength and each time, thanks to improper tactical techniques, failed. With Greig, Cruise and Chichagov against him, he won not a single battle throughout the war, although in some of them had every chance of ultimate success. None of the battles in which he had commanded the fleet (Gogland, Krasnogorsk, Eland, Revel) were followed by the retreat of the Swedes. A typical example of incorrect tactical methods was the last battle, in which, according to the plan of Charles XIII, the Swedish fleet attacked Chichagov's squadron, which was anchored in such a way that all his ships, passing in turn by the Russian ships, were subjected to long-term concentrated fire of the entire enemy line. This manoeuvre cost the Swedes two lost ships (1 taken prisoner and 1 jumped out due to damage on the rocks) and several heavily damaged.