siege siege took place spring great northern war second attempt russians capture fortress town failed attempt outbreak war swedish forces fortified port order assure safety newly founded city saint_petersburg ordered swedish fort secured unsuccessful attempt later plans hold ongoing conflicts russian success battle june men resources available capture town thirteen thousand troops general admiral marched laid siege march swedish commander fort waited vain swedish assistance stalemate ensued russians lacked sufficient artillery april managed bring fleet ships deliver guns supplies help perform final assault swedish positions russian attacks swedish garrison surrendered june background victory battle russian army able proceed offensive actions northwestern theater operations russian army undertook offensive directions baltic coast fall besieged finland attacks selection command staff destined siege led main authority given general admiral subordinates siege bruce operated mainly defensive roles chiefly defense saint_petersburg later lead offensive finland chosen time commanders experienced siege warfare including concentrated consequently considered possibility command forces experienced generals attacks fortifications main fort consisted frontal named platform connected town wall eastern section town western town connected main section named west wall west wall apparently inside main eastern fort structures stone structures western fort wooden exception stone guard tower named tower separate fortifications small central island east town castle stands day fort guns defense time fortifications fallen disrepair swedish command pay attention territories funds allotted renovation insignificant addition forts considered sufficient provide defense region repairs completed supervision captain according modern historian garrison stood men modern historians number commander old poor health reason february colonel officially replaced facto headed efforts city previous attempts russia previous attempt capture october siege corps sent command robert roman bruce october mortars placed bombardment began continued days caused fires fort bombardment russian forces retreated saint_petersburg commanders realized siege carried naval support larger cannon autumn considered suitable time siege operations idea capture proposed rejected military recent swedish offensive russian attack peter plan second siege involved combination land sea forces fort taken prolonged siege february specialized siege corps assembled time russian attack came stages march general received orders attack planned march march wrote departing day tomorrow fact set march arriving cavalry day infantry cannon arrived day russian forces arrive siege corps arrived 22nd occupied town outskirts countryside forcing town inner stone wall attempted burn town outside stone walls prevent falling russian hands failed driven fortifications day reported neared fort approaches took great effort time great cold addition situation fort rocky caused significant despite difficulty approaches brought sea right city distance musket shot bags fur helpful bare rocks perform approaches sent regiments nearing city approaches advances took place swedish artillery fire march march according russians began firing artillery bombs round shots released swedish artillery attempted ground assault driven fort number artillery pieces estimates number artillery pieces taken differ widely according sources sources including journal emperor treaty report capture life affairs great sovereign said pounder guns mortars believed pounders mortars counted cannon mortars cannon mortars historians sources figures letter peter great dated april stated enemy constructed batteries shoot accurately cannon broken blew frequent firing remaining cannon batteries recorded time siege swedish artillery managed disable russian equipment concluded originally cannon brought siege disabled probably mortars primary sources case artillery new pieces brought difficult land ice bring sea initial bombardment certain day russians began fort based reports peter peter great journal russian artillery opened fire april reported began bombarding castle march day bombs planted second furthermore published list shots fired mortars cannon march april hit city claims began march mortar shots cannon shots fired continues saying days mortars firing shots day total period siege attackers fired shots mortars cannon fired mortar shots cannon shots swedish fire russian fire april noted cannon little help small light begin firing opponent shoots mortars inflicted great damage fort forcing citizens find cover despite soldiers remain positioned suffered heavy casualties soon turned proposal assault fort waiting production opening reasoning end losing soldiers injuries disease assault peter having found letter decided significant dangerous end left decision general wanting bear responsibility failure decided wait reinforcements arrive sea ice opened small swedish garrison placed hopes support bound arrive ice opened russians running low food ammunition roads saint_petersburg ruined route support supplies arrive sea route able sides waiting respective naval force naval forces arrived decisive advantage siege reinforcements arrive saint_petersburg preparations underway amphibious attack tools needed siege taken peter paul fortress april commandant saint_petersburg received orders pounder guns sent saint_petersburg land sea path convenient gather artillery fast april send cannon captain received peter wait cannon april set fleet sea postpone sailing shortage ammunition provisions ice completely melted trip difficult ice particularly thick crews resort hauling small cannon dropping ice break provision transport ships driven course winds ice barely rescued peter fleet finally arrived russian troops days provisions left russian forces formed defenses blockade town sea swedish squadron consisting seven ships line frigates support ships admiral delayed easterly winds arrived russian fleet left saint_petersburg unable approach town russian defenses swedish squadron chose arrange blockade outside trap russian ships left late arrival squadron town effect lost surrender matter time arriving peter immediately inspected swedish fortifications devised instructions preparations assault plans constructing cannon batteries mortar batteries total cannon mortars directed fort ordered light mortars placed knock enemy troops walls final assault perform nighttime peter noted left cannon mortars light mortars reserve barrage fort proposed fire ships sea construction batteries mentioned peter instructions began finished mentions construction truce bearer sent fort request russian forces allow passage deliver letters swedish general request denied records swedish fleet arriving beaten russians sources mention truce bearer naval battle wrote saying imagine swedish fleet sent precautions time sent fleet block access bay completely blockading town fort final barrage swedish surrender letter noted work artillery batteries finished progress completing batteries mortars place great swamps rocky soil asked peter wait finish building batteries proceed barrage leaning option want lose time supplies fortress heavily fortified guns agreed reason wait ordered bombardment start soon possible led problem impossible quietly transport artillery rocky soil daylight time year location northern latitudes sun set meant twilight lasted night swedish defensive fire continue longer inflicting casualties second barrage fort began june additional cannon disposal barrage lasted june result great breach battalions lined city days total mortar shots cannon swedish fired shots cannon mortars second similar number shots fired second barrage lot devastating swedish factors shots fired second bombardment higher caliber ammunition greater damage round rate fire intense bombardment took month second took days june decision final assault fort days spent preparation lead storm chosen june swedish sent truce bearer said ready surrender june garrison officially surrendered direct assault took place surrendered swedish garrison numbered men including officers soldiers lower rank swedish losses estimated contrary agreed surrender documents russians took healthy men left garrison surrendered prisoners wounded men women group children transported aboard ships admiral aftermath letters announcing capture peter great wrote final security saint_petersburg achieved said firm new capital capturing important strategic goals achieved russian_empire vastly improved access baltic_sea launch attacks finland powerful fort defend new capital saint_petersburg ordered fort renovated help special army division local peasants attempt retake town leadership new swedish governor general finland men strong army supported naval squadron led admiral consisting ships line frigates swedish light infantry started operations spring naval blockade place summer swedish manpower plague struck finland late killing nearly thousand half population time plague struck making difficult swedish equip naval squadron finland took late june able sail delaying swedish operations actual siege land forces started autumn king refused release troops supplies sweden besieging forces siege doomed fail december freezing waters harsh weather forced naval force retire christmas land forces withdraw finland perished suddenly january succeeded weak strategic significance loss lost important naval land base activities restricted russia occupation allowed creation base supply troops build ships expanded zone action demonstrated importance key military base scale russian land operations began finland effect capture served determine outcome great northern war establishing staging area military actions peace talks sweden question debated told representative pressure sweden regardless situation treaty officially incorporated russian_empire began new period city multinational history russian influences mix city swedish finnish german culture
Siege of Vyborg (1710)