In 1808 Kydd leaves his new wife to join Britain’s expedition supporting Sweden in the Baltic. Russia has invaded Finland, Denmark remains hostile and the Russian fleet at St Petersburg threatens the narrow sea routes on which the campaign depends.
Jealous captains and a distrustful commander complicate operations aboard Tyger. Kydd must protect convoys and confront a former ally while manoeuvring through waters where ice, shoals and shifting diplomacy can destroy a squadron as effectively as battle.
The campaign reflects the complicated alliances created by the Napoleonic Wars after Tilsit. Russia’s attack on Sweden and Denmark’s hostility make the Baltic a theatre in which Britain must protect commerce and allies without possessing secure bases everywhere it operates. Kydd’s command is therefore shaped as much by navigation and diplomacy as by the prospect of meeting the Russian fleet.
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