Great Sleigh Drive

Great Sleigh Drive
Part of Scanian War

Frederick William pursues Swedish troops across the frozen Curonian Lagoon; fresco by Wilhelm Simmler, ca. 1891
DateDecember 1678 – February 1679
Location
Result Brandenburgian victory
Belligerents
Brandenburg Brandenburg-Prussia Sweden Sweden
Commanders and leaders
Frederick William Henrik Horn
Strength
14,000–15,000[1]
34 guns
6,000–7,000[2]
Casualties and losses
1,000–2,000 dead, captured or deserted[2]

"The Great Sleigh Drive" (German: Die große Schlittenfahrt) from December 1678 to February 1679 was a daring and bold maneuver using sleighs by Frederick William, the Great Elector of Brandenburg-Prussia, to drive Swedish forces out of the Duchy of Prussia, a territory of his which had been invaded by the Swedes in November 1678.

  1. ^ Wimarson 1912, pp. 433–434.
  2. ^ a b Wimarson 1912, pp. 385, 431, 452.