The Baltic Prize

Sir Thomas Kydd is back in England with his new bride Persephone.  They have time to set up their new home before Kydd is called back to command Tyger.  What’s in store for the ship and its crew now?

A new expedition under the leadership of Vice Admiral Sir James Saumarez.  A massive fleet is to sail into the Baltic to show the flag and aid in trading vessels to go about their commerce.  Alongside the fleet will be an army, ordered to serve King Gustav as he requires.  General Moore, in charge of the army is shocked to learn that Gustav plans to invade Denmark and make it his own.

Meanwhile, the Danes’ only ship sets sail from Norway.  Tyger is tasked with stopping it, along with two smaller ships from getting to Copenhagen.  At the same time the merchantmen want to get underway.  They are going to be hampered by Danish gunboats.

Be as that may, Tyger was not to be part of the Baltic Fleet, rather orders were for the gallant ship to sail to the Arctic.  There, Kydd’s actions are bound to cause consternation to the Russians.  However, that is not how Saumarez interprets it.  It may in fact cause the Tsar to send the much larger Russian fleet against the British Baltic Fleet.

Saumarez assigns Kydd to be a naval liaison to the Swedes.  He is to work with Commander Jens Stromsson.  It doesn’t take long for the two men to establish a good working relationship.  After an interesting ordeal, the pair return to their superiors with news that the Russians have taken a strategic Swedish naval base.

Kydd is then assigned to return to the mouth of the Baltic to hunt pirates.  Will the Tyger’s actions be enough to stop the pirates?  What further action is needed by Saumarez’s Baltic Fleet to hold the Russians in place?  Author Julian Stockwin’s navel novel is based on historical fact and gets his hero Kydd back into naval action.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.