January 2: Lehwaldt crosses the Peene. By the 6th of January the Swedes have completely evacuated Pomerania and retired to Stralsund and Rugen for the winter.

January 7: Ungern's request for replacements in granted. Overall command goes to General Rosen.

January 10: Lehwaldt invests Stralsund. A part of his cavalry goes to Mecklenberg to raise contributions in accordance with Frederick's demands on that unhappy electorate.

The Swedes in Stralsund suffer most miserably due to the severe winter (of the 7,000-man garrison, only 4,000 are fit for service). They constantly have to hack channels through the frozen sea straits to prevent the Prussians from attacking across the ice. Frederick expects from Lehwaldt just such an attack; but he cannot bring himself to do it, despite further exhortations from the King. Frederick relieves him from command, replacing him with General von Dohna. However, due to the thaw setting in in mid-February, Dohna is unable to carry out the King's wishes.

March 13: The Swedish garrison at Peenemunde is evicted. A counter-raid on April 5th is repulsed.

Prussia strengthens the fortifications at SwinemUnde and raises a Freikorps regiment under former Swedish Colonel Graf Hardt.

June 18: The blockade of Stralsund is lifted. Dohna is ordered to go to the assistance of General von Platen, who, with a cavalry detachment, is facing the Russians at Posen.

June 26: Dohna marches from Loitz in the direction of Schwedt, leaving a force of hussars under Grabowski to observe the Peene.

The Swedish army, although "free," is in a very poor condition. Of a total of 14,000 men, 6,000 are sick and a further 1,000 are unavailable for other reasons. Command is again changed, General Hamilton succeeding. Hamilton awaits 7,000 reinforcements from Sweden after which he occupies Anklam and Demmin, and sends General Hessenstein with 2,000 men to occupy Usedom.

Hamilton continues to move slowly forward. His advanced guard reaches Ferdinandshof during August. 

Hessenstein occupies Peenemtinde and Swinemtinde. The Swedish fleet sails into Haff, thus securing the Swedish army's left flank.

Around this time a Russian cavalry corps arrives at Schwedt, but makes no attempt at a liaison. It seems that Fermor has no intention of acting in concert with the Swedes since he does not communicate, despite the fact that the situation is very favorable. However, the battle of Zorndorf changes the situation.

Stockholm exhorts Hamilton to push on. He crawls forward over Prenzlau, Furstenberg, and Neu Ruppin. He is constantly harassed by forays from Stettin that encroach behind the Rendow and Ucker Rivers.

Hamilton's indecisiveness is not surprising; in Sweden, the unpopular "Hat" government has just bloodily suppressed a civil revolt (war taxes, etc.). The government needs a success to show the people, resulting in its urgent exhortations to move forward.

On the other hand, the unpleasant destiny of Generals Lewenhaupt and Buddenbrock (hung for lack of success in the war against Russia in 1741 - 1743) constantly dangles in the army's face. Lastly, Hamilton is also dependent on his staff, the more timid of whom (Generals Liewen and Versen) voted for an immediate retreat after the battle of Zomdorf.

Hamilton decides to march on Neu Ruppin, probably influenced by reports of Dohna's presence at Blumberg (Dohna was advancing on Berlin after having crossed the Oder at Ctistrin).

September 22: Hamilton finds himself in a tactically strong position near Neu Ruppin, albeit an inconvenient one for an attack on Berlin. At this place, he receives the news that Frederick had already sent on September 14th ordering General von Wedel with eight battalions and ten squadrons at Schbnfeld near Dresden to the rescue of Berlin.

At first Hamilton halts to await an advantageous moment to continue his march on the capital. After a while, however, he has doubts over the usefulness of his position, and on September 23rd sets off for Oranienburg.

This march is interrupted when a portion of his advanced patrols clashes with Prussian hussars at Fehrbellin. Hamilton falls back to Neu Ruppin.

September 25: A better struggle arises between the Prussian cavalry and a portion of the Swedish army near Tornow. The Swedish cavalry are swept away, but the infantry stand firm against six all out attacks. This is Sweden's first encounter of the war and shows that her troops are sturdy and brave. A Prussian attempt on Fehrbellin is also beaten off. At one stage the Swedes are pushed out, but they counterattack and force the Prussians to withdraw.

Due to his inferiority in numbers, Wedell cannot entertain the idea of attacking the main Swedish army at Neu Ruppin. However, due to his superior cavalry, he has so ravaged their supply lines that Hamilton is forced to retreat on October 10th.

Meanwhile the new commander of Stettin, Herzog von BraunschweigBevem, has been carrying out a series of very aggressive attacks on the Swedish lines of communication along the Peene. Anklam, Demmin, Loitz, Pasewalk, and Prenzlau are now in Prussian hands.

Although Demmin is soon recaptured, all other supply routes are cut. The Swedish government's warning that an unsuccessful campaign would provoke another rising cannon persuade Hamilton to attack Berlin, an operation, which although feasible, is not without risk. The retreat is slow due to constant interference from Wedell's cavalry.

Meanwhile Frederick, after taking a hiding at Hochkirch on October 14th, has ordered Dohna and Wedell back to cover Dresden.

Around this time a rather belated offer for joint action is received from Fermor; no concrete proposals, however. Hamilton, despite the fact that his army has sunk to a low of 14,100 men, immediately tries to persuade Fermor to attack Stettin. The Russians have unfortunately set off on a slow retreat towards the Weichsel River and General Dohna has in the meantime reached Stargard.

Without siege equipment and with Wedell and Dohna nearby it seems a very risky enterprise to Hamilton to attack Stettin with its 9,700-man garrison. In addition, his appeals for directives from Stockholm are countered by communiques holding him personally responsible for all the consequences that befall the army. Even the recall of Wedell and Dohna have changed nothing, since Dohna has dispatched General von Manteuffel with eight battalions and twelve squadrons from Stargard to cover the Swedes.

Around the beginning of November the campaign degenerates into a series of outpost skirmishes. Unfortunately, the condition of the Swedish army has worsened. Hamilton's recommendations have been crushed and countered by unrealistic demands from Stockholm. Hamilton offers his resignation. Stockholm accepts.

The oldest general in the army, General Lantinghausen, takes over. However, by the end of November he sees no other option than to retreat. He pulls the army back across the Peene with Manteuffel and parts of the Stettin garrison stepping on his heels. The Prussians establish outposts behind the Tollensee River stretching to Ueckermunde. Dohna, no longer needed in Saxony, is sent at the beginning of November to Mecklenberg with the dual purpose of extracting war contributions and throwing the Swedes back to Stralsund.

Sweden's Role in the Seven Years War A Brief Chronology 1756-1761

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