2,700 menincluding: c. 9,000 menincluding: Upper Rhine France Southern Italy North Germany and Scandinavia Pyrenees Americas Naval battles The invasion of Rügen of 22 to 24 September 1678 was a military operation in the Swedish-Brandenburg War, or Scanian War, that ended with the annexation of the Swedish-ruled island of Rügen by the Allies – Brandenburg-Prussia and Denmark – for just under a year before it was restored by treaty to Sweden.

The first invasion of Rügen in this war took place on 17 September 1677, when the Danes landed and succeeded, after the Battle of Bergen, in expelling the Swedes from the entire island.

Soon after, the Swedes under the command of Field Marshal Otto Wilhelm von Konigsmark began moves to recapture the island, which proved successful when they won the Battle of Warksow on 18 January 1678.

In addition, Brandenburg had 10 warships at their disposal, seven of which were ships hired from Benjamin Raule (each with 107 cannon and 435-man crews) and three provided by the prince-elector himself.

The operational plan envisaged for a landing of the Danes in the north of the island and the Brandenburg troops to the south, so as to fragment the limited number of Swedish forces.

In order to leave the Swedes as long as possible in the dark as to the landing site, the plan was to allow the fleet to turn around at Palmer Ort and, from there, to change course to a northeasterly direction toward Putbus, where the troops would go ashore.

Added to this was the fact that the Swedes had cannon posted on Zudar (the southernmost peninsula of Rügen) that now opened fire on the invasion fleet.

That same day, the Danes under the command of Admiral Nils Juel, however, did succeed on 22 September in landing at Cape Arkona, at the fishing village of Vittorio.

When the Swedish field marshal, Königsmarck, learned of the Danish landing, he ordered the immediate withdrawal of his troops, who were now in a hopeless situation, to Altefähr.

The infantry that had landed earlier began at once, as previously practised, to construct chevaux de frise to protect themselves against an expected attack.

The Swede Königsmarck, who had rushed over from the Zudar peninsula, retreated when he saw the Brandenburg army drawn up in full order of battle.

The personnel manning this redoubt consisted mainly of Danish and Brandenburg prisoners of war taken in January as a result of their defeat in the Battle of Warksow.