The war was intended to be short and to be won by the assault on St Petersburg, conducted by the navy and "skärgårdsflottan" (the "archipelago navy"). The latter, officially designated as "arméns flotta" ("navy of the army") was a separate branch of the armed forces designed for coastal operations and amphibious warfare in the Baltic. Since its formation in 1756, it had been something of an elite force within the Swedish armed forces. However, after the Battle of Hogland (1788) (a tactical tie but a strategic failure for the Swedes) Gustav lost the initiative and tensions in Sweden rose. The First Battle of Svensksund on 24 August 1789 ended in a Swedish defeat.