Standoff near St. Christopher

The Standoff near St. Christopher was a confrontation between the Swedish ship Örnen and three Turkish ships near the island of St. Christopher (modern day Saint Kitts) in 1654. The Turkish ships failed to hijack the Swedish ship and retreated.

Preparations for the expedition of 1653-1654
After staying several years in Stockholm, Mattias Nertunius decided to send a new expedition to New Sweden. In October 1653, the Swedish ship "Örnen" was loaded with supplies and 350 men and sailed from Gothenburg.

Standoff
On the 11 April, the crew of the Örnen spotted 3 Turkish ships in the distance who were "approaching in a hostile manner". The crew was so miserable to the point where they hardly knew what to use to make resistance against the Turkish ships. Since being captured would mean being enslaved, all the sick people onboard were to hold a gun in their hands to intimidate the Turks. Those who were not able to stand were supported by stilts and stood between 2 healthy men. The crew were given all available weaponry along with brandy to "strengthen them somewhat".

When the Turkish ships came closer, the Swedes quickly fired a volley at them, and waited for a response, however, when none came, the Swedes gained confidence and fired two more volleys at the Turks. Even with this, the Turks did not give the Swedes a response. When the Turks saw how many people the Swedes had, they did not dare to attack and instead set course away from the Swedes.

Aftermath
After the failed hijacking, the Swedes again set course for St. Kitts and were well received, receiving supplies from the English on the island.