During 2024, Micko was out in Kalmarsund searching for wrecks when suddenly a large sailing ship appeared on the sonar image. Shortly after, we conducted dives at the location and quickly confirmed that it was an old naval vessel. The question was which one. We measured the wreck’s length and width on the sonar image to be about 45-50×10-12 meters.

In the booklet ‘Three Wrecks in Kalmarsund – A Guide to Our Sunken History’ published by Kalmar County Museum and the County Administrative Board of Kalmar County in 2008, it is noted that three Danish ships were sunk on July 2, 1697. Could it be one of these? The booklet states that Enighed is about 50 meters long and about 12 meters wide, which could match what we have dived on, but the problem is that the position of this wreck is already known, and cannons have been salvaged from there and placed on the ramparts of Kalmar Castle. However, interest grew when we read further in the booklet and in the fact box about the wreck Enighed, where it was stated that the length and width were 30×7 meters. We have dived at the location where Enighed is reported to rest, and there are two smaller warships at that location.

Micko contacted the County Administrative Board and maritime archaeologists at an early stage and quickly piqued their interest. At the end of summer, maritime archaeologists conducted dives at the site and could confirm that it definitely concerned a 17th-century wreck.

Could the wrecks have been mismatched, and the previously identified wreck that may not be the Enighed at all? An investigation in the archives was started by the archaeologists, and they began comparing both Swedish and Danish sources.

In the magazine ” Marinhistorisk Tidsskrift” published by the Marinehistorisk selskab in 1981 an overview of the history of the Union is provided:

The ship was built in Christiania (now Oslo) in 1650 and was named Prins Christian, after Crown Prince Christian, who later became King Christian V. The length of the ship is stated here as 47 m. It was one of the largest ships in the Danish-Norwegian fleet at that time, built by James Robbins.

In 1667, in connection with the German princess Charlotte Amalia being brought to Denmark to marry the crown prince, the ship was renamed Prinsesse Charlotte.

In 1673, the ship was renamed Enighed. During the Scanian War of 1675-1679, Enighed participated in several important naval battles, including the Battle of Mön and the Battle of Køge Bay.

On July 2, 1679, the ship’s last battle took place outside Kalmar. The battle is described in both Swedish and Danish sources, but the sequence of events differs. Some describe Enighed as a fire ship, i.e., loaded with combustible materials that were sent towards the enemy. Other sources tell that Niels Juel first sent two fire ships: St. Peder and St. Johannes, against the Swedish fleet, followed by Enighed. A third version tells that Captain Dreyer used a fire ship as protection against Swedish fire in order to block the southern inlet of Kalmarsund. What is true and what is not will now be sought out by archaeologists.

In early 2025, we were out at the wreck site with the marine archaeologists, and the wreck was examined and dendro samples were taken to analyze the wood’s age and origin.

A collaboration between Swedish and Danish maritime archaeologists has begun, and the archaeologists will further examine the historical sources as well as analyze samples taken from the wrecks, and according to plan, a report will be published at the end of 2025.