Ariel view of the Gulf of Finland during the Crimean War

A map-view (not to scale) looking down over the Gulfs of Finland Riga, issued to illustrate the actions of the Baltic Fleet in 1854, during the Crimean War. Under Sir Charles Napier, an Anglo-French force blockaded the Gulf of Finland, preventing Russia's North Fleet leaving St Petersburg, Russia's only northern port open all year around. In the top left are the Aland Islands, including Bomarsund, whose garrison was captured. Although the fleet neared Cronstad and St Petersburg in the east of the gulf, neither was attacked as the fleet did not have the appropriate shallow-draught bomb vessels. The British press pilloried Napier for his lack of action, causing the Admiralty to terminate his command at the end of the year, but after the war the Russians admitted that they were hoping Napier could be lured into a foolhardy attack on Kronstadt, which was exactly what the Admiralty wanted Napier to do.