On the night before the Battle of Copenhagen, Nelson entertained the ships officers of HMS Elephant to dinner, giving the toast to a fair wind and victory. DescriptionBattle of Copenhagen (1801).jpg Sketch of the Battle of Copenhagen (1801) Date circa 1899 date QS:P,+1899-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902 Source http://www.historyofwar.org/Maps/maps_copenhagen3.html. Combatants at the Battle of Copenhagen: A British Fleet against the Danish Fleet. The Battle of Copenhagen, 2 April 1801 In 1801 the northern powers of Russia, Denmark, Sweden and Prussia, the last three under pressure from the mentally unstable Tsar Paul I - formed an armed coalition that constituted a threat to British interests in the Baltic. Battle of Monongahela 1755 Braddocks Defeat, Battle of Kabul and the retreat to Gandamak, Gallipoli Part I : Naval Attack on the Dardanelles, Gallipoli Part II: Land attack on Gallipoli Peninsular, Gallipoli Part III: ANZAC landing on 25th April 1915, Gallipoli Part IV: First landings at Cape Helles and Y Beach on 25th April 1915, Battle of Jutland Part I: Opposing fleets, Battle of Jutland Part II: Opening Battle Cruiser action on 31st May 1916, Battle of Jutland Part III: Clash between British and German Battle Fleets during the evening 31st May 1916, Battle of Jutland Part IV: Night Action 31st May to 1st June 1916, Battle of Jutland Part V: Casualties and Aftermath, General Braddocks Defeat on the Monongahela in 1755 I, Gallipoli Part I: Naval Attack on the Dardanelles, Gallipoli Part II: Genesis of the land attack on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Battle of Copenhagen, (15 August7 September 1807), an engagement in the Napoleonic Wars. Aboard Elephant, Nelson was stunned to see the signal and ordered it acknowledged, but not repeated. Schrodersee fell during the battle, and the Crown Prince honoured his sacrifice by later erecting a "broken shipmast" at the spot where Schrodersee was ordered to take command of, Marianne Czisnik Nelson's Letters to Lady Hamilton and Related Documents Navy Records Society, 2020, page 218, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of Danish ships captured at Battle of Copenhagen, Bibliography of 18th-19th century Royal Naval history, THE ROYAL DANISH NAVAL MUSEUM - An introduction to the History of the Royal Danish Navy, "Norfolk Record Office Information Leaflet 20 Key dates in the history of Great Yarmouth", Danish Naval History website Nelson's letter of 2 April 1801, "British Third Rate ship of the line 'Holstein' (1801)", The Life of Nelson, Vol. Battle of Copenhagen - Wikipedia The next morning, 3rd April 1801, Nelson went aboard the Danish ship Syaelland, anchored under the guns of the Trekoner Fortress, and took the surrender of her captain Stein Bille, who refused to strike to any officer other than Nelson himself. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Battle of Copenhagen, (15 August-7 September 1807), an engagement in the Napoleonic Wars. Battle of Copenhagen 1801: 49th Foot - Orders & Medals Society of America What a change, I am so low that I cannot hold up my head (Morriss, p121). List of British frigates in Lord Nelson's Squadron Ships in Admiral Parker's Squadron at the battle of Copenhagen Taken from Clowes, W. L., When Indfdsretten, immediately north of Holsteen, struck its colours at about 2:30 pm, he moved on to the Tre Kroner fortress. (2020, August 26). Most of the Danish ships were not fitted for sea but were moored along the shore with old ships (hulks), no longer fit for service at sea, but still powerfully armed, as a line of floating batteries off the eastern coast of the island of Amager, in front of the city in the King's Channel. [3] It was the second attempt by the British to try to prevent a Franco-Danish alliance, as the British had already entered resund with a fleet in August 1800, in order to persuade Denmark not to ally with France. Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson led the main attack. British bomb vessels are in the foreground in the lower left; to the right are the British and Danish ships in formations called "line of battle", and the city of Copenhagen in the background. Home / French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802) / War of the Second Coalition (Nov 1798-Mar 1802) / Battle of Copenhagen, 1801 To EARL SPENCER, &c. &c. The Admirals, Captains, Officers, Seamen, Soldiers & Marines, of H.M. BALTIC FLEET, / that so bravely defended their Country's right before COPENHAGEN, April 2.d 1801, this Plate is most. A senior Danish officer, Adjutant General Lindholm, went on board Elephant to negotiate, directing the Trekoner Fortress to stop firing on his way. By 4:00 PM, after further negotiations, a 24-hour ceasefire was agreed upon. Nelsons force, consisting of 57 boats, mounted a surprise evening attack. Once the heat of battle subsided there was little animosity against the enemy. Nelson had demonstrated that he was an able naval tactician and that he also possessed considerable diplomatic skills. Two hours later Parker made a signal to discontinue the action. The new Tsar, the previous Tsar having been murdered, had already begun to negotiate the end of the Armed Neutrality of the North, which dissolved on 19 May 1801. Nelson and Parker, in the days leading up to the attack, surveyed Copenhagens defences, which included shore and floating batteries and the guns of Trekroner fort, finding them to be formidable. Willemoesgaardens Mindestuer, Assens. Admiral Parker could see little of the battle owing to gun smoke, but could see the signals on the three grounded British ships, with Bellona and Russell flying signals of distress and Agamemnon a signal of inability to proceed. Nelsons signal officer, seeing the flagships message, queried whether the commander-in-chiefs signal should be repeated to the other ships, to which Nelson directed that only an acknowledgement was to be flown, while signal 16, the order for close action, be maintained. The next morning, Nelson, flying his flag from HMS Elephant (74), ordered the attack to begin. Stuck fast, these ships fired on the Danes as best they could, but several of the guns on Bellona burst, killing their crews, due to the age or the miscasting of the barrels, or overcharging in an effort to achieve greater range. https://www.thoughtco.com/battle-of-copenhagen-2361179 (accessed June 28, 2023). #RoyalNavy #Nelson #DanishNavy . The French did not lose one boat and suffered few casualties. He famously is reputed to have disobeyed Sir Hyde Parker's order to withdraw by holding the telescope to his blind eye to look at the . Parker thought Nelsons force was taking unacceptable losses and ordered him to retreat. Denmark did manage to capture some British merchant ships, and Britain had to convoy and escort its Baltic trade. Ultimatum by Nelson to the Brothers of Englishmen, the Danes, 2 April 1801, Letter by Nelson to the Government of Denmark, 2 April 1801. File : The Battle of Copenhagen 1801 by Christian Mlsted.jpg He received this news in mid-June 1801 whilst off Copenhagen. No man but those who are on the spot can tell what I have gone through, and do sufferfor heavens sake supercede me, for I cannot exist in this state (Nicolas, Volume 4, page 341). I've previously written a blog (click link to view it) on the medals issued by Denmark for the defense of Copenhagen at Nelson's famous battle on April 2nd 1801. While his ships were fighting, Nelson planned for his small flotilla of bomb vessels to approach and fire over his line to strike the Danes. Losses: Danish, 12 ships captured or destroyed, 1,700 dead or wounded men, 2,000 men captured; British, several ships grounded but later refloated, 1,000 dead or wounded. British destroying Danish ships under repair after the Battle of Copenhagen on 2nd April 1801 in the Napoleonic Wars. The British losses in killed and wounded were about 1,000 and the Danish casualties were thought to be twice as heavy. File : The Battle of Copenhagen, 2 April 1801 RMG BHC0529.tiff - Wikimedia Nyborg tried to leave the line with Aggershuus in tow, but both sank. [citation needed], Of the Danish ships engaged in the battle, two had sunk, one had exploded, and twelve had been captured. [note 3]. English: The Battle of Copenhagen, as painted by Nicholas Pocock. Fixed batteries had a significant advantage over ship borne cannon owing to their greater stability and larger guns,[7] and the Danes could reinforce their ships during the battle. The Battle of Copenhagen | History Today Wars of the French Revolution/Napoleonic Wars: Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, World War I: Admiral of the Fleet John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, World War I: Admiral of the Fleet Sir David Beatty, War of 1812 Major General Sir Isaac Brock, The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, Russo-Japanese War: Admiral Togo Heihachiro, American Revolution: Battle of Sullivan's Island, Spanish-American War: Battle of Manila Bay, American Revolution: Battle of the Chesapeake, Royal Navy: Admiral Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe, Napoleonic Wars: Battle of the Basque Roads, M.S., Information and Library Science, Drexel University, B.A., History and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University, 20 ships of the line (12 w/ Nelson, 8 in reserve). The battle of Copenhagen was a naval battle between a British fleet commanded by Vice Admiral Nelson and a Danish fleet.Music :Dangerous | Kevin MacLeod . They blazed away at the moored Danish ships with clinical precision, each firing a broadside every forty seconds at a range of 200 yards. Cannon balls ripped off limbs or, striking wooden decks and bulwarks or guns and metalwork, drove splinter fragments across the ship causing horrific wounds. Number 39, to leave off action! Admiral Lord Nelson puts the telescope to his blind eye at the Battle of Copenhagen on 2nd April 1801 in the Napoleonic Wars. Britain also had valuable trading interests in the Baltic, which was a vital source of naval supplies. He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. The Battle of Copenhagen, 1801 - Ole Feldbaek - Google Books Included in Parker's fleet as second-in-command was Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, then out of favor due to his activities with Emma Hamilton. [citation needed], The Danish batteries started firing at 10:05 am, the first half of the British fleet was engaged in about half an hour, and the battle was general by 11:30 am. Omissions? In late 1800 and early 1801, diplomatic negotiations produced the League of Armed Neutrality. Let us know. Losses: Danish, 2,0003,000 dead, 60 ships captured; British, 200 dead or wounded. Danish Crown Prince Frederick: Battle of Copenhagen on 2nd April 1801 in the Napoleonic Wars. old engraved illustration of admiral sir horatio nelson holding a telescope, ignoring the order to retreat, battle of copenhagen (april, 1801) - battle of copenhagen (1801) stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images Nelson resigned his command of the Baltic fleet and sailed home to England on HMS Kite. On March 23, after a council of war, Nelson was able to secure permission to attack the Danish fleet which had concentrated at Copenhagen. [19], After fighting had ended, the Danish flagship Dannebrog exploded at 4:30 pm, killing 250 men. [9], Attacking the Danish fleet would have been difficult as Parker's delay in sailing had allowed the Danes to prepare their positions well. The most northerly ship, the frigate Hjlperen, successfully withdrew. Combatants at the Battle of Copenhagen:A British Fleet against the Danish Fleet. His Majestys Ship Glatton was commanded in the battle by Captain William Bligh who had, in 1789, commanded HMS Bounty on its trip to the Pacific and been cast adrift in a ships boat by mutineers. Parker was a 61-year-old admiral reputed to be cautious and indecisive. [24] Parker refused to sail into the eastern Baltic and instead returned to Copenhagen, where he found that news of his lack of vigour had reached London. No ship in Nelsons division acted on Parkers signal, except Captain Rious squadron, attacking the Trekroner Fortress. Map of the the Battle of Copenhagen on 2nd April 1801 in the Napoleonic Wars: map by John Fawkes, Captain Riou who led the attack on the Trekroner Fortress and was killed at the Battle of Copenhagen on 2nd April 1801 in the Napoleonic Wars. Even so, the British ships were not able to locate the deepest part of the channel properly and so kept too far to seaward.[7]. Battle of Copenhagen (1801) - Wikipedia @ WordDisk The Battle of Copenhagen of 1801 ( Danish: Slaget p Reden ), also known as the First Battle of Copenhagen to distinguish it from the Second Battle of Copenhagen in 1807, was a naval battle in which a British fleet fought and defeated a smaller force of the Dano-Norwegian Navy anchored near Copenhagen on 2 April 1801. The Battle of Copenhagen 1801 : Nelson and the Danes - Google Books Questions or concerns? North of the fort, in the entrance to Copenhagen harbour, were two ships-of-the-line, a large frigate, and two brigs, all rigged for sea, and two more hulks. To hinder navigation in these shallow waters, all navigation aids were removed. The Danes agreed to the British terms upon hearing news of the assassination of Tsar Paul I of Russia, as his death meant the end of the Russian-led League of Armed Neutrality of which Denmark was a member. There were several reasons for the animosity between the countries. The Battle of Copenhagen on April 2nd, 1801 is commemorated on the British side by a clasp to the Naval General Service Medal 1793-1840 (NGS), issued in 1849. In early 1801, the British government assembled a fleet off Great Yarmouth at Yarmouth Roads,[5] with the goal of breaking up the league. Loyalty for a crew lay primarily with their ship. When accounts of the Battle of Copenhagen reached England, Parker was replaced by Nelson as commander-in-chief, due to the formers inactivity and unsuitability for command in the recent campaign. [16][note 4] The cessation of firing left the way open for the British bomb vessels to approach Copenhagen. Shortly thereafter, the guns towards the southern end of the Danish lines began falling silent as the British ships triumphed. The Danes redoubled their fire, causing significant damage and casualties on Rious ships, with one shot cutting down a party of marines and the next killing Riou himself. Nelson's plan called for his ships to turn into the King's Channel from the south and have each ship attack a predetermined Danish vessel. Battle of Copenhagen, (April 2, 1801), British naval victory over Denmark in the Napoleonic Wars. The plan was bold because the British were moving into shallow waters without proper charts; three British ships ran aground in the early stages. The Danes suffered 1,700 casualties, the British 941. [11] Should the British be unable to subdue the stronger, northern defences, the destruction of the southern ships would be enough to allow the bomb vessels to approach within range of the city and force negotiations to prevent the bombardment of the city. Riou, expecting that Nelson would call off the assault, turned his ship to begin the withdrawal. The floating defences were battered by the superior firing of the British ships and many Danish ships were destroyed, including the flagship Dannebrog. However, the attack was a failure. Led by Russia, the League also included Denmark, Sweden, and Prussia all of which called for the ability to trade freely with France. Letter by Nelson to Governor of Revel, 11 May 1801, Letter by Nelson to Evan Nepean, Secretary to the Admiralty, 22 May 1801. [citation needed]. Several days passed while an ultimatum was sent to Copenhagen and rejected. Britain and Denmark were not formally at war, but the British fleet had sailed to deter the Danes and Swedes from allying themselves with the French. Sailors stationed aloft fell into the sea from collapsing masts and rigging to be drowned. The northern Danish ships, which were rigged and manned, did not enter the battle but remained on station as reserve units, even though the wind direction forced Parker's squadron to approach only slowly. Copyright 2023 History Today Ltd. Company no. Ships were classified according to the number of guns carried, or the number of decks carrying batteries. "Renew hostilities!" Despatch by Nelson to Sir Hyde Parker 3 April 1801 about the Battle of Copenhagen Nelson was given 12 ships-of-the-line to carry out the attack. British gunboats took the Danish vessel in tow to add to the clutch of Danish ships that had been taken in the battle. One of Nelson's great triumphs, the Battle of Copenhagen cost the British 264 dead and 689 wounded, as well as varying degrees of damage to their ships. Indfdsretten resumed firing after Captain Schrodersee was ferried to it and took command of the ship. The Battle of Copenhagen 1801 by Christian Mlsted.jpg 800 539; 259 KB. All nationalities served on British ships, although several ships permitted Danish crewmen to transfer rather than serve against their own countrymen. Ships carried a variety of smaller weapons on the top deck and in the rigging, from swivel guns firing grape shot or canister (bags of musket balls) to hand held muskets and pistols, each crew seeking to annihilate the enemy officers and sailors on deck. 1556332. Tweet List of the British ships of the line in Lord Nelson's Squadron at the battle of Copenhagen. By March 1801 in a letter to Emma, Nelson fumed reports say we are to anchor before we get to Kronborgthat our Minister at Copenhagen may negotiate. On land, it contributed to the capture of Bremen in 1805 and the Second Battle of Copenhagen in 1807. The harbour was protected by shoals, by seventy or more heavy guns in the Trekroner fort and by the cannon of nineteen dismasted warships moored in a line a mile-and-a-half long. Parker was then in favour of imposing British terms by blockading the Baltic. Battle of Copenhagen, 1801 - YouTube Author Sir William Laird Clowes (1856-1905). [3] The final peace agreement was then signed on 23 October 1801. File:PocockBattleOfCopenhagen.jpg - Wikimedia Commons Britain lost 12 boats and had 45 men killed and 128 wounded. The one sticking point out of the seven articles was a sixteen-week armistice to allow action against the Russians. The Battle of Copenhagen, 2 April 1801, fought to force Denmark out of the hostile 'Armed Neutrality' of the Northern Powers - Russia, Sweden, Denmark and Prussia -was the second of Nelson's great battles and, like the Battle of the Nile, also against an enemy at anchor. The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) - National Army Museum Around 1:30, thinking that Nelson had been fought to a standstill but was unable to retreat without orders, Parker ordered the signal for "break off action" hoisted. In the days after the battle, Nelson was able negotiate a fourteen-week armistice during which the League would be suspended and the British given free access to Copenhagen. As the British ships entered the harbour of the Danish fleet, several of its ships took up station in the city's inlet, forming a blockade. Copenhagen, battle of, 1801. Battle of Copenhagen (1801) - Wikipedia [7] Orders were sent to Parker to go to Copenhagen and detach Denmark from the league by "amicable arrangement or by actual hostilities", to be followed by "an immediate and vigorous attack" on the Russians at Reval and then Kronstadt. The Fortress Trekroner [Three Crowns] is located in the upper left of the picture . (order southnorth. Close Detailed object viewer (IIIF) RCIN 735093.b - Battle of Copenhagen, 1801 (Copenhagen, Denmark Interested in participating in the Publishing Partner Program? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
, Admiral Lord Nelson: Battle of Copenhagen on 2nd April 1801 in the Napoleonic Wars: picture by Lemuel Francis Abbott. Leave off action! Nelson urged that the Danish Fleet be attacked without delay, saying: Let it be by the Sound, by the Belt, or anyhow, only lose not an hour.. Drinking water was in short supply and usually brackish. Then Nelsons bold plan of attack was accepted and with a fair wind on the 30th the whole fleet of fifty-two ships, their towering white sails gleaming in the sun, passed through the narrow gap between Sweden and Denmark, to a harmless cannonade from batteries at Elsinore on the Danish bank. Nelson sent an ultimatum to the Crown Prince of Denmark. He also found out that negotiations for ending the armed neutrality had started and so withdrew on 17 May. It was Nelsons plan that the British Fleet should attack the Russian squadron wintering in the port of Revel, the Russian navy being the strongest and the dominant naval force in the Baltic. https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Copenhagen-1807. Nelson said that he "must either send on shore and stop this irregular proceeding, or send in our fire ships and burn them" and went to his cabin to write a note to the Danes. Then HMSRussell and HMSBellona ran aground on the Middle Ground, severely restricting their role in the battle. The Danes refused, and hostilities began. The Royal Navy searched neutral ships trading with French ports, seizing their cargoes if they were deemed to be trading with France. In early 1807, British leaders suspected that Napoleon might get control of the Russian fleet and then perhaps the Danish and Swedish ones, tootogether a strong enough force to pose a new threat to Britains naval mastery. [3] It was the second attempt by the British to try to prevent a Franco-Danish alliance, as the British had already entered resund with a fleet in August 1800, in order to persuade Denmark not to ally with France. Place of the Battle of Copenhagen: the coast of Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark. However, it made no provision to defend or block the harbour entrance. Its 1st and 2nd Battalions also sent detachments as part of an expedition to reinforce the failed British invasion of . Battle of Copenhagen (1801) - INFOGALACTIC Attempting to pass these ships, Bellona (Captain Thompson, 74 guns) grounded on the Middle Ground shoal, as did the following Russell (Captain Cumming, 74 guns). Corrections? Battle of Copenhagen, note the ships are turning to fire a broadside salvo on enemy ships Summary [ edit ] Nicholas Pocock : The Battle of Copenhagen, 2 April 1801 On Nelsons return to England and appearance at court, King George III did not mention the battle. Admiral Nelson forcing the Passage of the Sound before the Battle of Copenhagen on 2nd April 1801 in the Napoleonic Wars: picture by Robert Dodd. When further negotiations failed, the British fleet, under Admiral James Gambier, began a fierce bombardment on 2 September, making much use of Congreve rockets (one of the first times rockets had been employed in European warfare). This contribution has not yet been formally edited by Britannica. In the event, the Swedes held their fire, while the Danes at Cronenburg fired without effect, the range being too great. He holds degrees in history and war studies from Oxford University and London University. The bombardment by the British fleet persisted for several hours. Peace negotiations that had begun on 1 October 1801 led to the signing of an armistice, the Treaty of Amiens, on 27 March 1802 and a brief end to war between Britain and France. Shortage of citrus fruit and fresh vegetables meant that scurvy quickly set in. The Battle of Copenhagen of 1801 , also known as the First Battle of Copenhagen to distinguish it from the Second Battle of Copenhagen in 1807, was a naval battle in which a British fleet fought and defeated a smaller force of the Dano-Norwegian Navy anchored near Copenhagen on 2 April 1801.
Mishima Station To Kyoto Shinkansen, How Much Do Spies Make An Hour, Articles B