The Battle of Copenhagen (Danish: "Slaget på Reden") was a naval battle fought on 2 April 1801 by a British fleet under the command of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, against a Danish-Norwegian fleet anchored just off Copenhagen. The main attack was led by Admiral Horatio Nelson, who famously disobeyed Parker's order to withdraw and destroyed many of the Danish-Norwegian ships before the Danish-Norwegians agreed to a truce.

Background

The battle was due to multiple failures of diplomacy in the latter half of 1800 and the beginning of 1801; an Armed Neutrality of the Scandinavian countries and Russia, in combination with Napoleon's domination of the European continent, was perceived by Great Britain as a serious threat to her existence. However, the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway were themselves more afraid of Russia and France.

In early 1801, the British government assembled a fleet at Great Yarmouth, with the goal of intimidating Denmark-Norway before the Baltic Sea thawed and released the Russian fleet from its bases at Kronstadt and Reval (now Tallinn). The fleet sailed on 11 March and reached the Skaw on 17 March.

The battle

A disagreement between Parker and Nelson saw Nelson's proposal for a pre-emptive show of force overruled and the demands made by a single frigate; the Danish-Norwegians refused to negotiate. The Danish-Norwegians had prepared for the attack and placed a line of defensive blocking ships along the western side of the harbour.

The Copenhagen roads were both treacherous, and well-defended. With 12 ships with the shallowest draft, Nelson picked a way through the shoals and commenced action the morning immediately after negotiations had broken down.

For over four hours, the battle was a close run affair with three British vessels stuck on sandbars. At one point three hours into the battle, Parker signalled to Nelson to disengage, but Nelson ignored the signal. It was on this occasion that Nelson is said to have put his telescope to his blind eye, and maintained he could not read the signal.

Eventually, following extensive shelling of the harbour and nearby buildings, Nelson offered surrender terms to which the Danish-Norwegians agreed.

Aftermath

This was not to be the end of Danish-Norwegian difficulties with the British. In 1807 similar circumstances led to another British attack, in the second Battle of Copenhagen.

The ships

Danish-Norwegian ships, Fischer's division

• Prøvesteenen , 52
• Wagrien , 52
• Rendsborg , 20
• Nyeborg , 20
• Jylland, 54
• Sværdfisken , 18
• Kronborg, 22
• Hajen , 18
• Elven, 10
• Dannebrog, 60
• Aggershus , 20
• Floating Battery No. 1 , 20
• Sælland , 74
• Charlotte Amalia , 26
• Søhesten, 18
• Holsteen, 60
• Indfødsretten, 64
• Hiælperen , 16

Danish-Norwegian ships, Steen Bille's division

• Elephanten , 70
• Mars, 64
• Sarpen
• Nidelven
• Danmark
• Trekroner (fort) , 69
• Iris
• Nykøbing
• Aalborg
• Christiansund
• Arendel
• Langesund
• Odense
• Flensborg
• Stege
• Stavaern
• Viborg
• Naskau

British ships, Nelson's squadron

• Polyphemus, 64
• Isis, 50
• Edgar, 74
• Ardent, 64
• Glatton, 56
• Elephant, 74
• Ganges, 74
• Monarch, 74
• Defiance, 74
• Russell , 74
• Bellona, 74
• Agamemnon, 64
• Desiree
• Amazon, 32
• Blanche
• Alcmene
• Arrow
• Dart
• Brig sloops Cruizer, Harpy, Jamaica
• Bomb vessels Discovery, Explosion, Hecla, Sulphur, Terror, Volcano, Zebra
• Fireships Otter, Zephyr

British ships, Parker's reserve

• London , 98
• St. George , 98
• Defence, 74

& three other ships of the line.

Reference

• Dudley Pope, The Great Gamble: Nelson at Copenhagen (1972)