|
|
||||
|
Honour - Copenhagen 1801 |
||||
| Description |
During the war the Baltic countries of Russia, Sweden and Denmark were
antagonised by the British interruption to their trade with the rest of the
continent. As a result Russia had confiscated British ships. A British force of 18 ships-of-the-line plus 35 smaller vessels was despatched under Admiral Sir Hyde Parker on a sabre rattling expedition to Denmark. Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson led the attack with 12 ships-0f-the-line, 5 frigates, 2 sloops, 5 bomb vessels and 2 fire ships. On 01-April the squadron was positioned two miles from the strong Danish line of 18 warships, hulks and floating batteries. Near Trekrover Fortress at the harbour entrance were another 4 ships-of-the-line plus supporting vessels. On the morning of 02-April the plan was for the British squadron to take up allotted positions opposite Danish ships and bombard them. But Bellona (74) and Russell (74) were stranded in the middle ground shoal and Agamemnon (74) could not reach her position. The bombardment began and the Danish Flagship 'Dannebrog' was set ablaze and later blew up. Two other Danish ships cut their cables and foundered. A cease fire was agreed and Nelson's ships withdrew. Casualties on both sides were heavy.
|
|||
| HM Ships | ||||
| Agamemnon | Alcmene | Amazon | Ardent | Arrow |
| Bellona | Blanche | Cruizer | Dart | Defence* |
| Defiance | Desiree | Discovery | Edgar | Elephant |
| Explosion | Ganges | Glatton | Harpy | Hecla |
| Isis | Jamaica | London* | Monarch | Otter |
| Polyphemus | Raisonnable* | Ramillies* | Russell | St. George* |
| Saturn* | Sulphur | Terror | Veteran* | Volcano |
| Warrior | Zebra | Zephyr | ||
| * Support ships which did not engage, but were awarded the battle honour. | ||||
|
This page last edited -
03 December, 2012.
Copyright © Ian M King, except where otherwise indicated. |
||||
