The battle of Fehrmarn (Swedish: Sjöslaget vid Femern; Danish: Slaget ved Rødsand; Dutch: Zeeslag bij Fehmarn) occurred on 30 April, 1659 during the Dano-Swedish War of 1658–1660. It was fought between a Swedish fleet under Klas Hansson Bjelkenstjerna and a Dano-Dutch fleet under Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam. The battle ended inconclusively.
| Battle of Fehmarn | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Dano-Swedish War (1658–1660) | |||||||||
 Map of the Rødsand shoal | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
 Swedish Empire |
 Dutch Republic Denmark–Norway | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
|
Klas Hansson (WIA) Carl Gustaf Wrangel |
Jacob Obdam Henrik Bielke Niels Juel | ||||||||
| Units involved | |||||||||
| Unknown |
Trefoldigheden | ||||||||
| Strength | |||||||||
|
20–24 warships 2 fireships Several galleons |
22–26 warships Several galleons and transport ships | ||||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||||
|
12 officers and men killed 26 wounded | At least 1 ship damaged | ||||||||
Background
editOn 30 April, 1659, a Swedish fleet under the command of Klas Hansson Bjelkenstjerna encountered its Dutch counterpart under Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam and the Danish one under a certain Bielke between Fehrmarn and Lolland.[1]
The Swedish fleet consisted of 20[1]–24[2] warships, two fire ships, and some galleons, while the allied fleet consisted of three Danish warships and 19[1]–23[2] Dutch warships, along with some galleons and transport ships. Bjelkenstjerna decided to attack the allied fleet despite being outnumbered and a weak crew due to starvation.[3]
Battle
editBoth sides maneuvered to get into their positions, and when they passed each other, they opened fire. The wind became so strong that neither side was able to open their gun ports. However, sufficient fire was able to be maintained from other decks. During the fighting, a six pound cannonball hit Bjelkenstjerna in his hip, forcing him to withdraw to the stern, leading to Carl Gustaf Wrangel taking over command.[4][5][6]
The two fleets continued passing by each other at close range, exchanging heavy cannon fire. The Swedes were able to hit several allied ships, particularly the Danish Trefoldigheden, with several of its sails being shot down, and making maneuvering it difficult. Opdam arrived with reinforcements, successfully preventing the damaged Trefoldigheden from further attacks.[4]
The fleets turned once more, and the Swedes came into the wind, however, the harsh weather made it impossible to keep the fleet together for close combat, leading to Wrangel having to stay as still as possible and wait for the allied ships. The evening continued with continuous artillery fire, but when it became dark, Wrangel decided to withdraw in order to seek a harbour to assess the damage done to his ships. Opdam made the same decision, and the fleets separated.[4]
Aftermath
editThe Swedish losses sustained during the battle were some 12 officers and men killed, with 26 wounded, and the size of the allied fleet remains unknown.[4] According to some sources, the battle ended in a draw[4][5][7][8] while others claim it was tactically inconclusive but with a strategic outcome favoring the allies.[9][page needed]
References
edit- ^ a b c Isacson 2015, p. 238.
- ^ a b Harding 2002, p. 77.
- ^ Isacson 2015, p. 238–239.
- ^ a b c d e Isacson 2015, p. 239.
- ^ a b Jacobson, G. "Klas Hansson Bielkenstierna". sok.riksarkivet.se. National Archives of Sweden. Retrieved 2024-12-01.
- ^ Bäckström 1884, p. 131.
- ^ Essen 2023, p. 328.
- ^ Glete 2009, p. 181.
- ^ Albrechtsen 2006.
Works cited
edit- Isacson, Claes-Göran (2015). Karl X Gustavs krig: Fälttågen i Polen, Tyskland, Baltikum, Danmark och Sverige 1655-1660 [Wars of Charles X Gustav: The campaigns in Poland, Germany, the Baltics, Denmark and Sweden 1655-1660] (in Swedish). Historiska Media. ISBN 9789175450117.
- Bäckström, Per Olof (1884). Svenska flottans historia [History of the Swedish fleet] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedts förlag.
- Albrechtsen, Svend (2006). Grunde, rev og flak (in Danish). Iver C Weilbach. ISBN 978-87-7790-165-2.
- Harding, Richard (2002). Seapower and Naval Warfare, 1650-1830. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781135364854.
- Essen, Michael (27 January 2023). Charles X's Wars: Volume 3 - The Danish Wars, 1657-1660. Helion & Company. ISBN 978-1915113603.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - Glete, Jan (2009). Swedish Naval Administration, 1521-1721. Brill. ISBN 9789047441519.