Battle of Køge Bay

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Battle of Køge Bay
Part of the Scanian War
Battle in Køge Bay. Painted by Claus Møinichen.
Date 1 July 1677 – 2 July 1677 Location Køge Bay, south of Copenhagen Result Decisive Danish victory
Belligerents
Denmark-Norway	Sweden
Commanders
Niels Juel	Henrik Horn
Strength
34 ships, 6,700 men	45-47 ships, 9,200 men
Casualties and losses
Ca. 375 wounded & dead	8 ships, ca. 3,000 wounded,captured & dead

v • d • e Scanian War Fehrbellin – Bornholm – Öland – Battle of Møn – Køge Bay – Halmstad – Lund – Malmö – Landskrona – Marstrand – Conquest of Jemtland – Conquest of Bohuslän – Uddevalla – Stralsund

The Battle of Køge Bay was a naval battle between Denmark-Norway and Sweden that took place in the bay of Køge July 1 – July 2, 1677, during the Scanian War. It resulted in Denmark's perhaps greatest naval victory.

Contents 1 Prelude 2 The battle 3 Aftermath 4 References

[edit] Prelude

After losing control of the Baltic Sea in the Battle of Öland the year before, the Swedish navy wanted it back. The Danish fleet, commanded by Niels Juel, had 1,354 cannons and 6,700 men, while the Swedish fleet, commanded by Henrik Horn, had +1,792 cannons and 9,200 men.

On 20 May, Sjöblad's squadron from Göteborg had already left, before the rest of the fleet from Stockholm had set sail. This lead to the catastrophic defeat at the battle of Möen where Sjöblad's squadron of two ships of the line, six armed merchant ships (classed as frigates) and a few smaller ships (ca 400 cannons in total) fought against the superior firepower of the Danish fleet, which had about: nine ships of the line, four frigates (ca 670 cannons). In the following battle, Sjöblad's own flagship Amarant was captured and the outcome destroyed the initial Swedish plan and eventually lead to the future defeat at Koge Bay.

The remaining Swedish fleet had left Dalarö, near Stockholm, on June 9, 1677. On June 13 it was joined by Kalmar, off Öland, and by Andromeda and Gustavus, survivors of Sjöblad's squadron. The Danish fleet had left Copenhagen on 24 June 1677. Lack of wind forced it to anchor of Stevn's Point. At daybreak on June 19 the two fleets sighted each other.

[edit] The battle

At about 8am on 30 June, Horn weighed anchor with a SSW wind and sailed toward the Danish fleet, sending two ships to try to draw Juel out; he in turn sent two ships to attack them. Both sides kept their distance, the Swedes forming a line, followed by the Danes. Juel tried in vain all night to get the weather gauge.

On 1 July at daybreak, despite some of his ships having fallen behind, Juel closed, as did the Swedes, and fighting began at about 5am. Horn sent in fireships but the Danes towed them aside. As the fleets approached the coast near Stevn's Point, Juel bore away a little in the hope that the Swedes would try to stay to windward and run aground.

In the early afternoon the wind changed, as Juel had anticipated, and utilising this, the Danish fleet broke the Swedish line, thus isolating several major warships. This was the turning point of the battle, which soon turned into a complete rout.

The Swedes lost eight war ships, several smaller ships and about 3,000 men. The Danish fleet did not lose any ships, only damages on the ships and approximately 100 men were killed and 275 wounded.

[edit] Aftermath

This battle is recognized as Denmark-Norway's greatest naval victory, and according to 1800s Danish & Norwegian marine officers, Juel invented the "break-through" tactic, more than hundred years before the British admiral George Rodney broke the french line in the Battle of the Saintes in the Caribbean sea 1782.

[edit] References

• Svenska Slagfält, Wahlström & Widstrand,2005: Köge Bukt 1677, page 238-246.