Gunboat War
1807–1814
In 1807 Britain, fearing Napoleon would seize the Danish fleet, bombarded Copenhagen and carried the whole Danish navy away. Denmark–Norway allied itself with France and fought on with what it could build quickly: small oared gunboats, each carrying one or two heavy guns, which in the calms of the Danish straits could take on bigger sailing ships. For seven years the gunboats and privateers harried the British convoys passing through the Sound and the Belts to the Baltic, and took a number of British brigs, while British squadrons blockaded the coast of Norway and destroyed the last Danish ship of the line and the last frigate. The Treaty of Kiel in 1814 ended the war and gave Norway to Sweden.
How the fleets moved
Click a route to see which ships made it, or a battle for its summary. Routes are approximate.
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British movement
Danish movement
Battle (size: ships engaged)
Routes are approximate.
Battles
In date order.
22 March 1808
Battle of Zealand PointOff Zealand Point (Sjællands Odde), Kattegat
British victory; the last Danish ship of the line destroyed
2
vs
1 (1 lost)
9 June 1808
Attack on the Saltholm convoyOff Saltholm, the Sound
Danish success; the escort and a dozen merchant ships captured
1 (13 lost)
vs
0
Fleets
Each navy's ships in the war, from its biggest down.