Battle of Anholt facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Anholt
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
An aerial view of the island of Anholt
Date 27 March 1811 Location Anholt, Denmark–Norway Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Denmark–Norway
Commanders and leaders
James Maurice	Jørgen de Falsen
Strength
381 1 frigate 1 schooner 1 brig-sloop	1,000 18 gunboats 2 transports
Casualties and losses
32 killed and wounded	50 killed and wounded 638 captured 2 gunboats captured 2 transports captured

The Battle of Anholt happened between March 25 and 27, 1811. It was a successful operation by the British military. They fought against Danish forces on the island of Anholt. This battle was part of the Gunboat War, which was a smaller conflict within the larger Napoleonic Wars.

The British had captured Anholt, a small Danish island, in 1809. The Danes wanted to take it back. Before the British took over, the Danes had turned off the lighthouse on Anholt. This made the waters very dangerous. In 1809, a British ship, Proselyte, sank near Anholt because of this.

So, on May 18, 1809, a group of British ships captured the island. Captain William Selby led a landing party. The Danish soldiers, about 170 of them, fought back. But they were quickly defeated. The British took control of the island. After the 1811 battle, the British stayed on Anholt until 1814. A monument on the island remembers this battle.

Why Anholt Was Important

Captain Askew Hollis, a British officer, said Anholt was very useful. It had fresh water for British ships. It also offered a safe place for merchant ships. These ships were sailing to and from the Baltic Sea. But the main reason for taking Anholt was its lighthouse. The British wanted to fix the lighthouse. This would make it safer for their warships and trading ships.

King Frederick VI of Denmark really wanted Anholt back. In February 1810, he ordered troops and gunboats to gather. General Tellequist was in charge. But bad winter ice and storms stopped the Danish plans. They tried three times but couldn't reach Anholt. When British warships appeared, the Danes gave up for that year.

Captain Nicolls, a British Royal Marine officer, was the governor of Anholt. He knew the Danes wanted to attack. He sent a small British gunboat, the Grinder, to scout the Danish coast. This boat also captured some small trading ships. But on April 13, 1810, four Danish gunboats captured the Grinder.

In August 1810, Anholt was even called a "stone frigate." This meant it was treated like a large warship by the British Navy. Even though Royal Marines guarded the island, their commander, Captain Torrens, reported to Captain Maurice of the Royal Navy. This showed that Royal Navy officers had a higher rank than Royal Marine officers.

The Battle of Anholt

In early March 1811, the British learned the Danes would attack Anholt. A British ship, Tartar, sailed from Yarmouth. It arrived near Anholt on March 26. On March 24, a Danish fleet left Jutland. It had 18 gunboats and 1,000 Danish marines. The Danes did not know that British ships were coming to help. They also didn't know the British base on Anholt, called Fort York, had more cannons.

The Danes landed about 1,000 soldiers in the dark and fog. They tried to sneak around the British defenses. They landed on the north beach of Anholt early in the morning. Then they marched towards Fort York. About 380 British marines defended Fort York.

On March 27, the British saw the enemy on the south side of the island. Captain Maurice marched to meet them. He had cannons and 200 soldiers. He also signaled the Tartar and Sheldrake. These two ships tried to get closer. But shallow waters forced them to stay far out. This took many hours.

The Danish attack was not well planned. The fighting happened in small, separate clashes. The Danish soldiers became thirsty and tired. The cannons at Fort York stopped their main attack. The Danes launched one last attack on Fort York at 10 PM. Major Melsted led this charge. He ran towards the fort with his sword raised. But a British bullet killed him. This ended the battle. The Danes failed because of bad planning. They also lacked supplies and didn't bring their own cannons.

Gunfire from Tartar and Sheldrake forced the Danish gunboats to leave. The gunboats escaped over shallow reefs. The British ships had to go around the outside. Tartar chased three gunboats. But it had to stop as night came and the water became too shallow. On its way back, Tartar captured two Danish transport ships. One had 22 soldiers and lots of ammunition. The other carried food. Sheldrake captured two gunboats. The Danes on the western side of the island managed to escape on 14 gunboats.

The British had only two killed and 30 wounded. The Danes lost their commander, three other officers, and 50 men killed. The British captured 5 captains, 9 lieutenants, and 504 soldiers. They also took three cannons, 500 muskets, and 6,000 rounds of ammunition. Sheldrake's captured gunboats added two more Danish lieutenants and 119 men as prisoners.

After the Battle

It was common for important officers to receive special swords after big victories. Captain Maurice received a sword. Captain Torrens received two swords. One was from his fellow officers. The other was from the lower-ranked soldiers. The Royal Marines Museum bought this second sword. All three swords are now on display at the Royal Marines Museum.

In 1847, the Royal Navy created a special medal. It was called the Naval General Service Medal. It had a bar that said "Anholt 27 March 1811." This was to honor those who fought in the battle. Forty men received this bar, mostly Royal Marines.

Two hundred years later, in March 2011, Danish and British naval leaders met on Anholt. They opened a new memorial. This memorial honors everyone who died in the battle.

Images for kids

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  Plan of the events on 27 March 1811