Battle of Berby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Berby
Part of the Dano-Swedish War of 1808–09
Battle of Berby, by Niels Truslew
Date 12 September 1808 Location Berby, Norway Result See aftermath
Belligerents
Sweden	Denmark–Norway
Commanders and leaders
Carl Henric Posse	Andreas Samuel Krebs
Strength
600–650	650 2 guns
Casualties and losses
3 killed 45 wounded	6 killed 15 wounded 23 captured 1 gun captured

The Battle of Berby was a fight between Swedish and Norwegian forces. It happened on September 12, 1808, during the Dano-Swedish War of 1808–09. After an earlier battle at Prestebakke, things had been fairly quiet.

Then, Swedish Colonel Posse sent his soldiers on a reconnaissance mission. This means they were trying to gather information about the Norwegian positions. The Norwegians, led by Andreas Samuel Krebs, were pushed back to Berby. There, they put up a strong fight.

The mission turned into a bigger battle than planned. Colonel Posse asked for a ceasefire, which is a temporary stop to fighting. Krebs agreed, and after about 30 minutes, the Swedish soldiers went back across the border. This battle was the last important fight between Sweden and Norway that year.

Why the Battle of Berby Happened

Quiet Times Before the Battle

After June 10, there hadn't been many big battles. There was one small fight at Vilsberg on September 2. The Norwegians lost many soldiers there.

The Swedish king, Gustav IV Adolf, was more focused on the war in Finland. So, he moved many soldiers from the border with Norway to the Finnish front. This made Sweden's defenses weaker along the Norwegian border.

Norwegian Response and Swedish Plans

Seeing Sweden's defenses get weaker, Norwegian Major Andreas Samuel Krebs decided to act. On September 4, he launched a small attack to the east. He captured 11 Swedish soldiers. This was partly to get back at them for the Vilsberg fight.

In response, Swedish Colonel Carl Henric Posse planned a large reconnaissance mission. He wanted to gather information about the Norwegian positions at Berby. He also wanted to reduce the pressure from the Norwegians in the east. Plus, he wanted his new citizen soldiers, called Landwehr, to gain experience.

Troop Movements Before the Fight

On September 12, Posse marched towards Berby with two groups of soldiers. The 5th Brigade, with 500 men, came from the southwest. The 4th Brigade came from the south in two columns. One column had 500 men and two cannons. The other had 400 men. In total, Posse had about 1,550 soldiers.

Major Krebs had about 1,300 men in the area. About 700 of them, with four cannons, were at Ende, Prestebakke, and Svenningsbøen. The other 600 were around Berby, with 260 of them in outposts or on patrol.

The Battle of Berby Begins

First Contact and Retreat

Around 7:30 AM, the Swedish vanguard (the leading part of an army) was spotted. This group of 125 men from the 5th Brigade was seen through thick morning fog. A Norwegian outpost of 130 men at Tyslingmoen saw them.

The Norwegians fought back at first. But they were soon pushed back to Ødegårdene. There, they got more soldiers. The Swedes then attacked quickly with bayonets (knives fixed to rifles). This forced the Norwegians to retreat into a farm.

Krebs Arrives and the Fight Continues

Major Krebs arrived with 200 men from Berby and two cannons. This stopped the Swedish vanguard for a short time. But as more Swedish soldiers arrived, they pushed forward again. The Swedes faced canister shot (a type of cannonball that sprays like a shotgun) and grenades.

Even so, the Swedes reached the Norwegian position. This made Krebs order his soldiers to fall back to the Berget farm. During this retreat, the Norwegians got confused. They lost one cannon and six men who were taken prisoner by the Swedes.

Norwegian Defense and Swedish Advance

The Norwegians set up a new position behind a stone wall. This helped them stop the Swedish advance. Krebs rode to prepare defenses at Berby. Major Friedrich Ferdinand Fischer took temporary command of the Norwegian forces.

The Norwegian right side was slowly pushed back by the Swedes. The Swedes tried to cross the Enningdal river north of Berby. But Norwegian fire stopped them. By this time, after three hours of fighting, the Norwegian force had grown to 650 men.

Swedish Reinforcements and Final Push

Most of Ström's 5th Brigade had gone back to Ødegårdene. They were waiting for the 4th Brigade to arrive. The two columns of the 4th Brigade reached Kirkebøen around 8:00 AM. One column was ordered to go east across the river. This was to protect the right side of the other column.

Around 8:30 AM, the second column, led by Rappe, continued towards Berby. They marched along the west side of the river. Their vanguard had about 100 men. They pushed a Norwegian outpost across the river. This left the left side of the Norwegian position at Berget open.

Map over the Battle, by Jacob Vassbotn

At 10:30 AM, Rappe's vanguard arrived. They immediately broke through the Norwegian side with a bayonet charge. They took 17 prisoners. At the same time, Ström renewed his attacks from the front.

As a result, the Norwegians were forced across the river to Berby. They set up a new position on the high ground. The Swedes chased them to the bridge. They tried to storm the bridge twice but couldn't. The river was too deep to cross in most places.

Ceasefire and Retreat

By 12:00 PM, Colonel Posse arrived at the battlefield. He asked Major Krebs for a ceasefire. The fighting had gone on much longer than he intended for a reconnaissance mission. Both sides were also running low on ammunition.

Krebs thought about it but agreed to a 30-minute ceasefire. During this time, both sides collected their wounded soldiers. When the ceasefire ended, the Swedes marched back. The Norwegians carefully followed them. The Swedish forces returned to their starting positions across the border. The Norwegians set up their old outposts again.

What Happened After the Battle

Different Views of the Outcome

The exact result of the battle is a bit unclear. Colonel Posse thought his reconnaissance mission was a success. He wrote that his soldiers "were given the opportunity to convince themselves of our combat-superiority." However, his new citizen soldiers (Landwehr) never actually fought. Only about 600 of his total force were involved. He missed a chance for a big victory by not waiting for his second brigade.

Major Krebs, on the other hand, believed the Swedes were forced to retreat. He thought his own troops fought better than the Swedes. He had about 650 men fighting. Like the Swedes, he kept many soldiers in reserve to protect his sides.

Casualties and End of Fighting

The Swedes had slightly more wounded soldiers. They had 3 killed and 45 wounded. The Norwegians had more serious losses. They had 6 killed, 15 wounded (two of whom died later), and 23 captured (including five wounded). They also lost one cannon.

The Battle of Berby was the last important fight on this front that year. Early the next year, the Swedish king was removed from power in a revolution. The leader of the Norwegian forces, Christian August, was later chosen to be the Swedish crown prince.

The last major attack of the war happened when Norwegian troops invaded Jämtland for a second time. After that, Denmark–Norway and Sweden made peace in Jönköping on December 10, 1809.

Images for kids

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  Battle of Berby, by Niels Truslew