Battle of Copenhagen (1807)
|
|
Template:Battlebox The second Battle of Copenhagen, which lasted from 16 August to 5 September 1807, was, like the first battle of Copenhagen, an attack by the British on the Danish capital of Copenhagen.
The British government decided to seize the Danish fleet to avoid its ending up in the hands of Napoleon and attacked Copenhagen without any declaration of war. At this time most of the Danish army under the Crown Prince was defending the southern border against possible attack from the French, thus the defence of Copenhagen was extremely limited. British troops commanded by General Wellesley defeated weak Danish forces near the town of Køge, south of Copenhagen. Within a few days, Copenhagen was completely encircled. The British offered to accept a surrender. Following the denial, a British fleet under Admiral James Gambier bombarded the city from September 2 to September 5, 1807. On September 7, 1807, Danish General Peymann surrendered both the city and the fleet (18 ships) to the overwhelming British and Hanoverian force under General Lord Cathcart.
More than 2.000 civilians were killed and 30 % of the buildings were destroyed during the battle. On October 21, 1807, the British fleet left Copenhagen for England. The war continued up to 1814, when the Treaty of Kiel was signed.