Battle of Copenhagen

The Battle of Copenhagen of 1801 was a naval battle in which a British fleet fought a large force of the Dano-Norwegian Navy anchored near Copenhagen on 2 April 1801.

As the British ships attempted to enter the harbour the Danish fleet, stationed in the city's inlet, formed a blockade. The Danish mainly used older ships not meant to sail in the sea as blockades. Denmark defended the capital with these ships and bastions on both sides of the harbour inlet, Kastellet, Trekroner, Lynetten as well as Quintus, Sixtus and Strickers. It was the second attempt by the British to scare Denmark, as the British had already entered Øresund with a navy in August 1800, in order to force Denmark to sign an alliance with Britain. Now Britain would have Denmark's entire navy and merchant fleet, so it would not fall into the hands of the French. The British were not aware that the modern Royal Danish Navy and many merchant ships were well hidden in the Roskilde fjord, a bluff which was never called by the British.

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