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The Rape of the Danish Navy (1807):
England demanded Danish-Norwegian Navy as condition for peace

Capitulation and surrender of the Navy came as complete surprise to an incensed Crown Prince

General Peymann had, during the first peace negotiations, the impression the Navy would be turned over to the English as security and returned when the war was over.

Captain Steen Bille and most of the naval officer who were members of the War-council refused to sign the final document when they became aware of the conditions.

By Johnny E. Balsved/translated by Robert Rayce

After three days violent and merciless nightly bombardments of the capital, Copenhagen's lines of defense were close to breaking. Peace negotiations began.

The Danes would not accept the English demands and on September 5, the violent bombardments continued for the fourth consecutive night. - Copenhagen's will to resist broke on the fourth night, and September 6, 1807, General Ernst Peymann, Commander of Copenhagen, surrendered the city.

The morning of September 5, an English incendiary set the spire on Vor Frue Church (The church of Our Lady), on fire. When it collapsed, it ignited the rest of the church. The English had aimed at the spire every night of the bombardment.

Unconditional surrender

General Peymann had, during the first peace negotiations, the impression the Navy would be turned over to the English as security to be returned when the war was over.

The war-council, consisting of superior military and civilian authorities decided subsequently to accept the English terms.

During the final peace negotiation, this conception of the terms turned out to be a Danish misconception. The English terms were, briefly:

The terms of capitulation meant the navy was to be handed over as a prize with all its supplies. Captain Steen Bille and most of the naval officers who were members of the War-council refused to sign the final document when they became aware of the conditions.

Despite the resistance from the naval officers, most of the War council's members accepted the capitulation. In return, the English promised to remove its troops from Sealand within six weeks.

After that, the English occupied Copenhagen but kept to the agreed areas to avoid conflicts with the population. They used the following one-and-a-half month to equip the Danish-Norwegian navy.

Scuttle the Fleet instead

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Unfortunately, the general did not receive this order as the English forces in the Langelands belt, between Funen and Sealand, captured the officer bearing the order.

Equipping the Ships

Shortly after the capitulation, the English began to prepare and equip the captured ships at Gammelholm (Bremerholm) and Nyholm.

Reluctantly, the Over chiefs of staff to the admiral of the dockyard, Captains S. U. Rosenvinge and A. C. G. Grove respectively had to help in delivering the needed equipment from the warehouses.

Generally, the operation functioned seamlessly as most of the English officers displayed professional tact.

The English Chief of Staff, Sir Home Popham, overstepped his boundaries to such a degree that his own officers forced him to apologize to Captain Rosenvinge.

The equipment and supplies from the warehouses were stowed on the English warships until they were more than well equipped. Further, the English seized 92 merchant ships to transport the remaining equipment and supplies back to England.

A ship-of-the-line tipped over on its bed at Nyholm.
(Painting from Royal Danish Naval Museum)

Extensive vandalism

As well as seizing nearly all the equipment and supplies from the Navy's warehouses, everything, not taken along, was destroyed. Further, extensive and meaningless vandalism occurred everywhere.

A ship-of-the-line on its building berth was tipped over and two ship-frames were destroyed. The ship-of-the-line DITMARSKEN, which was in dock, was sabotaged.

Three block ship, MARS, ST. THOMAS and TRITON, were burned and three lighters were sunk.

The English were so thorough that they even took personal tools belonging to dockyard workers.

Everything not taken along was systematically destroyed. In addition, extensive vandalism took place at both Nyholm and Gammelholm.

Departure of the Fleet

Exactly six weeks after the capitulation, the English were ready to leave Denmark with the main part of the Danish navy fully equipped. However, a few days' delay occurred because of a storm.

But, on October 21, the second anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, 16 ships-of-the-line, 15 frigates, 14 smaller vessels and 92 merchant ships with supplies from the Navy's warehouses left Copenhagen flying the English flag.

It was a day of sorrow for the Danish-Norwegian navy and the kingdom.

Ship-of-the-line NEPTUNUS, now sailing under the English name HMS MINOTAUR, made it only as far as Taarbæk reef where she ran aground. The English abandoned and burned the ship when all attempts at freeing her failed.

October 21 was a day of sorrow when the main part of the Danish navy left Copenhagen under the English flag.
(Painting by Christian Mølsted. Picture from Royal Danish Naval Museum)

Epilogue

The English navy used only four of the sixteen Danish ships-of-the-lines. The remaining ships were considered unsuitable.

This shows clearly, the English had no wish to capture the Danish navy. They wished only to prevent the French from using it against them.

The capitulation and surrender of the navy came as a surprise to the crown prince who was extremely perturbed. The Crown Prince, in a letter to General Castenskjold dated September 14, wrote, "The most repulsive thing about the convention was the surrendering of the Navy with all its equipment when I had made everything ready for its destruction."

Of course, the Crown Prince had not given direct instructions for destroying the navy before his departure from Copenhagen. Even so, he had been fully within his rights to expect the ships would not fall into enemy hands.

On that background General Peymann was sentenced in 1808 to forfeit "life, honor and property" for his role in the capitulation. Later however, he received a pardon.

Rear Admiral Otto Lütken was also accused but acquitted in 1808. He had paid for his crime (signing the capitulation) through his year in custody before his trial.

The English had achieved their goal: Keeping the Danish-Norwegian navy out of French hands through neutralization.

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This page was first published: November 20, 2006

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