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Battle of Grimstad Bay
Part of the Napoleonic Wars
Date16. March 1811
Location
Grimstad, Norway
58°21′00.2″N 8°36′26.9″E / 58.350056°N 8.607472°E / 58.350056; 8.607472
Result

Norwegian Victory

  • British navy fled, leaving the Norwegian ship behind.
Belligerents
Denmark–Norway  United Kingdom
Strength
Unknown amount of Norwegian volunteers 1 Battleship
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

During the Napoleonic wars, from 1807 to 1814, the British fleet maintained a blockade between Denmark and Norway. On March 16, 1811, marines from the British frigate HMS Venus engaged in a skirmish in the harbor of Grimstad, a town situated on the southern coast of Norway. [1]

HMS Venus was in pursuit of four merchant vessels that had sought refuge in the fjord leading to Grimstad. Among these vessels was the sloop Frau Maria, which was en route from Bergen to Flensburg in Denmark (now Germany) carrying fish, salt, and cod liver oil.[2]

The frigate anchored outside the outer islands of Grimstad and deployed three ship's boats manned by armed marines. These boats made their way into Grimstad harbor and boarded the Frau Maria. The local defense force in Grimstad mobilized and fought back against the British intruders using rifles and a few small cannons. Despite their efforts, the marines managed to set sail on the sloop but inadvertently sailed into a narrow bay with no passage leading to the ocean. They found themselves trapped and had no choice but to release their captured prize.[3]

Under fire, the ship's boats hastily retreated back to the awaiting HMS Venus. This event marked the most dramatic incident to occur in Grimstad during the Napoleonic wars. The tale of the skirmish in Grimstad harbor is known as "The Battle in Grimstad Harbor," and it was reported that several British marines were wounded or killed during the engagement. [4]

References

  1. ^ "Fiendtlige operasjoner nær Grimstad 1811-12" (PDF) (in Norwegian). pp. 1–2.
  2. ^ "Fiendtlige operasjoner nær Grimstad 1811-12" (PDF) (in Norwegian). pp. 1–4.
  3. ^ "Bataljen på Grimstad havn" [Lykken snur] (in Norwegian).
  4. ^ "Bataljen på Grimstad havn" [Lykken snur] (in Norwegian).

Sources

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