Order of battle of the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy in Norway (1808)


The following is a list of the Royal Dano-Norwegian naval order of battle in Norway in 1808 after the capture of the British brig on 19 June 1808.
Following the loss of the Danish-Norwegian fleet at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1807 and of the last ship-of-the line, Prinds Christian Frederick, at Zealand Point in March 1808, Denmark-Norway were forced to adopt the method of defence later known as the Gunboat War. Lacking the time and resources to build a new battle fleet, they concentrated on smaller craft capable of carrying heavy, long range cannon viz. gunboats that were effective in the calmer, narrower inshore waters, but could not challenge enemy warships in rougher seas. For the rougher waters of the Norwegian Sea from 1808 onward, a new class of gunship, the seaworthy 50-man pine-built Norske Kanonskonnert were to be built in Bergen and Trondheim. Ten such gunships were constructed before 1814, and more after Norway achieved independence from Denmark.

Command structure

Adjutant General of the navy: Commander Lorenz Fisker
The station at Hvaløerne and Grændsen :
The station at Frederiksværn :
  • Commander: Senior Lieutenant Hensler.
The station at Langesund :
  • Commander: Senior Lieutenant H. D. B. Seidelin.
The station at Øster-Risøer :
  • Commander: Junior Lieutenant F. W. Løvenskiold.
The station at Arendal :
  • Commander: Senior Lieutenant G. G. Dietrichson.
The station at Christianssand :
The station at Mandal :
  • Commander: Senior Lieutenant P. C. Spørck.
The station at Stavanger:
  • Commander: Junior Lieutenant J. C. Grove.
The station in Bergen:
  • Commander: Senior Lieutenant Kammerjunker J. C. A. Bjelke.
The station in Trondhjem:
  • Commander: Captain F. C. Motzfeldt.

Vessels

  • Lougen: brig armed with 18 × short 18-pounder and 2 × long 6-pounder cannon
  • *Officers: Kapteinløitnant P. F. Wulff, Sekondløitnant Wiegelsen, Sekondløitnant Schmidten, and MaanedsløitnantLund.
  • : brig armed with 16 × short 18-pounder and 2 × long 6-pounder cannon
  • *Officers: Premierløitnant O. C. Budde, Sekondløitnant Havn, Maanedsløitnant Troy, and Maanedsløitnant Obelitz.
  • Hemnæs: schooner brig armed with 12 × 24-pounder carronades and 2 × long 6-pounder cannon
  • *Officers: Maanedsløitnant Wahrendorff, Maanedsløitnant R. Knap.
  • Fortroendet: defence ship armed with 16 × short 18-pounder cannons and 2 × 24-pounder carronades
  • *Officers: Premierløitnant Dorn, Kadet-Maanedsløitnant Findt, and Maanedsløitnant Harris.
  • Friherrinde Fredrikke Lovise: defence ship armed similarly to Fortroendet above
  • *Officers: Premierløitnant Conrad Grove, Kadet-Maanedsløitnant Hesselberg, and Maanedsløitnant Leth.
  • Birgitha: defence ship armed with 14 × short 18-pounder and 2 × long 6-pounder cannons
  • *Officers: Premierløitnant C. Rasch, Kadet-Maanedsløitnant Ryberg, and Maanedsløitnant Parnemann.
  • Prinds Christian til Slesvig-Holsten: defence ship armed with 16 × short 18-pounder and 2 × long 6-pounder cannons
  • *Officers: Premierløitnant Jochum Lund, Kadet-Maanedsløitnant N. Grove, and Maanedsløitnant Vauvert.

Gunboats

Larger Gun Boats - Kanonchalupper usually armed with 2 × 24-pounder cannon and 4 × 4-pounder howitzers
Smaller Gun Boats - Kanonjolle each with one 24 pound cannon
  • Arendal 2;
  • Frederiksværn 6 ;
  • Langesund 4;
  • Stavanger 2 ;
  • Øster-Risøer 4;
  • Christianssand 7;
  • Hvaløerne 13;
  • Mandal 2;
  • Bergen 5 ;
  • Trondhjem

Batteries

Fixed Coastal Batteries:
  • Slesvigs Batteri on the eastern side of the entrance to Christiana fjord.
14 × 18-pounder cannon.
Lieutenant in the land forces v. Lemvig, in command.
  • Vallø Saltverks defence works near Tønsberg on the western side of Oslo fjord
10 × 24-pounder cannon, 3 × 18-pounder cannon, 4 × 6-pounder cannon, 2 × 4-pounder cannon
Acting Lieutenant V. Lerche, in command.
  • Svelvigens Batterier

22 × 12-pounder cannon, 12 × 3- or 4-pounder cannon
Kapteinløitnant van Deurs, in command.
12 × 12-pounder cannon
Head of the Coastguard Division Lind, in command.
4 × 24-pounder cannon.
Floating batteries
  • Frederiksværn: one armed 10 × 24-pounder cannon, 2 × 18-pounder cannon, 2 × 12-pounder howitzers, 1 × 4-pounder howitzer
  • Christianssand: Three armed variously: 8 × 24-pounder cannon; 6 × 24-pounder cannon; 6 × 18-pounder cannon).