Siege of Bohus Fortress (1564)

Siege of Bohus Fortress
Part of the Northern Seven Years' War

Depiction of Bohus in 1550 by H.P. Hansen
Date23–24 February 1564
Location
Bohus Fortress, Denmark–Norway (present-day Sweden)
57°51′42″N 11°59′58″E / 57.86167°N 11.99944°E / 57.86167; 11.99944
Result Danish victory
Territorial
changes		 Swedish forces withdraw into Västergötland
Belligerents
Denmark–Norway Sweden
Commanders and leaders
Jens Holgersson Ulfstand Klas Horn
Gustaf Olofsson Stenbock
Klaus Fleming
Units involved
Bohus garrison Five cavalry Fähnlein[a]
Seven knight Fähnlein[a]
Strength
Unknown c. 3,500 or <5,000 men
7 guns
Casualties and losses
1,000 killed[b] 1,400 dead[c]

The siege of Bohus Fortress occurred from 23 to 24 February during the Northern Seven Years' War between Denmark and Sweden.

On 20 January, a Swedish army under the command of Klas Horn, Gustaf Olofsson Stenbock, and Klaus Fleming, was ordered to besiege Bohus Fortress by Erik XIV. On 22 February, the Swedish army arrived outside the fortress. The Danish garrison was commanded by Jens Holgersen Ulfstand, consisting of three Fähnlein and some marksmen.

The Swedes demanded the Danes capitulate, threatening to kill every man, woman, and child if they refused. The demand was refused, and the Swedes began bombarding the fortress. However, the bombardment quickly ended, as hunger-typhus had broken out in the Swedish camp and morale began sinking. The Swedes withdrew back to Västergötland on 24 February.

Background

Following a battle at Bornholm between the Danish and Swedish fleets in May 1563,[1] Denmark declared war on Sweden later that year on 9 August, sparking the Northern Seven Years' War.[2]

Prelude

Siege of 1563

After being notified that Älvsborg had been captured by Danish forces, Per Brahe the Elder marched into Dalsland in September 1563, later skirmishing with Danish forces in Bohuslän and preventing them from raiding Swedish territory.[3] Later, in November, he invaded Bohuslän, burning Kungahälla and forcing the people in the southern part of the province to swear fealty to Erik XIV.[3][4] A siege of Bohus Fortress was also initiated, but as winter approached, the Swedes retreated from the fortress.[5] Additionally, the commander of Akershus Fortress, Christen Munk, forced a complete Swedish retreat from Bohuslän in the subsequent month.[4]

Depiction of Klas Horn by an unknown artist

On 20 January,[6] Klas Horn and Gustaf Olofsson Stenbock were ordered by Erik to besiege Bohus and Älvsborg.[7][3] Horn's army was supposed to have seven Fähnlein of knights and five Fähnlein of cavalry, altogether around 5,000 men. However, two Fähnlein were missing, and thus the army was smaller.[8] According to Arnold Munthe, the Swedish army consisted of around 3,500 men.[9] Horn and Stenbock were supported by artillery led by Klaus Fleming.[3][10][11]

Siege

The Swedish army crossed the frozen Göta älv, during which they lost a large mortar called "Skäggan",[12] arriving outside Bohus on 22 February. The Danish fortress garrison was commanded by Jens Holgersen Ulfstand[3][7] and consisted of three fähnlein and some marksmen from Jørgen Holle's regiment.[13]

On 23 February, the Swedes fired the Swedish password and sent a trumpeter demanding the Danish garrison surrender.[14] According to the Swedish demands, if Ulfstand surrendered, all troops within the castle would be spared.[8][6] However, if Ulfstand did not surrender, they would kill everyone, including women and children.[15][6]

In response, Ulfstand said that the siege would end like the previous siege: the bones of the Swedes would be bleached upon the banks of the Göta älv.[15] The Swedes opened fire on the castle following the negative reply. Five heavy cannons and two mortars bombarded the castle tower Fars hatt from the mountains Fontin and Rödakon. However, the Swedish bombardment ceased after the cannons had fired five[7] or six[16] times, in total 445 rounds,[17] and the mortars had fired twice. Hunger-typhus broke out in the Swedish camp, the troops sold their weapons[6][9] for bread and many deserted as well.[15] Swedish morale sank as casualties rose.[8]

The Swedes lifted the siege and withdrew on 24 February.[18][17]

Aftermath

Illustration of Trondheim in 1658 by Erik Dahlberg, published in 1885

In total, the Swedes suffered 1,400 casualties,[16][17] most of whom froze to death.[16][19] The Danes suffered 1,000 casualties, though this figure is doubted by Gustaf Stedt and Axel Emanuel Holmberg, who say it was impossible for so many to die from a limited bombardment.[16][19] Julius Mankell shares their doubt.[17]

Following the siege, the Swedes withdrew to Västergötland.[20] Despite unsuccessfully besieging Bohus, the Swedes achieved their main objective,[16][21] which was to distract Norwegian forces from Claudius Collart's invasion of Norway. The distraction allowed him to capture Trondheim.[16][19]

Erik XIV complained about the failed siege, claiming that Klas Horn had merely wasted a great deal of gunpowder for nothing.[8]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 On paper
  2. ↑ According to Gustaf Stedt and Axel Emanuel Holmberg, the reported Danish losses are unlikely, as they doubted a single day of limited bombardment would have caused such casualties.
  3. ↑ Most froze to death

Citations

  1. ↑ Lindbergh 2022, pp. 54–56.
  2. ↑ Lindbergh 2022, p. 60.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Stedt 1894, p. 24.
  4. 1 2 Vaupell 1891, p. 53.
  5. ↑ Colding 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Westling 1879, p. 53.
  7. 1 2 3 Holmberg 1867, p. 133.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Lindbergh 2022, p. 104.
  9. 1 2 Munthe 1902, p. 38.
  10. ↑ Tarkiainen 2008.
  11. ↑ Federley 1964.
  12. ↑ Munthe 1902, p. 39.
  13. ↑ Vaupell 1891, p. 60.
  14. ↑ Stedt 1894, pp. 24–25.
  15. 1 2 3 Vaupell 1891, p. 61.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Stedt 1894, p. 26.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Mankell 1893, p. 221.
  18. ↑ Stedt 1894, pp. 25–26.
  19. 1 2 3 Holmberg 1867, p. 134.
  20. ↑ Alin 1878, p. 268.
  21. ↑ Munthe 1902, p. 41.

References

Bibliography

  • Vaupell, Otto [in Danish] (1891). Den Nordiske Syvaarskrig: 1563–1570 [The Northern Seven Years' War: 1563–1570] (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: C. A. Reitzels Forlag.
  • Stedt, Gustaf [in Swedish] (1894). Bohus. Bidrag till kännedom om Göteborgs och Bohusläns förminnen och historia (in Swedish). Vol. 5. D .F. Bonniers Boktryckeri Aktiebolag.
  • Lindbergh, Katarina Harrison (2022-10-26). Nordiska sjuårskriget [Northern Seven Years' War] (in Swedish). Cover by Per Idborg. Historiska Media. ISBN 9789180500951.
  • Munthe, Arnold (1902). Klas Kristersson Horn (PDF). Svenska sjöhjältar (in Swedish). Vol. 4. Illustrated by Jacob Hägg. Stockholm: P. A. Norstedt & Söners Förlag.
  • Westling, Gustaf Oskar Fredrik [in Swedish] (1879). Det Nordiska Sjuårskrigets Historia [The History of the Northern Seven Years' War] (in Swedish). Stockholm: P. A. Norstedt & Söner.
  • Alin, Oscar (1878). Sveriges nydaningstid: 1521–1611 [Sweden's Renaissance: 1521–1611]. Sveriges historia: Från äldsta tid till våra dagar (in Swedish). Vol. 3. Stockholm: Hjalmar Linnströms Förlag.
  • Mankell, Julius (1893). Nyare tiden: 1526–1611 [Newer times: 1526–1611]. Öfversigt af svenska krigens och krigsinrättningarnes historia (in Swedish). Vol. 2. Stockholm: Militärlitteraturföreningens förlag.
  • Holmberg, Axel Emanuel [in Swedish] (1867). Historia och allmän beskrifning [History and general description]. Bohusläns historia och beskrifning (in Swedish). Vol. 1. Revised by G. Brusewitz. Örebro: N. M. Lindh.

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