Battle of Lundby
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Lundby happened south of Lundby in northeast Himmerland
on 3 July 1864 in the Second War of Schleswig
. A Danish company of the First Regiment tried a head-on bayonet
charge down a long hillside, but stopped 20 meters in front of the earth dike that the Prussians lay in cover behind. This battle was the last in the Second War of Schleswig, and resulted in great Danish losses.
in April and a few days after displaced from Als. The remaining forces had withdrawn north of Limfjorden and were being evacuated from Frederikshavn
.
The First Regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel H.C.J. Beck had been left behind in Nørresundby
to hide the retreat as long as possible, secure the sea-inlet crossings and - if possible without disproportionate risk - advance southwards.
On 1 July the Prussians sent three scouting units north from Hobro
. Beck decided immediately to move to the south with Fifth Company (160 men) against Ellidshøj. Here he expected to meet one of the commands in night's lodging. This had moved south, but another was reported from Gunderup to the east, which Beck reached at dawn. Here a column of dragoon
s was seen to the north, and by scouts it was found that it stopped in Lundby
.
charge from Kongehøj.
Several locals were here and offered to lead the company easterly through a ravine or westerly where some fences would be able to give cover, which Beck however refused, as his company was not to be led by a farmer, and as the straight road was the shortest.
With cheers the company ran forward in half columns. The Prussians with their breech-loading rifles fired 3 salvos (the first at 200 meters' distance), stopping the attack 20 meters in front of the earth dike. The Danish loss was 70 men, being three-quarters of their force, against three wounded Prussians.
The Prussians did not choose to exploit the victory to chase the remaining Danes; instead they broke formation and went to Hobro
bringing both their own and Danish wounded. They also brought 13 dead to Gunderup.
In the big picture the fight would not mean much - Denmark had already lost the war, and a possible victory would hardly have altered this. Generally it is said that an attacker at the start should have a strength superiority on a factor of three; Here were the Danes not even twice so many as the defending. But yet different causes come from analysing supplementary causes of the Danish defeat.
.
All of these points may be partly correct in themselves, but they leave unanswered the question of why Beck acted like he did. A possible explanation is that he needed to repair his reputation: He was a politician
and had during the First War of Schleswig
15 years earlier been passed over for promotion for criticism by Colonel Læssøe, and would probably suffer the same again, for in February during the battle of Sankelmark
he left his unit while it was in battle.
.
Himmerland
Himmerland is a peninsula in northeastern Jutland, Denmark. It is delimited to the north and the west by the Limfjord, to the east by the Kattegat, and to the south by the Mariager Fjord. The largest city is Aalborg; smaller towns include Hobro, Aars, Løgstør, Støvring and Nibe...
on 3 July 1864 in the Second War of Schleswig
Second War of Schleswig
The Second Schleswig War was the second military conflict as a result of the Schleswig-Holstein Question. It began on 1 February 1864, when Prussian forces crossed the border into Schleswig.Denmark fought Prussia and Austria...
. A Danish company of the First Regiment tried a head-on bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
charge down a long hillside, but stopped 20 meters in front of the earth dike that the Prussians lay in cover behind. This battle was the last in the Second War of Schleswig, and resulted in great Danish losses.
Background
At the time the fight in Jutland had really been given up. The army had been severely defeated at DybbølDybbøl
Dybbøl is a small town, with a population of 2,457 in the southeastern corner of South Jutland, Denmark. It is located around west of Sønderborg....
in April and a few days after displaced from Als. The remaining forces had withdrawn north of Limfjorden and were being evacuated from Frederikshavn
Frederikshavn
This article is about a Danish town. For the German town, see Friedrichshafen, and for the Finnish town, see Fredrikshamn .Frederikshavn is a Danish town in Frederikshavn municipality, Region Nordjylland on the northeast coast of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark. Its name translates to...
.
The First Regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel H.C.J. Beck had been left behind in Nørresundby
Nørresundby
Nørresundby, a part of Aalborg Municipality, is a northern neighbourhood in Aalborg, north of the Limfjord, in Vendsyssel, in Denmark. The urban area has a population of 21,376 ....
to hide the retreat as long as possible, secure the sea-inlet crossings and - if possible without disproportionate risk - advance southwards.
On 1 July the Prussians sent three scouting units north from Hobro
Hobro
Hobro with a population of 11,635 - is a town in Mariagerfjord municipality in Region Nordjylland on the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark....
. Beck decided immediately to move to the south with Fifth Company (160 men) against Ellidshøj. Here he expected to meet one of the commands in night's lodging. This had moved south, but another was reported from Gunderup to the east, which Beck reached at dawn. Here a column of dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
s was seen to the north, and by scouts it was found that it stopped in Lundby
Lundby
Lundby may refer to:*Lundby , a Swedish maker of dollhouses*Lundby, Gothenburg, a suburb of Gothenburg, Sweden*Lundby, Örebro, a suburb of Örebro, Sweden*Lundby, Aalborg, a village near Gistrup in Aalborg Municipality, Denmark...
.
The battle
The scouts had been seen by the Prussians who had gone in cover with about 70 out of 124 men behind an earth dike in Lundby's south edge. From the burial mound Kongehøj about 500 meters south of the town, a long flat hill slopes down to the town. Beck ordered the company commander, Captain P.C. Hammerich, to carry out a strong determined bayonetBayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
charge from Kongehøj.
Several locals were here and offered to lead the company easterly through a ravine or westerly where some fences would be able to give cover, which Beck however refused, as his company was not to be led by a farmer, and as the straight road was the shortest.
With cheers the company ran forward in half columns. The Prussians with their breech-loading rifles fired 3 salvos (the first at 200 meters' distance), stopping the attack 20 meters in front of the earth dike. The Danish loss was 70 men, being three-quarters of their force, against three wounded Prussians.
The Prussians did not choose to exploit the victory to chase the remaining Danes; instead they broke formation and went to Hobro
Hobro
Hobro with a population of 11,635 - is a town in Mariagerfjord municipality in Region Nordjylland on the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark....
bringing both their own and Danish wounded. They also brought 13 dead to Gunderup.
Result and analysis
The fight's immediate result was a clear defeat for Denmark, as the Danish side had a loss of 32 dead, 44 wounded, 20 captured, and two missing - in all 98 - against only three wounded Prussians.In the big picture the fight would not mean much - Denmark had already lost the war, and a possible victory would hardly have altered this. Generally it is said that an attacker at the start should have a strength superiority on a factor of three; Here were the Danes not even twice so many as the defending. But yet different causes come from analysing supplementary causes of the Danish defeat.
Muzzle loaders and breech loaders
The Prussians had more modern breech loading rifles that could shoot faster than the Danish muzzle loading rifles. Thus the Prussians had a bigger firepower, than the number of soldiers points out, and the relative strength is shifted to their advantage. Especially old sources point to this difference that incidentally is repeated everywhere in the Second War of SchleswigSecond War of Schleswig
The Second Schleswig War was the second military conflict as a result of the Schleswig-Holstein Question. It began on 1 February 1864, when Prussian forces crossed the border into Schleswig.Denmark fought Prussia and Austria...
.
Bad leadership
There is a considerable criticism of Beck's leadership during the battle:- He chose to check out the Prussian companies without having a true reason for it,
- He ought to have stayed with his main force about NørresundbyNørresundbyNørresundby, a part of Aalborg Municipality, is a northern neighbourhood in Aalborg, north of the Limfjord, in Vendsyssel, in Denmark. The urban area has a population of 21,376 ....
, - The attack was completed head-on over open field, where the forces for a long time would be exposed to the opponent's fire, instead of using local information about safer routes.
All of these points may be partly correct in themselves, but they leave unanswered the question of why Beck acted like he did. A possible explanation is that he needed to repair his reputation: He was a politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and had during the First War of Schleswig
First War of Schleswig
The First Schleswig War or Three Years' War was the first round of military conflict in southern Denmark and northern Germany rooted in the Schleswig-Holstein Question, contesting the issue of who should control the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. The war, which lasted from 1848–1851,...
15 years earlier been passed over for promotion for criticism by Colonel Læssøe, and would probably suffer the same again, for in February during the battle of Sankelmark
Sankelmark
Sankelmark is a former municipality in Schleswig-Holstein in Germany. It is about 5 miles south of Flensburg. There was a battle there in the Second War of Schleswig . On March 1, 2008 Sankelmark was incorporated into Oeversee.-External links:*...
he left his unit while it was in battle.
Bayonet charges
Some sources also indicate that bayonet charges already were known to be hopeless, and that Beck ought to have known this. The regulations had a procedure for bayonet charges, and this makes the criticism by Beck unreasonable. At the same time it can contribute to explain the outcome - to the extent that it is correct that bayonet charges already ought to have been disused.Verdict at the time
Observers at the time did not consider the battle's outcome as a defeat, as it is widely considered today. Here had been wise initiative and energy, which just is, which is expected in war. Julius Strandberg wrote a broadside, in which the good commander was praised in a way, so it is difficult to see through that Denmark actually lost. Beck was subsequently appointed as Colonel and Commander of the Order of the DannebrogOrder of the Dannebrog
The Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
.
Contemporary memories
- At the battlefield, immediately east of the highway, is a great cross in memory of the battle. Officers from GardehusarregimentetGardehusarregimentetThe Guard Hussars , abbreviated GHR, is a special cavalry unit, the primary task of which is to place mounted escorts and commando forces at the service of the regent, and to train the guard hussars for various functions in the mobilisation force...
(which continues the First Regiment's history) visit it at the anniversary of the battle. - At the cemetery near Gunderup church there is a monument for the fallen.
- In AalborgAalborg-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....
there is at Aalborg Forsvars and Garnisonsmuseum a relief model that shows the battle with the Danes on the way downhill. - In HobroHobroHobro with a population of 11,635 - is a town in Mariagerfjord municipality in Region Nordjylland on the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark....
there is a memorial to a SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
officerOfficer (armed forces)An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
, who voluntarily participated on the Danish side and died of wounds from the fight.
Sources
- Bjørke, Sven m.fl.: Krigen 1864 : Den anden slesvigske krig i politisk og krigshistorisk belysning, København 1968.
- Nielsen, Søren: 1. Infanteri=Regiment i Vendsyssel : Kampene ved LUNDBY og HEDEGAARDE d. 3/7 1864, København, 1967.
- Schiøtt, F.C.: Affairen ved Lundby, København 1877.
- Stevns, Arne: Vor Hær I Krig og Fred, Nordiske Landes Bogforlag, 1943, bind II side 322-323.
- Sørensen, Carl Harding m.fl.: "Lundbyaffæren", Tidsskriftet Skalk 1997 nr. 3, side 20-26.
- Thygesen, Peter: Træfningen ved Lundby 3. juli 1864, Næstved 2002.