Slaget på Reden (First Battle of Copenhagen)

Its 1801. The War of the Second Coalition is reaching its end.
Britain is still blockading France, using its mighty navy. However, there are some nations who are hurting the british war effort.
The Second League of Armed Neutrality.
Denmark-Norway, Sweden, Russia and Prussia are going against the british policy of searching neutral ships for French Contrabands.
The British Government decides to end this alliance and dispatches a fleet led by Admiral Sir Hyde Parker and Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson.
They were to force Denmark-Norway out of the league before the ice in the baltic sea melted, and the Russian Navy could join the Swedish and Dano-Norwegian and thereby forming a large fleet consisting of 123 ships of the line.

Most of the Danish Navy had been moored for the winter, and where not able to engage the british task force, therefore the Danish Ships were mostly made up of floating batteries and also notably the fort Trekroner (who had 68 heavy cannons). The British fleet consisted of 20 ships of the line and several smaller ships.

The two fleets engaged eachother on the 1st of April. The British fleet instantly gained the upper hand due to their skillfull gunnery, but the Danish batteries had the advantage of heavier guns and a more stable firing platform. After a couple of hours of battle, Nelson sent a letter to the Dano-Norwegian Crown Prince stating that if the Dano-Norwegian fleet didnt stop their firing instantly, then he would be forced to burn the captured danish ships with their crew onboard. The Crown Prince immediatly agreed to the cease-fire without consulting Commander Fischer who was in charge of the Danish Fleet. The Danes agreed to withdraw from the League and with the Russian Tsar assassined later, the League totally collapsed.


BUT WHAT IF the Dano-Norwegian Crown Prince hadnt signed under?
Would the British have been defeated?

It should be noted that at this point.

Nelson hadnt captured any Dano-Norwegian ships when he sent the letter.

Most of the engaged Danish and British ships were disabled, and 3 british ships were drifting into range of Trekroner Fort.

Also, the Dano-Norwegian Reserve was decisively larger than the British, also the wind was changing direction, which ment that the Swedish Fleet at Karlskrona could soon leave for Copenhagen (a relatively short trip)

Would the War of the Third Coalition have gone differently?
 
Its 1801. The War of the Second Coalition is reaching its end.
Britain is still blockading France, using its mighty navy. However, there are some nations who are hurting the british war effort.
The Second League of Armed Neutrality.
Denmark-Norway, Sweden, Russia and Prussia are going against the british policy of searching neutral ships for French Contrabands.
The British Government decides to end this alliance and dispatches a fleet led by Admiral Sir Hyde Parker and Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson.
They were to force Denmark-Norway out of the league before the ice in the baltic sea melted, and the Russian Navy could join the Swedish and Dano-Norwegian and thereby forming a large fleet consisting of 123 ships of the line.

Most of the Danish Navy had been moored for the winter, and where not able to engage the british task force, therefore the Danish Ships were mostly made up of floating batteries and also notably the fort Trekroner (who had 68 heavy cannons). The British fleet consisted of 20 ships of the line and several smaller ships.

The two fleets engaged eachother on the 1st of April. The British fleet instantly gained the upper hand due to their skillfull gunnery, but the Danish batteries had the advantage of heavier guns and a more stable firing platform. After a couple of hours of battle, Nelson sent a letter to the Dano-Norwegian Crown Prince stating that if the Dano-Norwegian fleet didnt stop their firing instantly, then he would be forced to burn the captured danish ships with their crew onboard. The Crown Prince immediatly agreed to the cease-fire without consulting Commander Fischer who was in charge of the Danish Fleet. The Danes agreed to withdraw from the League and with the Russian Tsar assassined later, the League totally collapsed.


BUT WHAT IF the Dano-Norwegian Crown Prince hadnt signed under?
Would the British have been defeated?

It should be noted that at this point.

Nelson hadnt captured any Dano-Norwegian ships when he sent the letter.

Most of the engaged Danish and British ships were disabled, and 3 british ships were drifting into range of Trekroner Fort.

Also, the Dano-Norwegian Reserve was decisively larger than the British, also the wind was changing direction, which ment that the Swedish Fleet at Karlskrona could soon leave for Copenhagen (a relatively short trip)

Would the War of the Third Coalition have gone differently?

Well Nelson and Parker get a black eye, but give as good as they get probably...but when the Tsar dies its going to kill the alliance...but Danish/Swedish co-operation will be enhanced if the Swedish fleet actually arrives in time to actually contribute or at least force the British to consider a strategic withdrawal...left to Parker thats likely what would occur....Nelson on the other hand....I suppose he could just ignore his orders again.
 
Prince Frederick had been head of the State Council since 1784 and was mainly an army man. His order to torch the navy 1807 which the navy commander of Copenhagen didn't want to carry out show some of his mentality.
If he had had a clear perception of what was going on in the Copenhagen Roads he just might have averted defeat even if Nelson was bound on carrying his plan through.

Just perhaps a rejection could have upset Nelsons plan and the show up of the Swedish navy a day or two later would reinforce Hyde-Parker in his effort to abolish any thought of renewed fighting that would certainly fortify the position of both Denmark-Norway and Sweden during negotiations.

If possible the joint action just might convince the governments of Denmark-Norway and Sweden of future joint navy operations like during the Revolutionary War that could deter British naval action against the Danish-Norwegian navy.
Part of the problem seems to me that the Government knew this but the Prince didn't his being an army man and something of an autocrat.
 
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