Battle of Copenhagen (1801): Nelson Turns a Blind Eye

The Battle of Copenhagen was fought on 2 April 1801 between a British fleet and the Danish-Norwegian defences moored in front of Copenhagen. Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson led the attack and, according to a famous story, ignored his commander’s signal to withdraw by putting his telescope to his blind eye. The British victory forced Denmark-Norway out of the League of Armed Neutrality and is still remembered in Denmark as a heroic defeat.

Background: the League of Armed Neutrality

During the wars against Revolutionary France, the Royal Navy stopped neutral merchant ships at sea and seized goods it considered useful to the enemy. Neutral states resented this. In December 1800, encouraged by Tsar Paul I of Russia, Russia, Sweden, Denmark-Norway and Prussia formed the Second League of Armed Neutrality to resist British searches.

The timing was bad for Britain. After French victories such as the Battle of Marengo in 1800, Austria made peace with France at Lunéville in February 1801, leaving Britain without a major ally on the Continent.

For Britain, the league was a serious threat. The Baltic supplied much of the timber, hemp, tar and iron its navy needed, and the combined fleets of the league could challenge British control of northern waters. The government decided to break the league before its fleets could unite, beginning with Denmark.

The expedition

A fleet under Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, with Nelson as second in command, sailed from Yarmouth in March 1801. Parker was cautious, while Nelson pressed for an immediate attack. On 30 March the fleet passed through the Sound, the narrow strait between Denmark and Sweden.

The Danes, under the Crown Prince Regent Frederick, had prepared strong defences. A line of old warships, hulks and floating batteries under Commodore Johan Olfert Fischer was moored along the King’s Deep, the channel in front of the city, supported by the Trekroner fortress. Many of the crews were hastily recruited volunteers, including civilians.

The battle

Nelson was given 12 ships of the line and a number of smaller vessels to attack the Danish line from the south, while Parker’s larger ships stayed to the north. On the morning of 2 April a favourable wind allowed Nelson’s ships to enter the King’s Deep. Three ships ran aground in the difficult shoals, weakening his line.

Fighting began around 10 am and became one of the hardest-fought naval battles of the era, with ships firing at close range for several hours. The Danish defenders resisted fiercely, and fresh men were rowed out from the shore to replace casualties.

The blind eye

Watching from a distance, Parker could see that several British ships were damaged or aground. At about 1.30 pm he hoisted signal number 39, ordering the fleet to discontinue the action. According to Colonel William Stewart, who stood beside Nelson, the admiral reminded his flag captain that he had only one eye, raised the telescope to his blind eye and declared that he really did not see the signal. He kept his own signal for close action flying.

Most captains followed Nelson’s lead. By around 2 pm much of the Danish line had stopped firing or been captured, but confusion led to continued firing from some vessels. Nelson then sent a letter ashore under a flag of truce to the Crown Prince, warning that he would have to burn the captured floating batteries with their crews if resistance continued. A ceasefire followed.

Losses

Figures differ between British and Danish sources; the ranges above are commonly cited.

Aftermath

Negotiations led to an armistice of 14 weeks, signed on 9 April 1801, under which Denmark suspended its part in the league. Unknown to both sides at the time of the battle, Tsar Paul I had been murdered in St Petersburg on the night of 23-24 March. His son Alexander I sought better relations with Britain, and the league soon collapsed.

Nelson was made a viscount and replaced Parker, who was recalled to London. The battle added to the reputation he had won at the Nile in 1798, which would culminate at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Myths and facts

The phrase “to turn a blind eye”, meaning to ignore something deliberately, is often said to come from this incident. The story certainly popularised it, but it is hard to prove that it was the origin. Some historians also suggest Parker’s signal was meant as permissive, letting Nelson withdraw if he judged it necessary, which would make Nelson’s gesture less of a direct act of disobedience.

Legacy in Denmark

In Denmark the battle is known as the Battle of the Roadstead (Slaget på Reden) and is commemorated on 2 April. The defenders, including the young officer Peter Willemoes, became national heroes, and the battle inspired patriotic poetry. Six years later, in 1807, a second British attack bombarded Copenhagen and seized the Danish fleet, pushing Denmark into alliance with Napoleon.

Timeline

• 1800, December: Russia, Sweden, Denmark-Norway and Prussia form the League of Armed Neutrality.
• 1801, 12 March: The British fleet under Parker and Nelson sails from Yarmouth.
• 1801, 23-24 March: Tsar Paul I is assassinated in St Petersburg.
• 1801, 30 March: The fleet passes through the Sound.
• 1801, 2 April: Battle of Copenhagen; Nelson ignores the signal to withdraw.
• 1801, 9 April: An armistice is signed between Britain and Denmark-Norway.
• 1807, September: British forces bombard Copenhagen and seize the Danish fleet.

Why it matters

Copenhagen broke a coalition that threatened Britain’s naval supplies and confirmed Nelson as Britain’s most daring admiral. In Denmark it remains a symbol of national courage, while the blind-eye story has passed into the English language.