Battle of Heligoland (1864)

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Battle of Heligoland


caption=The "Battle of Heligoland" by Josef Carl Barthold Puettner
partof=the Second War of Schleswig
date=May 9 1864
place=Off Heligoland, German Bight
result=Tactical Danish victory
combatant1=flag|Denmark|naval
combatant2=flagicon|Austria|war Austria

commander1=Edouard Suenson
commander2=Wilhelm von Tegetthoff
strength1= 2 screw frigates
1 screw corvette
strength2= 2 screw frigates
1 paddle steamer
2 gunboats
casualties1=14 killed
54 wounded
casualties2= 37 killed
92 wounded
Flagship heavily damaged by fire|The Battle of Heligoland (or Helgoland) was fought on 9 May 1864, during the Second War of Schleswig between the navy of Denmark and the allied navies of Austria and Prussia south of the then-British North Sea island of Heligoland where the Battle of Heligoland (1849) had taken place.

When the Danish forces had caused the flagship of the Austrian commander, Freiherr von Tegetthoff, to burst into flames, he withdrew his squadron to neutral waters around Heligoland. It was the last significant naval battle fought by squadrons of wooden ships and also the last one involving Denmark.

Although the battle ended with a tactical victory for Denmark, it had no impact on the outcome of the war. A general armistice came into effect on 12 May, and Denmark had lost the war.

The battle

As the Danish squadron approached from the north, it sighted the British frigate "Aurora" at about 10 a.m. and soon afterwards five more ships to the Southwest. The two squadrons approached each other, and "Schwarzenberg" opened fire at 13.15 p.m. The Danes closed and returned fire when the distance had much shortened. When Tegetthoff altered course to the West in an effort to "cross the T", Suenson turned to port. With the Prussian gunboats unable to keep pace and far behind, the Austrian and Danish squadrons passed each other at a distance of about one nautical mile, exchanging furious fire. Tegetthoff turned about so as to prevent the gunboats being cut off, and both flotillas then sailed on a parallel course southwest, continuing to battle each other. "Niels Juel" duelled "Schwarzenberg", while "Jylland" and "Hejmdal" concentrated on "Radetzky". The Prussian gunboats were too far away to play a role.

At about 15.30 p.m., "Schwarzenberg" caught fire and was unable to continue. Tegetthoff broke off the encounter and took his ships into the neutral waters near Heligoland. "Aurora" had observed the action and stood ready to protect the neutrality of the British Heligoland waters, so that Suenson had to abandon his pursuit at about 16.30 p.m.

Aftermath

Suenson waited outside the British three-mile zone, but the Austrian-Prussian squadron was able to escape during the night to Cuxhaven at the mouth of the Elbe. With the armistice set to come into effect on 12 May, Suenson was ordered back to Copenhagen, thus ending the naval blockade.

In Denmark as in Austria, the outcome of the battle was regarded as a victory. The Danish squadron was enthusiastically welcomed in Copenhagen, while in Austria, Tegetthoff was awarded with his promotion to rear admiral. He subsequently led the reform of the Austrian naval establishment.

The frigate "Jylland" is today located in a drydock in a maritime museum in Ebeltoft, Denmark.

Order of battle

Denmark (Captain Edouard Suenson):* "Niels Juel" 42-gun screw frigate, crew 422:* "Jylland", 44-gun screw frigate, crew 327:* "Hejmdal" 16-gun screw corvette, crew 260

Austria (Captain Wilhelm Freiherr von Tegetthoff):* "Schwarzenberg", 51-gun screw frigate, crew 498:* "Radetzky" 37-gun screw frigate, crew 372

Prussia:* "Preussischer Adler", 4-gun paddle steamer, crew 110:* "Blitz", 3-gun 350-ton gunboat, crew 66:* "Basilisk", 3-gun 350-ton gunboat, crew 66

External links

* [http://www.milhist.dk/1864/helgolan/helgolan.html The Battle off Helgoland, Danish Military History]