Battle of Lund

After the Swedish defeat at the Battle of Fehrbellin and a number of Danish triumphs at sea, the Swedish military was occupied retaining their tenuous hold on dominions in Brandenburg and Pomerania.

The Danes saw this as an opportunity to regain control over the Scanian lands, which had fallen to Sweden with the 1658 Treaty of Roskilde. The Danes invaded via Helsingborg in late June 1676 with an army of 14,000 men, where they found themselves supported by the local peasantry. This made it impossible for the outnumbered Swedish troops to effectively defend the recently acquired province. After a month, only the fortified town of Malmö remained under Swedish control.

In August, a Danish detachment tried to advance north, but Swedish King Charles XI had prepared a new army in the province of Småland, and the Danish advance was halted at the Battle of Halmstad. The Swedes had gathered 14,000 men by October, of which three-fourths were mounted, and felt confident enough to march south. They slowly fought their way in an attempt to break the siege of Malmö. Swedish supply lines were thin due to frequent interceptions by local peasants under the command of Danish officers.

In early November, the Danish king and his army had taken post at Lund, south of the Kävlinge River. The Danes controlled all the river crossings, and the Swedish army was forced to camp on the north side. For one month this situation endured, but snow arrived in late November, and the river surface began to freeze. On the morning of December 3, the Swedish General of Fortifications Erik Dahlberg reported to the king that the ice would hold their weight. The Danes assumed that the Swedes had gone into winter camp and that they would not attack until spring.^[7]

Charles XI of Sweden
David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl

Hat worn by Charles XI of Sweden at the battle of Lund

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Battle of Fehrbellin

Battle of Fehrbellin

The Battle of Fehrbellin was fought on June 18, 1675, between Swedish and Brandenburg-Prussian troops. The Swedes, under Count Waldemar von Wrangel, had invaded and occupied parts of Brandenburg from their possessions in Pomerania, but were repelled by the forces of Frederick William, the Great Elector, under his Feldmarschall Georg von Derfflinger near the town of Fehrbellin. Along with the Battle of Warsaw (1656), Fehrbellin was crucial in establishing the prestige of Frederick William and Brandenburg-Prussia's army.

Brandenburg

Brandenburg

Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 square kilometres and a population of 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth-largest German state by area and the tenth-most populous. Potsdam is the state capital and largest city, and other major towns are Cottbus, Brandenburg an der Havel and Frankfurt (Oder).

Pomerania

Pomerania

Pomerania is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to the German states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg, while the eastern part belongs to the West Pomeranian, Pomeranian and Kuyavian-Pomeranian voivodeships of Poland.

Treaty of Roskilde

Treaty of Roskilde

The Treaty of Roskilde (NS) during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Karl X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde. After a devastating defeat, Denmark–Norway was forced to give up a third of its territory to save the rest, the ceded lands comprising Blekinge, Bornholm, Bohuslän (Båhuslen), Scania (Skåne) and Trøndelag, as well as her claims to Halland.

Helsingborg

Helsingborg

Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania (Skåne), Sweden. It is the second-largest city in Scania and ninth-largest in Sweden, with a population of 113,816 (2020). Helsingborg is the central urban area of northwestern Scania and Sweden's closest point to Denmark: the Danish city Helsingør is clearly visible about 4 km (2.5 mi) to the west on the other side of the Øresund. The HH Ferry route across the sound has more than 70 car ferry departures from each harbour every day.

Malmö

Malmö

Malmö is the largest city in the Swedish county (län) of Scania (Skåne). It is the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in the Nordic region, with a municipal population of 357,377 in 2022. The Malmö Metropolitan Region is home to over 700,000 people, and the Øresund Region, which includes Malmö and Copenhagen, is home to 4 million people.

Småland

Småland

Småland is a historical province in southern Sweden. Småland borders Blekinge, Scania, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means Small Lands. The Latinized form Smolandia has been used in other languages. The highest point in Småland is Tomtabacken, at 377 metres (1,237 ft). In terms of total area, Småland is of a similar size as Belgium & Israel.

Battle of Halmstad

Battle of Halmstad

The Battle of Halmstad, also known as the Battle at Fyllebro, was fought on August 17, 1676, at Fyllebro, approximately five kilometres south of the town of Halmstad in the province of Halland in southwest Sweden. It was the last battle in Halland between Denmark and Sweden.

Kävlinge River

Kävlinge River

Kävlinge River is the name of a small river on the flat lands of Scania in southern Sweden.

Charles XI of Sweden

Charles XI of Sweden

Charles XI or Carl was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period of Swedish history known as the Swedish Empire (1611–1721).

Swedish forces

Swedish forces from left to right:^[8]

• Royal Majesty's Life Guards of Foot: 3 Battalions
• Skaraborg Regiment. 1 Battalion
• Dalarna Regiment: 1 Battalion
• Västgöta-Dals Regiment: 1 Battalion
• Hälsinge Regiment: 1 Battalion
• Närke Regiment: 1 Battalion
• Norrland Regiment: 1 Battalion

Danish forces

Danish forces from left to right:^[8]

• Queen's Life Regiment: 2 Battalions
• Weyher's Infantry Regiment: 2 Battalions
• 1 Battalion Groy
• 1 Battalion Stuart
• Prins Georgs Regiment: 2 Battalions
• King's Regiment: 2 Battalions

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Svea Life Guards

Svea Life Guards

The Svea Life Guards, also I 1, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that was active in various forms 1521–2000. The unit was based in the Stockholm Garrison in Stockholm and belonged to the King's Life and Household Troops until 1974.

Skaraborg Regiment (infantry)

Skaraborg Regiment (infantry)

The Skaraborg Regiment, designation I 9, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was converted to an armoured regiment in 1942. The regiment's soldiers were recruited from Skaraborg County, and it was later garrisoned there.

Dalarna Regiment

Dalarna Regiment

The Dalarna Regiment, designation I 13, is a Swedish Army infantry unit that traced its origins back to the 16th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the province of Dalarna, where it was later garrisoned. The unit was disbanded as a result of the disarmament policies set forward in the Defence Act of 2000. The regiment was re-raised as Dalarna Regiment in 2021. The unit is based in Falun.

Hälsinge Regiment

Hälsinge Regiment

The Hälsinge Regiment, designations I 14, I 14/Fo 49 and I 14/Fo 21, was a Swedish Army infantry regiment that traced its origins back to the 16th century. It was disbanded in 1997. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the provinces of Hälsingland and Gästrikland, and it was later garrisoned in Gästrikland.

Queen's Life Regiment

Queen's Life Regiment

The Queen's Life Regiment was a Royal Danish Army infantry regiment. On 1 January 2001, it was amalgamated with the Prince's Life Regiment.

King's Regiment of Foot (Denmark)

King's Regiment of Foot (Denmark)

The King's Regiment of Foot was a Royal Danish Army infantry regiment. On 1 November 1961, it was amalgamated with the Jutlandic Regiment of Foot, to create the King's Jutlandic Regiment of Foot.

Funen Life Regiment

Funen Life Regiment

The Funen Life Regiment was an infantry regiment of the Royal Danish Army. On 1 November 1991 it was merged with the King's Jutlandic Regiment of Foot, into Slesvigske Fodregiment.

Before daybreak the Swedish army broke camp and made preparations to cross the river. The Swedes had 2,000 infantry and 6,000 cavalry at their disposal; their Danish opponents had more than 5,000 infantry, 6,000 cavalry, in addition to 1,300 Dutch marines—in all, about 13,000 men. Under the cover of a moonless night, between 04:00 and 05:30, the entire Swedish force successfully crossed the river and reached the southern bank without alarming the Danes. The Swedes planned to attack the sleeping Danish camp with cavalry from the southeast. Reconnaissance patrols reported that the ground between the two armies was unsuitable for mounted troops, so King Charles XI and his generals gathered to discuss the new situation. Most advisers pointed out that it would be foolish to attack by foot as the Danish army possessed much more infantry and the Swedish main strength lay in its cavalry. Additionally, the Swedes would likely lose the element of surprise during the long march towards the Danish camp. The king was eager to attack at once, but was swayed by his advisers. He ordered the troops to advance towards the hills just outside the north wall of Lund, to seize a tactical advantage. The hills would mean better terrain for the cavalry and the town itself would cover the Swedish southern flank. By then the Danes had woken, and soon recognised the Swedish intentions. The Danes quickly broke camp and started to race the Swedes for control of the hills. The first skirmish was between the Swedish right wing and the Danish left wing, and ended in a draw. However, the hills were secured under Swedish control, and the Danes were pushed to the east.

The main battle began at 09:00, at sunrise. The front now stretched one kilometer from north to south, with the Danes to the east and the Swedes to the west. The Danish army was supported by 56 cannon of various calibers, while the Swedes brought only eight six-pounders and four three-pounders. Once the fighting commenced, Charles XI personally led a flanking maneuver to overwhelm the Danish left flank. During the fighting, the Danish commander Carl von Arensdorff was badly wounded, and the entire left wing was forced to retreat at 10:00, severely crippling the Danish army. Charles XI and Field Marshal Simon Grundel Helmfelt used their cavalry to pursue fleeing Danish troops and cut down any who lagged behind. The pursuit continued eight kilometers, right up to the river. Some officers at the Danish camp attempted to ward off the Swedes, but many Danes were forced onto the ice. The ice did not hold, and a great number of the remaining Danish left wing drowned.

Battle of Lund 1676

While the Danish left wing fled, the right wing pushed the Swedes back until the Swedish left wing scattered. With the absence of Danish King Christian V and with General Arensdorff wounded, Friedrich von Arensdorff, the general's brother, had assumed command of the Danish army. The Danish front was now facing south and the Swedish forces found themselves under constant attack with their backs against the town wall. The situation for the Swedes was desperate, as there had been no sign of the king, the Household cavalry, or the Field Marshal for hours. The Swedes were also greatly outnumbered, with approximately 1,400 infantry and 2,500 cavalry, as the Danes approximately counted 4,500 infantry and 2,100 cavalry. However, instead of forcing the attack, Friedrich von Arensdorff ordered the army to regroup at noon, halting the battle.

At the river, the Swedish king was contemplating his next move. Available intelligence from the town was scarce, and suggested that the whole Danish army was on the run. Although he was tempted to rout the fleeing Danish cavalry all the way to Landskrona, he instead opted to return to Lund to his army.

The battle at Lund renewed, and the Swedes were forced back once more. At sunset (about 15:00) the Swedish king returned from the north with his cavalry, combined with some cavalry units from the scattered Swedish left wing. He decided to try to circle the Danish army to the west to join the remains of the Swedish center. Danish commander Arensdorff made the decision to halt the offensive on the Swedish center and instead tend to the enemy cavalry in the northwest.

Battle of Lund, secondary engagement - Johann Philip Lemke

Charles XI, two generals, and three guards broke through the Danish lines to join the diminished Swedish center. While Arensdorff was still attacking the cavalry in the north, the return of the Swedish king inspired the exhausted troops, who attacked the Danish forces in the back. Though the Danes still outnumbered the Swedes, by approximately 4,500 to 4,000, Arensdorff had lost the initiative and after half an hour his army disintegrated. Charles XI wanted to clear the field of Danish soldiers. The remaining Danish cavalry quickly disappeared into the night. Although Danish General Siegwert von Bibow protected the infantry retreat, many of the Danes were massacred until Field Marshal Helmfelt ordered the killing to stop and the surrendering Danish and Dutch soldiers were spared. At 17:00 a ceasefire was sounded.

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Cannon

Cannon

A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during the late 19th century. Cannons vary in gauge, effective range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees, depending on their intended use on the battlefield. A cannon is a type of heavy artillery weapon.

Carl von Arensdorff

Carl von Arensdorff

Carl von Arenstorff (1625–1676) was an officer born in Mecklenburg, who served with the Swedish, Danish and Dutch armies. He was a brother of Friedrich von Arenstorff.

Friedrich von Arensdorff

Friedrich von Arensdorff

Friedrich von Arenstorff was a German born officer in Swedish and Danish military service.

Landskrona

Landskrona

Landskrona is a town in Scania, Sweden. Located on the shores of the Öresund, it occupies a natural port, which has lent the town at first military and subsequent commercial significance. Ferries operate from Landskrona to the island of Ven, and for many years there was also a connection to Copenhagen. Landskrona is part of the Øresund region.

Monument commemorating the Battle of Lund, erected in 1876. Translation: "Here fought and bled people of the same tribe. Reconciled descendants erected the memorial"

Although the bodies were counted the next day, the original notes have been lost and the exact death toll is unknown. Contemporary Swedish sources indicate that between 8,300 and 9,000 were buried, excluding the Danes that drowned and soldiers that died from their wounds over the following weeks; however, it is likely that the peasants burying the bodies inflated the reported numbers for economical reasons, as suggested by author Gustaf Björlin, or that they include soldiers that had died of sickness and other reasons prior to the battle.^[3] One contemporary Danish source talks about a total of 9,300 dead.^[9] More realistically, the total deaths on the battlefield amounted to between 3,000 and 4,000 men, of which about 1,000 or slightly more were Swedes.^[3] The Swedes also had 2,000 men severely wounded after the battle, and perhaps 500 or so lightly wounded.^[4] According to Danish sources, their army had but 5,000 serviceable men after the battle. Swedish sources, on the other hand, estimates that only 400 infantry and 2,500 Danish cavalry made it out unharmed; this number does not include artillery personnel or officers. At least 1,500 Danes had been captured and another 500 or so had been dispersed (of which many were subsequently killed or captured).^[5] The Dutch marines had been exceptionally unfortunate; according to various sources, only a few dozen out of the 1,300 survived. The battle severely crippled both armies, seeing as it was extremely bloody when taking into consideration the casualties in comparison to the total number of combatants.^[10]

The Swedish victory is often attributed to the composition of their army, as it contained far fewer mercenaries than the Danish army. The Swedish mix of cavalry and infantry made it possible for the Swedes to mount swift counterattacks as soon as a friendly infantry unit buckled. The Danish still used the caracole tactic, undermining the speed and agility of their cavalry.

The victory at Lund boosted the morale of the Swedish army. Charles XI was criticized for getting carried away by his success on the right flank, but the battle made him popular with his troops. The remaining Danish forces were forced to retreat to the fortress of Landskrona. Reinforced by their Austrian and German allies, they would once again meet the Swedish army at the Battle of Landskrona.