A Swedish-Dutch coalition defeated the Danish-Norwegian fleet at Fehmarn, shifting Baltic naval dominance during the Torstenson War.
Key Facts
- Swedish-Dutch ships
- 37 ships with 875 guns total
- Danish ships
- 17 ships with 448 guns
- Prisoners taken
- 1,000
- Danish ships captured
- 10, including largest three
- Danish ships wrecked
- 2
- Allied losses
- 2 fireships and 1 Dutch ship
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Torstenson War (1643–1645) pitted Sweden against Denmark-Norway over control of Baltic trade routes and Swedish exemption from the Sound Toll. Sweden sought to neutralize Danish naval power, assembling a large fleet supplemented by hired Dutch warships to challenge Danish supremacy at sea.
On 13 October 1644, a combined Swedish-Dutch fleet of 37 ships engaged 17 Danish-Norwegian vessels northwest of the island of Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea. The allied force overwhelmed the Danes, killing Admiral Pros Mund and capturing 1,000 prisoners, including several senior officers. Ten Danish ships were captured and two wrecked, at minimal cost to the attackers.
The defeat devastated the Danish-Norwegian fleet and undermined Denmark's capacity to contest Baltic waters. This naval loss contributed to Denmark's weakened position in subsequent peace negotiations, ultimately leading to the Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645, which forced Denmark to cede significant territories and privileges to Sweden.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Side B
1 belligerent
Pros Mund (killed), Ulfeldt (captured), Benjamin Grabov (captured), Von Jasmund (captured).