The last naval battle fought by squadrons of wooden ships, ending the Danish blockade during the Second Schleswig War.
Key Facts
- Date
- 9 May 1864
- Danish commander
- Commodore Edouard Suenson
- Austro-Prussian commander
- Commodore Wilhelm von Tegetthoff
- Tegetthoff flagship fires
- Schwarzenberg caught fire three times
- Armistice
- Three days after the battle
- Surviving ship
- Jylland preserved in Ebeltoft
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Denmark imposed a naval blockade on German North Sea ports during the Second Schleswig War. Austria dispatched two steam frigates, SMS Schwarzenberg and Radetzky, to reinforce the small Prussian Navy and break the blockade, with Tegetthoff commanding the combined squadron after joining a Prussian aviso and two gunboats.
On 9 May 1864, the Danish squadron under Suenson and the Austro-Prussian squadron under Tegetthoff clashed off neutral British-controlled Heligoland. Tegetthoff's frigates engaged while the slower Prussian vessels could not keep pace. Schwarzenberg caught fire three times and was ultimately forced to seek refuge in neutral waters, while Denmark claimed a tactical victory on the grounds of inflicting greater damage.
Denmark's blockade of German ports was lifted following the battle. An armistice took effect three days later, and when fighting resumed in June, reinforced Austro-Prussian naval forces deterred further Danish naval challenges. The engagement is historically noted as the final major battle between squadrons of wooden warships.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Commodore Edouard Suenson.
Side B
2 belligerents
Commodore Wilhelm von Tegetthoff.