The Battle of Tromsø was the last British naval engagement in Norwegian waters during the Gunboat War and influenced Admiralty policy against risky coastal attacks.
Key Facts
- Date
- 2 August 1812
- British frigate
- HMS Horatio, 38 guns
- British cutting-out party
- 80 men
- Dano-Norwegian vessels captured
- 2 gunboats (No. 97 and No. 114)
- American prize
- 1 vessel captured in Tromsø harbour
- Dano-Norwegian commander
- Second Lieutenant Hans Carl Bodenhoff
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
During the Gunboat War between Britain and Denmark-Norway, HMS Horatio entered Norwegian waters. The 4-gun Dano-Norwegian cutter No. 97 fired on the British frigate after discovering its identity, then fled to Tromsø harbour, provoking a British response.
On 2 August 1812, Captain Lord George Stuart dispatched a cutting-out party of 80 men from HMS Horatio. The British force successfully seized the cutter No. 97 and the 6-gun schooner No. 114, commanded by Second Lieutenant Hans Carl Bodenhoff, along with an American prize vessel in Tromsø harbour.
British casualties were heavy enough that Stuart chose to return to England rather than continue operations. Bodenhoff earned renown as 'the lion of Tromsø' for his bravery. The action became the last British engagement in Norwegian waters during the Gunboat War and prompted the Admiralty to issue secret orders prohibiting risky attacks on foreign coasts.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Captain Lord George Stuart.
Side B
1 belligerent
Second Lieutenant Hans Carl Bodenhoff.