Battle of Saltholm

{{Short description|1808 battle of the Gunboat War}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = Battle of Saltholm

| image = Kanonbåde 1808.jpg

| image_size = 300px

| caption = Briggen Turbulent tages af danske kanonbåde den 9. juni 1808, Unknown author

| partof = the Gunboat War

| date = 9 June 1808

| place = Off Saltholm, Øresund Strait

| result = Dano-Norwegian victory

| combatant1 = {{flagdeco|Denmark}} Denmark–Norway

| commander1 = {{flagdeco|Denmark}} Johan Krieger

| strength1 = 21 gunboats
7 mortar boats

| casualties1 = Unknown

| combatant2 = {{flagcountry|UKGBI}}

| commander2 = {{flagdeco|UK|civil}} George Wood

| strength2 = 3 brigs
1 bomb ketch

| casualties2 = 1 brig captured
12-13 merchant ships captured

| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox Gunboat War}}
{{Campaignbox English Wars}}

}}

The Battle of Saltholm was fought on 9 June 1808 during the Gunboat War. Danish and Norwegian ships attacked a British convoy off the island of Saltholm in Øresund Strait near Copenhagen.{{efn|Danish sources place the battle in Flinterenden, the channel between the island of Saltholm and Malmö.}}

The convoy of 70 British merchant vessels left Malmö Roads under the escort of three Royal Navy brigs and one bomb vessel. The brigs were {{HMS|Turbulent|1805|6}} of 12 guns, the 14-gun {{HMS|Piercer|1804|2}} and the 12-gun HMS Charger. The bomb was {{HMS|Thunder|1803|6}}.

The Danes and the Norwegian assembled twenty-one gunboats and seven mortar boats for the attack. Once the Dano-Norwegian force attacked, the battle was over within twenty minutes.

Turbulent, under the command of Lieutenant George Wood, was bringing up the rear. She and Thunder engaged while the remaining ships attempted to flee. This proved difficult as the wind was very calm, which allowed the Danish and Norwegians to row up to and board several of the British merchantmen. Turbulent was finally dismasted, which forced her to strike. Still, her resistance enabled most of the merchant fleet to escape. The Dano-Norwegian force captured 12 or 13 merchant vessels, plus Turbulent.[http://www.milhist.dk/englandskrigene/erobringer/britiske_tab.htm Danish website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222032521/http://www.milhist.dk/englandskrigene/erobringer/britiske_tab.htm |date=22 February 2012 }} detailing loss of British Ships (in English)Topsøe-Jensen Vol 2-page 49 (in Danish)Thunder escaped with some damage.