Battle of Dybbøl
Encyclopedia : B : BA : BAT : Battle of Dybbøl
| Second War of Schleswig |
|---|
| Mysunde – Dannevirke – Sankelmark – Rügen – Dybbøl – Fredericia – Heligoland – Als – Lundby |
The Battle of Dybbøl was a battle in the Second War of Schleswig, and occurred on the morning of April 18, 1864 following a siege lasting from April 7. The Prussian army defeated the Danish army after hours of heavy bombardment. On April 17, the Danish army counterattacked from their lines but were repelled. On April 18, the Germans advanced on the Danish after a long bombardment. The Danish Army fought desperately against the Prussian army. The Danish troops were very tired and weakened because of the bombardement. In one of the ramparts, a Danish unit of only 19 soldiers and one officer fought 1,000 German soldiers. The Danes fired their cannon and took up hand-to-hand fighting before being captured. Nine Danish soldiers died and the rest surrendered, but they fought so desperately that they killed nearly 30 Prussians. The Danish troops fought hard to hold their ramparts, but were in the end driven from the field. A total massacre of the retreating troops was avoided and the Prussian advance halted by a counterattack by the 8th Brigade. It should be noted that the Danish army had smaller guns and older rifle mode. The Prussians had the new quick loading rifles.
Sociologists still refer to the Battle of Dybbøl when commenting on the relationship between Danes and Germans.
The Battle of Dybbøl was the first military clash where the Red Cross was recognized as an independent body.
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