The Victory at Bov – 9 April 1848
The First Battle of the Three Years’ War
In March 1848, an armed conflict broke out over the future political affiliation of Schleswig and Holstein with Denmark. A provisional Schleswig-Holstein government had seized power, and the rebel army advanced northwards. At the same time, Denmark assembled an army to suppress the uprising before troops from the German Confederation could arrive.
The Schleswig-Holstein army, numbering around 6,000 men, took up positions at the end of March at Bov, Nyhus, Harrislee and along the Kruså River towards Flensburg Fjord. The force consisted of regular soldiers, volunteers, students and members of various volunteer corps. Many of the volunteers had only limited military experience.
The Danish army was larger, numbering around 11,000 men under Major General Hans Hedemann. The plan was to attack the Schleswig-Holstein positions from several sides while simultaneously sending troops west of Bov to cut off the enemy’s retreat towards Flensburg.
Dinesen Battery. Bov, 9 April 1848. Painting by Niels Simonsen, 1866
The Battle of Bau, 9 April 1848, by Georg Bleibtreu
The Fighting at Bov
On the morning of 9 April, the Danish forces advanced. The main attack was directed towards Bov, while other Danish units carried out a feigned attack on the Schleswig-Holstein positions at Kupfermühle. The purpose was to pin down the enemy forces there while the main attack was carried out further to the west.
The fighting at Bov was fierce. The Schleswig-Holstein forces defended themselves from the town and from positions around the church and cemetery, but after several hours of fighting they were forced back. The Danes continued their advance through Nyhus towards Harrislee, while the Schleswig-Holstein soldiers attempted to regroup and slow the Danish advance.
The fighting continued at Harrislee and on the outskirts of Flensburg. Among other things, the Schleswig-Holstein forces attempted to defend themselves from houses and a brickworks, but repeated Danish attacks forced them to abandon their positions. At the same time, the forces at Kupfermühle were threatened with being cut off and began their retreat. During the retreat, they came under fire from Danish warships in Flensburg Fjord.
By around 2:30 p.m., the main fighting was over. The Danish army had won a clear victory, and the Schleswig-Holstein forces withdrew southwards. However, the planned encirclement was not completely successful. A substantial part of the Schleswig-Holstein army therefore managed to escape and was able to continue the fighting later.
A Danish Victory – but Not the End of the War
The Battle of Bov was the first major military confrontation of the Three Years’ War and ended in a clear Danish victory. The Schleswig-Holstein forces suffered many casualties, including soldiers killed, wounded or taken prisoner, while Danish losses were considerably lower.
The victory opened the way for the further advance of the Danish forces. After the fighting, Danish soldiers entered Flensburg and then continued southwards. However, the victory at Bov did not bring the war to an end. As early as 23 April, the two armies met again at Schleswig, and the Three Years’ War continued until 1850.
The Battle of Bov was therefore both a military victory and the beginning of a longer and far more uncertain course of the war.
Scene in Nystaden in Flensburg after the Battle of Bau on 9 April 1848, by Frederik Lund
Memorial stone commemorating the victory at Bov, 1848
A Stone Commemorating the Victory at Bov
At Padborgvej stands a roughly hewn memorial stone made of reddish granite. It was erected by the residents of Bov Parish in 1923 – 75 years after the Battle of Bov.
The inscription reads:
The Victory at Bov
9 April 1848
Erected by the residents of Bov Parish
1923
The stone commemorates the Danish victory in the battle that became the first actual military confrontation of the Three Years’ War. It stands in the area where Danish and Schleswig-Holstein forces fought on 9 April 1848.
Today, the stone is a visible trace of these events. It commemorates the Danish victory, but also the people who lost their lives, were wounded or taken prisoner during the fighting. At the same time, it tells us how the events of 1848 continued to be remembered and commemorated locally 75 years later.