Battle of Køge

Battle context

The Battle of Køge was a British victory during the siege of Copenhagen in 1807, fought between a British force under Arthur Wellesley and Danish militia raised on Sjælland. The Danish militia, outnumbering the British force, suffered approximately 1,700 casualties and were routed, eliminating the main Danish land threat to British operations on the island. By neutralizing this militia force, the battle secured British control of the surrounding territory and allowed the siege of Copenhagen to proceed without significant interference from Danish ground forces. The engagement became known popularly as 'Træskoslaget' — the Clogs Battle — after the fleeing militiamen discarded their heavy wooden clogs during the rout, a detail that entered Danish collective memory of the episode.