Battle of Sankelmark

Overview

The Battle of Sankelmark was a minor battle during the Second Schleswig War. It took place on 6 February 1864 between Sankelmark and Oeversee, on the road between Schleswig and Flensburg, during the Danish retreat from the Danevirke.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Sankelmark took place during the Danish retreat from the Danevirke in the Second Schleswig War, on the road between Schleswig and Flensburg. The engagement occurred as Danish forces under Müller and Steinmann fell back following the abandonment of the Danevirke defensive line, and the fighting reflected the operational pressure Austrian forces under Gablenz were able to apply during that withdrawal. Austrian casualties recorded in the hundreds underscore that Danish rearguard resistance was not negligible, even in a retreat. As a minor action within the broader 1864 campaign, Sankelmark did not alter the strategic outcome of the war but marked one of the contested moments of the Danish withdrawal northward.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (4)