Plunder of Nancowry

Coordinates: 7°59′N 93°33′E / 7.98°N 93.55°E

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Plunder of Nancowry

Danish habour at Nancorwy, by Johan Christian Thornam

Date	1805
Location	Nancowry Island, Nicobar Islands (present-day India) 7°59′N 93°33′E / 7.98°N 93.55°E / 7.98; 93.55
Result	British victory
Territorial changes	Danish settlement in Nancowry destroyed

Belligerents

United Kingdom

Denmark-Norway

Commanders and leaders

Blom

Unknown

Units involved

HMS Amboyna

Danish guards

Strength

1 ship

Multiple ships

Casualties and losses

Unknown

Danish colonial conflicts

Baltic Sea

North Atlantic

Africa

Cape Verde
Cape of Good Hope
Canary Islands
Carolusborg
Cape Coast
- Fredericksborg
- Cape Corso
1st Osu
1st Christiansborg
2nd Christiansborg
3rd Christiansborg
Gold Coast
Ningo
3rd Osu
5th Christiansborg
Volta
Dodowa
Prinsensten

Asia

Ceylon
- Coromandel Coast
- Trincomalee
1st Dansborg
1st Bengal
1st India
3rd Dansborg
Golconda
Carical
1st Tranquebar
2nd Tranquebar
3rd Tranquebar
2nd Bengal
- Dannemarksnagore
4th Tranquebar
1st Serampore
Nicobar Islands
5th Tranquebar
2nd India
Porreiar

Caribbean

The plunder of Nancowry' (Danish: Plyndringen af Nancovryhavn) or the Battle of Nancowry (Danish: Slaget ved Nancovryhavn) was the British capture of the Danish colony at Nancowry Island (Ny Sjælland) in 1805.

Background

In 1756, the Danish flag was hoisted at the island of Great Nicobar (Ny Sjælland),^[1] and the colonial attempt also spread to Nancowry Island, however, these attempts already failed the next year.^[2] For the rest of the 18th century, Denmark would try to establish a colonial presence on the Nicobar Islands.^[2]

In 1801 hostilities broke out between Denmark–Norway and Great Britain, and these hostilities would spread to India. On 12 May Tranquebar would be occupied along with Serampore.

Battle

Initially, the Danish Nicobar Islands (Frederiksnagore) were left out of the British occupation, and in 1802 a ship arrived with more supplies and men.^[3] However, in 1805, on the basis of the war between Denmark and Great Britain, a British captain named Blom would arrive at the habour of Nancowry.^[3]^[4] Together with his vessel, HMS Amboyna, Blom would dislodge the Danish forces there and looted the godowns and residences, before leaving the harbour again.^[5]

Aftermath

In the following year, the Danes would revisit the island, and the Danish command would be re-established.^[4] In 1807, the islands would be left to themselves again because of the Gunboat War, and two years later, in 1809, the British would come to the island and transport the leftover garrison to Tranquebar.^[3]

References

^ Verner 1984, p. 61.
^ ^a ^b Larsen 1940, p. 27.
^ ^a ^b ^c Liisberg 2020.
^ ^a ^b Larsen 1940, p. 61.
^ Society 1960, p. 26.

Works cited

Larsen, Kay (1940). Guvernører, Residenter, Kommandanter og Chefer (PDF) (in Danish). Copenhagen: ARTHUR JENSENS FORLAG.
Verner, Madsen (1984). Peder Hansen (PDF) (in Danish). Odense Universitetsforlag.
Liisberg, H. C. Bering (2020-01-13). Danmarks søfart og søhandel. Bind 1 (in Danish). Lindhardt og Ringhof. ISBN 978-87-26-30660-6.
Society, Burma Research (1960). Fiftieth Anniversary Publications: Selection of articles from the Journal of the Burma Research Society (history and literature). Burma Research Society.

Categories:

Hidden categories:

Background

Battle

Aftermath

See also

References

Works cited