I fancy it would have gone hard for us if our regiment had not turned out to see off the Danes in fine style. Never would he forget the stab of stark terror as realisation dawned that they would be trapped in full view against an open field because he’d failed in his duty to establish a firm line of retreat when deploying. Or the intoxicating relief at the vision of his comrades-in-arms in warlike array joining battle – such a magnificent sight!
Then to camp and a welcome for a hero! There. Finished. It was so much more grateful to the feelings to let it all out, and now David would know how it had been for him in the fires of combat.
Perhaps the last bit was not quite as it had been. To be truthful, no one had seemed interested in where he’d been or what he’d endured. And far from a massive counter-attack to drive them back to the sea, the regimental diary would describe it as an armed reconnaissance in some numbers that had driven in the picquets, but which had then been beaten off by reinforcements for trifling loss.
Crestfallen, he had ambled about camp until Sergeant Heyer had seen him and gruffly suggested that, as the field kitchens and officers’ conveniences had not yet been set up, he was welcome to join them at the light company’s stirabout.
And there he entered into the fellowship of the soldier on campaign, ladling out the pieces of boiled beef, thickened by peas and lentils, crushed army biscuits and greasy flour dumplings, and in the comradely darkness by the fire hearing tales of other times and places where British soldiers had fought and endured for the honour of their king and country and a shilling a day – less deductions.
As he took his leave Ensign Maynard knew that there was nowhere else in this earthly existence he would rather be.
Chapter 66
The Citadel, Danish headquarters
The aide bowed and retired. General Peymann held the sealed document he’d just been given as though it might burst into flames. The others in the room sat in tense silence.
The Citadel had guarded the city for centuries. The man now charged with defending it against its greatest threat slit the seal. He read the contents once, then again, before laying it down slowly.
‘Gentlemen. By this the commander of the British expedition against us does call on me to deliver up the city of Copenhagen and all its works, and most particularly its fleet.’ He looked mournfully from one to another. ‘Know that we have done what we can. At the moment we are now completely surrounded by a dozen regiments of redcoats with cavalry and guns. There’s a great fleet anchored off our shores and-’
‘Sir, you cannot-’
‘-and the island of Sj?lland is cut off from the outside world. We may expect no reinforcements or rescue.’
‘Then unhappily, sir, it appears-’
‘Choose what you say carefully, General.’
Generallojtnant Bielefeldt blinked, confused. ‘Sir, your words imply a fatal situation. Should we not consider our position?’
‘Why?’
‘Er, for the sake of our people, sir. A siege long protracted will be-’
‘Sir, I have reminded this meeting only of what faces us. There is no question of capitulation.’
‘If we cannot go on-’
‘Enough!’ Peymann spluttered. ‘My last orders from His Royal Highness are to defend Copenhagen and its people, and that is what we are in duty bound to do, and, by God, we shall, sir.’
‘Then there can be no surrender,’ Bielefeldt hastened to agree.
‘Quite. Therefore I shall reject this note with contempt.’
Krieger looked significantly at Bille, who stood up briskly. ‘Sir. Permission to withdraw – to open hostilities on the enemy!’
‘Do so with all means, Kommandor. Our land forces have had a first brush with the English on a reconnaissance in force and have discovered them a formidable foe. It would be gratifying should the navy take the war to the enemy by any means you see fit, sir.’
As if by unspoken agreement the two officers went to the ramparts, the great earthworks fifty feet thick, laid out in a star shape nearly half a mile across, secure and impregnable. Within them were the parade ground, storehouses and barracks.
It was only when they clambered to the top that the true situation became clear. To the north an uncountable number of enemy ships lay offshore. From them were pouring guns and boots, horses and ammunition, victuals and tents. All with perfect impunity. And from there they would circle inland to strengthen the clamping hold of the siege while this immense sea-facing fortress lay helpless to prevent it.
Krieger studied the scene with a grim smile. ‘We have our mark, then. Stop all that.’
‘If we can.’ Bille snorted. ‘I see a full score sail-of-the-line who won’t take kindly should we press our attentions.’
It was a sight to make the stoutest heart quail – an immensity of ships so dense that no part of the open horizon could be seen through them.
‘I can!’
‘Johannes?’
‘You’ve not seen as much of the damned Engelsk as I have. They’re blue-water seamen – there’s nowhere they go that’s not deep-sea sailing. Those out there,’ he waved dismissively, ‘all of ’em are fine hulls for an Atlantic blow but in waters a touch shoal, they’re like to be a porker tip-toeing through a barnyard.’
‘Then?’
‘We’ve learned a lot in our Swedish wars, especially how to build gunboats as can take Baltic conditions. Flat-bottomed, we can crowd right inshore where their frigates can’t get at us and we’ll outgun any petty craft they send against us. I want to make sally up this corridor and fall on their store-ships and transports. Give me a dozen – a score of these – and we’ll start making ourselves felt.’
‘You’ve got them – all we have.’
‘I want Lynetten as a base, with a second luff to take it in charge.’
‘But-’
‘I’ll be in the boats. If we’re going against this horde I’m not having your common som?nd seeing me sit on my arse while there’s work to be done.’
‘Anything else?’
‘A working party to start this instant on rigging some trots between Lynetten and Quintus Battery. I’m having all the gunboats moored there, not in the harbour. They’ll be safe under the guns of Trekroner and Provesten and perfectly placed for sorties.’
‘It’ll be done, Johannes.’
‘And while we’re getting the boats out I want to choose their captains myself. We’ve a quantity of fine officers at leisure from the fleet. Do send ’em out as who will volunteer, and I’ll give them leave to pick their own crews.’
Chapter 67
Lynetten, island base for gunboats
In his lair a mile offshore, Krieger eased himself to a small desk in a musty casemate, the salt air on stone and the bronze twenty-four-pounder a peculiar tang in his nostrils. Word had quickly spread in Holmen that the navy was going to strike back at the invaders and boats had brought a stream of officers, who now waited outside.
He had before him their records but this was not needed – he knew most of them from the camaraderie of Nyholm.
It was going to be difficult: the time-honoured practices of a fleet square-rigger were not what was wanted now. A gunboat captain had to be quick-thinking, a strong leader and, above all, possess nerves of steel. To be sent against a ship fifty times the size under fire from great guns that could transform their command with a single hit into splintered wreckage and torn corpses took a different kind of courage.
And skill. With small size and agility their only advantage, to close successfully required first-class reading of the wind from the point of view of the enemy captain, and to know precisely when to douse sail and revert to oars against the same wind took a particular talent. Above all they needed to know how to act as an integral part of a team, working with others to tear down a mightier beast, like a pack in full cry, some to distract, others to go in at vulnerable points, the rest to lie off and pound.