DK: Gunboats

Following the capture of its fleet after the First Battle of Copenhagen, Denmark-Norway engaged in a programme of rapid construction of cheap gunboat vessels to replace the lost ships as quickly as possible. This led to the Gunboat War of 1807-1814.

Please note, this model is so small as to only really be worth trying to print in resin!

Gunboats of four types were built:

Kanonchaluppen: These were the larger type of gunboat. Each was armed with two 24-pounder cannon and four 4-pounder howitzers and had a wartime establishment of 69 – 79 men.
Kanonjollen: These were the smaller type of gunboat. Each was armed with one 24-pounder cannon and two 4-pounder howitzers, and had wartime establishment of 41 men.
Morterchaluppen: These were the larger, mortar-armed gunboats. Each was armed with one 100-pounder mortar and two 4-pounder howitzers, and had a wartime establishment of 40 men.
Morterbarkasserne: These were smaller, mortar-armed gunboats. Each was armed with one mortar and had a wartime establishment of 19 men. They were little more than ordinary ships’ boats into which a mortar had been set. They had a tendency to leak badly after 5 – 7 mortar shells had been fired. Their crews then had to bring them back into harbour, remove the mortar, and recaulk their vessels.

This gunboat model is based on a Swedish design by Fredrik Henrik af Chapman, which is very similar to some of those used by the Danes.