Battle of Trangen

Part of the Dano-Swedish War of 1808-1809

Captain Nicolay Peter Drejer on the stump during the battle

Date	25 April 1808
Location	Trangen in Flisa north of Kongsvinger, Norway
Result	Decisive Dano-Norwegian victory

Belligerents

Sweden

Denmark–Norway

Commanders and leaders

Carl Pontus Gahn (POW)

Bernhard Ditlef von Staffeldt

Strength

520 men

750 men

Casualties and losses

25 dead
57 wounded
450 captured

8 dead
53 wounded
2 captured

The Battle of Trangen took place on 25 April 1808 at Trangen in Flisa, Hedemarkens Amt, between Swedish and Norwegian troops, as a part of the Dano-Swedish War of 1808-1809. The invading Swedish troops, led by Colonel Carl Pontus Gahn, were surrounded and forced to surrender by the Norwegian troops under the command of Bernhard Ditlef von Staffeldt. Gahn and around 450 of his troops were captured.

After the Swedish setback at Skabukilen on 13 April, they were victorious at Lier on 18 April, when they drove the Norwegians back to Kongsvinger Fortress. General Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt, now headquartered at Lier, hoped to take the strategically important fortress through a pincer movement with the help of Gahn's "Flying Corps". The plan was that Gahn should advance with his troops across the border from Midtskog and on to Åsnes, and from there march south along the river Glomma to Kongsvinger.

On the evening of 24 April Gahn crossed the Swedish-Norwegian border and moved his entire battalion westwards along the southern side of Flisa River. He chose to march at night to surprise the Norwegian outposts. At dawn, the battalion was near the Flisa River, where it faced the first Norwegian outposts, who immediately fired warning shots and sent out a report about the Swedish advance.

The defending troops, commanded by Colonel Bernhard Ditlef von Staffeldt, had begun establishing a defense in the area in early April 1808. Staffeldt's brigade consisted of a grenadier battalion of the 2nd Trondheim Infantry Regiment (2. Throndhjemske Infanteriregiments grenaderbataljon) commanded by Major Johan Georg Ræder, the Southern Norwegian Ski Battalion (Den søndenfjeldske Skiløberbataljon) commanded by Major Frederik Wilhelm Stabell, the Lærdal Light Infantry Company (Lærdalske lette infanterikompani) commanded by Captain Wilhelm Jürgensen, and some troops from Oppland Dragon Regiment (Oplandske Dragonregiment).

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