Christianshavn Incident
Unk. commander
Carsten Ludvigsen
Multiple guns
22 men
- v
- t
- e
North Atlantic
- Iceland
- Jakobshavn
- Reykjavík
- East Greenland
- Faroe Islands
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
- 2nd
- 4ht Christiansborg
- Crèvecœur
- Ningo
- 3rd Osu
- 5th Christiansborg
- Volta
- Dodowa
- Prinsensten
Asia
- Ceylon
- 1st Dansborg
- 1st Bengal
- 1st Pipli
- 1st Bay of Bengal
- 1st Balasore
- 2nd Bay of Bengal
- 3rd Bay of Bengal
- 4th Bay of Bengal
- 2nd Pipli
- 2nd Balasore
- Hooghly
- 1st India
- 3rd Dansborg
- Golconda
- Carical
- 1st Tranquebar
- 2nd Tranquebar
- 3rd Tranquebar
- 2nd Bengal
- Dannemarksnagore
- 4th Tranquebar
- Tillali
- Anandamangalam
- 4th Dansborg
- 1st Serampore
- Nicobar Islands
- 5th Tranquebar
- 2nd India
- 2nd Serampore
- 6th Tranquebar
- Nancowry
- 3rd Serampore
- 7th Tranquebar
- Porreiar
Caribbean
The Christianshavn Incident (Danish: Christianshavnhændelsen, Spanish: Christianopuerto Incidente[a]), also known as the Skirmish at Santa Cruz (Danish: Træfningen ved Santa Cruz), was a minor incident and skirmish between Danish and Spanish military assets near Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Spain. The Danish vessel, Christianshavn, was badly wounded and the Danes had to retreat into habour, where they would be detained.
Background
In 1639, Christian IV of Denmark sent experienced trader Willem Leyel with the ship Christianshavn to India to investigate current reports about the Danish East India Company's dire financial situation.[1]
Prelude
However, on 5 March 1640, upon reaching Santa Cruz, Leyel and his men were inspected by the Spanish, who were skeptical of other European nations trading and colonizing India.[2] When the Spaniards approached the ship, they demanded that the captain step ashore and explain where they were heading.[3][2] By afternoon, the Spanish also demanded Leyel to step ashore, though Leyel explained that it was too late and that he would remain onboard that night.[3]
However, Leyel had already finalized a plan to escape the habour so his arrival at Danish India would not be further delayed.[3]
Incident
At night when the town and garrison at the Castle of San Cristóbal seemed to be asleep, the Danes manned two boats and equipped them with towropes.[3][2] Since heaving the anchor would make too much noise, the two boats were intended to help the ship get under sail.[2]
For some time, their escape seemed promising, but suddenly the Danes saw soldiers with burning torches on the ramparts.[4] The Spanish soldiers shouted commands at the Danes and shortly after fired cannon shots at them.[5] The first cannon shot struck off a piece of the mizzenmast, the second made a hole in the ship two feet above the waterline, a third removed a large piece of the yard and a fourth shot made a hole only one foot above the waterline.[4] Christianshavn was also shot from the other side by a Spanish ship but with minor damages inflicted.[5][4]
Leyel had also forbidden his men to shoot.[5] The reason being that if their escape did not succeed, they would be guilty of firing at a royal Spanish fortress.[5] When it became clear that there was no hope of escaping, Leyel gave orders to hoist the white flag and surrender.[4] On seeing this, the Spanish sent a captain on board and demanded that Leyel and his men come ashore immediately.[5][4]
Aftermath
Leyel and his men were now escorted up to the commander of Fort San Cristóbal, where he sought to hand over King Christian's pass, to prove that he sailed legitimately.[5] However, the Spanish commander refused to listen and sent the Danes to La Laguna.[5][4] Leyel would struggle with the Spanish for almost three more years, until he finally, on 2 March 1643, could sail off to India.[6]
Notes
- ^ After her capture, Christianshavn was renamed to Christianopuerto by the Spaniards.
References
- ^ "1639 - 55 - www.foreningen-trankebar.dk". 123hjemmeside.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2024-04-19.
- ^ a b c d Bredsdorff 1999, p. 50.
- ^ a b c d Bredsdorff 2009, p. 50.
- ^ a b c d e f Bredsdorff 1999, p. 51.
- ^ a b c d e f g Bredsdorff 2009, p. 51.
- ^ Bredsdorff 2009, p. 69.
Works cited
- Bredsdorff, Asta (1999). Søhistoriske Skrifter (PDF) (in Danish). Vol. XXI. Copenhagen: Handels- og Søfartsmuseet Kronborg.
- Bredsdorff, Asta (2009). The Trials and Travels of Willem Leyel. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press. ISBN 9788763530231.