Battle of Lier (1808)

The Norwegian formation stretched about 900 m (2,953 ft) over the heights, with its right (west) protected by the Føsker, and the left (east) by the Tarven and Vinger lakes. The Lier homesteads made up the centre, south of which a 300–400 m (984–1,312 ft) wide swampy meadow stretched, which turned into impassable boglands further west; additional heights arose behind the meadow, covered in a coniferous forest, which could only be traversed after certain difficulty. The Norwegians had, furthermore, established a vital redoubt a few hundred metres south of their left wing, to observe the main road.^[13][14]

On the morning of the 18th, Armfelt attacked; he ordered two divisions to sweep around and make diversionary attacks on the Norwegian flanks, while his centre prepared to frontally assault.^[16] At 08:30, the left Swedish division of 200 men (mainly from the Värmland Jäger Regiment), under Matern, drove back the Norwegian light infantry south of the entrenchments, towards the direction of the redoubt. Matern then advanced over the frozen Føsker to a height, 100 metres from the Norwegian right, where he began skirmishing, accordingly. He withdrew after a while, to await the main Swedish attack—the deep snow slowed down the movements.^[17][18] Cederström, with the right Swedish division of near 600 men (mainly from the Närke-Värmland Regiment),^[19] found his way impassable; upon receiving his reports, Armfelt instead ordered 100 Jägers under Lilljeström and Belfrage to make the diversion on the Norwegian left,^[18] while the Swedish centre (about 350 men) set march through the forest, around 15:00, to attack.^[17]

A little past 17:00, the Swedes, with two guns in support, captured the heights left of the road, after which an intense firefight commenced. The Swedish infantry positioned itself in front of the forest and prepared to storm the redoubt. However, Lilljeström's attack over Tarven had failed while Belfrage had been repelled east of the redoubt, which convinced Armfelt to cancel a continued assault and order a retreat. Meanwhile, Cederström suddenly arrived with his division and threatened to go over the river between the two lakes, on the Norwegian flank. This resulted in a large shift of troops from the Norwegian right wing, to their left; a failed Norwegian counterattack against Cederström followed (mainly by the Oppland Grenadier Regiment), with many losses as a result.^[20][21] Near 18:00, as the Norwegians could be seen shifting their troops, the Uppland Regiment, under major Hård, seized the initiative and stormed the redoubt under the cover of a gun—it was taken after a hard-fought melee. The Norwegian right, which was almost completely stripped from troops (apart from some landwehr), was simultaneously taken in a renewed attack by Matern; he then seized the heights west of the Lier homesteads, which endangered the whole Norwegian position. Instead of conducting a counterattack, Keutz ordered a full retreat around 19:00, as he also feared being cut off from Kongsvinger.^[22][23] Seue had denied him the support from the reserve, as he was afraid that Cederström would fall upon the fortress.^[20] Armfelt pursued the Norwegians all the way to Tråstad, under frequent skirmishing, after which Keutz made it over the frozen Glommen towards Kongsvinger.^[22][23]

The Swedes had five men killed and 66 wounded (an additional 17 had suffered contusion). The Norwegians had 95 men captured (apart from some armed peasants), 54 killed, and an unknown number of wounded (two confirmed);^[1] or around 100 killed and wounded in total, and near the same number of captured.^[2] Armfelt did not follow up on his victory, as he deemed that his artillery was too weak to besiege the Kongsvinger fortress. The old Norwegian entrenchments were destroyed and replaced by new ones, facing north. Swedish outposts were sent to the Glommen, while the main army remained at Lier.^[24] In his after action report, Armfelt wrote: "This position is so strong that I would never have resolved to attack it with such an insignificant force, had it been revealed to me earlier".^[25] Armfelt planned to use Lier as a forward operating base, as soon as the ice would break up at the Glomma.^[24] The news of the important Swedish victory was quickly neglected, however, as isolated Swedish contingents were overwhelmed, at both Toverud and Trangen, the following days.^[26] On 24 May, six days after the Battle of Mobekk, Armfelt received orders from Gustav IV Adolf to act defensively, as the king planned an attack on Denmark. As a result, Armfelt retreated out of Norway with most of the army in May and June.^[27]

• Generalstaben (1915). Sveriges krig åren 1808 och 1809, Volume 6 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Kongl. boktryckeriet P. A. Norstedt & söner.
• Angell, Henrik (1914). Syv-Aars-Krigen for 17. Mai 1807–1814 (in Norwegian). Kristiania: H. Aschehoug & Co.
• Sundberg, Ulf (2010). Sveriges krig: 1630–1814; del 3 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Svenskt militärhistoriskt bibliotek. ISBN 9789185789634.
• Tegnér, Elof (1884). Gustaf Mauritz Armfelt: Efter Armfelts efterlemnade papper samt andra handskrifna och tryckta källor (second edition); volume 3 (in Swedish). Stockholm: F. & G. Beijers Förlag.

60°08′58″N 12°02′36″E / 60.1494°N 12.0434°E / 60.1494; 12.0434