Battle of Prestebakke

The Norwegians split the columns into several detachments, to attack the dispersed Swedish contingents, and to cut their retreat off.^[7] The attack in the Swedish rear began at 03:30, which caught the Swedes completely off guard and quickly overwhelmed or forced their outposts back. Knorring conducted a counterattack with about 128 men, but was forced to retreat towards Glenne—after an hour of fighting—as both of his flanks were threatened, and with no reinforcements in sight. By this time, Huitfeldt had likewise begun his frontal attack, which drove the Swedish outposts, facing him, back towards Prestebakke.^[8] A desperate struggle now occurred at the church, where several Swedish detachments had rallied; the Swedes fought behind the cemetery wall, but were overwhelmed as the Norwegians managed to encircle the position and break into their defenses.^[9]

Knorring continued his fighting-retreat towards Glenne, but was intercepted by a small Norwegian detachment across a stream, 1.3 kilometres away from the church. Knorring ordered his men into Jäger-formation, after which he attempted to break through the Norwegian position; after two failed attacks, and with larger Norwegian forces in pursuit, he eventually surrendered with his remaining 150 men.^[10] The third Norwegian column, tasked with attacking Berby—by going on a flotilla through the Iddefjord—landed a small force at Pilegården on 9 June, where a Swedish outpost was forced on the run. The Norwegians then attacked Krokstrand the next day, followed by Berby, where an artillery duel ensued for about an hour, with no losses on either side.^[11]

After the battle, the Swedes and Norwegians agreed upon a ceasefire, to collect the many wounded:^[12] The Swedes had lost 18 men killed and 380 captured, including 38 wounded.^[3] The Norwegian losses are not fully known; they had six men killed and equally many severely wounded, while the complete number of wounded is unknown.^[4] Because of his failure in the battle, Knorring was sentenced to six months suspension (it was later altered to only two months).^[13] The battle had no strategic effects, as the Swedes retaliated four days later—to restore the Swedish honor—and retook what had been lost; the Norwegians quickly retreated before their much superior enemy. Subsequently, the Swedes abandoned their positions between 20 and 24 June, and went back to Sweden.^[14] On 12 September, they would once again cross the border, to reconnoitre towards the Norwegian positions at Berby.^[15]

• Generalstaben (1915). Sveriges krig åren 1808 och 1809, Volume 6 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Kongl. boktryckeriet P. A. Norstedt & söner.
• Generalstaben (1919). Sveriges krig åren 1808 och 1809, Volume 7 (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.

58°59′30″N 11°32′10″E / 58.99167°N 11.53611°E / 58.99167; 11.53611