The attack on Bornholm occurred between 10 and 24 June 1566 during the Northern Seven Years' War when a Swedish fleet of 60 ships under the command of Klas Horn attempted to capture the island. Horn initially sent letters to negotiate but eventually began bombarding the island and later attempted to land, which failed. The Swedes withdrew on 24 June.
Background On 10 June 1566, the commander of Bornholm, Schweder Ketting, reported that he had spotted the Swedish fleet near the island to Frederick II which had set out towards the island 5 days prior. In total, the fleet consisted of 60 ships in total, with 36 being warships and the rest being lesser vessels referred to as "Pinker", "Jagter", and "Koffardiskibe".
Prior to the attack, Kettingk had created a militia to defend the island, additionally having around 400 Landsknechte.
Attack
When Klas Horn came close to the island, he decided to attempt to capture it, not expecting much resistance. He sent an initial letter ashore, asking for some "good men" to be dispatched to his ship. When this was not done, he sent the following letter:
As a response, Kettingk wrote "I owe the Swedish admiral nothing but powder and shot." The Swedes soon began bombarding Bornholm, doing so for 10 days and causing minimal damage.
Eventually, he attempted to land on the island by force, being met by resistance from armed peasants that Kettingk had organized. The Swedes were quickly surprised by the resistance, being forced to withdraw on 24 June.
Aftermath After this failure, Horn continued elsewhere. Part of the Swedish fleet entered the Sound, where they attacked merchant ships to and from Denmark.
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