Battle of Rødenes
The Battle of Rødenes (April 20 – May 7, 1808) was a series of small battles around Rødenes, Norway, during the Dano-Swedish War of 1808–1809. Sweden invaded Norway, crossing the border in mid-April and occupying the eastern shores of Rødenessjøen and Øymarksjøen. Colonel Bror Cederström commanded the Swedish forces and built barricades at Ørje, where his headquarters stood. Norway’s Prince Christian August was worried the Swedish troops could break through and threaten Kongsvinger, so he moved to oppose them.
On April 20, two Norwegian companies under Captain Heyerdahl and Captain Zarbell were sent to stop a possible Swedish advance toward Hemnes. Zarbell’s men clashed with a Swedish Jägar Corps near Lund; the Swedes withdrew to Opsal and Krok in Rødenes, but Cederström ordered a renewed push toward Lund. The Norwegians held their position, and the Swedes eventually pulled back.
After Norway’s victory at Trangen, Christian August sent more troops to Rødenes. On May 4, Major Andreas Samuel Krebs moved to join Captain Zarbell and formed a larger force with Jägers, grenadiers, sharpshooters, and cavalry. Zarbell’s men attacked the Swedish position at Opsal but could not dislodge about 150 Swedish soldiers from the 1st Södermanlands battalion. Krebs’s main force then pressed the Swedes back to the Krok farm and beyond.
The Norwegians advanced further, crossing the Opsal river and striking the Swedish right flank. Captain Butenschøn’s company led a crossing and, with the rest of the jägers, threatened the Swedes from several angles. The Swedes pulled back from Krok, moving to Jåvall and then Åseby, and finally to Askerud, north of Ørje, where they made a stand as exhaustion set in among Norwegian troops. On the morning of May 6, Krebs received orders to retreat. That day Major Fischer at Mysen was ordered to move against the Swedish positions near Ørje bridge.
On May 7, Fischer advanced with sharpshooters and two companies toward Ørje bridge. Norwegian forces quickly defeated the Swedish outposts and pressed into the fortified bridgehead on the west bank, defended by about 120 men of the Dalbataljonen. Captain Törnblad then ordered the bridge to be set on fire to prevent Norwegian crossing, and Fischer halted his attack and withdrew. Although the Norwegians did not capture the bridge, they stopped the Swedish push and kept them from advancing toward Christiania, significantly reducing the Swedish initiative in the region.
Several Norwegian soldiers were honored for their valor, notably Lars Opsal, who received a sword with a silver booklet for his bold leadership in the fighting.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 23:57 (CET).