Battle of Axtorna

Battle of Axtorna
Part of Northern Seven Years' War

Old danish propaganda image of the battle
Date October 20, 1565
Location Axtorna, close to Falkenberg, Sweden
Result Danish victory
Belligerents
Sweden Denmark
Commanders and leaders
Jacob Henriksson Hästesko Daniel Rantzau
Strength
41,000 troops 17,400 troops
Casualties and losses
1,200-1,700 3300-4,000

The Battle of Axtorna was fought October 20, 1565 at Axtorna, a little village today in Falkenberg Municipality, Halland County in western Sweden.

The Danish commander Daniel Rantzau had been forced to yield the fortress Varberghus to the Swedes on September 15, 1565, after they had taken Ny Varberg, then Halland's largest city. Rantzau received the news that a Swedish army of superior strength led by Jacob Henriksson Hästesko was approaching from the east forced him to move his forces toward Falkenberg. Rantzau had decided to commit to combat since the Swedish force had just arrived from its march and hadn't rearranged into a militarily cohesive unit.

The Danes won as a consequence of Rantzau's superior tactics and he became renowned as a great general after the battle. But despite the victory and the capture of the Swedish artillery, the Danish host had incurred great losses while large portions of the Swedish army had not been involved in the battle.

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