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20 April 1808

On 20 April, Christian August sent two companies under Captains Heyerdahl and Zarbell toward Hemnes. Rumors soon spread that the Swedes were advancing, and Heyerdahl withdrew with his company and returned to Fetsund. Zarbell remained at the pass... Read more ...

20 April 1808

Battle of Hemnes Church
On 20 April, Christian August sent two companies under Captains Heyerdahl and Zarbell toward Hemnes. Rumors soon spread that the Swedes were advancing, and Heyerdahl withdrew with his company and returned to Fetsund. Zarbell remained at the pass west of the Lund farm, east of Hemnes Church. He advanced toward the farm and found a Swedish rifle company, which was driven from its position and forced back almost half a mile to Opsal and Krok in Rødenes.

These were the northernmost Swedish positions, and brigade commander Colonel Cederström was also there. The company commander was ordered to return and confront the Norwegian company, which had remained near Lund. The Swedes tried to drive Zarbell and his men out of position, but failed. After losing a quarter of their strength, the Swedes had to give up and withdraw.

The lines then remained quiet for a while, and Zarbell used the time to familiarize himself thoroughly with the ground leading down toward, and partly behind, the Swedish lines.


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Exploded View of a Flintlock Musket

Category: Miscellaneous
Published: 15 November 2008 by Øyvind Flatnes.
Views: 20255
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The smoothbore military flintlock musket was the standard infantry firearm for hundreds of years before the percussion muskets and breech-loading rifles took over from the mid-1850s. The Norwegian Army received muskets from Denmark during the union years, but after the union with Denmark fell apart and another union was established with Sweden in 1814, the Norwegians started their own firearms production at Kongsberg. A typical Norwegian-Danish musket looked like this:

Musket parts

  1. Butt
  2. Wrist
  3. Comb
  4. Heel
  5. Butt plate with screws
  6. Toe
  7. Trigger guard
  8. Flint lock
  9. Barrel breech
  10. Ramrod
  11. Front sling swivel with screw
  12. Thimble
  13. Thimble pins
  14. Entry thimble
  15. Muzzle
  16. Front sight
  17. Bayonet lug
  18. Ear for the sling swivel screw
  19. Double ear — pin ear — for securing the thimbles
  20. Single ear- pin ear - for securing the barrel to the stock
  21. Flash hole
  22. Rear sight notch
  23. Tang
  24. Breech plug
  25. Barrel
  26. Rear sling swivel with screw
  27. Ramrod stopper
  28. Trigger
  29. Trigger guard screws
  30. Trigger assembly
  31. Bayonet socket
  32. Elbow
  33. Bayonet lug slot
  34. Shoulder
  35. Triangular blade
  36. Front side plate screw
  37. Rear side plate screw
  38. Side plate
  39. Muzzle cap
  40. Tang screw
  41. Brake spring for the ramrod
  42. Back of the thimble
  43. Butt nose
  44. Barrel pin
  45. Butt nose
  46. Fore-stock
  47. Cheek piece
  48. Breech plug

Find out more!
You can learn more about the history and practical use of smooth-bore flintlock and percussion muskets in the brand new book From Musket to Metallic Cartridge: A Practical History of Black Powder Firearms.