Von Koppelow entered military service in 1703 while his father
Curt Christoph von Koppelow served as commandant of the fortress of
Munkholmen. Like his father, Jürgen Christoph became a cavalarist. He began his career as a cornet in the
Royal Danish Army, serving in the dragoon regiment of General Major
Frederik Gersdorff in
Rákóczi's War of Independence. Von Koppelow's regiment engaged in several campaigns in areas of the
Habsburg Empire and took part in the decisive
Battle of Zsibó against the
Kuruc (
Hungarian) army in
Transylvania. After his deployment he returned to Norway to serve under Colonel
Frederik Christopher de Cicignon between 1707 and 1709. Von Koppelow was deployed in
Østfold in southeast Norway to serve in the
Smaalandske Company as lieutenant in the
2nd Søndenfjeldske Dragoon Regiment by 1711. At age 32 Von Kopplow had been promoted to the position of captain in the Norwegian Army. The young officer gained several promotions in quick succession during his engagement in the
Great Northern War.
Service in the Great Northern War Von Koppelow led his
Vesterlen Company, around 100 men strong, in the crucial
Battle of Gjellebekk (1716) on 23 March 1716 and
Battle of Norderhov (1716) on 29 March 1716 during the
Swedish invasion of
Norway. On 8 March 1716 the
Swedish Army led by King
Charles XII of Sweden crossed the Swedish-Norwegian border, hoping that a strike against the country would compel
Denmark-Norway, one of its main adversaries in the
Great Northern War, to withdraw from Sweden’s prize territory
Scania. To achieve this objective the main body of the Swedish force laid siege to
Akershus fortress at Christiania (the contemporary name of
Oslo). A force numbering an estimated 7,000 men took part in the invasion, and threatened Norway’s entire southeast region. However, prior to the siege much of the
Dano-Norwegian force had retreated to
Gjellebekk (variant Jellebeck) in
Lier, a strategic position in the corridor between Christiania and
Drammen. Intent on remaining on the offensive, the Swedish king directed a part of his force to push further into the countryside towards the Dano-Norwegian position.
Battle of Gjellebekk (1716) 600 dragoons under the command of Swedish colonel
Dietrich Johan Löwenstierne were tasked with the objective of engaging the Norwegian Army head on. Yet the southeast region of Norway had experienced heavy snowfall in March, and the forested countryside presented a not insignificant hurdle for cavalry units that depended on mobility and speed. Despite the difficult terrain the Swedish force initially moved aggressively westwards, and managed to surprise a Dano-Norwegian position at
Gjellum (variant Hellum). The forward position was quickly overwhelmed. However, three dragoon companies led by Captain Von Koppelow, Colonel
Johan Wilhelm von Ötken and Lieutenant Peder Tønder Collin came to the aid of the isolated units, and drove back Löwenstiernes’s force. While both sides suffered casualties, the counter-attack and stiff resistance by Von Koppelow’s dragoons dissuaded the
Swedish Army from proceeding further towards
Gjellebekk.
Battle of Norderhov (1716) In coordination with Löwenstierne’s frontal attack, the Swedish king had also instructed
Axel Löwen to move with a force of 500 dragoons northwest to
Ringerike and then, in an intended pincer movement with Löwenstierne’s dragoons, move south to ambush the Dano-Norwegian army on its rear and flank. Löwen’s ambush force had initially escaped the attention of the Dano-Norwegian command, permitting the Swedes to move unnoticed for nearly three days. However, by noon 28 March 1716 Lieutenant General
Barthold Heinrich von Lützow had received intelligence about the large
Swedish cavalry force. Lützow immediately dispatched a part of Colonel
Johan Wilhelm von Ötken’s 2nd Søndenfjeldske Dragoon Regiment towards Ringerike to halt the Swedish advance. Captain Jürgen Christoph von Koppelow, Captain
Knud Sehestad and Lieutenant Peder Tønder Collin were tasked with intercepting the Swedes as quickly as possible. Von Koppelow and the dragoon force rode with haste to
Tyrifjorden, and cut across the frozen fjordwater to arrive at Stein at midnight 29 March 1716. A reconnaissance search of the area revealed that the entire Swedish force had camped at
Norderhov manse, a clerical estate located only a few kilometers to the north. The Dano-Norwegian officers held a brief council to decide whether to proceed, or to wait for the larger backup force riding under Colonel Ötken. It was decided that the element of surprise outweighed the numerical inferiority of the dragoons vis-a-vis the Swedish force. A few hours after midnight and under the cover of darkness, Von Koppelow and the dragoon force moved silently towards the manse grounds at Norderhov. The guard positions were neutralised, and the dragoons moved within a stone’s throw from Norderhov until the entirety of the 150 men strong dragoon body moved into full gallop onto the Swedish encampment. By the morning of 29 March Colonel Ötken and the main force of the dragoons had arrived at Norderhov. Commander Löwen had been taken prisoner together with a sizeable segment of the Swedish force, while the remaining troops had fled into the woods and surrounding countryside. Forced to contend with a string of losses, Sweden’s invasion initiative was seriously hampered.
Dragoon regiment command Von Koppelow was described by a peer in Christiania in 1731 as a "vigilant and quick-minded officer, and of great talent." With the end of the
Great Northern War Jürgen Christoph continued his deployment as a dragoon officer in southeast Norway. The "noble and generous Captain Jørgen Christopher von Koppelow" bought
Spydeberg church in
Østfold in 1723. Von Koppelow was given command of the dragoon
Fröland Company, based in the southeast provinces
Østfold and
Akershus, and was promoted to the rank of major in April 1729 and then lieutenant colonel in April 1735. From 1744 Von Koppelow joined the 2nd Søndenfjeldske Dragoon Regiment headquarter staff of Major General
Paul Beenfeldt, who was based in Christiania. In 1750 Colonel Von Koppelow was given the virgin command of the newly established
3rd Søndenfjeldske Dragoon Regiment, and subsequently promoted to major general in the Norwegian army. Lieutenant Colonel Nicolay Hersleb and Major Frantz Christian Zepelin were appointed to serve on his staff. Jürgen Christoph was appointed on the board of the General Staff of the Norwegian army in 1755, led by
Field Marshal Hans Jacob Arnoldt, the commanding general of the Norwegian forces in Denmark-Norway. Von Koppelow held this position until his retirement in 1759, aged 75. ==See also==