Gunnery and boarding decide Dynekilen

The Danish-Norwegian gunboats flanked the entrance while the rest of the squadron filled the Swedish vessels with broadsides. Sun and powder smoke degraded visibility, yet Tordenskjold's prepared crews fired more effectively than defenders caught with ships loaded or unloading. The action developed into close infantry fighting and boarding as troops tried to reinforce the Swedish ships. Saxon infantry provided the strongest resistance on Sweden's side, but there were too few soldiers to secure the harbor. Swedish crews destroyed some vessels to prevent capture, yet Tordenskjold still extracted fourteen prizes, including nine warships and five cargo vessels. The eight-hour withdrawal succeeded because newly arrived troops along the fjord lacked artillery capable of stopping the ships. A strong southeasterly gale on 9 July finally let the exhausted crews rest while the wind carried the squadron clear.