The Swedes returned during the autumn of 1718. This time they mounted a series of carefully planned attacks on the east side of Fredriksten fortress, employing heavy artillery and digging trenches. Fort Gyldenløve was shot to pieces and conquered. In the sequence we can see the cannonballs demolishing its walls.
Then the trench digging continued towards the fortress. The defenders returned fire constantly and tirelessly in order to inflict maximum losses to the Swedish forces. During the evening of December 11th King Charles XII was struck by a bullet to the head and killed. He was in an advanced forward position of the trenches and had scaled the trench in order to survey the battlefield.
If the bullets origin was from the fortress or if he was assassinated by one of his own have been deliberated at length in many a book. Modern science tells us that it is most likely an “honest Norwegian bullet” that struck the king – most likely a fragment of so called grapeshot. It is a bullet like projectile of approximately 20-40mm size that was shot from cannons as clusters – somewhat similar to a giant shotgun. The projectile that struck the king was approx. 20 mm. Charles XII death is portrayed extensively in this sequence. We follow the grapeshot as whisks through the air and strike the king’s head. With the death of the king the siege immediately ended and with that the war itself.
