Peter Jansen Wessel: The Mad Danish Captain!
Peter joined a ship’s crew when he was a teenager and sailed for 5 years before joining the Naval Academy in 1709.
His first command was a 4-gun sloop. His second ship was an 18-gun frigate. All the while, Peter participated in every battle his country was involved in. And there were a lot of them!
Reputation and Early Exploits
Quickly gaining a reputation as a skilled but arrogant and impulsive commander, he was transferred to the Baltic where he disrupted Swedish, British, and Dutch shipping so thoroughly that soon enough, Denmark’s enemies offered a reward for his capture!
It has to be said that despite being a naval officer, he behaved a lot like a privateer, sailing under false flags, luring enemy ships into ambushes, and being very good at hit-and-run tactics!
The 1714 Naval Encounter
In 1714, Peter Tordenskjold sailed his frigate against a bigger British ship. A gun battle ensued. The two vessels exchanged gun volleys for 14 hours. Suddenly, the Danish ship lowered a boat which was rowed toward the British frigate under a white flag. To the surprise of the British captain, the Danish envoy didn’t come to negotiate a surrender but instead asked if they could borrow powder and shots so they could carry on fighting!
Unsportingly enough, the Brits refused! Both sides, however, battered and exhausted, agreed to call it a day and go home.
Court Martial and Subsequent Promotions
For this incident, Peter was court-martialled. He had attacked a ship more powerful than his own and then revealed his weak hand to the enemy by admitting he was running out of ammunition! Peter was nevertheless acquitted and subsequently promoted!
By 1719, thanks to more exploits including the defeat of an enemy fleet and the capture of a fortress, he was reluctantly promoted to vice admiral by a navy and a hierarchy that hated him and his way of fighting.
Legacy and Honors
Peter Tordenskjold died on November 12th, 1720, at age 30, having lost a sword duel against a colonel of the Livonian army.
He has since attained folk hero status in Norway and Denmark and is remembered in several popular songs and honored with several statues, streets, books, films and even a festival. A corvette of the Danish navy and a ship of the Norwegian navy are named after him. He is also cited in the Danish royal Anthem.
– RBM
