Time Line - March

Danish Naval Historical Time Line

Events marked with a indicates, that the day is also a Danish National or Military Flag Flying Day.

March

1st

1944

The British minesweepers ME 35, commanded by Lieutenant Jack Nielsen, and ME 83, commanded by Lieutenant I Carlo F. Sørensen, are manned with Danish crews and flying 2 flags, Orlogsflaget (Danish Naval Ensign) and the White Ensign.

3rd

1801

The Battle of the West Kay
The brig LOUGEN (Lougen I), commanded by Lieutenant Commander Carl W. Jessen, fights the two British frigates EXPERIMENT and ARAB off the West Kay at the Danish West Indies. Both frigates are forced to flee.
44You can read the complete story here

9th

1847

Cap tags showing the name of the ships are introduced for the first time.

14th

1808

The brig LOUGEN (Lougen II), commanded by Lieutenant Peter F. Wulff, drives the British brig CHILDERS away after several hours of battle, off Hitterø in Norway .

14th

1857

The Sound Dues are abolished. (Introduced in 1429.)

15th

1952

Danish Naval Home Guard is established, directed by Captain G. E. C. de Lichtenberg.

17th

1864

The Blockade Squadron in the eastern part of the Baltic, composed of the Ship-of-the-line SKJOLD, the frigate SJÆLLAND and the corvettes HEJMDAL and THOR, squadron commander Rear Admiral Carl E. van Dockum, fire at and drive away the Prussian frigate ARCONA, the corvette NYMPHE, the paddle steamer LORELEY and 5 steam gunboats, commanded by Kapitän zur See Jachmann, off Swinemünde.

21st

2003

The Danish Parliament resolves, Act # B 118, that Danish forces are to take part in the multinational force against Iraq, Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The corvette OLFERT FISCHER are rushed to to the Gulf, where the submarine SÆLEN was already stationed.

22nd

1808

The Battle of Sjællands Odde
The Ship-of-the-Line PRINDS CHRISTIAN FREDERIK, commanded by Commander Carl W. Jessen, fights off Sjællands Odde against a English squadron og the Ships-of-the-line STATELY and NASSAU and 3 frigates, commanded by Captain Parker. PRINDS CHRISTIAN FREDERIK is stranded by its own crew outside Odden harbor after 3 hours of fighting. The ship is on fire and explodes after a few hours.
44You can read the complete story here

25th

1912

The first aero plane GLENTEN is donated to the navy by consul general Ludvigsen.

26th

1848

The corvette NAJADEN and the paddle steamer GEJSER, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Friderich Dirkinck-Holmfeld occupy Als.

26th

1870

The frigate TORDENSKJOLD, commanded by Commander Friedrich Lund, hoist the flag for a tour to East Asiatic waters for, transporting and laying out a telegraph cable for the Great Nordic Telegraph Company. (Back home January 2, 1872.)

27th

1811

Gunboat Flotilla of 12 gunboats, 12 transport vessels etc., commanded by Lieutenant Jørgen C. de Falsen and a detachment of soldiers attacks the British garrison on the Danish island of Anholt. The British garrison is supported by the frigate TARTAR and the brig SHELDRAKE.
The attack is beaten off, and the Danish flotilla looses 2 gunboats and 2 other ships.

27th

1963

The Fast Patrol Boat TRANEN, Lieutenant Commander Kaj Thygesen, sinks after a collision with the Norwegian cutter TRYGG, off Stavanger, Norway.
All hands are saved, the FPB is later salvaged and scrapped.

27th

1980

The inspection ship FYLLA, commanded by Commander s.g. Stephen M. Ditlevsen, participates in the rescue operation at the capsized Norwegian oil rig Alexander Kielland in the Atlantic.

28th

1953

During entrance to Rønne harbor an explosion occurred in the engine room on board the mine layer LOUGEN, commanded by Lieutenant, count, Karl-Christian Trampe.
3 men were killed and another 7 were severely injured.

29th

1924

The Naval Dock Yard at Holmen, Copenhagen is converted by law into a military command, and is now called Naval Station.
Rear Admiral Axel V. Scheel becomes the first Chief-in-Command of the Naval Station by April 1, 1925.
- The Dock Yard becomes a "civilian yard" under the Secretary of the Navy, and E. Adolph as the first Managing Director.

29th

1994

The cutter MALLEMUKKEN is handed over to Estonia free of charge, and is renamed AHTI.
It became the first Danish naval vessel ever, to be given away as a gift to a foreign navy.

31st

1792

The HENRIK GERNER medal is instituted by counselor von Schack.
The medal is awarded to the Naval Cadet graduating the officers degree with distinction.
(The Medal was awarded for the first time on December 27, 1792.)

31st

1917

The Danish West Indies, St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. Jan, are handed over to the USA by temporary governor, Captain Henri Konow, commanding officer of the cruiser VALKYRIEN, the last Danish guard ship at the West Indies.
(The Colonies were acquired in 1666.)

31st

1919

The naval partly mobilized force is dismissed, as the mine sweeping of Danish coastal waters are regarded as completed.

JAN

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This page was last updated: September 19, 2005

This page was first published: August 11, 2002