When Scandinavia’s gutsiest Admiral ran out of ammo, he asked his enemy for more
During the Romantic Age of Seafaring in the early 18 Century Peter Tordenskjold became the embodiment of naval heroism and derring-do. He was a daredevil combination of dashing warrior and gentleman adventurer whose exploits whilst serving in the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy turned him into the Scandinavian equivalent of Admiral Nelson.
The future Tordenskjold was born Peter Jansen Wessel in 1690 to a wealthy merchant family in Trondheim, Norway. He was the 14th of 18 children and as a youth he was reputedly uncontrollable and was involved in many fights. Eventually he ran away to sea with hopes of becoming an officer in the Danish navy. Denmark and Norway had been united since 1524 with Denmark being the dominant country. At that time… Continue Reading (6 minute read)