Statue af Peter Willemoes - Assens, Denmark - Maritime Monuments and Memorials on Waymarking.com

Dansk: Statuen er udført i bronce og står på kogehusmolen i et omrids af linieskibet 'Prins Christian Frederik',
hvor Willemoes fandt sin død i slaget ved Sjællands Odde 1808.


Peter Willemoes var dansk søofficer og særligt berømt for sin heltemodige indsats i Slaget på Reden ud for København i 1801. Han blev født i Assens i 1783, og døde i kamp med den engelske flåde som 24-årig i 1808. Der er rejst en statue af Willemoes på havnen i Assens, og hans fødehjem er museum.

Peter Willemoes (1783-1808) blev født i Assens, hvor faderen Christen Willemoes var amtsforvalter. Som 4-årig blev han indskrevet som søkadet og som 12-årig, kom han på Akademiet, hvor kommandør H.C. Snedorff blev ny chef for akademiet. Forholdet mellem Snedorff og Willemoes blev mere og mere spændt, men i august kunne Willemoes endelig forlade Akademiet uden at være knækket af Snedorffs jernhårde disciplin.

I det følgende år udviklede uoverensstemmelserne sig mellem Danmark og England. England sendte en svær flåde mod Østersøen, men måtte besejre den danske flåde for at have ryggen fri. Det førte til Slaget på Reden 2. april 1801, hvor en overlegen engelsk styrke angreb den endnu ikke udrustede danske flåde. Willemoes blev indkaldt til krigen, hvor han i en alder af kun 17 år blev udnævnt til chef for Flådebatteriet Nr. 1. Det førte 24 kanoner og havde en besætning på omtrent 150 mand.

Willemoes kæmpede under Slaget på Reden mod selveste Admiral Nelsons admiralskib ”Elefanten” i forsvarslinjen på Kongedybet. Willemoes var kendetegnet ved raskhed, stort mod og strålende humør, som aldrig svigtede i forsøget på at holde modet oppe hos sin hårdt prøvede besætning. Til sidst ligefrem hagede han sig fast til ”Elefanten”, som på grund af dets størrelse ikke kunne ramme Flådebatteriet, da dette lå alt for lavt i vandet og kunne affyre en række grundskud mod det store skib.

English: The statue is made in bronze and stands on the boilermill in an outline of the liner 'Prince Christian Frederik',
where Willemoes found his death in the Battle of Sjællands Odde 1808.


Peter Willemoes was a Danish naval officer and particularly famous for his heroic efforts in the Battle of the Rede off Copenhagen in 1801. He was born in Assens in 1783, and died in battle with the English Navy as a 24-year-old in 1808. A statue of Willemoes has been erected at the port of Assens and his birthplace is a museum.

Peter Willemoes (1783-1808) was born in Assens, where his father Christen Willemoes was county manager. As a 4-year-old, he was enrolled as a sea cadet and as a 12-year-old, he joined the Academy, where Commander H.C. Snedorff became the new head of the academy. The relationship between Snedorff and Willemoes became more and more tense, but in August Willemoes was finally able to leave the Academy without being broken by Snedorff's iron-hard discipline.

In the following year, the discrepancies between Denmark and England developed. England sent a heavy fleet towards the Baltic, but had to defeat the Danish fleet in order to have its back. This led to the Battle of the Nest on April 2, 1801, when a superior English force attacked the yet-to-be-equipped Danish navy. Willemoes was summoned to the war, where at the age of only 17 he was appointed head of the Naval Battery Nr. 1. It carried 24 guns and had a crew of about 150 men.

Willemoes fought during the Battle of the Rede against Admiral Nelson himself, the "Elephant" admiral ship in the line of defense at King's Valley. Willemoes was characterized by quickness, great courage and brilliant mood, which never failed in trying to keep up the courage of his hard-tried crew. Eventually, he clung to the "Elephant", which, due to its size, could not hit the Naval Battery, as this was too low in the water and could fire a number of ground shots at the large ship.

Relevent website: [Web Link] List if there are any visiting hours: Open all day all year Entrance fees (if any): Free Sponsor(s): Danish state Parking coordinates: Not Listed Date dedicated: Not listed

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