Three ships of the class were built:
Holsteen, the lead ship, was launched in 1772 at Nyholm Dockyard. Between 1782 and 1783, she served as part of the Neutrality Squadron, protecting neutral shipping during the American War of Independence.
In 1801 she was equipped as a blockship and took part in the First Battle of the Copenhagen alongside her sisters, where she was surrendered to the British. After the battle she was the only ship-of-the-line the British thought worth keeping. She was sent to Britain as a transport for the wounded.
She was kept in ordinary until 1802, when she was finally repaired and refitted for British service. She was renamed HMS Nassau. While in British service she participated in the Battle of Zealand Point, where the last Danish ship-of-the-line was destroyed.
She was eventually laid up in 1809, before being commissioned as a prison ship. She was eventually sold in 1814.
Dannebroge was also launched in 1772. She served as the first Danish flagship at the Battle of Copenhagen for Commodore Oilfert Fischer before he moved his flag to Holsteen toward the end of the battle. She later exploded after the fighting was over, killing 250 men.
Wagrien was launched in 1773. After being captured at Copenhagen, she was not considered suitable for service.
It should be noted that, of the three ships, only Holsteen was considered to be in a good condition by the time of the battle, with her two sister ships having suffered from neglect to the extent that they were only considered useful as floating batteries.
Though technically not of the same class, two preceding ships designed by the same shipwright, Sophia Magdalena and Wilhelmine Caroline were used as a basis for the Holsteen-class’s design drawings. These ships bore a very close resemblance to the Holsteen-class.
Sophia Magdalena was launched in 1763. Her most notable exploit was serving in a 1770 expedition to Algiers. She was sold in 1781.
Wilhelmine Caroline was built in 1764 and served in the Mediterranean through 1771. She was deliberately sunk outside Copenhagen in 1802.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.