Peter Tordenskjold | |
|---|---|
_(3610418617).jpg) 1719 portrait by Balthasar Denner | |
| Born | 28 October 1690 Trondheim, Denmark-Norway |
| Died | 12 November 1720 (aged 30) Hildesheim, Cologne |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  Denmark-Norway |
| Service |  Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy |
| Years of service | 1705–1720 |
| Rank | Vice admiral |
| Battles / wars | Great Northern War |
Vice-Admiral Peter Jansen Wessel Tordenskiold (28 October 1690 – 12 November 1720) was a Royal Dano-Norwegian navy officer and nobleman. Born in Trondheim, he travelled to Copenhagen in 1704 and eventually join the Dano-Norwegian navy, rising to the rank of vice-admiral for his actions during the Great Northern War.[1] He won a name for himself through audacity and courage and was ennobled as Peter Tordenskiold by Frederick IV of Denmark in 1716. His greatest exploit came later that year, as he destroyed a supply fleet of the Swedish Navy at the Battle of Dynekilen, ensuring the siege of Fredriksten would end in failure. In 1720, he was killed in a duel. He ranks among the most famous naval captains in Denmark and Norway. He experienced an unusually rapid rise in rank and died when he was only 30 years old.