The Royal Danish Navy ( Danish : Søværnet , lit. ' The Navy ' ) is the sea-based branch of the Danish Armed Forces force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish territorial waters (incl. Faroe Islands and Greenland ). Other tasks include surveillance , search and rescue , icebreaking , oil spill recovery and prevention as well as contributions to international tasks and forces.
122-679: The Galathea expeditions comprise a series of three Danish ship-based scientific research expeditions in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, carried out with material assistance from the Royal Danish Navy and, with regard to the second and third expeditions, under the auspices of the Danish Expedition Foundation. All three expeditions circumnavigated the world from west to east and followed similar routes. The first Galathea Expedition took place from 1845 to 1847 and had political and scientific objectives. It
244-641: A 20 to 25 year period, and is a part of the government of Denmark's recent publicly stated plan to increase defence spending to two percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). The Naval Staff (in Danish Marinestaben ), led by a Rear Admiral , the Admiral Danish Fleet , is directly responsible to the Danish Defence Command . Since 2014, it has been placed at Karup Air Base . The Danish Task Group
366-658: A British show of force, Oberea laid down peace offerings leading to cordial relations. On 2 April 1768, the expedition of Louis-Antoine de Bougainville , aboard Boudeuse and Etoile on the first French circumnavigation, sighted Tahiti. On 5 April, they anchored off Hitiaʻa O Te Ra and were welcomed by its chief Reti. Bougainville was also visited by Tutaha. Bougainville stayed about ten days. By 12 April 1769 Captain James Cook had arrived in Tahiti's Matavai Bay, commanding HMS Endeavour . He had been sent on
488-597: A ban on nudity (obliging them to wear clothes covering their whole body), banned dances and chants (described as immodest), tattoos, and costumes made of flowers. In the 1820s, the entire population of Tahiti converted to Protestantism. Duperrey , who berthed in Tahiti in May 1823, attests to the change in Tahitian society in a letter dated 15 May 1823: "The missionaries of the Royal Society of London have totally changed
610-533: A capacity for eight bombs. The Heinkel had an unexpected Arctic employment in the early 1930s when a dispute over East Greenland caused the first deployment of aircraft, along with three naval ships, in Greenland. Following settlement of the dispute between Denmark and Norway the Heinkels were used in the efforts to map the frontiers of the island. In 1933, two Hawker Nimrods were acquired to keep pace with
732-650: A fleet to attack a Danish fleet, in the Battle of Copenhagen , under the command of Admiral Hyde Parker . The defence line, under the command of Olfert Fischer , put up a fierce fight, but was defeated, with the loss of 3 ships sunk and 12 captured. After the battle, the Crown Prince agreed to sign a truce with the British. In the following six years, Denmark managed to stay clear of the Napoleonic Wars, until
854-690: A large part in the outcome of the Great Nordic War (1709–1720). Since Scandinavia now was at peace, the navy focused its resources on other parts of the world, partaking in the colonisation of Africa and the Caribbean . A permanent naval presence of shifting strength was maintained in the Mediterranean Sea – protecting Danish-Norwegian interests in the region – mainly commerces against piracy. The Danish Mediterranean Squadron had numerous minor engagements with The Barbary States during
976-595: A missionary and teacher, and starting in 1817, the Gospels were translated into Tahitian ( Reo Maohi ) and taught in the religious schools. In 1818, the minister William Pascoe Crook founded the city of Papeʻete , which became the capital of the island. In 1819, Pōmare II, encouraged by the missionaries, introduced the first Tahitian legal code, known under the name of the Pōmare Legal Code, which consists of nineteen laws. The missionaries and Pōmare II thus imposed
1098-415: A navy to be constituted and maintained under the control of the monarchy. The nobility still had to provide crews (which consisted mainly of "volunteered" farmers) for these ships, though the core crew-members (i.e. masters , master-at-arms and master carpenters ) could be employed by the monarch. There were also education officers , mainly levied from the nobility. In the 15th century, especially during
1220-765: A number of large state-of-the-art vessels commissioned since the end of the Cold War . This can be explained by its strategic location as the NATO member controlling access to the Baltic . Danish Navy ships carry the ship prefix KDM ( Kongelige Danske Marine ) in Danish, but this is translated to HDMS ( Her / His Danish Majesty's Ship ) in English. Denmark is one of the many NATO member states whose navies do not deploy submarines. However, historically Denmark has operated them,
1342-596: A number of naval stations. These are smaller stations with limited support functions. The best known is the publicly accessible Naval Station Holmen in Copenhagen . There are also naval stations located in Kongsøre Runs three main schools, with five special schools: The navy headquarters was located in Aarhus , tasked to train, maintain and prepare the navy for war. Operational command in peacetime rested with
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#17327902074481464-533: A number of times. Today the fleet is divided into three squadrons : The Naval Operational Logistic Support Structure (OPLOG), includes the naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør as well as several naval stations. The naval bases' task is to provide logistic support for the ships and vessels, through the OPLOGs. This includes configuration, maintaining and repairing the units. Furthermore, similar support
1586-675: A part of its mission. The geographic layout of Denmark proper (not including Greenland and the Faroe Islands) has a coastline to land area ratio of 1:5.9. For comparison, the figure for the Netherlands is 1:92.1 and for the United States, 1:493.2. Denmark therefore naturally has long-standing maritime traditions, dating back to the 9th century when the Vikings had small but well-organised fleets. They were often based in
1708-547: A population of 191,779. Tahiti is the economic, cultural, and political centre of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity and an overseas country of the French Republic . The capital of French Polynesia, Papeʻete , is located on the northwest coast of Tahiti. The only international airport in the region, Faʻaʻā International Airport , is on Tahiti near Papeʻete. Tahiti was originally settled by Polynesians between 300 and 800 AD. They represent about 70% of
1830-400: A scientific mission with astronomy, botany, and artistic details. On 14 April Cook met Tutaha and Tepau and the next day he picked the site for a fortified camp at Point Venus for Charles Green's observatory. Botanist Joseph Banks and artist Sydney Parkinson , along with Cook, gathered valuable information on fauna and flora as well as on native society, language and customs, including
1952-430: A short isthmus of Taravao. The northwestern portion is known as Tahiti Nui ("big Tahiti"), while the much smaller southeastern portion is known as Tahiti Iti ("small Tahiti") or Taiʻarapū . Tahiti Nui is heavily populated along the coast, especially around the capital, Papeʻete. The interior of Tahiti Nui is almost entirely uninhabited. Tahiti Iti has remained isolated, as its southeastern half ( Te Pari )
2074-546: A small number of villages, usually with a common defence agreement; Viking ships , usually of the Knarr type, were light, and therefore easy to transport from village to village over land. With time, the defence pacts gave rise to larger, more offensive fleets which the Vikings used for plundering coastal areas. In the period after the Vikings, and up to the 15th century, the fleet consisted mainly of merchant vessels. Indeed, it
2196-695: A special naval force – the Danish Frogman Corps was created. The naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør plus the fortresses at Langeland and Stevns were created through NATO funds in the 1950s. In case of war all Danish combat vessels were assigned to NATO 's Allied Forces Baltic Approaches 's naval command NAVBALTAP . Since the end of the Cold War, the navy has been in a transitional phase, from local defence to global operations, with fewer but larger vessels able to operate for long periods at sea. It has also been more self-sustaining. Under
2318-555: A two-year research expedition was launched on the corvette Galathea . In the Second Schleswig War (1864), the navy was still relatively small and old-fashioned, even though the Prussian Navy was even smaller. Only a few steam vessels were at hand and these had a large impact on the war, in the end Prussians were not very successful at sea. As a result, it was considered necessary for the navy to be modernised. By
2440-477: Is Australia . Divided into two parts, Tahiti Nui (bigger, northwestern part) and Tahiti Iti (smaller, southeastern part), the island was formed from volcanic activity; it is high and mountainous with surrounding coral reefs . Its population was 189,517 in 2017, making it by far the most populous island in French Polynesia and accounting for 68.7% of its total population; the 2022 Census recorded
2562-399: Is 45 km (28 mi) across at its widest point and covers an area of 1,045 km (403 sq mi). The highest peak is Mont Orohena (Mouʻa ʻOrohena) (2,241 m (7,352 ft)). Mount Roonui , or Mount Ronui (Mouʻa Rōnui), in the southeast rises to 1,332 m (4,370 ft). The island consists of two roughly round portions centered on volcanic mountains and connected by
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#17327902074482684-572: Is a Thetis class frigate which was built at the Svendborg Shipyards in 1990 and is 112.5 m (369 ft) m long and 14.5 m (48 ft) m wide. Although the voyage was publicised as the third Galathea expedition, the ship itself was not renamed. The expedition's main purpose was to carry out research on climate and weather changes, earthquakes , tsunamis , and marine biology . It left Copenhagen in August 2006 and visited
2806-706: Is a headquarters tasked with commanding, educating and training maritime forces in peace, crisis and war . It is a mobile unit that is experienced in orchestrating exercises, organising insertions ( search and rescue , non-combatant evacuation operations , disaster relief operations , etc.) and commanding naval, aerial and land-based units. Danish Task Group was created to expand Denmark's level of competency and quality of material, by participating in international maritime operations. The Danish Task Group has commanded combined maritime forces in both exercises (such as BALTOPS and Joint Warrior ) and operations ( Combined Task Force 150 (2008) and Combined Task Force 151 (2012))
2928-536: Is accessible only to those travelling by boat or on foot. The rest of the island is encircled by a main road which cuts between the mountains and the sea. Tahiti's landscape features lush rainforests and many rivers and waterfalls, including the Papenoʻo on the north side and the Fautaua Falls near Papeʻete . The Society archipelago is a hotspot volcanic chain consisting of ten islands and atolls. The chain
3050-823: Is another highly eroded shield volcano consisting of basaltic lavas accumulated between 3.83 and 3.1 Ma. The lavas are intersected by post-shield dikes . Tahaʻa consists of shield-stage basalt with an age of 3.39 Ma, followed by additional eruptions 1.2 Ma later. Raiatea consists of shield-stage basalt followed by post-shield trachytic lava flows , all occurring from 2.75 to 2.29 Ma. Huahine consists of two coalesced basalt shield volcanoes, Huahine Nui and Huahine Iti, with several flows followed by post-shield trachyphonolitic lava domes from 3.08 to 2.06 Ma. Moʻorea consists of at least 16 flows of shield-stage basalt and post-shield lavas from 2.15 to 1.36 Ma. Tahiti consists of two basalt shield volcanoes, Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti, with an age range of 1.67 to 0.25 Ma. November to April
3172-627: Is oriented along the N. 65° W. direction, parallel to the movement of the Pacific Plate . Due to the plate movement over the Society hotspot , the age of the islands decreases from 5 Ma at Maupiti to 0 Ma at Mehetia , where Mehetia is the inferred current location of the hotspot as evidenced by recent seismic activity. Maupiti, the oldest island in the chain, is a highly eroded shield volcano with at least 12 thin lava flows, which accumulated fairly rapidly between 4.79 and 4.05 Ma. Bora Bora
3294-716: Is provided to civilian agencies (i.e. the Danish police ) and allied units like the United Nations The support is mainly provided within the geographical areas of the naval bases. For Naval Base Korsør that is Zealand , Funen , Bornholm as well as the surrounding waters. For Naval Base Frederikshavn it is Jutland , Greenland and the Faroe Islands . Moreover, general support is provided for units participating in international operations in peacetime, as well as all units in crisis and wartime. The navy maintains
3416-516: Is said that king Valdemar Sejr had more than 1,000 ships during the conquest of Estonia in 1219. Together they carried more than 30,000 soldiers with horses and supplies. Records exist of a unified Danish navy from the late 14th century. Queen Margaret I , who had just founded the Kalmar Union (consisting of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland , Greenland , Faroe Islands , Shetland , Orkney , parts of Finland and parts of Germany) ordered
3538-488: Is the wet season, the wettest month of which is January with 340 millimetres (13 in) of rain in Papeʻete. August is the driest with 48 millimetres (1.9 in). The average temperature ranges between 21 and 31 °C (70 and 88 °F), with little seasonal variation. The lowest and highest temperatures recorded in Papeʻete are 16 and 34 °C (61 and 93 °F), respectively. About 1.4 million to 870,000 years ago,
3660-522: The Søløven -class fast torpedo boats (54 kn (100 km/h; 62 mph), 158 GRT ) and Willemoes -class missile torpedo boats (45 kn (83 km/h; 52 mph), 260 GRT ) and a self-sustaining mobile missile battery (MOBA) equipped with targeting and guidance, capable of firing Harpoon missiles . The Danish intelligence capabilities were also expanded and the Danish submarines trained for very shallow water operations , while
3782-504: The Battle of Isefjord but the crew was forced to beach and partly scuttle her. The score for the larger vessels was therefore: 32 vessels were sunk, 2 were in Greenland, 4 reached Sweden, 14 were captured by the Germans. As for the smaller vessels: 9 "patruljekuttere" reached Sweden, 50 others were captured by the Germans. By the autumn of 1944, these ships officially formed a Danish naval flotilla in exile. In September 1943, A. H. Vedel
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3904-784: The Drake Passage at the southern end of South America, to transit between the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic. From 1950 to 1952 the expedition carried out a program of scientific exploration; the highlight occurred in July 1951 when, while investigating the Philippine Trench , scientists secured biological material from a record depth of 10,190 m (33,430 ft). The expedition returned to Copenhagen in June 1952 where
4026-785: The Faroe Islands and Greenland , then travelled southwards through the Atlantic Ocean along the west coast of Africa to Cape Town . It then crossed the Indian Ocean to Australia , the Solomon Islands , New Zealand , and Antarctica , before sailing northwards along the west coast of South America to the Panama Canal , then sailing through the Caribbean and visiting New York , before returning to Denmark in April 2007. Royal Danish Navy During
4148-707: The German invasion of Denmark on April 9, 1940. Tahiti Tahiti ( English: / t ə ˈ h iː t i / ; Tahitian [taˈhiti] ; French pronunciation: [ta.iˈti] ) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia . It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass
4270-524: The Marquesas Islands, which he annexed in 1842. Also in 1842, a European crisis involving Morocco escalated between France and Great Britain, souring their relations. In August 1842, Admiral Du Petit-Thouars returned and landed in Tahiti. He then made friends with Tahitian chiefs who were hostile to the Pōmare family and favourable to a French protectorate. He had them sign a request for protection in
4392-640: The Pacific Ocean , visiting the Hawaiian archipelago and Tahiti on the way, to Valparaiso , Callao , and Lima in South America , before rounding Cape Horn . Further visits were made to Buenos Aires , Montevideo , Rio de Janeiro , and Bahia , following which the Galathea headed back to Denmark, anchoring in Copenhagen harbour on 24 August 1847 after a voyage of more than two years. During
4514-527: The steamboat Ganges , was purchased and the carrier Christine hired, to assist with work in the Nicobar Islands. Considerable time and effort was expended at the Nicobars; most of January 1846 was spent in the northern Nicobar islands, and February in the southern. As well as scientific surveys and collecting, preparations were made for a new colony based at Pulo Milu. Several people, including
4636-479: The "Ark Project". This agreement made the Ark Project responsible for the strategic sealift of Danish and German armed forces where the full-time charter of three roll-on-roll-off cargo and troop ships are ready for deployments. Furthermore, these ships are also kept available for the use of the other European NATO countries. The Royal Danish Navy has operated aircraft since 1912 either as a functional part of
4758-536: The 1700s and 1800s. On several occasions these hostilities escalated to substantial actions. Some of the more notable can be said to be: the Mediterranean Squadron's bombardment of Algiers in 1770 under the command of rear admiral Frederik Christian Kaas ; the then captain, and future Privy Councillor, Steen Andersen Bille 's action at Tripoli in 1797 ; and commander Hans Georg Garde in a joint Scandinavian expedition in 1844 – which effectively ended
4880-487: The 1890s and painted many Tahitian subjects. Papeari has a small Gauguin museum. In 1891 Matthew Turner , an American shipbuilder from San Francisco who had been seeking a fast passage between the city and Tahiti, built Papeete , a two-masted schooner that made the trip in seventeen days. In 1903, the Établissements Français d'Océanie (French Establishments in Oceania) were created, which collected together Tahiti,
5002-646: The Barbary states' attacks on Scandinavian merchants in the region. A pact of neutrality was made between Denmark (including Norway) and Sweden, providing a solid basis for commercial expansion. The British , under pressure from the French in the Napoleonic Wars , became increasingly reluctant to allow Denmark to trade overseas as they believed First French Consul & General Bonaparte could benefit economically from Danish commerce. In 1801, they decided send
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5124-577: The Cold War , the Danish navy was rebuilt and modernised, with the main assignment being to repel an invasion from the Warsaw Pact . Typical operations requiring training were minelaying (the now disbanded minelayers of the Falster class (17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph), 2,000 GRT ), were the world's largest minelayers at their time – each had a complement of 280 900 kg mines) and sting attacks with small but fast combat craft (such as
5246-429: The Danish Expedition Foundation, which was to raise funds for the second Galathea, as well as other, expeditions. The expedition eventually started in 1950, with its main purpose deep sea oceanography . For the use of the expedition a British sloop , HMS Leith , was acquired and renamed HDMS Galathea . It was 80 m (260 ft) long and 11 m (36 ft) wide, with a draught of 3.5 m (11 ft) and
5368-591: The Danish coast. To fulfill its mission the navy fielded a large number of minelayers and fast attack crafts . The first would have been used to mine all sealanes and potential landings beaches, while the latter would have harassed the enemy fleet with continuous hit and run attacks. At the beginning of 1989 the Royal Danish Navy consisted of the following ships: Main bases: Minor naval bases: Coastal fortifications: Sea surveillance stations: The contemporary Royal Danish Navy has participated in
5490-555: The Estonian Navy as Admiral Pitka . With the decommissioning of the torpedo boats, the 4th squadron was disbanded and the remnants were transferred to the 2nd squadron. Other units were also decommissioned. The squadron structure now looked like this: On 1 January 2006, a major reorganisation was carried out as a part of the defence agreement of 2005–2009 (which also put an end to the 95-year-old submarine service, with no intention of developing future submarine capability), when
5612-663: The Fathers successfully begged to be taken back to Lima. During his final visit in 1777 Cook first moored in Vaitepiha Bay. From there he reunited with many Tahitian clans and established British presence on the remains of the Spanish mission. On 29 September 1777 Cook sailed for Papetoʻai Bay on Moʻorea. On 26 October 1788, HMS Bounty , under the command of Captain William Bligh , landed in Tahiti with
5734-839: The German Fleet under the Flag Officer Germany (FOG), the RDN would have tried to keep the Warsaw Pact 's United Baltic Sea Fleets , consisting of the Soviet Baltic Fleet , Polish Navy and East German Volksmarine bottled up in the Baltic Sea by blocking the Danish straits and thus ensuring NATOs unchallenged control of the North Sea . Additionally NAVBALTAP was to prevent amphibious landings on
5856-557: The Navy Operational Command. In war the commander of the Royal Danish Navy would have assumed his appointment as "Flag Officer Denmark (FOD)" under the command of Allied Naval Forces Baltic Approaches (NAVBALTAP), which was commanded alternatingly by a Danish or German vice admiral . However Danish ships and units based in Greenland and the Faroe Islands would have come under command of NATO's Command Eastern Atlantic Area (EASTLANT), who would also have taken command of Island Command Greenland and Island Command Faroes . Together with
5978-556: The Orlogsværft. After four years of testing and practice, the naval air service had agreed to expand the offensive capacities with the Horsley, but at this time funding from the Danish government had been cut and no further torpedo bombers were acquired. In the late 1930s, the government changed plans and increased the budget for military purchases following the German expansions in central Europe. In 1938, 12 Fairey P.4/34s were to be produced at Orlogsværftet , along with 12 Italian Macchi C.200 fighters. None of these were produced before
6100-423: The Tahitian population, which shrank rapidly, ravaged by diseases and other cultural factors. During the first decade of the 19th century, the Tahitian population dropped from 16,000 to 8,000–9,000; the French census in 1854 counted a population just under 6,000. On 5 March 1797, representatives of the London Missionary Society landed at Matavai Bay ( Mahina ) on board Duff , with the intention of converting
6222-466: The absence of their Queen, before then approaching her and obliging her to ratify the terms of the treaty of protectorate. The treaty had not even been ratified by France itself when Jacques-Antoine Moerenhout was named royal commissaire alongside Queen Pōmare. Within the framework of this treaty, France recognised the sovereignty of the Tahitian state. The Queen was responsible for internal affairs, while France would deal with foreign relations and assure
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#17327902074486344-431: The arrival of the Europeans, the island was divided into territories, each dominated by a single clan. The most important clans were the closely related Teva i Uta (Teva of the Interior) and the Teva i Tai (Teva of the Sea) whose combined territory extended from the peninsula in the south of Tahiti Nui. Clan leadership consisted of a chief ( ariʻi rahi ), nobles ( ariʻi ), and under-chiefs ( ʻĪatoʻai ). The ariʻi were also
6466-410: The beginning of the 17th century, he considerably expanded the naval workships. In Copenhagen , where the navy resided, he built a large number of homes for crewmembers and workshop craftsmen – the most famous being Nyboder (completed in 1631) which still stands in central Copenhagen. General admiral lieutenant Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve was appointed supreme commander of the navy in 1701. He raised
6588-427: The building of a navy – mainly to defend the union against the Hanseatic League . Earlier the national fleet had consisted of vessels owned and operated by the nobility , but the country as such did not have a navy. The earlier monarchs therefore had to rely on conscription from the nobility, which was not always easy as the monarchy itself often had enemies within the nobility. Queen Margaret I gave instructions for
6710-406: The chief of the new colony. He threw Pritchard into prison, and later sent him back to Britain. The annexation caused the Queen to be exiled to the Leeward Islands, and after a period of troubles, a real Franco-Tahitian war began in March 1844. News of Tahiti reached Europe in early 1844. The French statesman François Guizot , supported by King Louis-Philippe of France , had denounced annexation of
6832-431: The corvettes of the Niels Juel class (1978–1980) have been replaced with three new Iver Huitfeldt -class frigate for 2nd Squadron and the Barsø class (1969–1973) has been replaced with 6 Diana -class small patrol crafts. Finally all three Agdlek class vessels (1973–1979) have been replaced with the new Knud Rasmussen -class vessels. In addition, the Royal Danish Navy and the German Navy are in cooperation in
6954-407: The course of the voyage 20 Danish sailors had died and several others were discharged. The expedition returned with 93 containers of "zoological, entomological, botanical and geological Objects". There were also 21 boxes of ethnographic material, a large collection from Java , as well as gifts from scientists in many of the cities and ports visited by the expedition. The intention of Christian VIII
7076-404: The crew mutinied on the initiative of Fletcher Christian . The mutineers seized the ship and set the captain and most of those members of the crew who remained loyal to him adrift in a ship's boat. A group of mutineers then went back to settle in Tahiti, after which the Bounty, under Christian, sailed to Pitcairn Island . Although various explorers had refused to get involved in tribal conflicts,
7198-413: The defence agreement (1995–1999) that initiated the process, several of the old "Cold War" frigates and minesweepers were decommissioned. The squadron structure prior to this defence agreement was as follows: In the defence agreement of 2000–2004, further restructuring of the navy was ordered, as well as the decommissioning of several units. Furthermore, the only unit of Beskytteren class was donated to
7320-424: The defence of Tahiti, as well as maintain order on the island. Once the treaty had been signed there began a struggle for influence between the English Protestants and the Catholic representatives of France. During the first years of the Protectorate, the Protestants managed to retain a considerable hold over Tahitian society, thanks to their knowledge of the country and its language. George Pritchard had been away at
7442-514: The duration of the voyage, as well as sketch artist Johan Christian Thornam and genre painter Poul August Plum . It was an expensive undertaking, with a budget of nearly half a million Rixdollars , equivalent to 3% of Denmark's annual state revenues at the time. The Galathea left Copenhagen on 24 June 1845 and, after a provisioning stop at Madeira , sailed southwards around Africa to India, where she visited Tranquebar , Pondicherry , Madras and Calcutta . In Calcutta an additional ship,
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#17327902074487564-402: The events leading to a second confrontation in 1807. Britain was afraid that the Danish fleet might fall under the control of Napoleon, perhaps tipping the balance in his favour. King Christian VII refused to hand over his navy to the British for safekeeping until the end of the war, and the British decided to capture the fleet by force. Copenhagen was bombarded and the king forced to surrender
7686-466: The first European visit to Tahiti, was under the command of Captain Samuel Wallis . While circumnavigating the globe in HMS Dolphin , they sighted the island on 18 June 1767 and then harbored in Matavai Bay between the chiefdom Pare - Arue (governed by Tu (Tu-nui-e-aʻa-i-te-Atua) and his regent Tutaha) and the chiefdom Haʻapape , governed by Amo and his wife "Oberea" ( Purea ). The first contacts were difficult, but to avert all-out war after
7808-446: The first seeds for the Scanian War (1675–1679), only eight years after the end of the second Nordic War (1657–1660), during which Denmark lost the now Swedish provinces of Skåne , Halland and Blekinge . During this period, further resources were allocated to the navy. Niels Juel led the Royal Danish Navy to a victory in the Battle of Køge Bay in 1677. King Christian IV (crowned in 1588) continued in his father's footsteps. In
7930-421: The fleet. In 1814, Denmark and Norway were separated relatively peacefully, after more than 300 years together. At the same time, the Common Fleet was split into the Royal Danish Navy and the Royal Norwegian Navy . The navy was slowly rebuilt, but it was nowhere near its former size. Faith was nevertheless placed in the navy, interests in Africa and the Caribbean still receiving considerable attention. In 1845,
8052-402: The following international operations: The Danish navy currently operates: as well as a number of rigid-hulled inflatable boats , boats etc. The navy ship programs are generally of the " newer but fewer " type. Many of the vessels are of more recent dates ( Absalon class from 2004 to 2005, Thetis class from 1991 to 1994 and Flyvefisken class from 1986 to 1995) or under replacement, i.e.
8174-399: The former four squadrons were divided into two squadrons: On 18 August 2022, the Defence Ministry announced the start of a major naval shipbuilding project, with a commitment of US$ 5.5 billion in funding to build new warships, in part as a response to the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine . The funding is expected to be committed to programs that will roll out to ship commissioning over
8296-431: The geologist Rink, remained there when the expedition departed, though the nascent colony was abandoned only two years later. The Galathea proceeded to Southeast Asia , calling at Penang , Singapore , Batavia , and Manila before heading for the Chinese coast and visiting Hong Kong , Macau , Canton , Amoy , and Shanghai . An attempt to stop at Japan was rebuffed by the authorities there. The ship then crossed
8418-658: The island in 1772. He would ultimately send three expeditions aboard the ship Aguila , the first two under the command of navigator Domingo de Bonechea . Four Tahitians, Pautu, Tipitipia, Heiao, and Tetuanui, accompanied Bonechea back to Peru in early 1773 after the first Aguila expedition. Cook returned to Tahiti between 15 August and 1 September 1773. Greeted by the chiefs, Cook anchored in Vaitepiha Bay before returning to Point Venus. Cook left Tahiti on 14 May 1774. Pautu and Tetuanui returned to Tahiti with Bonechea aboard Aguila on 14 November 1774; Tipitipia and Heiao had died. Bonechea died on 26 January 1775 in Tahiti and
8540-412: The island of Rekareka to the southeast of Tahiti. Hence, although the Spanish and Portuguese made contact with nearby islands, they may not have arrived at Tahiti. The next stage of European visits to the region came during the period of intense Anglo-French rivalry that filled the twelve years between the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War . The first of these visits, and perhaps
8662-422: The island of Tahiti was formed as a volcanic shield . The first Tahitians arrived from Western Polynesia sometime before 500 BC. Linguistic, biological and archaeological evidence supports a long migration from Southeast Asia via the Fijian, Samoan and Tongan Archipelagos using outrigger canoes that were up to twenty or thirty metres long and could transport families as well as domestic animals. Before
8784-650: The island was visited by the United States Exploring Expedition . One of its members, Alfred Thomas Agate , produced a number of sketches of Tahitian life, some of which were later published in the United States. In 1836, the Queen's advisor Pritchard had two French Catholic priests expelled, François Caret and Honoré Laval . As a result, in 1838 France sent Admiral Abel Aubert du Petit-Thouars to obtain reparations. Once his mission had been completed, Admiral Du Petit-Thouars sailed towards
8906-508: The island's population, with the rest made up of Europeans , Chinese and those of mixed heritage. The island was part of the Kingdom of Tahiti until its annexation by France in 1880, when it was proclaimed a colony of France , and the inhabitants became French citizens . French is the sole official language, although the Tahitian language ( Reo Tahiti ) is also widely spoken. Tahiti
9028-770: The island. The war ended in December 1846 in favour of the French. The Queen returned from exile in 1847 and agreed to sign a new covenant, considerably reducing her powers, while increasing those of the commissaire. Thus, the French reigned over the Kingdom of Tahiti. In 1863, they put an end to the British influence and replaced the British Protestant Missions with the Société des missions évangéliques de Paris (Society of Evangelical Missions of Paris). During
9150-487: The king of Tahiti. It was the first time that Tahiti had been united under the control of a single family. This marked the end of Tahitian feudalism and the military aristocracy, which were replaced by an absolute monarchy. At the same time, Protestantism quickly spread, thanks to the support of Pōmare II, and replaced the traditional beliefs. In 1816 the London Missionary Society sent John Williams as
9272-422: The king's navy or imprisonment. They received basic training in seamanship and carpentry, enabling them to sail the ships. Responsibility for weaponry and combat was still in the hands of conscripted farmers. For these, the country was divided into a number of counties – known in Danish as skipæn (the term skip being related to the Danish word for ship, skib ), which would later serve as the Danish dioceses . It
9394-540: The kingdom, and when in 1880 the governor Henri Isidore Chessé, supported by the Tahitian chiefs, pushed him to abdicate in favour of France, he accepted. On 29 June 1880, he ceded Tahiti to France along with the islands that were its dependencies. He was given the titular position of Officer of the Orders of the Legion of Honour and Agricultural Merit of France . Having become a colony, Tahiti thus lost all sovereignty. Tahiti
9516-465: The lands that now constitute modern French Polynesia. In 1791, HMS Pandora under Captain Edward Edwards called at Tahiti and took custody of fourteen of the mutineers. Four were drowned in the sinking of Pandora on her homeward voyage, three were hanged, four were acquitted, and three were pardoned. In the 1790s, whalers began landing at Tahiti during their hunting expeditions in
9638-566: The mission of carrying Tahitian breadfruit trees ( Tahitian : ʻuru ) to the Caribbean . Sir Joseph Banks , the botanist from James Cook 's first expedition, had concluded that this plant would be ideal to feed the African slaves working in the Caribbean plantations at very little cost. The crew remained in Tahiti for about five months, the time needed to transplant the seedlings of the trees. Three weeks after leaving Tahiti, on 28 April 1789,
9760-479: The morals and customs of the inhabitants. Idolatry no longer exists among them, and they generally profess the Christian religion. The women no longer come aboard the vessel, and even when we meet them on land they are extremely reserved. (...) The bloody wars that these people used to carry out and human sacrifices have no longer taken place since 1816." When, on 7 December 1821, Pōmare II died, his son Pōmare III
9882-519: The mutineers from the Bounty offered their services as mercenaries and furnished arms to the family which became the Pōmare Dynasty . The chief Tū knew how to use their presence in the harbours favoured by sailors to his advantage. As a result of his alliance with the mutineers, he succeeded in considerably increasing his supremacy over the island of Tahiti. In about 1790, the ambitious chief Tū took
10004-452: The navy assisted the occupying German forces with minesweeping, because of the political demand of keeping the infrastructure (ferry-lines) up and running. The tensions between the German soldiers and the Danish armed forces rose slowly and, on 29 August 1943 , they managed to scuttle 32 of its larger ships, while Germany succeeded in seizing 14 of the larger and 50 of the smaller vessels. This
10126-495: The navy had two operational flying boats and five trained pilots making it possible to make daily reconnaissance flights over the Sound , monitoring German mine-laying activities. From 1914 to 1917, Orlogsværftet (Danish naval yard) produced eight OV-flying boats and in 1915 and 1916 two naval flying stations were established in Copenhagen and Nyborg, mainly focusing on the two international seaways Øresund and Storebælt . After
10248-481: The navy or as flights conducted by the Royal Danish Air Force . Aviation pioneer Robert Svendsen purchased the first aircraft, a Henry Farman, and gave it to the navy who subsequently named it Glenten ( kite ). Later the same year, a private funding effort made it possible to purchase two Donnet-Leveque flying boats named Maagen ( gull ) and Ternen ( tern ). At the outbreak of World War One
10370-787: The other Society Islands , the Austral Islands , the Marquesas Islands and the Tuamotu Archipelago . During the First World War , the Papeʻete region of the island was attacked by two German warships . A French gunboat as well as a captured German freighter were sunk in the harbour and the two German armoured cruisers bombarded the colony. Between 1966 and 1996 the French Government conducted 193 nuclear bomb tests above and below
10492-434: The outbreak of World War I (1914), the Danish navy was a very modern fleet, mainly equipped with armoured steam ships and only a very few sailing ships. In the period between the two World Wars, the Royal Danish Navy (as well as the rest of the Danish military forces) had low priority for the politicians, especially between 1929 and 1942 under Thorvald Stauning . During the first year of the German occupation (1940–1945),
10614-443: The pagan native populations to Christianity. The arrival of these missionaries marked a new turning point for the island of Tahiti, having a lasting impact on the local culture. The first years proved hard work for the missionaries, despite their association with the Pōmare, the importance of whom they were aware of thanks to the reports of earlier sailors. In 1803, upon the death of Pōmare I , his son Vairaʻatoa succeeded him and took
10736-592: The period 1509–1814, when Denmark was in a union with Norway, the Danish Navy was part of the Dano-Norwegian Navy . Until the copenhagenization of the navy in 1801, and again in 1807, the navy was a major strategic influence in the European geographical area, but since then its size and influence has drastically declined with a change in government policy. Despite this, the navy is now equipped with
10858-501: The point when Protestantism truly took off on the island. In about 1810, Pōmare II married Teremoʻemoʻe daughter of the chief of Raiatea , to ally himself with the chiefdoms of the Leeward Islands . On 12 November 1815, thanks to these alliances, Pōmare II won a decisive battle at Feʻi Pī (Punaʻauia), notably against Opuhara, the chief of the powerful clan of Teva. This victory allowed Pōmare II to be styled Ariʻi Rahi , or
10980-401: The powers of the traditional hereditary chiefs. In the context of the republican assimilation, these councils tried their best to protect the traditional way of life of the local people, which was threatened by European influence. In 1877, Queen Pōmare died after ruling for fifty years. Her son, Pōmare V, then succeeded her on the throne. The new king seemed little concerned with the affairs of
11102-511: The proper name of the island. Cook also met many island chiefs. Cook and Endeavour left Tahiti on 13 July 1769. Cook estimated the population to be 200,000 including all the nearby islands in the chain. This estimate was reduced to 35,000 by Cook's contemporary, anthropologist and Tahiti expert Douglas L. Oliver. The Viceroy of Peru , Manuel de Amat y Juniet , under order of the Spanish Crown, organized an expedition to colonize
11224-590: The protection of England. In November 1835 Charles Darwin visited Tahiti aboard HMS Beagle on her circumnavigation, captained by Robert FitzRoy . He was impressed by what he perceived to be the positive influence the missionaries had had on the sobriety and moral character of the population. Darwin praised the scenery, but was not flattering towards Tahiti's Queen Pōmare IV. Captain Fitzroy negotiated payment of compensation for an attack on an English ship by Tahitians, which had taken place in 1833. In Sept. 1839,
11346-581: The rapidly evolving technology of naval aircraft . A further ten aircraft were to be produced under licence at the Orlogsværft. The new aircraft made the air base in Ringsted inadequate and the naval air service was moved to the Avnø peninsula at southern Zealand . In 1932, the navy purchased its first offensive capacity, two Hawker Horsley torpedo bombers with an option to produce a following series on
11468-442: The reign of King Hans , Danish trade expanded appreciably, increasing the need for the delivery of merchandise. As shipping was the ideal means of transport at the time, Danish maritime interests had to be further protected. King Hans is credited with establishing a joint Dano-Norwegian fleet in 1509, substantially increasing the number of professional crewmembers. They were mainly petty criminals, who had to choose between working in
11590-399: The religious leaders, revered for the mana (spiritual power) they inherited as descendants of the gods. As symbols of their power, they wore belts of red feathers. Nonetheless, to exercise their political power, councils or general assemblies composed of the ariʻi and the ʻĪatoʻai had to be called, especially in case of war. The chief's spiritual power was also limited; each clan's practice
11712-431: The same period about a thousand Chinese, mainly Cantonese , were recruited at the request of a plantation owner in Tahiti, William Stewart, to work on the great cotton plantation at Atimaono. When the enterprise resulted in bankruptcy in 1873, some Chinese workers returned to their country, but a large number stayed in Tahiti and mixed with the population. In 1866 the district councils were formed, elected, which were given
11834-402: The ship was welcomed by a crowd of 20,000 people. The second Galathea expedition led to the discovery of, among other things, the fish species Antipodocottus galatheae and Abyssobrotula galatheae , the snail species Guttula galatheae and, above all, living Monoplacophora , a class of "ancestral mollusc" which until then was known only from the fossil record . The biggest sensation at
11956-526: The situation to change the way in which powers were arranged, and to make the Tahitian monarchy closer to the English model of a constitutional monarchy. They therefore created the Tahitian Legislative Assembly, which first sat on 23 February 1824. In 1827, the young Pōmare III suddenly died, and it was his half-sister, ʻAimata, aged thirteen, who took the title of Pōmare IV . The Birmingham -born missionary George Pritchard , who
12078-495: The southern hemisphere. The arrival of these whalers, who were subsequently joined by merchants coming from the penal colonies in Australia, marked the first major overturning of traditional Tahitian society. The crews introduced alcohol , arms and infectious diseases to the island, and encouraged prostitution , which brought with it venereal disease . These commercial interactions with westerners had catastrophic consequences for
12200-495: The status of the naval profession and established Søkadetakademie , the predecessor of the Royal Danish Naval Academy . In 1709, Peter Jansen Wessel joined the navy. He was later given the rank of admiral as a reward for his many victories – most famously at Marstrand and Dynekilden . He was later known as Tordenskjold . In 1712, Tordenskjold succeeded in burning 80 Swedish naval cruisers, which played
12322-409: The submarines were retired in 2004 as part of cooperative defense agreement and restructuring. The Royal Danish Navy has operated a wide variety of vessels over the years, including different types of submarines, patrol boats, minesweepers, missile boats, and frigates. It has also operated a variety of aircraft, and the use of helicopters for search and rescue missions and transport, for example, has been
12444-429: The time, however, was the discovery of sea anemones on a rock from the bottom of the Philippine Trench since it had been assumed that life could not exist at this sea depth. Dr Claude E. ZoBell , the 'Father of Marine Microbiology', was aboard this expedition. The third expedition took place during 2006–2007, using the offshore patrol frigate HDMS Vædderen , which was refitted to serve as an expedition ship. It
12566-549: The time. He returned however to work towards indoctrinating the locals against the Roman Catholic French. In 1843, the Queen's Protestant advisor, Pritchard, persuaded her to display the Tahitian flag in place of the flag of the Protectorate. By way of reprisal, Admiral Dupetit-Thouars announced the annexation of the Kingdom of Pōmare on 6 November 1843 and set up the governor Armand Joseph Bruat there as
12688-408: The title of Pōmare II. He allied himself more and more with the missionaries, and from 1803 they taught him reading and the Gospels. Furthermore, the missionaries encouraged his wish to conquer his opponents, so that they would only have to deal with a single political contact, enabling them to develop Christianity in a unified country. The conversion of Pōmare II to Protestantism in 1812 marks moreover
12810-560: The title of king and gave himself the name Pōmare . Captain Bligh explains that this name was a homage to his eldest daughter Teriʻinavahoroa, who had died of tuberculosis , "an illness that made her cough ( mare ) a lot, especially at night ( pō )". Thus he became Pōmare I , founding the Pōmare Dynasty and his lineage would be the first to unify Tahiti from 1788 to 1791. He and his descendants founded and expanded Tahitian influence to all of
12932-594: The war the Danish production of aircraft was stopped due to several crashes and an international surplus of warplanes. Following British advice, five Avro 504s were purchased for training purposes, and based in Ringsted between the two important straits. In 1925, three land-based fighter aircraft were purchased to be based in Ringsted. A modified version of the Hawker Woodcock , the Hawker Danecock,
13054-827: Was a three-masted sailing ship , a naval corvette which had been built in 1831 at the Gammelholm naval shipyard in Copenhagen . It was 43 m (141 ft) in length and had a draught of 5 m (16 ft). When it departed on its voyage under the leadership of Captain Steen Andersen Bille it carried 231 seamen and scientists, 36 guns , and supplies for one year. The scientists included physician and assistant botanist Didrik Ferdinand Didrichsen , botanist Bernhard Casper Kamphøvener , entomologist Carl Emil Kiellerup , geologist Hinrich Johannes Rink and zoologists Wilhelm Friedrich Georg Behn and Johannes Theodor Reinhardt , not all of whom remained for
13176-606: Was also during this period that dedicated naval bases and shipyards were founded. They would build, maintain and fit out the king's navy. The first record of a dedicated naval base is Bremerholmd (later Gammelholm ) in the year 1500. The founding of the Royal Danish Navy is often viewed in Denmark as taking place on 10 August 1510, when King Hans appointed his vassal Henrik Krummedige to become "chief captain and head of all our captains, men and servants whom we now have appointed and ordered to be at sea." When King Frederick II
13298-474: Was buried near the mission he had established at Tautira Bay . Lt Tomas Gayangos took over command and set sail for Peru on 27 January, leaving the Fathers Geronimo Clota and Narciso Gonzalez and the sailors Maximo Rodriguez and Francisco Perez in charge of the mission. On the third Aguila expedition, under Don Cayetano de Langara, the mission on Tahiti was abandoned on 12 November 1775, when
13420-436: Was called Otaheite in earlier European documents: this is a rendering of Tah. ʻo Tahiti , which is typically pronounced [ʔotaˈhɛiti] . Tahiti is the highest and largest island in French Polynesia lying close to Moʻorea island. It is located 4,400 kilometres (2,376 nautical miles) south of Hawaiʻi, 7,900 km (4,266 nmi) from Chile , 5,700 km (3,078 nmi) from Australia. The island
13542-450: Was conceived in 1941 in discussions between journalist and author Hakon Mielche and oceanographer and ichthyologist Anton Frederik Bruun . It was originally hoped to send out a second expedition on the centenary of the first; however, World War II intervened and preparations had to be postponed. In June 1945 the two protagonists, along with explorers Eigil Knuth , Ebbe Munch and Henning Haslund-Christensen , decided to establish
13664-405: Was crowned in 1559, he immediately began expanding the navy. The number of bases, yards and vessels rose rapidly and substantial resources were used for new ship designs, weaponry, training and battle tactics. Sweden, which had become an independent country, dominated a large part of the Baltic Sea and threatened Danish merchant interests. In retaliation, Denmark closed the Øresund in 1568, laying
13786-514: Was due to a secret order, given directly to the captains by word of mouth by commander of the navy, Vice Admiral A. H. Vedel "to try to flee to the nearest neutral or Nazi-opposed port. If that was not possible, the ship should be scuttled at as deep a location as possible." The Germans later succeeded in raising and refitting 15 of the sunken ships. A number of vessels had been ordered to attempt to escape to Swedish waters, and 13 succeeded. The fleet flagship, Niels Juel , attempted to break out in
13908-467: Was fired by order of the prime minister Vilhelm Buhl because of his hostile actions towards the Germans. In the post-war years, Denmark joined NATO in 1949. As a result, Denmark received large amounts of material and financing through the Marshall Plan . Furthermore, several ships were purchased from the British and a number of vessels were transferred from the disarmed Kriegsmarine . During
14030-472: Was initially delivered from the UK while a following series of 12 aircraft were license-built by the Orlogsværft. In 1928 the naval air service procured six Heinkel HE 8 floatplanes, with another 16 to be license-built by the Orlogsværft. As Germany were not allowed to produce military aircraft, the planes were labelled as mail planes , but they could easily be refitted with dual machine guns, radio equipment and
14152-713: Was initiated by the King of Denmark, Christian VIII , with its main purposes the handover of the Danish colonies in India , following their sale to the British East India Company , as well as a final Danish attempt to explore and recolonise the Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean . Additional aims were the expansion of trade with China and the discovery of new trading opportunities, as well as making extensive scientific collections . The Galathea
14274-546: Was nevertheless a special colony, since all the subjects of the Kingdom of Pōmare would be given French citizenship. On 14 July 1881, among cries of "Vive la République!" the crowds celebrated the fact that Polynesia now belonged to France; this was the first celebration of the Tiurai (national and popular festival). In 1890, Papeʻete became a commune of the Republic of France. The French painter Paul Gauguin lived on Tahiti in
14396-420: Was only eighteen months old. His uncle and the religious people therefore supported the regency, until 2 May 1824, the date on which the missionaries conducted his coronation, a ceremony unprecedented in Tahiti. Taking advantage of the weakness of the Pōmare, local chiefs won back some of their power and took the hereditary title of Tavana (from the English word "governor"). The missionaries also took advantage of
14518-539: Was organized around their marae (stone temple) and its priests. The first European to arrive at Tahiti may have been Spanish explorer Juan Fernández in his expedition of 1576–1577. Alternatively, Portuguese navigator Pedro Fernandes de Queirós , serving the Spanish Crown in an expedition to Terra Australis , was perhaps the first European to see Tahiti. He sighted an inhabited island on 10 February 1606. However, it has been suggested that he actually saw
14640-524: Was powered by two steam turbines that gave it a cruising speed of 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph). Galathea 2 left Copenhagen in October 1950 carrying a crew of about 100 seamen and scientists, visiting many of the same places the original Galathea had visited over a century earlier. The main difference in the route taken from the earlier expedition was in using the Panama Canal, rather than
14762-502: Was the acting British consul, became her main adviser and tried to interest her in the affairs of the kingdom but the authority of the Queen, who was certainly less charismatic than her father, was challenged by the chiefs, who had won back an important part of their prerogatives since the death of Pōmare II. The power of the Pōmare had become more symbolic than real; time and time again Queen Pōmare, Protestant and anglophile, sought in vain
14884-623: Was to sponsor the publication of the scientific results of the expedition. However, the King died in January 1848 and the country was thrown into the Three Years' War . Most of the boxes of collected items lay unopened for many years and, with some exceptions, were never properly processed, nor the full results formally published. The collections subsequently served mainly as reference material. The second expedition, Galathea Deep Sea Expedition
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