Wessel’s enemies, of whom he had many, especially among the nobility, who looked upon him as a vulgar upstart, used this incident to bring him before a court-martial.  It was unpatriotic, they declared, and they demanded that he be degraded and fined.  His defence, which with all the records of his career are in the Navy Department at Copenhagen, was brief but to the point.  It is summed up in the retort to his accusers that “they themselves should be rebuked, and severely, for failing to understand that an officer in the King’s service should be promoted instead of censured for doing his plain duty,” and that there was nothing in the articles of war commanding him to treat an honorable foe otherwise than with honor.

It must be admitted that he gave his critics no lack of cause.  His enterprises were often enough of a hair-raising kind, and he had scant patience with censure.  Thus once, when harassed by an Admiralty order purposely issued to annoy him, he wrote back:  “The biggest fool can see that to obey would defeat all my plans.  I shall not do it.  It may suit folk who love loafing about shore, but to an honest man such talk is disgusting, let alone that the thing can’t be done.”  He was at that time twenty-six years old, and in charge of the whole North Sea fleet.  No wonder he had enemies.

However, the King was his friend.  He made him a nobleman, and gave him the name Tordenskjold.  It means “thunder shield.”

“Then, by the powers,” he swore when he was told, “I shall thunder in the ears of the Swedes so that the King shall hear of it!” And he kept his word.

Charles had determined to take Denmark with one fell blow.  He had an army assembled in Skaane to cross the sound, which was frozen over solid.  All was ready for the invasion in January 1716.  The people throughout Sweden had assembled in the churches to pray for the success of the King’s arms, and he was there himself to lead; but in the early morning hours a strong east wind broke up the ice, and the campaign ended before it was begun.  Charles then turned on Norway, and laid siege to the city of Frederikshald, which, with its strong fort, Frederiksteen, was the key to that country.  A Danish fleet lay in the Skagerak, blocking his way of reenforcements by sea.  Tordenskjold, with his frigate, Hvide Oernen, and six smaller ships (the frigate Vindhunden of sixteen guns, and five vessels of light draught, two of which were heavily armed), was doing scouting duty for the Admiral when he learned that the entire Swedish fleet of forty-four ships that was intended to aid in the operations against Frederikshald lay in the harbor of Dynekilen waiting its chance to slip out.  It was so well shielded there that its commander sent word to the King to rest easy; nothing could happen to him.  He would join him presently.