Battle of Zealand Point
Prelude
Prelude
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The [Danish](/wiki/Royal_Danish_Navy "Royal Danish Navy") [ship of the line](/wiki/Ship_of_the_line "Ship of the line") *[HDMS Prinds Christian Frederik](/wiki/HDMS_Prinds_Christian_Frederik "HDMS Prinds Christian Frederik")*Record card for [Prins Christian Frederik (1804\)](https://web.archive.org/web/20120318003925/http://www.orlogsmuseet.dk/P/pages/Prins%20Christian%20Frederik(1804).htm) was stationed in [Kristiansand](/wiki/Kristiansand "Kristiansand"), [Norway](/wiki/Norway "Norway") from 7 August 1807, patrolling waters between Norway and Denmark where Britain had imposed a blockade. In February 1808, *Prins Christian Frederik* pursued the British ship  into hiding. Having learned of the Danish ship, the British admiralty sent a squadron consisting of [HMS *Nassau*](/wiki/HDMS_Holsteen "HDMS Holsteen") (the former Danish ship\-of\-the\-line *Holsteen*, taken during the Battle of Copenhagen), , , and two brigs,  and , to secure the waters. While this was going on *Prins Christian Frederik* became frozen in at Fredericksværn, near Kristiansand. She therefore did not set sail for Denmark until 4 March.[Danish Military History](http://milhist.dk/slaget/slaget-ved-sjaellands-odde/)  website (in Danish)

By the time *Prins Christian Frederik* reached Denmark, [epidemic typhus](/wiki/Epidemic_typhus "Epidemic typhus") had broken out among her crew. Ice in the Danish harbours prevented her from docking, and crew were replaced over the ice. On 17 March morale deteriorated further when news arrived that [King Christian](/wiki/Christian_VII_of_Denmark "Christian VII of Denmark") had died. She was ordered into the [Great Belt](/wiki/Great_Belt "Great Belt") (*Storebælt*) strait to provide cover for a crossing of a [French](/wiki/France "France") [army](/wiki/Army "Army") corps consisting of [Spanish](/wiki/Spain "Spain") soldiers ordered by [Jean Baptiste Jules Bernadotte](/wiki/Charles_XIV_of_Sweden "Charles XIV of Sweden") (later King of Sweden) to attack [Skåne](/wiki/Sk%C3%A5ne "Skåne"). Having been alerted to the Danish plan, the British ships give chase. The British ships intended to outmanoeuvre, corner, and overpower *Prins Christian Frederik*; [Captain Carl Jessen](/wiki/Carl_Wilhelm_Jessen "Carl Wilhelm Jessen"), after conferring with his officers, decided to take a stand in order to gain enough of a tactical advantage to move into familiar waters and within the protective range of the cannon at [Kronborg](/wiki/Kronborg "Kronborg").

On Friday 18 March 1808 the crew of HMS *Stately* was employed cutting passages through the sea ice from their Swedish anchorage to allow *Stately* and *Nassau* to go to sea. Their Swedish pilots were discharged the next day when the squadron, comprising the three ships\-of\-the\-line *Nassau*, *Stately*, and *Vanguard*, the frigate  , the two sloops *Falcon* and , and the gunbrig *Constant*, formed up and live bullocks were transferred from *Stately* to *Quebec* and to *Lynx*.Captain's Log of HMS *Stately* \- National Archives, Kew, London ADM 51/1787Captain's Log of HMS *Lynx* \- National Archives, Kew, London ADM 51/1767 The smaller ships patrolled the northern approaches to the Great Belt and the Øresund, within sight of the squadron or separately, investigating any strange sail. *Quebec* and *Lynx* were in company late on 21 March, then parted company early on 22nd before *Quebec* identified *Prins Christian Frederik* near Sejerø.Captain's Log of HMS *Quebec* \- National Archives, Kew, London ADM 51/1850 *Lynx*, and later , joined with *Quebec* in Sejerø Bay.


How many ships-of-the-line were sent by the British admiralty to secure the waters?