The Sophia Amalia was a ship of the Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy[4] named after Sophia Amalia, the wife of King Frederick III.

History
NameSophia Amalia
NamesakeSophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg
Launched1650[1]
Refit1673
FateScrapped, 1687[2]
General characteristics
TypeShip of the line
Displacement2,700–2,800 t (2,657–2,756 long tons)
Length51.81 m (170 ft 0 in)[1]
Beam12.64 m (41 ft 6 in)[1]
Draught6.3 m (20 ft 8 in)[1]
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Complement430-885[3]
Armament86-108 guns[3]

Construction and design edit

The ship was built at Hovedøen in Christiania under the direction of English shipbuilder James Robbins and was launched in 1650. She was 51.8 meters long and at that time one of the largest naval vessels in the world. She was commissioned by King Christian IV specifically to surpass the British ship HMS Sovereign of the Seas. The ship was manned by a crew of 680 and had an armament of 108 guns, surpassing Sovereign of the Seas by eight guns.

Captains edit

  • Rasmus Clemmensen 3 June 1667[5]
  • Simon Fochs de Boer May 1673[6]
  • Niels Juel August 1675[7] as head of vanguard in the Baltic Sea Fleet under Cort Adelaer with the admiral's flag raised in the Sophie Amalia
  • Gustavus Meyer (junior lieutenant on board in 1684)[8]

Legacy edit

 
The model of Sophia Amalia in the Royal Danish Naval Museum.

A model of the ship is in the holdings of the Royal Danish Naval Museum.

HDMS Sophia Amalia is one of two ships depicted on what is believed to be the two oldest ship portraits of Danish ships. They are in the collections of Gavnø Castle.[9]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Ship model of Sophia Amalia (1650)". Royal Danish Naval Museum. 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  2. ^ "Sophia Amalia (1650)". koti.mbnet.fi. 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Great ships in 17th century (at least 100 guns)". kotiposti.net. 2004. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  4. ^ Skibregister - Record card for Sophia Amalia (1650)
  5. ^ Topsøe-Jensen Vol 1 page 254
  6. ^ Topsøe-Jensen Vol 1 page 384
  7. ^ Topsøe-Jensen Vol 1 page 686
  8. ^ Topsøe-Jensen Vol 2-page 177
  9. ^ Ole. "Konvoh" (PDF) (in Danish). Orlorgsmuseet. Retrieved 25 July 2021.

External links and citations edit