At seventeen he commanded a floating battery "Flaadebatteri Nr. 1" during the Battle of Copenhagen (April 2, 1801). He had 129 men and 20 cannon under his command and fought with such gallantry that the English Admiral Horatio Nelson commended him to the Crown Prince Frederick after the battle, supposedly recommending that he be promoted to Admiral. To this the Danish prince firmly answered: "If I were to reward all my men for their bravery, I would have a fleet of admirals".
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Willemoes died March 22, 1808, at the Battle of Zealand Point onboard the ship of the line Prins Christian Frederik.