Dannebrog: converting a large wooden hull for a smaller navy

Dannebrog began as an 80-gun ship of the line and was later remade as an armoured frigate. Her large existing hull could carry armour and machinery after being cut down, creating a more useful warship than the original design. For Denmark, the conversion mattered less as a battle record than as a way to retain a credible presence among stronger Baltic powers. The case connects ship conversion with the political problem of maintaining naval security on a limited budget.