Independent command in the Baltic

Admiral Waldemar Løvendal needed officers who could act independently with small warships during the Great Northern War. He backed Wessel for command of a four-gun sloop and then a larger vessel despite Admiralty doubts about entrusting ships to such a young and unreliable-seeming officer. Wessel used these commands for intelligence gathering, scouting, and reconnaissance along the Swedish coast. Courage, seamanship, and an accurate reading of opponents made him effective at aggressive cruising even when he consistently underestimated the danger to himself.