Denmark  history

Danmark 1932 

As a fully-loaded successor to the sunken schoolship Kobenhavn, the Danmark became Denmark's training ship. Launched in 1932, the ship was used for training until the beginning of The Second World War. At the start of the war, the ship visited the U.S. and was ordered to stay there. When the U.S. joined the war in 1941, the ship was used as a school ship for the U.S. Coast Guard. After the war, the Danmark returned to Denmark and resumed its training activities. After the loss of the Danish five-mast training barque Kobenhavn (the ship disappeared with man and mouse on its return from Buenos Aires), the Danish government decided to build a new training ship for the merchant fleet. The ship was designed as a fully loaded three-master that could be sailed by a crew of 120 people on board.

Launched at the Nakskov shipyard, the Danmark was commissioned the following year and then held until The Second World War. In 1939, the ship visited the United States to participate in the World's Fair in New York. In order to prevent looting by the Germans, the ship was instructed (by the Danish Authority) to remain in American waters. It was imposed in Jacksonville, Florida and maintained with the help of the Danish-American community.

 After the United States joined the war (after the attack on Pearl Harbor) in 1941, Captain Knud Hansen offered the ship to the U.S. government as a training ship. The offer was accepted and the ship was used to train U.S. Coast Guard cadets. Some 5,000 cadets were trained before the ship returned to Denmark in 1945. As a thank you for his contribution to the war effort, a bronze plaque is attached to the large mast and the Danmark was allowed to lead the parade of ships at the World's Fair in New York in 1964. The experience with the Danmark prompted the US to take over the USCGC Eagle after the war from Germany.

Back in Denmark, training resumed and after a refurbishment in 1959, in which the crew was reduced to 80, the Danmark is still used as a training ship, not only for Danes, but for every inhabitant of the world who wants to learn the basics of seamanship.