Opposing Forces
At the outbreak of war the Danish fleet had 31 steamships with 387 cannon, of which 26 ships and 363 cannon were ready for action. In addition they had 10 sailing ships. A further 50 sail-powered gunboats were only intended for coastal defence. The Danish Navy had a strength of 3,757 men.
Against that, the Prussian fleet had 23 boats with cannon and 1,636 sailors. The Prussians did not have any of the modern, rifled 24-pounders.
Moreover the Danish side had four ironclad warships or ironclad gunboats: the Rolf Krake, Danebrog, Esbern Snare and Absolon. The turret ship Rolf Krake had been initially purchased in 1863 in Britain and, in its day, was one of the most modern warships in the world. By contrast, the first Prussian ironclad, SMS Arminius, did not enter service until 1865.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Jasmund (1864)
Famous quotes related to opposing forces:
“As one who knows many things, the humanist loves the world precisely because of its manifold nature and the opposing forces in it do not frighten him. Nothing is further from him than the desire to resolve such conflicts ... and this is precisely the mark of the humanist spirit: not to evaluate contrasts as hostility but to seek human unity, that superior unity, for all that appears irreconcilable.”
—Stefan Zweig (18811942)