Steen Andersen Bille (1797-1883)

Steen Andersen Bille, (5 December 1797 – 2 May 1883) was a Danish Vice-Admiral and flag officer and Naval Minister famous for his service in the Danish Royal Navy, particularly during the First Schleswig War, 1848-51.

Early Years

Influenced by his father’s roll in the defence of Copenhagen in 1807, and the visits of many leading naval figures to his parents’ house, he became a cadet (midshipman) in 1809 at the age of 12, seven years later a junior lieutenant with an honorary position at the royal court. In this time he saw service in HDMS Minerva in both the Mediterranean and the Danish West Indies.^[1] In 1823 he was promoted to senior lieutenant.

In French Service

In 1820, Bille returned from the cruise in the West Indies in the frigate Minerva and entered French service along with his older brother Lt. Ernst Bille (who died the following year) , serving in the ship-of-the-line Colosse in Brazilian waters and on South America’s west coast where there was civil turmoil in both Chile and Peru. Returning via Rio de Janiero (where the republic was declared while he was in harbour) He returned to France in October 1821 and to Denmark early in 1822. His maps and sailing notes on the various South American harbours and on Cape Horn were submitted to the Danish admiralty.

As tensions between France and Spain heightened two years later, Bille again sailed with the French. On board l’Hermione he was in command of a division of bomb vessels at Cadiz when that city was captured by the Duke of Angouleme. Thereafter in Galathee to Smyrna , he continued to Greek waters where the war of independence (from Turkey) was in full swing. Here he could observe the war at close quarters, and had close personal contact with the Turkish leaders Ibrahim Kapudan Pasha and Ismail Gibraltar. ^{[Note 1]}

Leaving French service in 1825, he was decorated with the order "pour le mérite militaire".

In Danish Service

On his return to Denmark Bille, who was known personally by King Frederick VI, was given command of the steamship Kiel which was ”at the disposition of the king”; later as second-in-command of the brig St Thomas to the DWI and various other naval duties. While a lecturer at the Danish Naval Academy in 1828 he made a good marriage.

In 1830 he was appointed Gentleman Cavalier to the Royal Princess Caroline, in 1834 promoted to commander, and in 1841 to Captain. As such, Bille was second-in-command of the frigate Bellona in 1840–1841 on a voyage to South America. Events on this voyage led to an investigation of his too severe handling of the crew, but the complaints were later withdrawn. In 1844 he was in command of the training corvette Flora when it fetched the Crownprince Frederick back from the Faroe Islands.

In 1845 Bille became captain of the corvette Galathea in which he sailed round the world. ^{[Note 2]} overseeing the transfer of Tranquebar and Serampore trading posts which had been sold to the British East India Company, and other trade and diplomatic duties. During the voyage part of his crew went in an Indian-built boat Ganges to the Nicobar Islands with the idea of establishing a colony there. This venture was abandoned soon afterwards on the grounds of the unhealthy climate, whereupon the British took over.

Three Years War

As the fleet was put on a war footing in 1848 at the start of the First Schleswig War, which the Danes call the Three Years War, Bille was placed as deputy commander of the Baltic squadron in HDMS Hekla helping with the transfer of troops to Schleswig and Southern Jutland and hindering enemy bombardments. After the Prussians got involved and the Danish army retreated, his squadron blockaded their harbours. No major naval engagements took place, but Fredericia – occupied by the Germans – was bombarded by Steen from Hekla and six gunboats. Bille’s popularity amongst the Danes rose considerably after this action. Later in 1848, a further promoted Bille was transfered to North Sea operations blockading the Weser and Elbe.

In 1849, again as commander of a blockading flotilla in the North Sea, he had some small encounters with armed German steamships and had to forsake the defence of the islands to the west of Jutland until he had some Danish gunboats sent via the Limfjord to flush out the enemy. In the last year of the war, after the German Bund had agreed a peace and the fighting could be concentrated on the rebel (Shleswig Holsteiners) , he was again on the east coast with his pennant on the steamship HDMS Skimer. Again, there was little oportunity for major naval action although Bille did take part in the Battle of Mysunde near Egernfjord on 12–13 September.

With the war’s end, so ended Bille’s naval career with a strong reputation for his seamanship and leadership abilities, although sometimes overstrict to his subordinates.

Politics

In January 1852 Bille was appointed minister for the navy, which post he retained even with a change in the administration until December 1854. As Britain and France became embroiled in the Crimean War, Bille ordered some naval preparations in Denmark’s fleet – but without parliamentary authority – for which he was brought to impeachment procedings but found not guilty. He represented a Copenhagen constituency in parliament, and again was given the naval portfolio from 1860 to 1863. His belief in modernising the fleet, with such unproven things as steampower, rifled naval guns and much else, brought opposition to expense – especially from the Liberal Party.

In 1864 Bille, now a Vice Admiral, travelled to China as a fully accredited representative of the state with powers to ratify the trade treaty with that land. ^{[Note 3]} Bille retained an interest in public affairs, particularly those of the sea and the navy, often contributing forthright opinions in discussions in the press. He retired from state service in 1868 (age 70).

Decorated with several foreign honours, and the high honour of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1857, Bille died 2 May 1883 and was buried at the Naval Church on Holmen, Copenhagen

Books by S A Bille

References

Bibliography

• Topsøe-Jensen, T. A.; Marquard, Emil (1935) (in Danish). Officerer i den dansk-norske Søetat 1660-1814 og den danske Søetat 1814-1932. 

General references

• With, C. (1887–1905). "Bille, Steen Andersen, 1751–1833". In Bricka, C.F.. Dansk biografisk leksikon. 2 (1st ed.). Gyldendal. pp. 253–257. http://runeberg.org/dbl/2/0255.html.