Lt. Peter Frederik Wulff

Danish Captain, Commander of the Brig Lougen during the 1807-1814 Gunboat Wat with England, and Commander of the Naval Cadet Corps.

af Claus Christiansen & Eric Nielsen

Wulff, Peter Frederik born November 26, 1774 in Copenhagen, christened in Holmens church. Son of captain, chief of enrolment Frederik Christian Wulff and his wife Kirstine born Johansen. Married 1803 to Hanne Henriette Weinholdt born October 12, 1784 in Kindertofte. Died September 5, 1836 in Copenhagen. Daughter of farmer Jørgen Weinholdt (1784-1836) and wife Margrethe born Rasmussen.

1780 voluntary Cadet, 1788 Cadet, 1793 received the Gerner’s medal, February 21, 1794 Secondlieutenant, 1797-98 with the frigate IRIS to D.W.I, May 24, 1799 First Lieutenant, 1799-1801 with the frigate HAVFRUEN in squadron in the Mediteranean, 1802 surveying the Lille Bælt, November 22, 1802 Lieutenant at the Naval Cadet Corps.

Lt. Peter Frederik Wulff
Lt. Peter Frederik Wulff

1803 with the cadet-ship of the line SEJEREN, 1804 Commander of the brig FAMA, serving as tender for the cadet-ship, 1806 Executive officer at the Naval Cadet Corps.

1807 Commander of the LOUGEN, serving as tender for the cadet-ship, 1807 Commander on LOUGEN stationed at the Norwegian coast, Marts 14, 1808 he drove away the British war brig CHILDERS at Rasvaag, June 19 same year he captured the British brig THE SEAGULL outside Flekkerø, June 27 1808 Lieutenant-Lommander, July 13, 1808 relieved as commander of the LOUGEN by First Lieutenant Müller. September 22, becomes Knight of Dannebrog.

In October 1809 he returned to his old position at the Naval Cadet Academy, 1810 Commanding the brig TIGRESS, thereafter LOLLAND, both cadet-ship, 1811 Commander of the gun-boat flotilla at Funen and Langeland, October 31 1811 ordered to sail with 2 gun-boats from Store Bælt til Ærø to take command of the ships there. November 10 he reports to have returned to Store Bælt.

1812 Commanding the gun-boat flotilla at Taars, November 21, ordered to sail the Taars gun-boat flotilla to Gedser to assist a stranded Russian frigate, January 28, 1813 Commander, 1813-1819 commanding the brig FALSTER, cadet-ship, 1820-1823 commanding the brig MØEN, cadet-ship, 1824 commanding the frigate FREJA, cadet-ship. Prince Christian Frederik made a tour with the frigate to Bornholm. This tour caused a conflict between the Cadet-Commander Vice-admiral Sneedorff and Wulff.

October 14, 1824 Commander of the Naval Cadet Corps, November 1, 1828 received the title “Commander of Dannebrog”, July 20, 1834 Captain, December 15, 1835 received public allowance of 500 Rdl. by Royal grace, due to expensive illness in his household.

April 29 1839 Adjutant-general, April 30 Royal yacht-commander, May 22, 1840 Chamberlain, June 28 Contre-Admiral, February 13, 1841 he retired as Commander of the Naval Cadet Corps. He finished P. Foersoms translation of Shakespeares Dramas, and has translated writings of Thomas Moore and Byron.

At a visit in the Royal Theatre he suddenly went ill and died on the back to his home on February 2, 1842. He was buried at the Holmens Cemetery.

Brother to:

Wulff, Christian (1777-1843). Commanding the gun-boat division at Lolland. June 3, 1808 he captured the British brig THE TICKLER north of Fejø.
Anton Johan Rasmus Wulff (1778-1801). Died onboard the blockship DANNEBROG during the 1801 Battle.
Nicolay Wulff (1783-1807). Died of yellow-fever onboard the frigate FYLLA in the Danish West Indies.
Frederik Wulff (1795-1817). Disappeared in the Mediterranean with the commerce-galease” HELENE together with Lieutenant C. F. Grove and L. Willemoes.

Further reading:

Officerer i Den Dansk-Norske Søetat 166-1814 and Den Danske Søetat 1814-1932, by A. Topsøe-Jensen and Emil Marquard, published by h. Hagerup, Copenhagen, 1935.