The Norwegians preferred to limit military operations to coastal defence. Nevertheless, what was left of the Dano-Norwegian fleet after the Battle of Copenhagen (1807) was committed to trying to break the blockade. After years of skirmishes, the Dano-Norwegian fleet was reduced to one major ship, the frigate , which they had finished constructing in 1811 with material salvaged from a ship-of-the-line destroyed in earlier battles. "Najaden" was under the command of Danish naval officer Hans Peter Holm. Three brigs – "Kiel" (under the command of Otto Frederick Rasch), "Lolland", and "Samsøe" – accompanied "Najaden".