The Konstruktionskommissionen and Danish shipbuilding, 1739–1756: From tension to hybrid warship design

Abstract

The Konstruktionskommissionen (Construction Committee), which was responsible for shipbuilding in the eighteenth-century Danish navy, was established in 1739 after a period of tension. The naval constructor Knud Nielsen Benstrup had been held personally accountable for an error in his design and imprisoned, and the following trial debated French and English shipbuilding methods – a hot topic. For decision-making in shipbuilding, historians have often discussed the physical requirements for a warship, whereas maritime archaeologists have also studied the psychology of and bias in shipbuilding. Through an example of a design from this period ( Grønland, launched in 1756), this article analyses the work and responsibilities of the Konstruktionskommissionen. This ranged from the creation of a good sailer, with a shallow draught yet steady fighting platform, to making decisions on the aesthetics of a warship, all at a time when the Danish navy experienced no battles and the success of the warships was difficult to gauge.