Michael Bille
| Michael Johannes Petronius Bille | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Michael Johannes Petronius Bille |
| Born |
8 November 1769 Stege, Møn, Denmark |
| Died | 27 March 1845 (aged 75) Copenhagen |
| Buried | Holmens Cemetery, Copenhagen |
| Allegiance |
 Denmark,  Prussia
|
| Service/branch |
|
| Years of service |
Denmark: 1789–1838 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Copenhagen |
| Relations | Great Grandson of Steen Andersen Bille (1624 – 1698) |
Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy
Royal Danish Navy
Denmark: 1789–1838
Michael Johannes Petronius Bille was a Danish-Norwegian, and Prussian naval officer born 8 November 1769 in Stege on the Danish Island of Møn into a naval family which had produced and would produce Danish admirals.
Michael was sailing on the Danish frigate Bornholm (captained by his father Mathias) when it was caught in a hurricane off the Danish West Indies Islands. After days of struggle, the ship ran aground off Newport, County Mayo, Ireland on March 17, 1782. Mathias died in the affair. Bille became an officer in the Danish-Norwegian Navy in 1789 and participated in the Battle of Copenhagen on 2 April 1801, where he commanded the lower battery of the Prøvesteenen which fired the first shot at the British.
Over fifteen years he also served as a teacher of mathematics and astronomy at the Seekadettenakademiet (Dansk Søværnets Officersskole). From 1807-1811, he served as a captain stationed in Kristiansand in charge of the gunboat squadron (Roflotillen). In 1812-1813 he commanded a French warship in the Scheldt. From 1815 he served as pilot inspector in Helsingor until he entered Prussian service in 1820.
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