The United Kingdom Baltic Fleet stood in the dark waters of the Øresund Strait. Its 12 ships of the line, imposing and bristling with cannons, were flanked by frigates, sleek and swift for scouting. Bomb vessels, capable of raining explosive shells on fortifications, clustered nearby. Vigilant sloops patrolled the perimeter.
The flagship, HMS London, led the formation, its towering masts adorned with the Union Jack fluttering in the breeze. Admiral Hyde Parker stood on the quarterdeck, his eyes fixed on the lighthouse that was aiming lights at them.
"Are they merely intent on bathing us in the light?" Parker mused aloud,
"Probably they are monitoring our movements. But one thing is certain, Admiral, we have lost the element of surprise. The Swedes are allied with the Danes in the defensive alliance and they are probably sending telegrams to their high commands," Otway observed.
