When he heard about the incident, King Frederick IV of Denmark asked for the admiralty to court-martial Wessel.[3] He stood trial in November 1714, accused of disclosing vital military information about his lack of ammunition to the enemy, as well as endangering the ship of king Frederick IV by fighting a superior enemy force.[5] The spirit with which he defended himself and the contempt he poured on his less courageous comrades took the fancy of Frederick IV.[4] He successfully argued a section of the Danish naval code which mandated attacking fleeing enemy ships no matter the size, and was acquitted on 15 December 1714. He then went to the king asking for a promotion and was raised to the rank of captain on 28 December 1714.[5]

The balls on this man. And this is the part just before the section titled "Greatest Exploits"...