Captain Hans Peter Holm (17 June 1772 – 26 October 1812)[1][2] was a Royal Dano-Norwegian Navy officer who commanded several naval vessels during the Gunboat War.

In 1807 he married Marie Heegaard (1791–1860), daughter of a plantation owner in St Croix in the Danish West Indies (DWI; now the US Virgin Islands).

Spells at sea followed, including serving on board HDMS Oldenburg on 15 November 1798 when a severe storm in Table Bay, South Africa, drove the vessel ashore.

Soon, however, he was back in the DWI as chief pilot and harbour master on St Croix, which positions he retained during the British occupation of the island from December 1807, until the spring of 1809.

After his promotion to full captain on 17 March 1811, Holm took command of the brig HDMS Lolland and was the senior officer of the squadron of similar warships stationed in Norway.

For his success, Holm was appointed captain of the newly built frigate HDMS Najaden in 1812, but difficulties encountered on her maiden voyage and in training up the new crew and coordinating her movements with the brigs meant that she was not fully combat ready until 1 June 1812.

On 2 July 1812 Holm took Najaden to sea from Stavern where some repairs had been made, to sail to Kristiansand, but contrary winds forced him to seek shelter in Sandoya.