 Zvose zvina zvakatumirwa mukupera kwa1863 kana kuti kutanga kwa1864 sezvo Prussia nehama yayo Austria yakagadzirira Hondo yechipiri yeSchleswig neDenmark, iyo yakatanga muna February 1864. Munguva yehondo, zvikepe zvina zvaipfura zvakapihwa mabasa ekudzivirira kumahombekombe muBaltic Sea, uye Comet yakaona chiito paHondo yeJasmund munaKurume 1864, kwaakashandura moto usingabatsiri neDanish screw frigate kure kure. Mitezo yechishanu neyechitanhatu yekirasi yacho, Blitz uye Basilisk, yakanga yatumirwa kuGungwa reMediterranean parwendo rwokudzidzisa uye yaifanira kunzi idzokere pakutanga kwehondo. Vakabatana nechikwata cheAustria chaiva nezvikepe zvechikepe zvainzi screw frigates uye vaitungamirirwa naKommodore Commodore Wilhelm von Tegetthoff. Mauto eAustria nePrussian akarwisa chikwata cheDenmark chaivharira mhenderekedzo yegungwa reNorth yematunhu eGermany muhondo isingapedzisi yeHelgoland, kunyange zvazvo Blitz neBasilisk zvaiva zvishoma zvokutora rutivi runoshanda mukurwisana. Pashure pehondo, ngarava dzacho dzakaramba dzichishanda, zvikurukuru kuti dziongorore mhenderekedzo dzegungwa dzeSchleswig neHolstein, madunhu akanga atorwa neAustria nePrussia munguva yehondo. 