Marine archaeologists have discovered the wreck of the Danish warship Dannebroge, sunk by Admiral Horatio Nelson during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. The find was announced on Thursday, exactly 225 years after the battle, by Denmark's Viking Ship Museum, which is leading the underwater excavation in Copenhagen harbour.
The 48-metre (157ft) flagship was Nelson's main target during the battle. Cannon fire tore through its upper deck and incendiary shells sparked a fire, forcing the crew to abandon ship. The vessel later exploded, creating a deafening roar across Copenhagen. The battle is also believed to have inspired the phrase 'to turn a blind eye', after Nelson ignored a superior's signal to retreat.
Divers working in thick sediment and near-zero visibility 15 metres (49ft) below the surface have discovered two cannon, uniforms, insignia, shoes, bottles, and part of a sailor's lower jaw. The remains may belong to one of the 19 unaccounted-for crew members who likely died in the battle. 'Sometimes you can't see anything, and you really have to feel your way with your fingers,' said diver and maritime archaeologist Marie Jonsson.
The dig site will soon be enveloped by construction for Lynetteholm, a mega-project to build a new housing district in Copenhagen harbour, expected to be completed by 2070. Archaeologists are racing against time to unearth the wreck before it becomes a construction site. 'It's a big part of the Danish national feeling,' said Morten Johansen, head of maritime archaeology at the museum.
Experts have confirmed the wreck's identity through dendrochronological dating, matching the wood to the year the ship was built. The battle, chronicled in books and paintings, remains deeply embedded in Denmark's national story.
