A warship that sank after it was attacked by Adm. Horatio Nelson and the British fleet 225 years ago has been found off the coast of Denmark in what’s been called a “remarkable” discovery, reports BritPanorama.
Maritime archaeologists from the Danish Viking Ship Museum discovered the ship, which was sunk during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, while surveying the site on the seabed of Copenhagen Harbor ahead of the construction of an artificial island.
Since the end of last year, the archaeologists have been working on the excavation of the shipwreck, located 15 meters (almost 50 feet) below the water’s surface, where visibility is virtually zero, according to a press release from the museum published Thursday.
“We have found Dannebroge and the remains of those who never made it ashore after the battle,” Otto Uldum, maritime archaeologist at the Danish Viking Ship Museum, said in the release.
Uldum added that the ship’s dimensions “correspond exactly” to surviving drawings of it, stating: “The area is littered with cannonballs and bar shot. And yes, we have found two cannons.”
The team of archaeologists had been sent to survey the scene ahead of plans to develop a controversial infrastructure scheme.
Lynetteholm is intended to be a 271-acre man-made peninsula devised to shield Copenhagen from rising sea levels. There has been considerable protests about the potential impact on the environment.
The museum identified the sunken ship as the Dannebroge, which on the morning of April 2, 1801, was anchored in the harbor as part of the Danish-Norwegian defense against British naval commander Nelson’s fleet.
However, that day marked the onset of the Battle of Copenhagen.
Danish sailors spent four hours battling the superior British forces but were ultimately defeated. Heavily hit, the Dannebroge caught fire and then exploded. A ceasefire was declared soon afterwards.
While the battle is well documented in Danish history, this is believed to be the first time that archaeological investigations in connection with it have been undertaken, according to Uldum.
“Although the battle is a central event in Danish history, no one, to my knowledge, has examined it archaeologically until now. That is actually quite remarkable,” Uldum remarked in the release.
Items submerged for centuries
Along with evidence of the battle, Uldum and his colleagues uncovered various objects linked to the Dannebroge’s crew, including shoes, fragments of clothing, clay pipes, and uniform insignia.
Archaeologists also discovered the remains of one of the recorded missing crew members.
“We have found a lower jaw that is without doubt human, as well as several other bones, including ribs, which could very well be human. We are far from finished sorting and analysing the material, but we are bringing everything up,” Uldum stated.
During the battle, Nelson’s fleet consisted of 39 vessels armed with heavy guns. The Dannebroge sat at the center of the Danish defense line, led by commander Olfert Fischer, and quickly became the prime target for the British, bombarded by two of Nelson’s vessels.
Although it only lasted a few hours, the battle resulted in significant casualties. The museum reported that 56 sailors from the Dannebroge ultimately perished and over 40 were wounded.
The British lost about 255 men, with more than 700 wounded. For the Danes, the losses were even greater, with some 370 men dying and 665 receiving medical treatment, over 100 of whom later succumbed to their injuries. The total number of casualties is still uncertain, with at least 200 Danes listed as missing, according to museum reports.
Extensive maritime surveys at Copenhagen Harbor have been in progress since 2020, leading to the discovery of other shipwrecks, including the world’s largest 15th-century cog.
The archaeological investigations are expected to be completed this spring, with all material retrieved from the site being photographed and scanned in 3D.
