More than 200 years after being sunk by Adm. Horatio Nelson and the British fleet, a Danish warship has been discovered on the seabed of Copenhagen Harbor by marine archaeologists. Working in thick sediment and almost zero visibility 50 feet beneath the waves, divers are in a race against time to unearth the 19th-century wreck of the Dannebroge before it becomes a construction site in a new housing district being built off the Danish coast, per the AP, which was the only international outlet given access to the site.
Denmark's Viking Ship Museum, which is leading the monthslong underwater excavations, announced its findings on Thursday, 225 years to the day since the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. "It's a big part of the Danish national feeling," said Morten Johansen, the museum's head of maritime archaeology. In the Battle of Copenhagen, Nelson and the British fleet attacked and defeated Denmark's navy as it formed a protective blockade outside the harbor. Thousands were killed and wounded during the brutal hourslong naval clash, considered one of Nelson's "great battles." The intention was to force Denmark out of an alliance of Northern European powers, including Russia, Prussia, and Sweden.
At the center of the fighting was the Danish flagship, the Dannebroge, commanded by Commodore Olfert Fischer. The 157-foot Dannebroge was Nelson's main target. Cannon fire tore through its upper deck before incendiary shells sparked a fire aboard. The battle also is believed to have inspired the phrase "to turn a blind eye": After deciding to ignore a superior's signal, Nelson, who'd lost sight in his right eye, reportedly remarked, "I have only one eye, I have a right to be blind sometimes." Nelson eventually offered a truce, and a ceasefire was later agreed with Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik. The stricken Dannebroge, meanwhile, slowly drifted northward and exploded. Records say the sound created a deafening roar across Copenhagen.
Marine archaeologists have since discovered two cannons, uniforms, insignia, shoes, bottles, and even part of a sailor's lower jaw, perhaps from one of the 19 unaccounted-for crew members. The dig site will soon be enveloped by construction work for Lynetteholm, a megaproject to build a new housing district in the middle of Copenhagen Harbor that's expected to be completed by 2070. Archaeologists hope their discoveries may help reexamine the event that shaped the Scandinavian country and perhaps uncover personal stories of those who went into battle on that day 225 years ago. "There are bottles, there are ceramics, and even pieces of basketry," maritime archaeologist Marie Jonsson said. "You get closer to the people onboard." More here.
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