Danish warship found 225 years after Nelson sunk it off Copenhagen

Maritime archaeologists have discovered the wreck of a Danish warship sunk by Adm.

The fleet sank 225 years ago, along with the remains of a sailor and dozens of artifacts.

Denmark’s Viking Ship Museum announced Thursday, April 2, that the Danish flagship was found 50 ft below the surface of Copenhagen Harbor in near-zero visibility, buried in thick sediment.

Another prominent aspect is that the discovery came exactly after the Battle of Copenhagen on April 2, 1801.

Otto Uldum, Maritime archaeologist at the museum, said: “We have found Dannebroge and the remains of those who never made it ashore after the battle.”

It was the focal point of the Danish-Norwegian defense against Nelson's fleet of 39 ships. After being bombarded by two British ships, the Dannebroge was set on fire and exploded.

Historical records show that 56 crew members died, while over 40 were wounded, with 19 crew members not being found.

Archaeologists discovered the human lower jawbone, believed to be from one of the missing sailors.

They also found two cannons, shoes, clothing fragments, uniform insignia, clay pipes, bottles, ceramics, and the seabed is littered with cannonballs and bar shot.

The excavation is urgent. The archaeologists will soon be covered in the construction of Lynetteholm, a controversial 271-acre artificial peninsula designed to shield Copenhagen from rising sea levels.