The wreck of an iconic Danish warship has been discovered on the seabed of Copenhagen Harbor, where it has lain for more than two centuries after sinking in a battle with the British Royal Navy under the command of its most famous admiral, Horatio Nelson.
discovery of Dannebrog Was announced by the Viking Ship Museum of Denmark (Vikingskibsmuseet) on Thursday, April 2, 1801, to mark the 225th anniversary of the Battle of Copenhagen, during which the double-decker ship served as the Danish flagship.
Marine archaeologists found the 19th-century wreck while surveying the area before the start of construction work on a major new housing district, which is expected to be completed by 2070.
The proposed site was suspected to match the final state of weaving Dannebrog, Which, after suffering heavy damage from British cannon fire, drifted away from the battle and exploded – and so it proved.
Danish Dannebrog: Being on board is a ‘nightmare’
Morten Johansson, head of marine archeology at the museum, said associated Press (AP) That the Battle of Copenhagen (known in Danish as slagget pa talking or Battle of the Harbor) and Dannebrog “The Danes are a big part of the national spirit.”
While Johansson said much has been written about the battle, he added, “We don’t know exactly what the conditions were like before the ship was shot to pieces and part of that story we can probably learn by looking at the wreck.”
Indeed, divers have reportedly discovered two cannons, naval insignia, sailors’ uniforms and shoes, glass bottles, and even part of a human jaw – possibly the remains of one of the 19 unidentified Danish crew members who probably lost their lives that day.
“[It would have been] Being aboard one of these ships is a nightmare,” Johansen explained. “When a cannonball hits the ship, it was not the cannonball that did the most damage to the crew; “There were pieces of wood flying everywhere, just like grenade debris.”
Experts say wooden parts Dannebrog, Those that were not taken to pieces match old paintings of the ship, while dendrochronological dating, a method of using tree rings to establish the age of wood, matches the year of its construction, 1772.
What was the battle of Copenhagen about?
At the time, and especially after the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1792, Britain was concerned that a naval alliance between Denmark, Sweden, Prussia, and Russia was helping to facilitate maritime trade with France by protecting neutral ports.
The Royal Navy attacked the Danish navy with the aim of breaking the protective blockade of Copenhagen Harbor and driving Denmark out of the alliance.
Despite stiff Danish resistance and the sinking of 12 British ships, the British fleet ultimately won the battle due to its superior firepower – and an act of apparent subservience by then Vice-Admiral Nelson, who ignored orders to retreat.
As legend has it, Nelson, who had lost his right eye in a previous battle, in order to legitimately claim that he had not seen the flag signal, held his binoculars near his blind eye, reportedly telling his captain: “You know, I’ve only got one eye – I have a right to be blind sometimes. I don’t really see the signal!”
This incident is believed to have inspired the phrase “turning a blind eye”, while Nelson’s later exploits and death at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) led to him being honored with the erection of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, London.
As far as Denmark is concerned, the battle of 1801 is deeply embedded in the country’s national identity. Archaeologists hope to discover it Dannebrog It may help to re-examine the event that shaped and illuminate the personal stories of those who went into battle that day 225 years ago.
“There are bottles, ceramics and even basket fragments,” said diver and marine archaeologist Mary Jonsson. “You get closer to the people on the ship.”
Edited by: Carl Sexton