Danish warship sunk by Nelson's British fleet discovered after 225 years

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — 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 15 meters (49 feet) beneath the waves, divers are working against the clock 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.

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.

A great deal has been written about the battle “by very enthusiastic spectators, but we actually don’t know how it was to be onboard a ship being shot to pieces by English warships and some of that story we can probably learn from seeing the wreck, Johansen said.

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 48-meter (157-foot) Dannebroge was Nelson’s main target. Cannon fire tore through its upper deck before incendiary shells sparked a fire aboard.

“(It was) a nightmare to be on board one of these ships,” Johansen said. “When a cannonball hits a ship, it’s not the cannonball that does the most damage to the crew, it’s wooden splinters flying everywhere, very much like grenade debris.”

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 had 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 slowly drifted northward and exploded. Records say the sound created a deafening roar across Copenhagen.

Marine archaeologists have discovered two cannons, uniforms, insignia, shoes, bottles and even part of a sailor’s lower jaw, perhaps one of the 19 unaccounted-for crew members who likely lost their lives that day.

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 is expected to be completed by 2070.

Marine archaeologists began surveying the area late last year, targeting a spot thought to match the flagship’s final position.

Experts say the sizes of the wooden parts found match old drawings. Dendrochronological dating, the method of using tree rings to establish the age of wood, match the year the ship was built. They also say the darkened dig site is full of cannonballs, a hazard for divers navigating waters darkened by clouds of silt stirred up from the seabed.

“Sometimes you can’t see anything, and then you really have to just feel your way, look with your fingers instead of with your eyes,” diver and maritime archaeologist Marie Jonsson said.

Chronicled in books and painted on canvases, the 1801 battle is deeply embedded in Denmark’s national story.

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,” Jonsson said. “You get closer to the people onboard.”

Morten Johansen, head of maritime archaeology at Denmark's Viking Ship Museum, shows part of a human lower jawbone recovered from the wreck of Danish flagship "Dannebroge" that sank during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

Archaeologists sail with boat through the harbor in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

An archaeologist points to a computer screen, showing a map of the wreck of Danish flagship "Dannebroge" that sank during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801. in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

Morten Johansen, head of maritime archaeology at Denmark's Viking Ship Museum, shows a metal insignia recovered from the wreck of Danish flagship "Dannebroge" that sank during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

Morten Johansen, head of maritime archaeology at Denmark's Viking Ship Museum, shows a metal insignia recovered from the wreck of Danish flagship "Dannebroge" that sank during the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, in Copenhagen, Denmark, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks)

BOSTON (AP) — Brandon Valenzuela hit a go-ahead RBI double off Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox with a 4-3 win Thursday.

Valenzuela’s tiebreaking hit clanked off the Green Monster and came after Red Sox catcher Connor Wong misplayed a pop-up in foul territory that would have been the final out of the ninth.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Nathan Lukes homered for Toronto, which has taken five of six matchups against Boston this season.

Trailing 3-1, the Red Sox tied it in the eighth on back-to-back homers by Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Durbin.

Tommy Nance (1-2) picked up the win after recording the final two outs in the eighth and Mason Fluharty pitched a perfect ninth for his first save of the season.

Chapman (0-2) took the loss as Boston fell to 12-25 at Fenway Park and 6-17 against AL East teams this season.

GUARDIANS 4, BREWERS 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Travis Bazzana hit a go-ahead solo homer in the seventh inning, Parker Messick pitched six effective innings and Cleveland beat Milwaukee.

David Fry and Kyle Manzardo also homered for the Guardians, who lost the first two games of the series.

Messick (7-3) held the Brewers to two runs and four hits while striking out nine in his 96-pitch outing. Cade Smith got four outs for his 24th save in 26 opportunities.

Bazzana’s towering home run off Grant Anderson (1-3) in the seventh gave the Guardians a 3-2 lead. Cleveland tacked on a run in the inning on Drew Rom’s bases-loaded wild pitch.

The Brewers loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, but Colin Holderman retired Andrew Vaughn, who worked a full count, to end the inning on a grounder. Milwaukee loaded the bases again in the eighth with two outs before Smith struck out Christian Yelich.

TWINS 9, RANGERS 3

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brooks Lee hit a three-run homer as Minnesota scored multiple runs in the first inning for the third consecutive game, and the Twins went on to complete a series sweep of Texas with a win.

Lee’s 12th homer capped a four-run first off Jack Leiter (3-7). Trevor Larnach made it 6-0 in the fourth with a two-run shot to straightaway center that just cleared the extended glove of leaping Alejandro Osuna. Larnach’s third hit was an RBI single in the fifth, and Ryan Kriedler hit a two-run homer in the eighth.

Joe Ryan (5-3) struck out seven but needed 97 pitches to get through five scoreless innings while allowing three singles. Leiter was done after the fourth, and has given up 17 runs while losing three starts in a row.

The Twins never trailed in the three-game sweep that extended their winning streak to four, matching their longest this season. Their 14-5 record at Globe Life Field is the best for any American League opponent since the ballpark opened in 2020.

MARINERS 3, ORIOLES O

SEATTLE (AP) — Bryan Woo pitched seven shutout innings, Colt Emerson drove in two of Seattle’s three first-inning runs and the Mariners beat Baltimore.

Woo (6-5), who pitched into the eighth inning for the first time this season, allowed just three hits and matched his season high with nine strikeouts. He walked one and hasn’t allowed a run in his last four home starts.

It was a solid bounce-back outing for Woo, who gave up a career-high seven runs in five innings in a 7-5 loss at Baltimore on June 11.

Eduard Bazardo kept the Orioles off the scoreboard in the eighth after their first two runners reached against Woo. Andres Munoz got three outs for his 12th save.

METS 6, PHILLIES 4

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Juan Soto hit two solo homers and made a sliding catch in the left-field corner to rob Bryce Harper of a run-scoring hit as the New York Mets defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 6-4 on Thursday night.

Pinch-hitter Eric Wagaman provided the tiebreaking single with two outs in the seventh inning, and Marcus Semien followed with a two-run triple off reliever Jose Alvarado (3-2).

Soto took Phillies starter Aaron Nola deep in his first two at-bats to give him 16 homers this season. It was the 30th multihomer game of his career. Soto also took away an extra-base hit from Harper when he lunged and slid to catch a ball on the warning track in the third.

Huascar Brazobán (4-1) earned the win in relief of starter Sean Manaea, and Devin Williams worked the ninth for his 11th save.

WHITE SOX 5, YANKEES 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Andrew Benintendi launched a pinch-hit grand slam off Camilo Doval in the eighth inning and Chicago ended a nine-game losing streak at Yankee Stadium with a victory over New York.

Benintendi batted for Randal Grichuk and was Chicago’s third pinch hitter of the inning. He snapped a 1-all tie by driving Doval’s first pitch, a 100 mph sinker, into the right-center seats.

It was the fourth career slam for Benintendi, who played 33 games for the Yankees in 2022, and his second pinch-hit homer.

Benintendi went deep after pinch-hitter Sam Antonacci doubled off Fernando Cruz (4-2). Tim Hill plunked pinch-hitter Jacob Gonzalez and Tristan Peters with pitches before getting an out.

The White Sox won in the Bronx for the first time since June 8, 2023. Chicago was outscored 22-7 in the first two games of the three-game series and 58-18 during its skid in the Bronx.

Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. watches the flight of his fly out during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox's, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)