Marine archaeologists have now discovered a Danish warship on the seabed of Copenhagen Harbour, after more than 200 years submerged by Admiral Horatio Nelson and the British fleet, AP reported.

Divers are now working in thick sediment and near-zero visibility 15 meters (49 feet) underwater, rushing to recover the wreck of the 19th-century warship Dannebroge before the site is cleared for a new coastal housing development in Denmark.

The excavation site is expected to be overtaken by construction for Lynetteholm, a massive project to create a new housing district in Copenhagen Harbour, scheduled for completion by 2070.

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Denmark's museum leads the excavation On Thursday (local time), Denmark's Viking Ship Museum, which has led the month-long underwater excavations, announced its findings, writing, "225 years to the day since the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801."

The museum's head of maritime archaeology, Morten Johansen, said, "It’s a big part of the Danish national feeling." He added that a lot has been written regarding the battle by some very "enthusiastic spectators"; however, not much is truly known about what it was like aboard a ship being torn apart by English warships. Johansen went on to say that studying the wreck could help them better understand that part of the experience.

Battle of Copenhagen According to the report, in the Battle of Copenhagen, the British fleet and Nelson attacked and defeated Denmark's navy as it formed a defensive blockade outside the harbour. Thousands were killed and wounded during this brutal, hours-long naval clash, considered one of Nelson's "great battles." The battle aimed to pressure Denmark out of an alliance of North European powers, which included Russia, Prussia, and Sweden.

Dannebroge- the Danish warship At the centre of this battle was Dannebroge, commanded by Commodore Olfert Fischer, the Danish flagship. The 48-meter (157-foot) Dannebroge was Nelson’s primary target. Cannon fire ripped through its upper deck, and incendiary shells eventually ignited a fire on board.

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According to Johansen, it was a “nightmare” to be aboard one of these ships, adding that when a cannonball struck a ship, it wasn’t the ball itself that caused the most harm to the crew, but the wooden splinters it sent flying, similar to shrapnel from a grenade.

After being hit by cannon fire, the damaged Dannebroge drifted slowly north before exploding, with records describing a deafening blast heard across Copenhagen.

Horatio Nelson offered a truce The Battle of Copenhagen is reportedly believed to have inspired the phrase "to turn a blind eye." This is after Nelson reportedly ignored a superior's signal and blamed the lost vision in one eye, reportedly saying, “I have only one eye, so I have the right to be blind sometimes.”

He, however, offered a truce, following which a ceasefire was later achieved with Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik.

Marine archaeologists uncovered cannons According to the report, marine archaeologists, who began surveying the area late last year, focused on a location they believed to match the ship's final position. Among the things that were uncovered, they found two cannons, uniforms, insignia, bottles, shoes, and a part of a sailor's lower jaw, which they believed belonged to one of the 19 crew members who remain unaccounted for and likely lost their lives.

Citing experts, the report said the dimensions of the recovered wooden remains match those in historical drawings. Dendrochronology is the technique of dating wood by analysing tree rings. It indicates the timber dates back to the ship’s construction period. They also note that the site is scattered with cannonballs, creating hazards for divers navigating waters made murky by disturbed seabed silt.

Widely documented in books and artwork, the 1801 battle remains a significant part of Denmark’s national history.