The surveys, which took place on the 300-year anniversary of the sinking of the Dannebroge, were intended to document the current condition of the wreck site and a collection will be made of any loose objects around the wreck.
One of the bloodiest naval battles in Denmark’s history took place in Køge Bay on 4 October 1710. The Swedish Navy and the Danish-Norwegian Navy fought a battle here. Dannebroge engaged the Swedes at an early phase of the battle and a fire broke out on board the vessel quite quickly. The Norwegian-born captain, Ivar Huitfeldt, decided to drop anchor in order to avoid running into the rest of the fleet, and he continued firing on the Swedish ships. He was fully aware that the situation on board the burning Dannebroge was unsustainable and the catastrophe occurred when the fire reached the ship’s powder room. Dannebroge exploded and Huitfeldt and nearly 600 Danish and Norwegian sailors lost their lives.
Illegal dives
The wreck of Dannebroge is the only shipwreck site in Denmark that is protected by an official ban on diving. The museums have decided to conduct registration studies on the wreck now because numerous reports have been received recently of illegal dives on the ship. The dives were not carried out only in order to explore the preserved wreck site. Extensive looting has been carried out on the wreck at several places and there is anecdotal evidence that objects and bones of the seamen who lost their lives during the tragic events in 1710 are lying exposed on the seabed.
The Viking Ship Museum coordinated the dive at the site, while Køge Museum was responsible for the registration and preservation of the objects salvaged from the seabed. The National Museum’s conservation department is also considering whether anything can be done to safeguard the wreck site from the damage caused by both nature and the unauthorized and illegal looting.