Experienced British gunnery progressively silenced most of the Danish line by about 2 p.m. The shore batteries had also been depleted by sending their crews out as reinforcements, allowing British bomb vessels to move closer to Copenhagen. Nelson then sent a Danish-speaking officer under a flag of truce to Crown Prince Frederick. His message offered to spare Denmark if resistance ceased but warned that captured floating batteries might otherwise be burned with their defenders aboard. The ensuing exchange produced a 24-hour ceasefire and shifted the operation from battle back to diplomacy. The damaged Danish flagship Dannebrog exploded after the agreement, killing 250 men. Several battered British ships grounded during the withdrawal, so the tactical victory ended with further damage.
Chapter · 1:03:09-1:09:05
From battle to coercive negotiation
As the Danish line fell silent, Nelson brought bomb vessels closer and used a flag of truce to turn naval victory into negotiations with Crown Prince Frederick.