Some Danish crews continued resistance after their officers had surrendered, leading Nelson to send a Danish-speaking officer ashore under a flag of truce. The resulting exchange helped secure a 24-hour ceasefire, though Dannebrog exploded after the guns had fallen silent and killed about 250 men. Danish totals remain uncertain because many vessels were crewed by volunteers and the surviving records do not produce one firm count. British losses totalled 963 killed and wounded. Britain then burned most captured ships because it could not spare crews to man prizes while further fighting seemed possible.
Chapter · 2:04:57-2:09:54
Ceasefire, casualties, and captured ships
Nelson used the threat of burning captured floating batteries to open a ceasefire, but the battle's human and material cost remained severe.