French marine archaeologist Franck Goddio said his team is salvaging the flagship of Napoleons fleet, Lorient, along with two other French frigates submerged 25 km off the coast of Egypt's port city of Alexandria.

‘‘It is a magnificent find, Goddio told the associated press in a telephone interview from Paris. The explosion that sank Lorient left it scattered all over the bottom of Abu Qir Bay.

The 120-cannon, roughly 2,000-tonne ship was lost on August one, 1798, in a battle with the British fleet of Admiral Horatio Nelson. Cannon shot set the ship ablaze and an ensuing explosion in a gunpowder magazine sank the ship, Goddio said. All 1,000 sailors and officers aboard died.

‘‘The explosion was heard all the way in Alexandria, Goddio said.

The first trace of Lorient came in 1983 withthe discovery of the bronze nameplate of a ship called ‘‘Royal Dauphin. But Goddio said it was only later that Royal Dauphin was found to be the pre-French revolution name of Lorient.

The discovery, unfortunately, was forgotten for years, he said.

Goddios team began surveying the eastern harbour of Alexandria in 1996. Its first and most dazzling find was the 2,000-year-old ruins of Cleopatras palace and the home and temple of her Roman lover, Marc Antony, which had sunk into the harbour after an earthquake.

But for Goddio, the discovery of Napoleons fleet 12 metres below the surface at Abu Qir east of Alexandria yielded a new sense of excitement.

‘‘This is where the fate of Europe was decided, said Goddio, referring to the battle in which Nelson destroyed a French fleet bent on crushing the British empire by striking at Egypt and, ultimately, India.

Among the remains of the ship found are parts of the hull and an eleven-metre-long rudder which weighed about one tonne and the ships riggings, Goddiotold the AP.

Part of the ships mast was also found. Nelson had ordered another part of the mast salvaged and it was used in making the admirals coffin after his death in the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, Goddio said.

‘‘Touching that wood is like being an eyewitness to history, said an elated Goddio.

The team, which included archaeologists from Egypt's supreme council for antiquities, also found the crews skeletons and many coins which, interestingly, bear the effigy of (kings) Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI, as well as coins from the (French) revolution, Goddio said.