1801 second battle of the French campaign in Egypt and Syria to be fought at Abu Qir
The 1801 Battle of Abukir was the opening engagement of the British amphibious landing to expel French forces from Egypt.
Key Facts
- Date
- 8 March 1801
- British commander
- Lt-Gen Sir Ralph Abercromby
- Fleet commander
- Baron Keith
- Estimated French troops in Egypt
- 21,000 troops
- British fleet ships of the line
- 7 ships
- British frigates
- 5 frigates
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following Napoleon's earlier Egyptian campaign, a substantial French force of approximately 21,000 troops remained in Egypt. Britain sought to remove this presence and restore regional stability by mounting a combined naval and land expeditionary operation.
A British expeditionary force under Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, supported by a fleet commanded by Baron Keith comprising seven ships of the line, five frigates, and numerous smaller warships, conducted an amphibious landing at Abu Qir on the Mediterranean coast near the Nile Delta on 8 March 1801, despite delays caused by severe gales and heavy seas.
The landing established a British military foothold in Egypt, beginning a campaign aimed at defeating or expelling the remaining French forces. This engagement opened the broader effort to end French military occupation of Egypt and restore Ottoman authority in the region.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Sir Ralph Abercromby, Baron Keith.
Side B
1 belligerent