The Battle of Abukir of 8 March 1801 was the second pitched battle of the French invasion of Egypt and Syria to be fought at Abu Qir on the Mediterranean coast, near the Nile Delta. The landing of the British expeditionary force under Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby was intended to defeat or drive out an estimated 21,000 remaining French troops in Egypt. The fleet commanded by Baron Keith included seven ships of the line, five frigates and a dozen smaller warships. With the troop transports, it was delayed in the bay for several days by strong gales and heavy seas before disembarkation could proceed.
Background
In the early morning of the 8th March 1801, the landing force consisting of flank companies of the 40th Foot and 23rd Foot on the right. In the centre the 28th, 42nd and 58th. On the left, the Brigade of Guards (formed from a battalion of each regiment), the Corsican Rangers, the Royals and 54th. The landing force totaled 5,230 men. All troops were on board the landing boats by 2 am. Its sailors tightly packed with muskets between their knees, the boats rowed silently to the rendezvous, each were placed in their positions of landing. By 8 am, each brigade was in place.
Battle
At 9 am, a rocket fired from the Admirals ship signaled the advance and the boats sprang forward. The French garrison of Alexandria under Louis Friant, some 2,500 French troops and ten field guns in high positions took a heavy toll on the British. With protection from light armed vessels, ketches and bomb brigs moored broadside to the beach, the troops beached their craft under a rainstorm of cannonade and musket fire from Friant's troops positioned on the high dunes. The British disembarked, formed line, fixed bayonets and advanced. With General Moore leading at their head they struggled up the steep soft sandy ground.
The French appeared at the summit and poured a destructive musket volley. The lead troops of the 42nd reached the summit before the French could reload and launched a bayonet charge, hurling them back in confusion. The French counter attacked with a squadron of cavalry, a second bayonet charge by the 42nd caused them to flee. On the left the Guards were attacked by French cavalry and the 54th by a French bayonet charge; both attacks were repulsed. The British were now in control of the shore and advanced to expand the bridgehead; the French deserted their guns.
Aftermath
By evening the Royal Navy had landed the remainder of the 17,500-strong army and its equipment in an orderly fashion and consolidated control at Aboukir. Dundee Courier 07 April 1876 p. 7 accessed 6 September 2023. The skirmish was a prelude to the Battle of Alexandria and resulted in British losses of 730 killed and wounded or missing. The French withdrew, losing at least 300 dead or wounded and eight pieces of cannon. Napoleon later described the British landing as "one of the most vigorous actions which could be imagined".Phipps Vol. 5 p. 433, quoting Corr.Nap. XXX. 166–67
Orders of battle British Brigade and commanderRegimentNumber of menRef.First lineBrigade of GuardsMajor-General George Ludlow1st Battalion, Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards7661st Battalion, Third Regiment of Foot Guards8121st BrigadeMajor-General Eyre Coote2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot6261st Battalion, 54th Regiment of Foot974 (combined)2nd Battalion, 54th Regiment of Foot92nd Regiment of Foot5292nd BrigadeMajor-General John Cradock8th Regiment of Foot43913th Regiment of Foot56118th Regiment of Foot41190th Regiment of Foot727Second line3rd BrigadeMajor-General Lord Cavan1st Battalion, 27th Regiment of FootLeft sick at Gibraltar and Malta2nd Battalion, 27th Regiment of Foot50th Regiment of Foot47779th Regiment of Foot6044th BrigadeBrigadier-General John Doyle2nd Regiment of Foot53030th Regiment of Foot41244th Regiment of Foot26389th Regiment of Foot3785th (Foreign) BrigadeBrigadier-General John StuartStuart's Regiment929Roll's Regiment528Dillon's Regiment530ReserveMajor-General John MooreBrigadier-General Hildebrand Oakes23rd Regiment of Foot45728th Regiment of Foot58742nd Regiment of Foot75458th Regiment of Foot46940th Regiment of Foot 250Corsican Rangers (flank companies)209CavalryBrigadier-General Edward Finch11th Light Dragoons (one troop)5312th Light Dragoons47426th Light Dragoons369Hompesch Hussars138ArtilleryBrigadier-General Robert Lawson13th Artillery Company62714th Artillery Company26th Artillery Company28th Artillery Company55th Artillery Company69th Artillery Company70th Artillery Company71st Artillery Company
French UnitNumber of menRef.Cavalry18th Dragoons11520th Dragoons80Infantry61st demi-brigade68075th demi-brigade95051st demi-brigade210
See also Battle of the Nile or Battle of Abukir Bay (1798) Battle of Abukir (1799)
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arz:معركة ابو قير البحريه