Battle of Abukir (1801)

Summary

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.