Battle of Aboukir 25 July 1799

The Battle of Aboukir on 25 July 1799, when the Turkish Ottomans failed to expel the French forces from Egypt, was Napoleon’s final victory in Egypt. The Ottomans had landed at Aboukir Bay on 14 July where they overwhelmed the French garrison at Fort Aboukir. The Ottomans stayed put, with the French remaining trapped in the fortress. Napoleon launched an offensive and created a new field army, which he despatched to Fort Aboukir, comprising a mixture of infantry and cavalry. Meanwhile the Ottoman army, under the command of Mustapha Pasha, split into two lines. The French cavalry, under General Murat, attacked the Ottomans’ first line on their left and right flanks. The infantry attacked the centre of the first line, followed by the second line. The Ottomans were defeated, with many drowning while attempting to flee; the British fleet, under Sir Sidney Smith, rescued many of the men.