Battle of the Nile
On 1–2 August 1798, Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson found the French fleet of seventeen ships of the line anchored in Aboukir Bay on the Egyptian coast, their landward side assumed to be protected by shallow water. Captain Foley of HMS Goliath gambled that there was enough depth to sail between the French line and the shoals, and in the failing light five British ships did so, catching the French in a devastating crossfire from both sides simultaneously. The engagement — fought largely at night — was catastrophic for France. The flagship L'Orient, 120 guns, caught fire and exploded with a blast heard for miles; eleven of seventeen French ships of the line were captured or destroyed; two escaped. French losses exceeded 5,000 killed or wounded against British losses of fewer than 900. The strategic consequences were immediate and severe: Napoleon's army was effectively marooned in Egypt without the means of reinforcement or resupply. Britain's command of the Mediterranean was reasserted, the Ottoman Empire was emboldened to declare war on France, and the Second Coalition that would eventually drive France back began to coalesce. The Battle of the Nile — also called the Battle of Aboukir Bay — made Nelson the most celebrated sailor in Europe.
- Year: 1798 CE
- Category: Military
