Aboukir

(1st battle)
25 July 1799

A Turkish army of some 8000 men landed at Aboukir during Napoleon Bonaparte's abortive march on Acre and overthrew the small French garrisons holding two key strongpoints.

Ten days later, the main French army returned to find the Turks set up in three battlelines on the 24th and, the next day, launched an assault.

The Turks put up a stout defence but, against 10,000 French, the ask was always going to be too much.

The battle was decided at noon by a cavalry charge led by General Joachim Murat that retook a key fort and captured the Turkish leader Mustapha Pasha.

The toll for the Turks was massive, with 2000 men killed in the battle and maybe another 4000 drowning while making for the Royal Navy ships that brought them.

The remaining 2500 locked themselves in Aboukir castle but with no supplies had little chance of survival. After 1000 deaths in seven days, the survivors raised the white flag. The French suffered fewer than 1000 casualties.

Within a month Bonaparte and his closest friends left for France leaving the isolated army under the command of the extremely capable General Kleber.