The Egyptian city of Alexandria figured prominently in the military operations of Napoleon's expedition of 1798. The French troops stormed the city on the July 2, 1798, and it remained in their hands until the arrival of the British expedition of 1801. The Battle of Alexandria, fought on March 21 that year, between the French army under General Menou and the British expeditionary corps under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, took place near the ruins of Nicopolis, on the narrow spit of land between the sea and Lake Abukir, along which the British troops had advanced towards Alexandria after the actions of Abukir on March 8 and Mandora on March 13. Antiquity and modernity stand cheek-by-jowl in Egypts chief Mediterranean seaport Located on the Mediterranean Sea coast, Alexandria (in Arabic, الإسكندرية, transliterated al-ʼIskandariyyah) is the chief seaport in Egypt, and that countrys second largest city, and the capital... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Union Jack, flag of the newly formed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... March 21 is the 80th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (81st in leap years). ... Sir Ralph Abercromby (sometimes spelled Abercrombie) (October 7, 1734–March 28, 1801) was a British lieutenant-general noted for his services during the Napoleonic Wars. ... Nicopolis (meaning in Greek: city of victory; see also List of traditional Greek place names) or Actia Nicopolis was an ancient city of Epirus, founded 31 BC by Octavian in memory of his victory over Antony and Cleopatra at Actium. ... Abū Qīr (Arabic أبو قير) (also Abukir or Aboukir) was a village on the Egypt, twenty-three kilometers (fourteen and one-half miles) northeast of Alexandria by rail, containing a castle used as a state prison by Muhammad Ali of Egypt. ... March 8 poster from Portugal March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... March 13 is the 72nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (73rd in leap years). ...

The British position on the night of the March 20 extended across the isthmus, the right resting upon the ruins of Nicopolis and the sea, the left on the lake of Abukir and the Alexandria canal. The line faced generally south-west towards the city, the reserve division under Major-General Sir John Moore on the right, the Guards brigade in the centre, and three other brigades on the left. In second line were two brigades and the cavalry (dismounted). March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in Leap years). ... Sir John Moore (November 13, 1761 - January 16, 1809) was a British soldier and General. ... Italian cavalry officers practice their horsemanship in 1904 outside Rome. ...

On March 21, the troops were under arms at 3 a.m., and at 3:30 a.m. the French attacked and drove in the outposts. The French army now moved forward with great rapidity in their usual formation of columns. The brunt of the attack fell upon the command of Moore, and in particular upon the 28th Gloucestershire Regiment. The first shock was repulsed, but a French column penetrated in the dark between two regiments of the British and a confused fight ensued in the ruins, in which the 42nd Black Watch captured a colour. The front and rear ranks of the 28th were simultaneously engaged, and the conduct of the regiment won for it the distinction of wearing badges both at the front and at the back of their head-dress. Cap badge and back badge of the Gloucestershire Regiment The Gloucestershire Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army. ... ... A cap badge is a badge worn on the front of uniform headgear and distinguishes the wearers organisation. ...

Other regiments which assisted in the overthrow of the French column were the 23rd, 40th and 58th. In a second attack the enemy's cavalry inflicted severe losses on the 42nd. Sir Ralph Abercromby was here engaged in personal conflict with some French dragoons, and about this time received a mortal wound, though he remained on the field and in command to the end. The attack on the centre was repulsed by the cool and steady fire of the Guards, and the left wing maintained its position with ease, but the French cavalry for the second time came to close quarters with the reserve. A light dragoon from the American Revolution A dragoon is a soldier trained to fight on foot, but transport himself on horseback. ...

About half-past eight the combat began to wane, and the last shots were fired at ten. The real attack had been pressed home on the British right, and the History of the Queen's Royal West Surrey Regiment gives no undue praise to the regiments of the reserve in saying that "the determined attack would have been successful against almost any other troops." Technically, the details of the action show that, while not markedly better in a melee than the war-seasoned French, the British infantry had in its volleys a power which no other troops then existing possessed, and it was these volleys that decided the day even more than the individual stubbornness of the men. Infantry of the 36th Ulster Division, in the First World War Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot, mainly with small arms and operate within organized military units. ...

The 42nd, twice charged by cavalry, had but 13 men wounded by the sabre. Part of the French losses, which were disproportionately heavy, were caused by the gunboats which lay close inshore and cannonaded the left flank of the French columns, and by a heavy naval gun which was placed in battery near the position of March 28. French Navy officer sabre on the 19th Century From right to left: a carbine, a straight infantry officer sabre, a short curved infantry sabre (briquet), two bayonets. ...

The forces engaged on this day were approximately 14,000 British to about 20,000 French, and the losses were:

• British, 1468 killed, wounded and missing, including Abercromby (who died on March 28), Moore and three other generals wounded;
• French, 1160 killed and (?) 3000 wounded.

The British subsequently advanced upon Alexandria, which surrendered on August 31. August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ...