Bombardment of Alexandria (1882)

Bombardment of Alexandria
Part of the Anglo-Egyptian War
"Well Done Condor" by Charles Dixon.
Date 11–13 July 1882 Location Alexandria, Egypt Result Franco-British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom France	Egypt
Commanders and leaders
Beauchamp Seymour	Ahmed ‘Urabi
Strength
British: 9 battleships 1 torpedo boat 1 steamer 5 gunboats French: 1 flotilla	11 forts
Casualties and losses
6 killed 27 wounded	680–700

The Bombardment of Alexandria in Egypt by the British Mediterranean Fleet took place on 11–13 July 1882.

Admiral Beauchamp Seymour was in command of a fleet of fifteen Royal Navy ironclad ships which had previously sailed to the harbor of Alexandria to support the khedive Tewfik Pasha amid Ahmed ‘Urabi's nationalist uprising against his administration and its close ties to British and French financiers. He was joined in the show of force by a French flotilla as well. The move provided some security to the khedive, who withdrew his court to the now-protected port, but strengthened ‘Urabi's nationalists within the army and throughout the remainder of Egypt. On 11 June, anti-Christian riots began in Alexandria. The city's European residents fled and the Egyptian ‘Urabist army began fortifying and arming the harbor. An ultimatum to cease this build-up being refused, the British fleet began a 10½-hour bombardment of the city without French assistance. Historians argue about whether Admiral Seymour exaggerated the threat from the Egyptian batteries at Alexandria in order to force the hand of a reluctant Gladstone administration. Once the British had attacked the city, they then proceeded to a full-scale invasion to restore the authority of the khedive. Egypt remained under British occupation until 1956.

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