Bombardment of Acre

3 November 1840, Acre (Akko), Syrian coast

Decisive allied victory; Acre taken

Acre had held out against Napoleon in 1799 and was thought one of the strongest fortresses in the east. Stopford's fleet anchored off its sea walls in the early afternoon and opened fire, the steamers shelling from further out. The Egyptian gunners aimed too high and did little damage. At about four o'clock a shell set off the main powder magazine, which blew up and killed more than a thousand of the garrison. The survivors left in the night and the allies marched in next morning. British losses were 18 killed and 41 wounded. Steam and shell fire had shown what they could do against stone walls, and Muhammad Ali's hold on Syria collapsed.

Map

• The fleet sails for Acre October – November 1840