Battle of Sidon (1840)

Battle of Sidon (1840)
Part of the Egyptian–Ottoman War (1839–1841)
Date 26 September 1840 Location Sidon, modern day Lebanon Result Anglo-Austro-Ottoman victory
Belligerents
Egypt	United Kingdom Ottoman Empire Austrian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Muhammad Ali Pasha	Robert Stopford Charles Napier Archduke Friedrich
Strength
2,700 [1]	700 British 500 Ottomans 100 Austrians 8 ships [1]
Casualties and losses
1,500 prisoners	Light

The Battle of Sidon was an engagement between the Anglo-Austro-Ottoman and the Egyptian forces. It ended with the capture of Sidon by the Allies.

Battle

Admiral Stopford wanted to seize Sidon and entrusted Admiral Napier with this task. Sidon was protected by a citadel and line of wall. With eight ships Napier began shelling the square for 30 minutes. The Anglo-Ottoman forces tried to land twice, but were repelled. ^[1] Tasked with directing the attack on the southern castle while the ships were still firing, Archduke Friedrich first landed a detachment, which quickly climbed the heights of the banks, and soon afterwards a second, which landed despite the enemy gunfire coming from some houses. After this detachment, combined with a detachment of Englishmen, had positioned itself as a reserve at the entrance to the town, Archduke Friedrich himself, at the head of the first detachment and a few Englishmen, advanced towards the mountain castle, which he climbed first of all. Soon afterwards a detachment of Englishmen, who had entered the city from the north, arrived there, while the Turkish troops were entering from the side of the water castle. ^[2] By 6 o'clock in the afternoon Sidon was captured. 1,500 Egyptians were taken prisoner. ^[3]

References

1. Clowes, W.L. "1840 Syrian Campaign". W.L. Clowes on the 1840 Syrian Campaign. W.L. Clowes. Archived from the original on 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
2. Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Leipzig: Duncker & Humblot. 1904. p. S. 116–118.
3. Habsburg, Friedrich Ferdinand Leopold. Vienna: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich. 1860. p. S. 272–275.