Synopsis

These two naval battles along the coast of Syria were part of the campaign by the Quadruple Alliance to drive back the Egyptian forces of Mehemet Ali. Sidon fell relatively easily in September, 1840, when it was stormed following a brief bombardment. In contrast, the fall of St Jean d’Acre took several hours of bombardment, brought to an eventual close when the the town’s grand magazine was hit, resulting in a mighty explosion which killed over 1200 people.