Sunday, June 6, 2010

Battle of The Nile - Bicentenary

Date of Issue: August 01, 1998
Scott #: 765 - 769

To commemorate Bicentenary of victory of Battle of The Nile, Gibraltar issued set of five stamps depicting Nelson's ship HMS Vanguard, an aerial action shots of the Battle of the Nile, Nelson's dog, Nileus; Nelson himself and his wife Frances Nisbet, nicknamed "fanny' by family and friends.

The Battle of the Nile (also known as the Battle of Aboukir Bay, or in French as the Bataille d'Aboukir) was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay or Abukir Bay - a spacious bay on the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, lying between Abu Qir (Near Alexandria) and the Rosetta mouth of the Nile, from August 01 - 03, 1798.

The British fleet consisted of 13 ships of the line, one fourth rate, and one sloop - His Majesty’s Ships Vanguard (Nelson’s Flagship: Captain Berry, 74 guns), Majestic (Captain Westcott: 74 guns), Bellerophon (Captain Darby: 74 guns), Defence (Captain Peyton: 74 guns), Orion (Captain Saumarez: 74 guns), Minotaur (Captain Louis: 74 guns), Theseus (Captain Miller: 74 guns), Goliath (Captain Foley: 74 guns), Audacious (Captain Gould: 74 guns), Zealous (Captain Hood: 74 guns), Leander (Captain Thompson: 50 guns), Swiftsure (Captain Hallowell: 74 guns), Alexander (Captain Ball: 74 guns), Culloden (Captain Troubridge: 74 guns) and Mutine (Captain Hardy: 74 guns).

The French fleet consisted of 13 ships of the line and four frigates: Orient (Flagship: Commodore Casabianca: 120 guns), Guerrier (Captain Trullet: 74 guns), Conquerant (Captain D’Albarde: 74 guns), Spartiate (Captain Eimeriau: 74 guns), Aquilon (Captain Thevenard: 74 guns), Peuple Souverain (Captain Raccord: 74 guns), Franklin (Flagship of Admiral Hayla; Captain Gillet: 80 guns), Tonnant (Captain Thouars: 80 guns), Heureux (Captain Etienne: 74 guns), Mercure (Captain Cambon: 74 guns), Guillaume Tell (Admiral Villeneuve’s Flagship 80 guns), Genereux (Captain Lenoille: 74 guns), Timoleon (Captain Trullet [jeune]: 74 guns): Frigates: Serieuse (Captain Martin: 36 guns), L’Artemise (Captain Estandlet: 36 guns), Diane (Admiral de Crepe: Captain Soleil: 36 guns) and Justice (Captain Villeneuve: 40 guns).
I assume the design of the 50p stamp is taken and modified from the above painting by Nicholas Pocock, which is at the National Maritime Museum.

Click here to know more about the Battle of Nile in Wikipedia
Click here to view the Order of battle at the Battle of the Nile
Click here for a detailed narration and awesome paintings and pictures of Admiral Nelson's stunning victory at the Battle of The Nile.

Text and picture source: Wikipedia and BritishBattles.com

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