By James R. Arnold
The 1801 Battle of Alexandria marked a turning point in the history of the British Army. Lieutenant General Ralph Abercromby had invaded Egypt with an untested army that included well-trained regiments from various Mediterranean garrisons, raw regiments full of militia volunteers fresh from the British Isles, and even a foreign brigade made up of Minorcans, Germans, Swiss, and French royalists. The recent history of the British Army had been unhappy; a troubled time of failure punctuated by indecision and bungling. The senior command remained divided over rival philosophies of drill and tactics. Regardless, Abercromby had trained his men hard in preparation for its encounter with the French. He fully recognized that in Egypt he possessed a high risk opportunity to reverse the army’s decline.
Opposing the British invaders was the French Republic’s Army of the Orient commanded by Major General Jacques Menou. The soldiers were proud veterans of Bonaparte’s triumphs in both Italy and Egypt. Their flags carried battle honors: Lodi, Rivoli, Castiglione. They had repeatedly defeated the Austrians and Turks. They had no doubt they would do the same against the British.
All the information you require to re-fight the Battle of Alexandria is available as a PDF download for only $2.00. Once you complete the purchase, you will be redirected to a download page where the PDF of the scenario awaits. The file contains: the orders of battle at the regimental level complete with historical strengths and morale ratings; a pre-battle briefing for each side; an explanation of the terrain features; special rules unique to this battle, starting positions, and victory conditions; images of the table top terrain and the historical deployment areas for the British army. Lastly, the way to create a plausible “what if” scenario is outlined.