HMS Vanguard (1787) to Sicily via Asia Minor. Convinced that the French were going to Egypt he set sail once more for Alexandria. On the evening of 1 August 1798, half an hour before sunset, the Battle of the Nile began when Nelson attacked the French fleet which was moored in a strong line of battle in Aboukir Bay with gunboats, four frigates, and batteries on Aboukir Island to protect their flanks. was the leading ship and, followed by four others, she broke through the French line to anchor and fight from the shoreward side. "Vanguard" remained on the seaward side and soon
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson absent, Napoleon's fleet arrived on 1 July and landed their forces unopposed. Brueys then anchored his fleet in Aboukir Bay, ready to support Napoleon if required. Nelson meanwhile had crossed the Mediterranean again in a fruitless attempt to locate the French and had returned to Naples to re-provision. He sailed again, intending to search the seas off Cyprus, but decided to pass Alexandria again for a final check. In doing so his force captured a French merchant ship, which provided the first news of the French fleet: they had passed south-east of Crete a month before, heading to Alexandria. Nelson