HMS Powerful at the bombardment of Acre, 3 November 1840

The campaign culminated in a full-scale attack on the fortress at Acre, the last Egyptian strong point, on 3 November 1840. The object was to open a breach in the southern sea defences, through which the Turkish troops were to storm the city. In the event a shell from the fleet detonated a large magazine, causing such devastation that the Egyptians evacuated the fortress that night.

In 1840 the British and Turks were, once again, active on the Syrian coast. This time they faced the powerful armies of Mehemet Ali, Pasha of Egypt. Ali had captured Acre in 1833 along with the area now covered by Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. In 1839 Ali, seeking an independent throne, had annihilated the Turkish army and threatened to overthrow the empire.

Anxious to maintain Turkey as a regional power and an economic client, the British sent a small fleet to the Syrian coast. This force, although commanded by Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, was largely directed by Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston and driven by his friend Commodore Sir Charles Napier. The fleet quickly cut Egyptian logistics by blockading Alexandria and sweeping the seas of their shipping. The British then landed Turkish troops and raised a rebellion in Lebanon before storming Sidon from the sea and forcing the Egyptians out of Beirut with combined operations. Having seized all the coastal positions save Acre, the British had to act quickly, before the weather on the coast deteriorated in mid-November.

Finally, on 4 November 1840, eight ships of the line, six frigates, three smaller sailing warships, and four steamers attacked the fortress. The plan was for a heavy naval bombardment to open a breach in the sea walls for an assault by marines. However, after two hours, a shell from one of the steamers penetrated the main powder magazine, causing a massive explosion inside the city.

Defensive fire quickly subsided and the Egyptians then evacuated the city that night. The war was over, and Mehemet Ali was reduced to his old status. British success was based on the professional use of naval artillery, aggressive tactics, and a commitment to the strategy of coastal assault. The lessons of this campaign underpinned British deterrence for the next generation.