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Battle of Derna | |||||||
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Part of the First Barbary War | |||||||
![]() William Eaton leading the attack on Derna | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Strength | |||||||
8 U.S. Marines 1 sloop 1 brig 1 schooner | Unknown | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
14+ killed and wounded | Unknown |
The Battle of Derna at Derna, Cyrenaica, was the decisive victory in April–May 1805 of a mercenary army recruited and led by United States Marines under the command of U.S. Army Lieutenant William Eaton, diplomatic Consul to Tripoli, and U.S. Marine Corps First Lieutenant Presley Neville O'Bannon. The battle involved a forced 521-mile (839-km) march through the North African desert from Alexandria, Egypt, to the eastern port city of Derna, Libya, which was defended by a much larger force.[1]
The Battle of Derna and the broader First Barbary War highlighted the challenges faced by the United States in dealing with piracy and asserting its interests in the Mediterranean during the early years of its existence as a nation.
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