TLDR;

  • Event: On April 30, 1805, U.S. Marines, led by Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon, captured Derna, Libya, during the First Barbary War.
  • Strategy: The assault involved a daring march across the desert and coordinated attacks with naval support from U.S. ships.
  • Significance: This victory marked one of the first major U.S. land victories on foreign soil and demonstrated the young nation’s military resolve.
  • Legacy: The battle is immortalized in the Marine Corps Hymn, with the line ‘the shores of Tripoli’ commemorating the event.

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Story

The sun rose over the Libyan desert, casting long shadows over the city of Derna. On April 30, 1805, a small band of U.S. Marines, led by Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon, prepared to make history. They were about to engage in one of the first major U.S. land victories on foreign soil, a daring assault that would echo through the annals of military history.

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The First Barbary War had been raging, with American ships under constant threat from Barbary pirates. The U.S. needed a decisive victory, and Derna was the target. The plan was audacious: a force of Marines, along with a motley crew of mercenaries and local fighters, led by U.S. diplomat William Eaton, would march across the desert to capture the city.

As the battle commenced, the Marines and their allies faced fierce resistance. Cannon fire roared, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of gunpowder. Yet, O’Bannon and his men pressed on, their resolve unyielding. The turning point came when coordinated attacks by Eaton’s forces, including naval bombardment from U.S. ships (the USS Argus, Hornet, and Nautilus), overwhelmed the defenders.

The capture of Derna was more than just a military success; it was a statement. It demonstrated the reach and determination of the young United States, setting a precedent for future engagements on foreign soil. The victory at Derna would be immortalized in the Marine Corps Hymn, forever linking ‘the shores of Tripoli’ with American military lore.

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Would a different strategy have changed the outcome of the First Barbary War?