Nelson's fleet found the French battle squadron at evening moored in a line in the bay of Aboukir. Admiral Brueys was ill prepared to battle at anchor. He thought Nelson unlikely to fight at nightfall and that when Nelson did attack, it would be on one side only of the French fleet (the water at the head of Bruey's line being too shallow). Not expecting to use the shoreside of their ship, the guns were not fully readied and there was much clutter on deck. Finally, many of the French sailors were onshore fetching water. In fact, when Nelson did attack he sent a number of ships around the head and through the French line where they quickly overwhelmed many enemy ships. The subsequent battle was fought on both sides of the line into the night and, in spite of the British being considerably outgunned, by dawn the line of french battleships had gone. The French were estimated to have lost 1700 dead and 1500 wounded and a further 3000 taken prisoner. Whilst the British, with 288 dead and 677 wounded had not lost a ship.
The battle of the Nile was one of the most decisive of all naval battles. The French fleet never recovered and the Mediterranean came under British domination. The French army was cut off in Egypt, Turkey declared war on France and Napoleon's dreams of a French India were shattered.