Battles & Campaigns · 1806
Siege of Gaeta (1806)
Gaeta, Lazio, Italy
What happened
A French army under Marshal André Masséna besieged the Neapolitan fortress of Gaeta, held by Prince Louis of Hesse-Philippsthal. After the French took Naples, the coastal fortress of Gaeta held out. The French surrounded it and bombarded it from spring into July. Hesse refused to surrender, but after he was wounded and taken away by sea, his successor raised a white flag.
Why it matters
The siege tied down much of Masséna's army for nearly five months. That kept him from sending troops against the uprising in Calabria.
What came next
The garrison was allowed to sail to Sicily on a promise not to fight France for a year. Gaeta held out again in a siege in 1815.
Did you know?
Hesse shouted through a speaking-trumpet: 'Gaeta is not Ulm! Hesse is not Mack!'
Timeline
- 26 Feb 1806Siege of Gaeta begins.
- 4 Jul 1806British win at Maida in Calabria.
- 10 Jul 1806Hesse, wounded, is evacuated by sea.
- 18 Jul 1806Gaeta surrenders.