Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, Revolutionary and Napoleonic

Action of 31 October 1803

Action of 31 October 1803 was a naval engagement fought in 1803 at Tripoli, in what is now Libya. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Tripoli. It was part of First Barbary War, which ran from 1801 to 1805. The recorded result: Tripolitanian victory. Recorded strength: Frigate Philadelphia against 9 vessels.

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Fought1803
WhereTripoli, Libya32.888N, 13.188E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeTripolitanian victory
BelligerentsUnited Statesagainst23px Tripolitania
Casualties and lossesPhiladelphia captured; 307 capturedandNone
Part ofFirst Barbary War1801 to 1805

Where it sits in First Barbary War

Action of 1 August 1801, 1801First Battle of Tripoli Harbor, 1802Action of 17 June 1802, 1802Action of 2 June 1803, 1803Action of 22 June 1803, 1803Action of 31 October 1803, 1803Action of 7 July 1804, 1804Second Battle of Tripoli Harbor, 1804Battle of Derna, 180518011805Action of 31 October 1803, 1803
9 placed engagements of First Barbary War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1803 (year precision)
PlaceTripoli, Libya
32.888N, 13.188E
KindNaval engagement, Revolutionary and Napoleonic
StrengthFrigate Philadelphia9 vessels
Casualties and lossesPhiladelphia captured; 307 capturedNone
Commanders
  • William Bainbridge
  • David Porter (naval officer)
Action of 31 October 1803Action of 31 October 1803Battle of TripoliAction of 1 August 1801Fall of TripoliSiege of TripoliSecond Battle of Tripoli HarborMisrataZuwaraAl KhumsGharyanBani Walid100 km32.888N, 13.188E
Placed at Tripoli; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1803

Action of 31 October 1803 is one of 3,507 engagements of the 19th century in the atlas and one of 57 in present-day Libya.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q133828700, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Action of 31 October 1803, revision 1370426658, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.