The
Gulf of Bomba is a body of water in the
Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of
Libya. It lies about 40 miles (64 km) east of
Derna (or Derne) at 32 degrees 38 minutes North Latitude, 23 degrees 07 minutes East Longitude . It is named after the Libyan village of
Bomba. During the
First Barbary War, the
United States Navy brig , commanded by
Lieutenant Isaac Hull, brought food and supplies to the Gulf of Bomba on 16 April 1805 for a ground force commanded by
Consul William Eaton. Eatons force, consisting of himself, eight
United States Marines, and a group of mainly
Arab allies, traveled more than 500 miles (805 km) from
Egypt to attack the state of
Tripoli, which was holding as hostages and slaves about 300 Americans from the U.S. Navy
frigate captured when
Philadelphia had run aground in
Tripoli Harbor in October 1803. The supplies received from
Argus enabled Eatons force to win the
Battle of Derna – which began on 27 April 1805 – and take control of Derna, the largest city in what was then eastern Tripoli.