6–9 June: Arrival of the French fleet and ultimatum , the last Grand Master to rule Malta The French fleet was sighted off
Gozo on 6 June, and Hompesch summoned a council of war and called out the militia. Maltese soldiers and militia led by members of the Order were responsible for the defence of the fortified cities in the
Grand Harbour area:
Valletta,
Floriana,
Birgu,
Senglea and
Cospicua. The other settlements and coastline were to be defended by the country militia and some knights including members of the
Order's navy. Meanwhile, the French had made preparations for landing and occupying the Maltese Islands. On 9 June, Napoleon sent his aide-de-camp
Jean-Andoche Junot to request permission from the Grand Master for the French fleet to water at Malta. Hompesch called a Council meeting to discuss whether to allow them or not, and it was decided to only allow four ships at a time to enter the harbours. This was in accordance with an old statute which forbade entry to more than four ships of Christian countries to enter Maltese ports at once during periods of hostilities.
10 June: French landings and initial resistance On the morning of 10 June, the French began landing their forces at four different locations of the Maltese Islands:
St. Paul's Bay,
St. Julian's and
Marsaxlokk on mainland Malta and the area around
Ramla Bay on
Gozo.
Landing at Marsaxlokk , which fell to the French after some resistance A force commanded by
Louis Desaix landed at
Marsaxlokk, a large bay in southern Malta. The landing was successful, and the French managed to capture
Fort Rohan after some resistance. Following the capture of the fort, the defenders abandoned the other coastal fortifications in the bay, and the French landed the bulk of their forces unopposed.
Landing at St. Julian's and capture of Mdina Forces led by
Claude-Henri Belgrand de Vaubois landed at
St. Julian's and the surrounding area. A galley, two galleots and a chaloup of the
Order's navy sailed out of the
Grand Harbour in an attempt to prevent the landing, but their effort was futile. Three battalions of the 4th Light Infantry and two battalions of the 19th of the Line landed, and were met by some companies of the Maltese Regiment who offered token resistance before retreating to Valletta. The French forces surrounded the city, being joined by Desaix's troops who had made a successful landing at Marsaxlokk. The Hospitaller defenders then attempted a counterattack and sent out troops against the French, who began to retreat. The Hospitallers and Maltese advanced, but were ambushed by a battalion of the 19th of the Line and were thrown into disarray. The French then began a general advance, and the defenders retreated back to the fortified city. The flag of the Order at the head of the defending force was captured by the French.
Landing and capture of Gozo , which was located close to the landing site and offered some resistance to the invasion The French force which landed on the island of Gozo consisted of the 3rd Company of Grenadiers and the 95th Demi-Brigade, and it was led by
Jean Reynier. accompanied Reynier and took part in the attack. Gozo was defended by a total of 2300 men, consisting of a company of 300 regular troops (30 of whom were mounted), a regiment of 1200 coastguardsmen and 800 militia. The landing began at around 13.00 in the area of Redum Kebir () in the vicinity of
Nadur, between the
Ramla Right Battery and the
Sopu Tower. The defenders opened fire on the French, and they were aided by artillery from the batteries at Ramla and the Sopu Tower. French bombards returned fire to the batteries, and the French managed to advance to higher ground despite heavy fire. The batteries at Ramla were taken, and the French managed to land the rest of their troops. Casualties among the invading force included Sergeant-Major Bertrand, who was killed by gunfire during the landing. Fears of a Maltese uprising against the Order increased after two young knights were murdered in the Cottonera. Within the city, there were factions who supported the French and others who opposed them. Meanwhile, the fortifications of the harbour area continued to resist the invasion.
Fort Ricasoli and
Fort Manoel withstood a number of attacks and they only surrendered after the Order's capitulation had been signed. The French blockaded
Fort Tigné and bombarded it repeatedly on 11 and 12 June, and its defenders were unaware of the negotiations that were taking place at the time. The defending garrison abandoned Tigné on the night of 12–13 June, and the French took control soon afterwards. Hompesch and members of the State Congregation received the envoys, and they agreed on a 24-hour ceasefire during which negotiations would continue on board ''L'Orient''. On 12 June, Napoleon and representatives of the Order and the Maltese signed a convention in which the Order capitulated Valletta and the Maltese Islands' fortifications and ceded sovereignty of the islands to the French. The French promised to acquire a principality for the Grand Master as compensation for the loss of Malta. They promised to respect the private property of individual knights and the Maltese. Pensions were also granted to the Grand Master and the French knights, and a promise to secure similar pensions for knights from the
Cisalpine,
Roman,
Ligurian and
Helvetic Republics was also made. The agreement stated that
Fort Manoel,
Fort Tigné,
Fort St. Angelo, the
fortifications of Birgu and
Senglea, the
Santa Margherita Lines and the
Cottonera Lines were to be surrendered to the French by 12.00 of 12 June. The
fortifications of Valletta, the
Floriana Lines,
Fort Saint Elmo,
Fort Ricasoli and the remaining fortifications were to be surrendered by 12.00 of the following day. The
Order's navy was to be transferred to a French officer by 12 June. By 12–13 June, the French had taken control of the entire island and its fortifications. They also captured approximately 1200 artillery pieces, 40000 muskets, of gunpowder, two ships of the line, a frigate and four galleys of the Order. ==Aftermath==