Lieutenant General Liprandi's Gambit-Part 1

I have been poking about Crimean War records for decades. On and off of course. Some tropes re occur. The Russians from General to soldier or trooper were slow to react, sluggish or some such. The question arises, is that right?  

I thought it timely to have a look at General Liprandi's orders at Balaclava and how the Russian Army carried them out. 

That's Liprandi above. Balaclava saw Russian horse, foot and guns engaged. His career began with fighting Napoleon's lads. Like Raglan and Airey then. The Russian objective was to seize control of the British supply route and to raid the British supply depot. This is how it went.

At 5.AM in the morning Liprandi's cannon went forward harness tinkling. Then came 5 Battalions of Foot with supporting Cossacks. On the flanks Russian Light Cavalry started to clear out British Cavalry vedettes. Ten guns unlimbered at range.  The Russians were heading for Redoubt No.1. 

Redoubt No.2 attracted the  attention of 3 Russian Battalions and 8 guns.

Redoubts numbers 3 and 4 were targeted by 4 Battalions, 8 guns and 300 Cossacks.

Behind all of these Foot and Guns were Major General Ryhzov commanding Light Cavalry and Cossacks. These cavaliers were to exploit the opening up of the Allied position and raid the supply Depot at Balaclava. See  the forthcoming PART 2 for how that went.

Manning the redoubts were Ottoman conscripts from Aleppo.  It was far from the good weather they found themselves. If they were cold, they were also hungry. The high pork content of their British supplied rations helped that. Each redoubt could hold a battalion say 500 men. Far beyond the defences were many hungry British soldiers who were freezing for want of cover. Pork or not there was not enough to eat. Officers did better. It was equal opportunities misery for the British and the Ottomans, nearly.

The redoubts were not formidable. One observer thought a Cossack might clear the rampart with a good run up on his pony. To help things along the British supplied  guns and crews to each redoubt. Redoubt 1 had 3 12pdrs. Redoubts 2 and 3 had two guns and Redoubt 4 had 3 guns. These were the objects in the cinematic line "There are your guns, My Lord!". Doubtless some readers will recall it well.  

Some say British Officers commanded the redoubts. I wonder. If so how did they speak to the Ottoman soldiers? One is certainly attested later in the flight. For the record the only Anglo-Turkic bilingual I am aware of was on Raglan's Staff. Anyhow, lads from Aleppo presumably spoke Arabic. So, who knows?

In theory help was at hand. British Light Cavalry Vedettes were at work night and day. If the Russians got on the move they would alert the Army. Then the cavalry would saddle up and ride to the rescue. A little slower whichever infantry regiment that had been rotated out of the Sevastopol Siege Lines was woken up and ordered to march on Balaclava. 

For the last week Cossacks had triggered alarms every night. Then they went to bed. The British had to assemble, then march, then wait until they were sure the Russians weren't coming. Then they could go to bed with much reduced sleeping time. If it wearied the cavalry it infuriated the infantry.

The Ottoman soldiers in the redoubts knew from experience that infantry reinforcements would take at least an hour to arrive. Surprisingly given their circumstances they were ready to fight. At one stage they had been used to pull carts carrying supplies. They knew their allies despised them. All the same they seem to have understood they must stand.

The Russian Guns, always formidable, opened up at 5.30. 56 shells or solid shot hit the redoubts every minute of the barrage. The estimates are between 1,800 and 2000 rounds hit the Redoubts.  

British Horse Artillery, external to the redoubts, attempted counter battery fire but could not sustain it. A battery of Foot Artillery came to help. It didn't matter.  Losses and lack of ammunition forced a withdrawal. That was the last British support for the defenders of the Redoubts.

Then came the Russian infantry. Jagers first, potting any visible defenders. Behind them came columns of infantry bayonets fixed. The Ottomans (Syrians!) stood and volleyed like brave men. Their guns fired, some say with cannister. On came the Russians with a traditional shout of Urra! and the bayonet. 

Redoubt 1 fell with the loss of 170 Syrians and 151 Russian officers and men.  The remaining 430 defenders made a run for it. Cossacks lanced them down. It had taken two and a half hours from when Liprandi had ordered the advance.

Redoubt 2 had its guns silenced by a Don Cossack Battery. The Russian infantry then stormed the position. Some accounts say none of the defenders survived that.

The same procedure occurred at Redoubts 3 and 4. With the same results.

Surviving defenders ran for safety and were lanced and sabred by Russian Light Cavalry. Many fell in the the slaughter.

The British Heavy Cavalry were positioned close enough to stop the pursuit. Some of them thought they should do so. Apart from moving back out of the range of the Russian cannon they stood still.  

Callous as that sounds Raglan had good reason to preserve his cavalry. Already some of the Heavies had fallen to the Russian guns. To put it plain they were a finite resource. That could not be replaced.

Let us return to our original question. Were the Russians from General to soldier or trooper were slow to react, sluggish or some such?  No, not on this evidence. 

In less than 3 hours the Russians had stormed 4 Redoubts, killed or expelled the garrisons and captured their cannon. They had also driven in the British cavalry vedettes, drove back the British heavy cavalry and won an artillery duel.

All in all a handy action with horse foot and guns working well together. Command and control was steady and timely. In fact, General Liprandi had seized the British supply route in an exemplary fashion.

Now he wanted to spoil the British Supply Depot at Balaclava Port. If he was successful the British would seek food and fodder from the French who would be unable to help. The Allied Armies might well have to withdraw, the British certainly could not endure further privation. High stakes.

Recall Major General Ryhzov's Light Cavalry and Cossacks. They were to sweep down on the Port. This was very much a Light Cavalry job. We will see how they got on next time. 

All the while I'll keep an eye out for slow or sluggish Russians of whatever rank. It is a question that demands an answer.

Boxer Rising-The Price of Tea

“Not for all the tea in China” was an expression when I was a child. Also, “As far back as the Chinese.” These were Victorian echoes and they are gone now. All the tea in China indicated colossal wealth. As far back etc indicated the lack of modernity in China. Gone are the days.

In the 19^th Century the British working poor were greatly immiserated. Only one thing brought any comfort. It was tea. Tea was great, it soothed the masses and didn’t inflame or excite them. Gin had been tried previously and hadn’t worked at all.

The Poor had a discerning taste in tea. We are told they would not accept inferior product. A small price to pay you might think for peace of mind of the Rulers. Alas, it was not so.

The Chinese would only sell tea for Silver. This is where the seeds of the Boxer Rising take root.  We must tell the tale if we are to understand the Righteous, Harmonious Fists and the like.

The British didn’t have sufficient silver to sustain the trade. Suspending the trade was unthinkable. The Poor were pacified give or take Transportation and Starvation. They might, denied tea, revolt. Something had to be done.

With some skill and a great deal bribery the British managed to smuggle tea plants out of China to India. All very well but it would take time for production to meet need.

Bengal Opium looked like an option. Enjoying opium was a well-known international recreation. The Chinese Government was well aware of its dangers. Consequently while a senior Mandarin might puff away a peasant farmer couldn’t, save as a pain killer or a rare treat. Importing Opium into the Celestial Empire was forbidden.

The British needed to flood China with cheap opium to break the Tea for Silver paradigm. This they did in a series of wars. The French joined in and the victors got inventive. The Chinese would pay for the cost of the British and French military actions. Also, territorial concessions would be made. Free Trade including opium would replace Chinese Regulations. 

The destruction to Chinese society was truly immense. Should you ever have lived or worked in an area with a serious drug problem you will understand precisely what happened.

At the top of Chinese society sat the Manchu providing Emperor and aristocracy. Below sat the Han Chinese and various minorities.  It was from the Han that the Boxers arose. The last great conflict to wrack China had been the Tai Ping. Mainly a non Han enterprise.

By the time of the Rising China’s predators had multiplied and the future looked bleak. As is the way of things the cost of paying off the predators fell increasingly on the common folk.

Enter the Boxers. 

Boxer Rising-The Imperialist Powers

 

Old Glory Russian Dragoons and Cossacks above and below. These are the Ussuri Regiment. Ussuri started off as Cossacks and transformed to Dragoons. Here we have both incarnations. The Ussuri Cossacks are two men light. Did I ever have them? Don't know. Can I find them? Not so far. I need to find a solution.

Obviously, if you know TMWWBK that is, these will be rated as Regular Cavalry and Irregular Cavalry with Modern Carbine respectively. The latter for variety.

Russian Sailors. I'm fielding these as Irregulars with Modern Rifles. Once again I'm missing a figure. This time it is the Russian Officer. I'm using the Campaign Dress excuse by way of justification.

Western Regular Infantry and good quality at that. Italian Bersiglieri who will be Regulars, Modern Rifle and Veteran. Expensive in TMWWBK but formidable.

Russian Regular Infantry, these ones are from Blue Moon. Bigger than the OG ones but workably so.

German Regular Infantry from OG. The Chinese building in the background is a work in progress. 

Many more to come. Including a couple of units from Frontier miniatures. These I bought with some Falcon Imperial Chinese for the Tai Ping Wars. My main reason for the purchase. The "Falcons" are incredibly difficult to find and long out of production.

You might have noticed I've forgone the usual historical context. I will get to it. I like to aim for an objective view and in this case it was eluding me. Inspiration came in the form of a cup of tea. Appropriately enough. That's for another time. Then we will see the rest of my Western Troops. That's a clue. I don't own any Japanese. Yet.

If I had some Japanese I could do the Russo-Japanese War in big skirmish/small battle. Maybe.

Crimean War Russian Artillery in 15mm

 

Russian armies liked lots of artillery.  Big guns and big batteries.  The Russian artillery had a good Crimean War.  Including, you may wish to know, sounding the death knell of wooden warships. 

My Russian batteries will have 3 cannon and most of them will be 12pdr's.   The gunners will be "Trained" and I'm flirting with the addition of the "Elite" suffix.  That won't make them better but will keep them firing.  That is important what with the Minié and all.

For Crimean War games I will be using Republic to Empire and Field of Battle and Battle Command. A battery in the last two comprises 2 guns. In Republic to Empire it is 3 for the Russians.  I'm showing both today.  They are, of course, the same guns.

 

Field of Battle/Battle Command above.  Below Republic to Empire.

Republic to Empire requires a larger deployment space for artillery and also that guns are withdrawn  to refit after a certain amount of firing.  That sort of granuality is what I want for Crimean War games. It may not suit all.

I intend achieving the demarcation by positioning the limbers to indicate the extent of the artillery position.

Of course this means buying limbers or cassions or what have you.  In short, more expense.  Once again it will not suit everyone.  I decided to do it, having reached the age of "if not now, when?  I may have to buy more limbers.  That said I'm limiting it to one per Battery. 

On the current count I have 3 batteries Republic to Empire style and two limbers.

 

Happily, I have a Minifigs Napoleonic Cassion somewhere that can be pressed into service.  All good, except I have enough guns for another Russian Battery.  It may have to do without for the time being. 

Great Northern War- New Units

 

A pack of Minifig Generals above painted for the Swedish Service.  These are very nice figures.  Note the cuirass the lad on the left is wearing.  The latest research shows that some Swedish cavalry were cuirassiers.  Good news for me.  I can now press some Dixon Cuirassiers into the Swedish Service.

Should you want to know more Sergey Shamenkov's latest book for Helion. Volume 2 "Charles XII's Karoliners".

The Grenadiers of the Swedish Life Guard above. Centre, with the flag, a lone CP model.  The rest are Dixon.

Two new Russian Battalions below representing the Ustyuzhski Regiment.  Figures from Minifigs.  You will note the regiment has two battalions.  

In Talon and Claw speak they are "Regulation" that means musket armed with supporting pikemen.  The "ideal" as it were.

The first battalion is rated "Drilled".  The second battalion is rated "Raw". I'm waiting for their pike men to arrive.

The flags are by Russian James, fine fellow that he is for making them freely available.

Here we see the Ustyuzhski Regiment manning a field redoubt.  The Russians liked to use these when fighting the Swedes.  To that end they were often willing to cart around ready made portable defences.  It was an old tradition.

I have two of these and may do a third.  These come from Alternative Armies.  They have lots of interesting bits and pieces.

The thinking being that the steppe often lacked trees for improvised barricades and the rolling plains were little better.  Digging was arduous and time consuming.

These ones wouldn't stand artillery bombardment but as the Swedes rarely deployed their guns it didn't much matter.

Two squadrons of Russian cavalry next.

Minifigs, representing the Kazanski Regiment.  Swords drawn, but these fellows liked to shoot from the saddle too.

I would like to say that is my Great Northern war collection done.  More probably it is nearly done.  You all know how it goes.

Next week we are back to the West.  Will it be Wild?  Yes, very wild.

Crimean War Russian Cavalry in 15mm

 

 

My research and reading is steadily increasing my knowledge of how the Crimean war was actually fought.  

Captain Godman's letters were illuminating and have yet more to tell us.  At Balaclava the Russian attempted to bold cavalry strokes. Neither bore fruit.  One was stymied by Scarlett and the Heavy Brigade, the other stopped by previously unseen infantry and artillery.

In both cases the Russian cavalry withdrew in good order.  Ready for another chance.

I lack the Russian perspective to say more.  I have found an interesting French source.  The Turks present another lacuna. Of course others have been there before me.

I am reliably informed that Barry Hilton's Crimean War rules (Four Empires) are already written.  If you want thoroughly informed and fun wargame rules Barry is your man in my experience.  However his attention is currently elsewhere on other projects. I'm not complaining, two of them are right up my street.  We must wait for his Crimean War Opus.

Nolan had something to say about Turks and Cossacks.  I'll report back on that at sometime soonish.  I recall that he thought the Turkish Cavalry of his time much inferior to their forebears.

I have been busy painting.  Today, we see my Russian cavalry progress.  The figures are from Irregular and Minifigs.  All 15mm as you might expect. 

Irregular Miniatures Russian Dragoons.  These lads have their carbines at the ready.  Not often seen in the Crimean War but common enough on Russia's eastern borders.  

That said they seem to have been used by Russian Hussars against the British Heavy Brigade at Balaclava.  Godman mentions some carbines littering the ground post action. 

Russian Heavy Cavalry from Minifigs.  The flags are from Adolfo Ramos and very jolly they are too.
 

More of the same below.

Russian Hussars, again from Minifigs.

Two squadrons from Irregular below.

Minifig's Circassian Lancers here.  Nolan had nothing but good things to say about Circassian Cavalry. Adept with lance, sword and gun.  As for riding skills, move over Comanches.

Cossacks!  From Minifig's.  I nearly based these lads as irregular cavalry. I'm going to rate these as "Raw Elite" I think.

For action further East I do have some truly irregular Cossacks.

I have  two more squadrons to do but I'm nearly there.  Here are the 7th Vosnesenski Ulhans.  These, from Irregular, are modelled with open Greatcoats.  It enables us to see the colourful uniform worn beneath. 

Lord Raglan, I have read, was pre occupied with potential sweeping flank attacks by the Russian cavalry.  He made provision for that by reserving the British cavalry.  

Someone, was it Nolan? Complained "He is keeping the cavalry in a Bandbox!" An interesting detail from the period.  A bandbox was a hat box, sturdy enough to prevent damage.  You get the idea.

How to rate the Russian Cavalry?   Pretty much the same as the British for the regulars.  Use of the "Elite" suffix for some could stimulate reckless action. Not that we see that from the Russian cavalry. In fighting quality it will be "Trained" all round.

Where we see the Russian cavalry in Godman's account they are always in good order.  Even when thwarted.  They did not go to pieces under artillery fire or when they disengaged from the Heavy Brigade.  They successfully covered a retreat by their infantry on one occasion.  Trained seems a fair assessment.

It occurs to me that better use could have been made of the scouting abilities of the Cossacks.  Yet, I hesitate.  Without Russian sources I cannot take an informed view. 

The great days of cavalry were near enough over.  The officers and troopers were brave but a new reality loomed over them.  

Witness the Russian artillery strike on the Heavy Brigade that Godman recounts.  I have read subsequent that the total casualties of that strike was 83 dead or wounded.  That is for the whole of the Heavy Brigade.  

Naturally horses would have been killed and wounded too.  I do not know how many.  Replacement horses were not easily obtained.  No horse and your trooper cannot do his work.

Of course that need not stop us on the table top where the learning will be painless.  I will essay gallant charges and sweeping flank actions and report back to you.