Two Letters From Balaclava Part 2

 

Previously, we saw that the British Cavalry had inflicted 40 to 50 fatal casualties on the Russian Light Cavalry for a cost of 7 of their own dead.  This inequality of punishment requires further exposition. 

First remember that Captain Godman, our informant, was in the front rank of the second British line. He had a good view.

 

He and his comrades initially charged into the backs of the Russian Light Cavalry surrounding Scarlett and the first British line.  

Subsequently he came up against the supporting Russian cavalry column.

As we shall see Godman is in little doubt of the reason the British killed more.  

Before we look at that here are his qualifications as our narrator.

"I had one or two shaves for it during the day, my coat sleeve was cut through and my wrist bruised, but not cut, as I had on some very thick Jersies. My coat was torn in the back, which was not done in the morning, I think it must have been a lance thrust that tore it." 

He had, to put it plain, been in the thick of it.  We should heed him. Godman's explanation is straight forward.

"our men made fearful havoc among them with their long straight swords." 

Simply put the British swords outreached the Russian sabres and the British Heavy troopers relied on the point.  All things being equal, the British trooper should be able to strike first.  Of course, as we will see, not all Russian troopers relied only on swords.

A sword thrust that contacts has a higher chance of causing fatality than a sword cut.

In a close press melee, which is what we are studying, the British troopers could thrust with great facility.

Godman, in the second line must have been able to thrust at the backs of some of the Russian Hussars surrounding the Greys of the first line. His comrades must of necessity of have enjoyed that same combat advantage.  

Remember too, uniquely in the fight, that the second British line arrived at charge speed. 

It is these factors that I think explains the disparity in casualties.

Godman notes "We killed more of the 12th Hussars than anything". 

My guess is that the 12th Hussars formed part of the Russian front line.  That line that was caught in the rear (while surrounding the British first line) by Godman and the rest of the British second line. 

When both combined British lines fought with the Russian front line the latter's numerical advantage was either greatly reduced or was reversed.  

Either 800 British troopers fought 700 Russian troopers, or 800 British troopers fought 1,000 Russian troopers. We don't know the actual number of Russians in the front line.

We can also note that this was Heavy cavalry close fighting with Light cavalry. Bigger men on bigger horses fighting smaller men on smaller horses. Sometimes this offered no advantage.  In a close melee-it probably did.

The Russian front line then was clearly defeated.  

It seems to me that the maximum point of British advantage was the successful charge of their second line.  I'd suggest that is when the British inflicted the most casualties.

This brought the combined British lines into contact with the Russian " very strong" supporting column.  

Here Godman tells us "their column was so deep we could not cut through it."  The Russians disengaged as we saw in part 1.

Now we must turn to the Russian Light Cavalry.  Godman notes that:

"The Russians seemed very steady and well disciplined,".

He observes:

"The Russian swords were much more curved than ours and very sharp." 

This is standard for most Light Cavalry. The Russian Hussars and Cossacks were  Light Cavalry.  To labour the point the Russians sabres were optimised for cutting rather than thrusting.  

Here is Godman again writing to his brother.

"We lost a corporal, quite hacked to pieces."  

Shades of the Anglo-Sikh War there. If the combat was brief it was also fierce.

There is more. 

" Scarlett was wounded in the bridle hand, but not much, he and Elliot were in the thickest, and his helmet was battered in, and the skirt of his frock-coat sliced down."

Elliot was Scarlett's ADC.  He had a rough time. 

"Poor Elliot did not escape so well, he got a bad cut in the face, and a very severe one in the back of the head, having lost his hat." 

Let me add an aside. 

"a very brave fellow (Elliot)and fought very hard — so did Scarlett who is as blind as a bat ".  

Imagine that, being "blind as a bat" in a close melee.  A bit more on Scarlett before we turn again to our narrative.

"Our Brigadier(Scarlett) behaved most pluckily, went right in, got his helmet smashed, hand cut, clothes cut through, and horse much cut, and a spent ball on the arm, he is all right."

Sharp sabres were not the whole picture.  The Cossacks and some Hussars carried lances that outreached the British swords. Pistols and Carbines, witness Scarlett, were also available.

Nolan goes as far to say that lances should be thrown away or left stuck in the enemy after the initial onset.  Godman offers no evidence of charging Russian lancers-their optimum circumstance. 

All the same Russian lances made an impression on Godman as we shall shortly see.

"I don’t fear their swords at all, but don’t like their lances." 

"My coat was torn in the back, which was not done in the morning, I think it must have been a lance thrust that tore it."

Simply put Godman's sword outreached the Russian Hussar sabres. The Russian lances outreached Godman's sword.  He is sensible of this.

Godman wrote, again to his brother, anticipating future cavalry clashes. 

"I feel sure we must have another row, and I may not get so well out next time, but unless a bullet takes me off I think I shall be able to do something with them first. We have so few cavalry and they so many, it will be a hard fight if we meet."

Next time I want to look at the command decisions of the contending Brigade Commanders.

 We may see some more toys in the interim.