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.
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