Wannabe75

[Kilted Heathen]

Anybody picked you up yet?

How about 1500 words on the Battle Of Balaclava.

Take your time because I don't want any cut and paste shit.

48hrs from the time you respond to this post.

It's time for you to learn something about the Profession of Arms.

[Wannabe75]

Roger that, Ranger Kilted Heathen. I'll start researching now.

....................

The Battle of Balaclava was a major battle during the Crimean War, which took place in October of 1854 (the battle; the war was 1853-1856). The battle was fought between the British (under Lord Raglan), French (Francois Certain Canrobert), and the Ottoman Empire, together against the Russian Empire under the overall command of Aleksandr Sergeyevich Menshikov, with General Pavel Petrovich Liprandi leading the Russian offense. It was the first of two attempts by the Russian Empire to break the Siege of Sevastopol. The battle was fought near the coast of what's now modern-day Ukraine, then part of the Nicholas I's Russian Empire.

The battlefield was centered on two valleys, both running east-west, with large, open grasslands separated by hills in places. The British forces were divided between the two valleys. The southern of the two was held by the Royal Dragoon Guards and Scots Greys, part of the heavy brigade, and the light brigade (in the northern valley), consisting of 4th and 13th Dragoons, 17ths Lancers, and 8th and 11th Hussars (the Turks, I'd presume), all under the command of a Major General, the Earl of Cardigan. Overall command was provided by the Earl of Lucan. A French reserve force was also positioned, including the Chasseurs d'Afrique cavalry. There was a significantly larger force of Russian present, but their greater numbers were hampered by a combination of poor discipline among the ranks, in addition to incompetent leadership and the use of interior weaponry.

The battle opened on the 25th of October, with the Russians attacking Ottoman positions with success. After which, the Russians were able to break through into the Valley of Balaklava (spelled with a 'c' in English), where the British forces were positioned. The port of Balaklava was also to the south of the British, and was of much importance, being a major supply base for the British. The plan of the Russians was to break through the British lines and go after the aforementioned supply base, and move to attack British positions near Sevastopol from the rear. However, the initial advance of the Russians was stopped short by the defending British troops. In response, the Russians sent a large force of cavalry over the ridgeline, which was split into two smaller units. One of the two Russian columns pushed south towards the port town of Balaklava, threatening the supply lines of the entire British force. However, the advancing Russians were repulsed by the defending 93rd Highland Regiment (aided by a small number of Royal Marines and Turkish infantry), which was set up in two rows as planned by their commander, Sir Colin Campbell, in a maneuver which is commonly referred to today as the "thin red line." Campbell is alleged to have said to his men, "There is no retreat from here, men. You must die where you stand" to which his aide John Scott replied, "Aye, Sir Colin. If needs be, we'll do that."

The other column of Russian cavalry was then matched against the British Heavy Brigade, lead by Sir James Yorke Scarlett, charging uphill in a move that was contrary to normal military logic. Approximately 900 British troops fought against 2,000 Russians, and surprisingly (to me, at least), suffered very light casualties, all the while pushing away the advancing Russians, who were forced to retreat back to their artillery positions along the edges of the valley. Lord Raglan, the British leader, then ordered the Light Brigade to stop the Russians from retreating with their artillery pieces intact ("prevent the enemy from carrying away the guns", in his words), in a order written directly to Captain Louis Edward Nolan, a Canadian native who had joined the British Army in 1839. In what came to be known as the Charge of the Light Brigade, about 700 cavalrymen under Captain Nolan began their assault on the Russian gun positions further down the length of the valley. Unfortunately for them, their assault was repulsed, with Nolan himself being one of, if not the first casualty. After their initial failure, the British cavalry were aided by the French 4th Chasseurs d'Afrique, called up from reserve.

The battle ended later in the day, essentially inconclusive. Both sides were stuck in their original positions, but with major casualties on both sides, estimated at 360 dead or wounded for the British, and at least several hundred for the Russians (although apparently there is no exact figure). The Russian commander, Aleksandr Sergeyevich Menshikov, claimed their original attack was a success, stating that he had only meant to gauge the defensive capabilities of the British forces entrenched in the other end of the valley. The battle was immortalized by the Charge of the Light Brigade, a poem by the Englishman Alfred, Lord Tennyson. The Thin Red Line was later used as a title for the James Jones book about Americans fighting in Guadalcanal in World War II (which was later adapted into a movie). The word Balaklava is now used for the wool knit headgear, as well.

....................

I'll get around to fleshing it out when I have a better chance. I have some books that I recall to discuss the Crimean War in them, but they're not with me at the time. As it stands, there's around 900 words by my count. I've sat at my desk for too long now, though, need to go do some PT before my muscles get all atrophied and I have to start all over again.

[Kilted Heathen]

I'm not sure you get the idea here.

You have moved only half-way to your objective and you're 600rds short of the neccessary combat load.

And you're about out of time.

Dunno what the fuck you're smiling at.

Oh well, nice try.

[Kilted Heathen]

Well, time's up.

[Horned Toad]

Some interesting things I have picked up over the years.

Unlike popular fiction the light brigade was never under fire from all the Russian guns at once and not all were killed, a lot were listed as POW in the Russian archives, but Maiden did make an awesome tune out of it






You’ll take my life but I’ll take yours too
You’ll fire you musket but I’ll run you through
So when your waiting for the next attack
You’d better stand there’s no turning back

The bugle sounds as the charge begins
But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of arcrid smoke and horses breath
As you plunge into a certain death

The horse he sweats with fear we break to run
The mighty roar of the russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall

We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground
And the russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We won’t live to fight another day

We get so close near enough to fight
When a russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below

And as I lay there gazing at the sky
My body’s numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan

[Jim]

Some 10 years after the charge of the Light Brigade, they decided to have a reunion. About half the 600 man unit was killed during the attack. I understand it was a field day for the "wannabees," as over 700 showed up claiming to have taken part in the attack.

[Silverback]

I used the Charge of the light brigade as a historical vignette when I taught the Operations Order class at Darby.

[Darksaga]

The Charge of the Light Brigade
Alfred, Lord Tennyson
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.
Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.


2.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.


3.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.


4.
Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.


5.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.


6.
When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.



Copied from Poems of Alfred Tennyson,
J. E. Tilton and Company, Boston, 1870