On the 5th November 1854 a smaller British and (yes) French army beat off an assault by the Russians at Inkerman in the Crimea. It was known as “The Soldier’s Battle” as men fought small engagements due to poor visibility in dense fog.
The Russians had massed 32000 men on the Allied flank and headed for the 2700 man 2nd Division, commanded today by the aggressive Pennefather. Instead of falling back in the face of superior numbers, he advanced. The British had their rifles to thank this day as they took a terrible toll on the musket armed Russian Infantry, who were hemmed in by the valley’s bottle neck shape. The British 2nd Division pushed the Russians back onto their reinforcements and should have been routed by the Russians’ numbers, but the fog and the British Light Division saved them. Three successive Russian commanders were killed in this engagement.
The Russians other 15000 men approached and assailed the Sandbag Battery, but they were routed by 300 British defenders vaulting the wall, blunting the lead Battalions, who were then attacked in the flank. More Russian attacks ensured the Battery exchanged hands several times.
The British 4th Division was not as lucky. Arriving on the field, its flanking move was itself flanked and its commander, Cathcart, killed. This enabled the Russians to advance, but not for long. They were soon driven off by French units arriving from their camps and made no more headway.
The battle was lost and they had to withdraw.
This was the last time the Russians tried to defeat the Allied troops in the field. Despite this reverse, however, the Russian attack had seriously stalled the Allies from capturing Sevastopol. They had to instead, spend one harsh winter on the heights overlooking the city, before it fell in September of 1855.
The British suffered 2573 casualties, the French 1800 and the Russians 11959.
Henry marries his Anne today in 1533
-
On the 25th January 1533 Henry VIII married a pregnant Anne Boleyn, despite still being married to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The ceremony was done in secret and it would be five months before Henry’s first marriage was finally annulled.
Anne was 26 and not beautiful, but she was charismatic and Henry was drawn to her nearly seven years before, but she had played hard to get. Her sister had been one of Henry’s mistresses, then cast aside. It would seem she wanted to avoid this end, so did a good job of stringing her King along. Once pregnant, the infatuated fat, old man(41) felt he had to marry her. Unfortunately, the child born was not the son he craved and further pregnancies failed to go the term.
As we all know, Henry tired of her and had her executed on trumped up charges of adultery with five men, including her brother.
Of course their child would grow into the strong Elizabeth I and save her country from foreign invasion, so some good came of Anne’s marriage. -
Thanks for another piece of the puzzle we call history!
-
Thanks for another piece of the puzzle we call history!
I agree, its enjoyment reading Wittmann’s post.
-
Thanks you two.
I have a good one for today; might have to do late on.
Am watching football at the moment.