Eastern War. Battle of Balaklava - abstract Battle of Balaklava

The Crimean War of 1853-1856 was perhaps the first major armed conflict in human history in which the press began to play a serious role.

The mood in England and France was greatly influenced by reports from reporters from the battlefield. The assessment of certain events, as well as the course of the war as a whole, largely depended on what kind of “picture” the newspapermen gave.

If in Russia the Crimean War was reflected later, in the works of writers, then in Britain and France it was journalists who created the canonical idea of the war in Crimea.

A striking example of this is the Battle of Balaklava, which enriched English mythology with two events known as the “charge of the light cavalry” and the “thin red line”.

In mid-October 1854, Russian troops attempted to ease the situation of Sevastopol, blocked by Anglo-Franco-Turkish forces, by striking in the direction of the main British base in Crimea - the port of Balaklava.

The operation was led by the deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian troops in Crimea, Prince Menshikov, Lieutenant General Pavel Liprandi.

Lieutenant General Pavel Petrovich Liprandi. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Turkish beg

Liprandi had 16 thousand people at his disposal: the Kiev and Ingermanland Hussars, the Ural and Don Cossacks, the Azov, Dnieper infantry, the Odessa and Ukrainian Jaeger regiments and a number of other units and units.

Balaclava, where the camp and military warehouses of the allied forces were located, was covered by four fortified redoubts, the defense of which was held by Turkish soldiers and British artillerymen.

The striking force of the Allied group at Balaklava, numbering 4,500 people, was two English selected cavalry brigades - a brigade of heavy cavalry James Scarlett and light cavalry brigade James Cardigan.

The battle on October 13 (October 25, new style) took place in the valleys north of Balaklava, bounded by the low Fedyukhin Mountains.

At about five o'clock in the morning, Russian infantry drove the Turks out of the first redoubt after a swift bayonet attack.

It should be noted that the Ottoman units located in Crimea were not the best in the Turkish army and were distinguished by low fighting qualities. That is why the three other redoubts, as well as the nine British artillery located on them, fell to the Russians virtually without a fight.

Moreover, the British had to stop the flight of their allies by opening fire on those running.

After the successful start of the battle, General Liprandi ordered the hussar brigade to attack the English artillery park. However, the reconnaissance of the Russian army made a mistake - instead of artillerymen, the hussars encountered a brigade of heavy English cavalry.

The meeting was unexpected for both sides. In the ensuing battle, the Russians managed to push back the British, but the commander of the hussar brigade developed the offensive Lieutenant General Ryzhov did not take risks, withdrawing the unit to its original positions.

"The Thin Red Line"

The key moment of the battle, according to many historians, was the attack of the 1st Ural Cossack Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Khoroshkhin at the position of the 93rd Scottish Infantry Regiment.

According to the English version, this regiment remained the last cover for the Allied forces against the Russian breakthrough into the military camp in Balaklava.

To hold the large front of the Cossack attack, the Scots commander Colin Campbell ordered his soldiers to line up in lines of two, instead of the lines of four provided for in such cases by the regulations.

The Scots repulsed the Cossack attack.

The defense of the Scottish Highlanders from the advancing Cossacks was enthusiastically described by English journalists. The Scots' uniform was red, and the Times newspaper correspondent William Russell described the defenders as “a thin red strip bristling with steel.”

The expression “thin red line” as a symbol of courageous defense with the last bit of strength came into stable circulation, first in England and then in other Western countries.

Journalists also described such a dialogue between Campbell and his adjutant John Scott:

- There will be no order to leave, guys. You must die where you stand.

- Yes, Sir Colin. If necessary, we will do it.

In reality, everything was somewhat different from what the British wrote. The 93rd Regiment was not at all the last line of defense. In his rear there were British artillery positions, and in Balaklava itself a detachment of the Royal Marines was ready to enter the battle.

In addition, most of the Russian cavalry was busy fighting with a British heavy cavalry brigade, so the attacking forces were also limited. It is also worth adding that, according to a number of historians, the Scottish regiment defended itself not alone, but with part of the Turkish units that retreated from the redoubts.

But the British to this day prefer to believe in that “thin red line” that English journalists described to them 160 years ago.

The Thin Red Line, painting by Robert Gibbs. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Lord's Wrath in Raglan

After repelling the Cossack attack and the retreat of the hussar brigade to their original positions, the battle seemed to be coming to an end with an outcome acceptable to the allies - Russian troops failed to reach the English camp and disrupt the supply of the expeditionary force of the Anglo-Franco-Turkish forces.

However, Lord Raglan, the commander of the British forces in the Crimea, had a different opinion. The commander, who in his youth lost an arm in the Battle of Waterloo, after which he gave his name to a new type of clothing sleeve that allowed him to hide this defect, was extremely angry at the loss of nine English guns at the beginning of the battle.

The emblems of the army and the state were on the guns, and the lord considered it a shame to meekly leave the English guns to the Russians as a trophy.

Monument to the British who died in the Crimean War 1854-1856. The monument was erected near Sapun Gora near the Sevastopol-Balaklava road in connection with the 150th anniversary of the end of the Crimean War. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / George Chernilevsky

Arriving at the battlefield, when there was already a lull, the commander, pointing his hand at the Russian soldiers who were taking away guns from captured redoubts, ordered to recapture the guns at all costs. Order to the commander of the English cavalry Lord Lucan was transmitted in the form of a note with the following content: “Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to move quickly to the front line in pursuit of the enemy, and try to prevent the enemy from taking away the guns. A horse artillery unit may also join. The French cavalry is on your left flank. Immediately".

English cannon meat. Aristocratic

When sent with a note Captain Nolan I gave it to Lord Lucan, who asked: what kind of weapons are we talking about?

The fact is that at the other end of the valley there were well-protected positions of heavy Russian artillery.

Nolan waved his hand vaguely towards the Russian positions, saying something like: “Over there!”

Then Lucan gave the order to the commander of the English light cavalry brigade, Lord Cardigan, to attack the positions of the Russian artillerymen. Cardigan logically objected: a cavalry attack across an open plain on an artillery position would be suicidal. Lucan, without arguing with this, noted: an order is an order.

More than 600 English cavalrymen rushed to the attack. This really came as a surprise to the Russians. Under cross, but rather chaotic fire from Russian positions, the British reached the guns and partially destroyed the artillery crews. However, a counterattack by Russian cavalry forced the British to retreat.

The retreat was terrible - the Russian troops, who understood what was happening, rained down hurricane fire on the cavalrymen, practically destroying the brigade as a combat unit.

Here is the Times' description of the final moment of the attack: “So we watched them rush into the battery; then, to our delight, we saw that they were returning, breaking through the column of Russian infantry, scattering it like a haystack. And then they - having lost formation, scattered throughout the valley - were swept away by a flank salvo from a battery on the hill. The wounded and lost cavalrymen running towards our positions testified more eloquently than any words to their sad fate - yes, they failed, but even the demigods could not have done more... At 11:35 there were no more British soldiers left in front of the damned Muscovite guns except the dead and dying..."

Military camp near Balaklava. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

How shame became a legend

The light cavalry brigade, composed of people from the best aristocratic families of England, fought on the best horses, was turned into “cannon fodder”, which was enough for twenty minutes of battle.

Surprisingly, this incident did not remain in English history as “the crime of the bloody Raglan, who filled the Russians with corpses.”

Thanks to the same journalists, and then to figures of English culture, the attack at Balaklava became famous as an example of the highest courage and self-sacrifice, and the expression “light cavalry attack” became a household word, meaning hopeless and reckless, but high heroism.

Now the flanks are blazing with fire.
Cast iron monsters don't rest -
The vents are gushing from each one.
No one hesitated, no one turned around,
No one returned alive from the attack:
Death's jaws tightened.

But they came out of the leviathan's mouth
Six hundred gentlemen of sublime passion -
Then, to remain for centuries.
The battle has subsided, the valley is smoking,
But the glory of heroes will never be eclipsed,
It will never dissipate into dust.

To this day, films are made and books are written about the “charge of the light cavalry” in Britain - this is what competent PR means, turning even criminal stupidity into high valor!

The press decides everything

As for the outcome of the entire Battle of Balaklava, the Russian army, having never reached the English camp, through its actions nevertheless prevented a general assault on Sevastopol, forcing the enemy to go on a siege. Also, as a plus, you can add more than 900 killed, wounded and captured enemy soldiers against 617 people of your own losses, as well as captured English cannons, which Lord Raglan never got to.

Not a brilliant result, but quite passable. But there was no one in Russia to “promote” it the way English journalists “promoted” the “thin red line” and the “light cavalry attack.”

The first clash near the village of Burliuk. On September 13, 1854, the commander of the Russian troops in Crimea, Menshikov, received news that an enemy fleet was approaching Sevastopol. The commander, as usual, did not take any action to prevent the landing near Yevpatoria. Having completed the landing, the Allies moved towards Sevastopol on September 16. The first clash between the Russians and the Allied army took place on September 20 near the village of Burliuk near the Alma River. The allied forces, which included English, French and Turkish troops, numbered 55 thousand people, the Russian army - 33 thousand soldiers. In addition, the Allies had a significant advantage in artillery, which predetermined the outcome of the battle in their favor, despite the steadfastness of the Russian soldiers. The losses of the Russian army amounted to about 5 thousand people, the allies lost 4,500 people. The commanders of the Allied forces, French Marshal A. Saint-Arnaud and English Field Marshal F. Raglan, hardly surpassed the mediocre Menshikov in their military talents, although they were not inferior to him in arrogance. But in the very first hours of the battle, as throughout the entire war, the overwhelming military-technical advantage of the Anglo-French troops in firearms and artillery was felt.

Sevastopol issue. After the retreat of the Russian army from Alma, the question of Sevastopol immediately arose. Menshikov actually abandoned the city to the mercy of fate and, without notifying the defenders of the besieged fortress, led the army to Bakhchisarai. The role of commander of all troops in Sevastopol was assumed by Vice Admiral V.A. Kornilov. He did not show himself to be such a brilliant naval commander as Nakhimov, but he had great administrative skills and organizational abilities. Therefore, it was he who actually led the defense of Sevastopol. Even before the siege of Sevastopol began, Kornilov made every effort to strengthen the city’s weak defenses. On the southern side, Sevastopol was reliably covered by coastal fortifications and the Black Sea Fleet in the roadstead. But the northern side was the most vulnerable point of defense and, despite the efforts of V.A. Kornilov, his assistants Nakhimov, V.I. Istomin and military engineer E.I. Totleben, there was a real threat of breaking through the city’s defenses from this side. The situation was saved by the inexplicable refusal of the enemy command to storm Sevastopol from the northern side.

IN AND. Istomin

This gave the defenders of the Russian fortress time to strengthen the defense in this area, but another question arose: what to do with the Black Sea Fleet? Menshikov ordered to scuttle the fleet and transfer the crew to land to defend the city. Kornilov, at a military council on September 21, proposed to go out to sea to meet the allied squadron and take the final battle, inflicting as much damage as possible on the enemy. The proposal was rejected and the sinking of the Russian Black Sea Fleet began. In an order dated September 23, Kornilov addressed the sailors with a speech: “Comrades! Our troops, after a bloody battle with a superior enemy, retreated to Sevastopol to defend it with their breasts. Have you tried enemy steamships and seen their ships that do not need sails? He brought double numbers of these to attack us from the sea. We need to give up our favorite idea of slaying the enemy on the water!” Five old ships that blocked the fairway were sunk (in total, the Black Sea Fleet included 14 ships, 7 frigates, 1 corvette, 2 brigs and 11 steamers). The remaining ships were withdrawn from the South Bay and until the last day provided all possible assistance to the besieged city.

“We have nowhere to retreat.” While the allied forces were preparing for the assault, limiting themselves to shelling the city, the 35,000-strong garrison under the command of Kornilov and Nakhimov erected fortifications day and night, preparing for a long defense. Evidence of the determination to defend Sevastopol was Kornilov’s speech on September 27, addressed to the defenders of the city: “Comrades, we have the honor of defending Sevastopol, defending our native fleet! We will fight to the last! We have nowhere to retreat, the sea is behind us.”

The first mass attacks. Death of Kornilov. On October 5, 1854, the Allies launched their first mass bombardment of the city's bastions. 1,340 guns were concentrated against Sevastopol, firing 150 thousand shells into the city. All day long, Kornilov, despite the arguments of those accompanying him to take care of himself, appeared in the most dangerous places. While on the Malakhov Kurgan, the commander was mortally wounded and died a few hours later.

The Allied forces were amazed to realize that Sevastopol was not going to surrender. Moreover, the Russians responded to the massive shelling of the bastions with their own accurate shooting and daring attacks. “The picture was amazing. The Russians responded strongly to attacks from land and sea,” the English officer stated mournfully. “The tirelessness and stubborn resistance of the Russians proved that it is not as easy to triumph over them as some newspapermen predicted to us,” the French officers confirmed. Forced to postpone the assault indefinitely, the Allies shelled Sevastopol around the clock, trying to force the city to surrender.

Battle at Balaklava. The steadfastness of the defenders of Sevastopol plunged the allies into confusion and gave rise to hope among the Russian command to oust the enemy from Crimea. The first attempt to organize a counter-offensive on the positions of the allied forces was the battle of Balaklava. The approaches to Balaklava were covered by redoubts with Turkish troops. “These truly unfortunate Turks, turned into beasts of burden in Kamysheva Bay by the French, were, on the contrary, turned into advanced, so to speak, fighters by the British and placed on redoubts to defend with their breasts the English camp and warehouses in Balaklava. It was customary to feed the Turks very meagerly, beat them to death for infractions, not allow them to communicate, and not even seat Turkish officers at the table.” It is not surprising that on September 25, an artillery shelling and subsequent attack by Russian infantry and cavalry turned the Turkish army into panic and uncontrollable flight. The Turks who survived and reached the city were mercilessly beaten for cowardice by the British.

Having occupied all four redoubts defended by Turkish troops, the Russians were faced with a second line of defense, where English and Scottish units were located. A battle ensued, which gradually began to subside. Russian troops consolidated their positions on the captured redoubts, and the British awaited further orders. And then Field Marshal Raglan unexpectedly gave the order for the cavalry to attack the Russians and prevent them from taking the guns abandoned by the Turks. Selected British cavalry, to the horror of the English officers who were looking at what was happening, rushed at full steam into the deepening of the Russian troops, exposing both flanks and forward detachments to deadly fire from grapeshots. In the very first minutes, the English cavalrymen were crushed by fire and destroyed almost half, the complete defeat was completed by the Russian dragoons and Cossacks, who rushed at the stunned and demoralized enemy. With great difficulty, the allied command managed to save the remnants of the selected English cavalry.

"Valley of Death". The news of the battle in the “Valley of Death” caused shock in the British Isles: the scions of the most aristocratic families of England served in the units destroyed by the Russians. Until the First World War, “pilgrims” from England visited the “valley of death” to lay flowers at the place of death of representatives of the best English families. On the contrary, in the Russian camp the news of the “case at Balaklava” caused inspiration and excitement. But joyful expectations were not destined to come true.

Battle of Inkerman. Forced by the tsar, Menshikov decided on a big battle near Inkerman, but in advance transferred command to General P.A. Dannenberg, no more intelligent militarily than himself. On the eve of the battle, terrible confusion reigned in the command and control of the troops, moreover, fragmented into several detachments, without any coordination of actions between them. A situation arose about which Napoleon half-jokingly remarked at one time: “Better one bad commander than two good ones.” On the eve of the battle of Inkerman, the Russians had no time for jokes: they had two extremely stupid commanders. Suffice it to say that the Russian headquarters did not have a map of the area where they were to operate, and “they began the battle by relying on General P.A. Dannenberg, who said he knew the area “like his pockets.” As the battle progressed, to Dannenberg's surprise, there were hollows where he expected to find heights, and vice versa.

Despite the confusing orders of the authorities, the Russian troops started the Battle of Inkerman excellently. The detachments of Soimonov and Pavlov, with the support of artillery, pressed back the desperately fighting British. By ten o'clock in the morning, after a three-hour battle, the British troops were forced to retreat in disarray (during the retreat, British General D. Cathcart was killed).

French troops came to the aid of the allies, but, fearing a new Russian attack near Balaklava, they could not transfer large reserves to Sapun Mountain, where the battle was unfolding. Russian troops, suffering heavy losses, also needed reinforcements. 22,000-strong detachment of M.D. Gorchakov was located near Chorgun. Gorchakov, of course, heard the thunder of the cannonade, but did not act. Dannenberg, at the head of a 12,000-strong detachment, showed no signs of concern. Dannenberg's only specific order was the command to retreat. The Russian regiments retreated under heavy enemy artillery fire, suffering heavy losses. All eyewitnesses and military historians agree that the Battle of Inkerman was not won by the Russians only as a result of mistakes and criminal inertia of the Russian command. During the battle, the Russians lost at least 10 thousand people, the Allied losses amounted to at least 7-8 thousand people.

Harsh winter of 1854-1855. After Inkerman, the authority of Prince Menshikov, referred to by the soldiers only as “Imenshchikov,” came to naught. Unable to do anything, he did nothing. The War Ministry was also inactive. Sevastopol was experiencing a hard, cold winter. There was not enough ammunition, gunpowder, and food. Theft has reached fantastic proportions. The besieged garrison of Sevastopol was completely robbed by all sorts of quartermasters, confirming the accuracy of the aphorism of the great A.V. Suvorov: “Our quartermasters should be given special insignia in order to distinguish this bastard from the honest Russian army.” The garrison was starving, and millions of dollars were made from stolen supplies to Sevastopol. At the same time, the Allies abundantly received everything they needed by sea to continue the war. But Sevastopol was not going to give up.

The heroism of the defenders of Sevastopol. In Paris and London, receiving reports from Russia, they could not understand how and how the depleted Russian city was holding on, under the continuous bombardment of Allied artillery. The nearly 170,000-strong Allied army tried in vain to break the resistance of the 35,000-strong garrison. The entire population of Sevastopol, from experienced soldiers to teenagers, showed exceptional heroism, arousing the admiration of the enemy. Sailor Pyotr Koshka became famous for his repeated forays into the enemy camp, capturing six enemy soldiers from all armies (English, French, Turkish and Sardinian). Soldiers Eliseev, Dymchenko, sailors Zaika, Rybakov, dozens and hundreds of other defenders of Sevastopol were not inferior to him in courage and courage. The world's first sister of mercy, Daria Sevastopolskaya, became especially famous. The founder of military field surgery, N.I., gained worldwide fame. Pirogov, who saved wounded soldiers day and night. The commander of one of the batteries was the genius of Russian literature L.N. Tolstoy.

On February 17, Russian troops attempted to go on the offensive, but the assault on Yevpatoria was stopped due to a lack of gunpowder. In early March, a few days before his death, Nicholas I appointed M.D. commander of the Russian troops. Gorchakova. This changed absolutely nothing in the situation of the besieged, who fought in inhumane conditions, with complete inaction of both the new commander and Minister of War V.A. Dolgorukova.

The Crimean War of 1853–1856 was perhaps the first major armed conflict in human history in which the press began to play a serious role.

If in Russia the Crimean War was reflected later, in the works of writers, then in Britain and France it was journalists who created the canonical idea of the war in Crimea.

A striking example of this is the Battle of Balaklava, which enriched English mythology with two events known as the “charge of the light cavalry” and the “thin red line”.

The operation was led by the deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian troops in Crimea, Prince Menshikov, Lieutenant General Pavel Liprandi.

Turkish run

The striking force of the Allied group at Balaklava, numbering 4,500 people, was two English selected cavalry brigades - the heavy cavalry brigade James Scarlett and light cavalry brigade James Cardigan.

The battle on October 13 (October 25, new style) took place in the valleys north of Balaklava, bounded by the low Fedyukhin Mountains.

At about five o'clock in the morning, Russian infantry drove the Turks out of the first redoubt after a swift bayonet attack.

Moreover, the British had to stop the flight of their allies by opening fire on those running.

"The Thin Red Line"

The key moment of the battle, according to many historians, was the attack of the 1st Ural Cossack Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Khoroshkhin at the position of the 93rd Scottish Infantry Regiment.

According to the English version, this regiment remained the last cover for the Allied forces against the Russian breakthrough into the military camp in Balaklava.

The Scots repulsed the Cossack attack.

The expression “thin red line” as a symbol of courageous defense with the last bit of strength came into stable circulation, first in England and then in other Western countries.

Journalists also described such a dialogue between Campbell and his adjutant John Scott:

There will be no order to leave, guys. You must die where you stand.

Yes, Sir Colin. If necessary, we will do it.

But the British to this day prefer to believe in that “thin red line” that English journalists described to them 160 years ago.

The Thin Red Line, painting by Robert Gibbs.

Lord's Wrath in Raglan

The emblems of the army and the state were on the guns, and the lord considered it a shame to meekly leave the English guns to the Russians as a trophy.

Monument to the British fallen in the Crimean War 1854–1856. The monument was erected near Sapun Gora near the Sevastopol-Balaklava road in connection with the 150th anniversary of the end of the Crimean War.

Arriving at the battlefield, when there was already a lull, the commander, pointing his hand at the Russian soldiers who were taking away the guns from the captured redoubts, ordered to recapture the guns at all costs. Order to the commander of the English cavalry Lord Lucan was transmitted in the form of a note with the following content: “Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to move quickly to the front line in pursuit of the enemy, and try to prevent the enemy from taking away the guns. A horse artillery unit may also join. The French cavalry is on your left flank. Immediately".

English cannon meat. Aristocratic

When sent with a note Captain Nolan I gave it to Lord Lucan, who asked: what kind of weapons are we talking about?

The fact is that at the other end of the valley there were well-protected positions of heavy Russian artillery.

Nolan waved his hand vaguely towards the Russian positions, saying something like: “Over there!”

The retreat was terrible - the Russian troops, who understood what was happening, rained down hurricane fire on the cavalrymen, practically destroying the brigade as a combat unit.

How shame became a legend

Surprisingly, this incident did not remain in English history as “the crime of the bloody Raglan, who filled the Russians with corpses.”

To this day, films are made and books are written about the “charge of the light cavalry” in Britain - this is what competent PR means, turning even criminal stupidity into high valor!

The press decides everything

Not a brilliant result, but quite passable. But there was no one in Russia to “promote” it the way English journalists “promoted” the “thin red line” and the “light cavalry attack.”

"Hooves clatter on the firmament,
Guns loom in the distance
Straight to Death Valley
Six squadrons entered."

Alfred Tennyson, The Charge of the Light Horse.

On October 25 (13), 1854, one of the largest battles of the Crimean War took place - the Battle of Balaklava. On the one hand, the forces of France, Great Britain and Turkey took part in it, and on the other - Russia.

The port city of Balaklava, located fifteen kilometers south of Sevastopol, was the base of the British expeditionary force in the Crimea. The destruction of the Allied troops at Balaklava disrupted the supply of British forces and could theoretically lead to the lifting of the siege of Sevastopol. The battle took place north of the city, in a valley bounded by Sapun Mountain, the low Fedyukhin hills and the Black River. This was the only battle of the entire Crimean War in which the Russian forces were not inferior to the enemy in numbers.

By the autumn of 1854, despite the persistent bombardment of Sevastopol, it was clear to both sides that an assault would not follow in the near future. Marshal François Canrobert, the commander-in-chief of the French army, who replaced St. Arnaud, who died of illness, was well aware of the need to hurry. With the onset of winter, it will be more difficult for transport to sail across the Black Sea, and spending the night in tents is not at all good for the health of its soldiers. However, he did not dare either to begin preparations for the assault on Sevastopol or to attack Menshikov’s army. In order to get hold of ideas and plans, he even got into the habit of visiting his colleague in Balaklava, the commander-in-chief of the English army, Lord Raglan. However, Fitzroy Raglan himself was accustomed to receiving instructions from the highly experienced French headquarters. Both commanders needed some kind of push - and it came...

Prince Menshikov, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, did not at all believe in the success of the ensuing war. However, the sovereign did not even think about the loss of Sevastopol. He gave no peace to His Serene Highness, encouraging him in his letters and expressing regret that he could not be with the troops personally, instructing him to thank the soldiers and sailors on his behalf. In order to show at least some semblance of active military action, Alexander Sergeevich decided to attack the Allied camp at Balaklava.

Photo by Roger Fenton. A British warship at the pier in Balaklava Bay. 1855

Photo by Roger Fenton. British and Turkish military camp in the valley near Balaclava.1855

It should be noted that a small Greek village with a population of several hundred people in September 1854 turned into a bustling city. The entire coast was littered with cannonballs, boards and various equipment delivered here from England. The British built a railway, an embankment, a camp and many warehouses here, built a water supply system and several artesian wells. There were many warships in the bay, as well as several yachts of members of the high command, in particular the Dryyad of the light horse commander James Cardigan. To protect the town on low hillocks nearby, back in mid-September, the Allies built four redoubts. Three of them were armed with artillery. These redoubts covered the Chorgun-Balaklava line, and in each of them there were about two hundred and fifty Turkish soldiers. The British correctly calculated that the Turks were much better able to sit behind fortifications than to fight in the open field. By the way, the unfortunate soldiers of Omer Pasha performed the dirtiest and hardest work in the Allied army. They were fed very poorly, were not allowed to communicate with other soldiers and residents, and were beaten to death for their offenses. Transformed into advanced fighters, they were planted on redoubts in order to defend the English camp with their breasts. The British forces in this place consisted of two cavalry brigades: the heavy cavalry of General James Scarlett and the light cavalry of Major General Cardigan. Overall command of the cavalry was exercised by Major General George Bingham, aka Lord Lucan, a mediocre commander who was not particularly popular with his subordinates. Scarlett's forces were located to the south of the redoubts, closer to the city, Cardigan's troops were to the north, closer to the Fedyukhin Mountains. It should be noted that members of the largest aristocratic families of England served in the light cavalry, which was an elite branch of the army. The entire British expeditionary force was commanded by Lord Raglan. French units also took part in the future battle, but their role was insignificant.

On October 23, near the village of Chorgun on the Black River, under the command of General Pavel Petrovich Liprandi, who held the position of Menshikov’s deputy, a Chorgun detachment of about sixteen thousand people was assembled, including military personnel of the Kiev and Ingermanland Hussars, Don and Ural Cossacks, Odessa and Dnieper infantry regiments. The purpose of the detachment was the destruction of Turkish redoubts, access to Balaklava and artillery fire on enemy ships in the port. To support Liprandi's troops, a special detachment of Major General Joseph Petrovich Zhabokritsky, numbering five thousand people and with fourteen guns, was supposed to advance to the Fedyukhin Heights.

The Battle of Balaklava began at six o'clock in the morning. Having set out from the village of Chorgun, the Russian troops, breaking into three columns, moved to the redoubts. The central column stormed the first, second and third, the right column attacked the fourth redoubt standing to the side, and the left occupied the village of Kamary on the enemy’s right flank. The Turks, who had been sitting quietly for several weeks, only at the last moment, to their horror, saw how the Russians rushed towards them after an artillery shelling. Taken by surprise, they did not have time to leave the first redoubt; a battle broke out in it, during which about two-thirds of the Turkish subjects were killed. At seven o'clock the Russian soldiers, having captured three guns, captured the first fortification.

The Turks left the remaining redoubts with extreme speed, pursued by Russian cavalrymen. Among other things, eight guns, a lot of gunpowder, tents and entrenching tools were abandoned in the remaining fortifications. The fourth redoubt was immediately razed, and all the guns in it were riveted and thrown from the mountain.

It’s curious, but the surviving Turks near the city walls also suffered from the British. One British officer recalled it this way: “The Turks’ troubles were not over here, we received them with the point of a bayonet and did not allow them to enter, seeing how cowardly they behaved.”

Lieutenant General Pavel Petrovich Liprandi.
Commander of the Russian detachment in the Battle of Balaklava

At the beginning of the ninth, Liprandi captured the Balaklava Heights, but this was only the beginning. After a half-hour break, Pavel Petrovich sent his entire cavalry into the valley. Behind the captured redoubts was a second row of Allied fortifications, and behind them stood brigades of light and heavy cavalry of the British, who by that time had already begun to move. The French general Pierre Bosquet had also already sent the Vinois brigade to the valley, followed by the African chasseurs d'Alonville. Separately from the cavalrymen, the ninety-third Scottish regiment under the command of Colin Campbell acted. At first, this regiment unsuccessfully tried to stop the fleeing Turks, and then, waiting for reinforcements, stood in front of the village of Kadykovka on the path of the advancing Russian cavalry, approximately numbering two thousand sabers, the Russian cavalrymen split into two groups, one of which (about six hundred horsemen) rushed towards the Scots.

Campbell is known to have told his soldiers: “Boys, there will be no orders to retreat. You must die where you stand." His aide-de-camp John Scott replied: “Yes. We will do it." Realizing that the front of the Russian attack was too wide, the regiment lined up in two lines instead of the prescribed four. The Scots fired three volleys: from eight hundred, five hundred and three hundred and fifty yards. Having approached, the horsemen attacked the highlanders, but the Scots never wavered, forcing the Russian cavalry to retreat.

The repulsion of a cavalry attack by a Highlander infantry regiment at the Battle of Balaklava was called "The Thin Red Line" in accordance with the color of the Scots' uniforms. The expression was originally coined by a Times journalist who in an article compared the Ninety-third Regiment to “a thin red stripe bristling with steel.” Over time, the expression “The Thin Red Line” has become an artistic image - a symbol of self-sacrifice, perseverance and composure in battle. This turnover also means defense with the last of your strength.

At the same time, the remaining forces of the Russian cavalry under the command of General Ryzhov, who led the entire cavalry of the Chorgun detachment, entered into battle with the heavy cavalry of General Scarlett. It is curious that, noticing the slowly moving Russian cavalry on his left flank, the English general decided to prevent the attack and was the first to rush into the attack with ten squadrons. The commander of the brigade, fifty-year-old James Scarlett, had no experience in military affairs, but successfully used the tips of his two assistants - Colonel Beatson and Lieutenant Elliot, who distinguished themselves in India. The Russian cavalrymen, who did not expect the attack, were crushed. During the terrible seven-minute battle between the hussars and Cossacks and the British dragoons, several of our officers were seriously wounded; General Khaletsky, in particular, had his left ear cut off.

Throughout the battle, Cardigan's light cavalry stood still. The fifty-seven-year-old lord did not participate in a single military campaign before the Crimean War. His comrades suggested that he support the dragoons, but James flatly refused. A brave warrior and a natural horseman, he considered himself humiliated from the very moment he came under the command of Lord Lucan.

Seeing that more and more allied units were rushing to the battlefield from all sides, Lieutenant General Ryzhov gave the signal to retreat. The Russian regiments rushed into the Chorgun Gorge, and the British pursued them. A six-gun horse battery that arrived to help the dragoons opened fire with grapeshot at the backs of the hussars and Cossacks, causing them significant damage. However, the Russian artillery did not remain in debt. Retreating, Ryzhov’s troops seemed to accidentally pass between two redoubts captured in the morning (the second and third), dragging the British with them. When Scarlet's column of dragoons reached the fortifications, guns burst out from right and left. Having lost several dozen people killed and wounded, the British rushed back. Around the same time (ten o'clock in the morning), the troops of Joseph Zhabokritsky arrived on the battlefield, located on the Fedyukhin Heights.

Both sides used the ensuing calm to regroup troops and think about their future situation. It seemed that the Battle of Balaklava could have ended here, but the successful attack of the Scarlett dragoons gave Lord Raglan the idea of repeating this maneuver in order to again take possession of the guns captured by the Russians in the redoubts. François Canrobert, who was present nearby, remarked: “Why go to them? Let the Russians come at us, because we are in an excellent position, so we won’t move from here.” If the post of French commander-in-chief had still been held by Saint-Arnaud, then perhaps Lord Raglan would have listened to the advice. However, Marshal Canrobert had neither the character nor the authority of Saint-Arnaud. Since the first and fourth British infantry divisions were still quite far away, the British commander-in-chief ordered a cavalry attack on our positions. To this end, he sent the following order to Lucan: “The cavalry should go forward and take advantage of every opportunity to capture the heights. The infantry will advance in two columns and will support it.” However, the cavalry commander misinterpreted the order and, instead of immediately attacking the Russians with all his forces, limited himself to moving the light brigade a short distance to the left, leaving the dragoons in place. The horsemen froze in anticipation of the infantry, which, according to their commander, “had not yet arrived.” Thus, the most opportune moment for an attack was missed.

Fitzroy Raglan waited patiently for his orders to be carried out. However, time passed, and Lucan's cavalry stood still. The Russians at that time slowly began to take away the captured guns; no new attacks on their part were expected. Not understanding what caused the inactivity of the cavalry chief, Raglan decided to send him another order. General Airy, who was the chief of staff of the British army, wrote the following directive under his dictation: “The cavalry must quickly move forward and not allow the enemy to take away the guns. It can be accompanied by horse artillery. On your left flank you have French cavalry. Immediately". The order ended with the word “immediate”. The piece of paper was handed over to Lord Lucan by Captain Lewis Edward Nolan.

It should be noted that by that time the Russian troops were positioned in a “deep horseshoe.” Liprandi's troops occupied the hills from the third redoubt to the village of Kamary, Zhabokritsky's detachment occupied the Fedyukhin heights, and in the valley between them were Ryzhov's cavalrymen, who retreated to a fairly large distance. For communication between the detachments, the Consolidated Uhlan Regiment (stationed along the Simferopol road) and the Don Battery (located at Fedyukhin Heights) were used. Lord Lucan, who finally realized the true order, asked Nolan how he imagined this operation, because the British cavalry, going deep between the ends of the “horseshoe,” would fall under the crossfire of Russian batteries and would inevitably die. However, the captain only confirmed what he was told to convey. Much later, information appeared that, handing the order to Nolan, Raglan added verbally: “If possible.” Lord Lucan testified under oath that the captain did not convey these words to him. It was impossible to question the English officer himself; by that time he had already died.

British Cavalry Commander General George Lucan

Thus, the commander of the entire British cavalry found himself in a difficult position: he clearly understood the madness of the undertaking and at the same time held in his hands a piece of paper with a clear order from the commander-in-chief. “Orders must be followed,” apparently with such thoughts George Bingham headed with his headquarters to Cardigan’s light cavalry. Handing over the contents of the note, he ordered him to advance. “That’s right, sir,” Cardigan replied coldly, “however, let me note that the Russians have riflemen and batteries on both sides of the valley.” “I know that,” replied Lucan, “but that’s what Lord Raglan wants. We don’t choose, we execute.” Cardigan saluted the lord and turned to his light brigade. At that moment there were six hundred and seventy-three people in it. The sound of a trumpet was heard and at 11:20 the cavalry moved forward at a pace. Soon the cavalrymen began to trot. These were the most selected units, striking with the splendor and beauty of their equestrian composition. The English cavalry moved in three lines, occupying a fifth of the width of the valley along the front. She only had to cover three kilometers. And to the right of them, also lined up in three lines, a heavy brigade was advancing, led by Lucan himself.

The commander-in-chief of the British, Fitzroy Raglan, who lost his right hand in the Battle of Waterloo, was never a military general and, according to many historians, was an incompetent commander and leader. There is evidence that when the English cavalry rushed at full speed towards the Russian troops, Raglan noted with visible pleasure the magnificent spectacle of the orderly formations of his elite troops. And only real military men, like Canrobert and his staff officers, not knowing about the contents of the order, belatedly (by their own admission) began to understand what was happening in front of them.

As soon as our troops saw the movement of the enemy cavalry, the Odessa Jaeger Regiment retreated to the second redoubt and formed a square, and rifle battalions armed with rifles, together with batteries from the Fedyukhin and Balaklava heights, opened crossfire on the British. Grenades and cannonballs were thrown at the enemy, and as the horsemen approached, buckshot was also used. One of the grenades exploded near Captain Nolan, riddling the Englishman's chest and killing him outright. However, Cardigan's riders continued to advance, galloping under a hail of shells, breaking their formation. It came from Russian artillerymen and heavy cavalry. Lord Lucan was wounded in the leg, and his nephew and adjutant Captain Charteris was killed. Finally, unable to withstand the heavy fire, the commander of the entire cavalry stopped Scarlett's brigade, ordering it to retreat to its original positions.

Robert Gibbs. The Thin Red Line (1881). Scottish National War Museum at Edinburgh Castle

After this, Cardigan's cavalry became the main target of accurate fire from Russian riflemen and artillerymen. By that time they had already reached the Russian heavy Donskaya battery of six guns located across the valley. The horsemen riding around the battalions of the Odessa Jaeger Regiment were met with shots from there, and then the battery fired a final volley of grapeshot at point-blank range, but could not stop the British. A short and fierce battle began at the battery. As cover, forty steps behind her stood six hundred soldiers of the first Ural Cossack regiment, who had not yet taken part in the battle and had not suffered losses. And behind them, at a distance of forty meters, two regiments of hussars were lined up in two lines, which Colonel Voinilovich was placed in command of after Khaletsky was wounded.

Photo by Roger Fenton. Chorgunsky (Tavern) Bridge (1855)

The lancers of the seventeenth regiment broke through the battery's defenses and attacked the Cossacks. Clouds of dust and smoke hid the true forces of the attackers from them, and suddenly the Urals, seeing the lancers flying out, panicked and began to retreat, crushing the hussar regiments. Only isolated groups of soldiers who remained steadfast rushed to the rescue of the artillerymen. Among them was Colonel Voinilovich, who, rallying several privates around himself, rushed towards the British. During the fight, he was shot in the chest by two shots. The hussars and Cossacks mixed into the crowd, along with a light horse battery and the remnants of the personnel of the temporarily captured Don Battery, retreated to the Chorgunsky Bridge, luring the enemy with them. When the enemy cavalry was already near the bridge, General Liprandi, who foresaw such a development of events, delivered the final blow. Six squadrons of the Consolidated Lancer Regiment, stationed near the second and third redoubts, attacked the British. At the same moment, the Russian artillery opened fire again, from which the enemy cavalry suffered significant damage, including our riders. By this time, the hussars had regrouped, and the Cossacks of the fifty-third Don Regiment arrived.

Richard Woodville. Charge of the Light Brigade. (1855)

The Russian lancers pursued Cardigan's brigade to the fourth redoubt and, undoubtedly, would have destroyed everyone to the last man if help had not arrived. The French, led by François Canrobert, fully understood what was happening only when, after an artillery shelling, the Russian cavalry, together with the infantry, rushed to finish off the British. One of the best French generals, Pierre Bosquet, shouted indignantly at the English staff: “This is not war! This is madness!". Canrobert's order to save what was left of the English light cavalry thundered deafeningly. The first to rush to Cardigan's rescue were the famous fourth regiment of the African Horse Chasseurs of General d'Alonville. They encountered the Plastun battalion of the Black Sea Cossacks. The foot Cossacks-Plastuns acted in loose formation. Dodging the blow of a saber, they fell face down to the ground as the French horsemen approached, and when the horseman flew past, stood up and shot in the back. Now the French side had already suffered significant losses. And at that time the light brigade of the British on wounded, tired horses, showered with bullets and grapeshot, scattered into single horsemen and small groups, slowly went up the valley The Russian pursuit of them was not active, although it was later called a "hare hunt". In total, the tragic British attack lasted twenty minutes. The battlefield was littered with corpses of people and horses, more than three hundred people of the English brigade were killed or mutilated. Only on their own positions, the remnants of the once glorious English regiments again saw the brigade commander, about whom they had known nothing since the start of the battle on the Russian battery.

The further battle was limited to a firefight between the Allied troops occupying the fourth redoubt and the nearest Odessa battalions. At four o'clock in the evening the cannonade stopped and the battle was over. The commanders-in-chief of the allied forces decided to leave all trophies and fortifications in Russian hands, concentrating troops at Balaklava. General Liprandi, satisfied with the successes achieved, positioned his troops: in the village of Kamary, at the bridge on the Chernaya River, in the first, second, third redoubts and near them. Zhabokritsky's detachment still stood on the Fedyukhin Mountains, and the cavalry settled in the valley.

On the fiftieth anniversary of the Sevastopol defense in 1904, a monument to the heroes of the Battle of Balaklava was erected near the Sevastopol-Yalta road, where the fourth Turkish redoubt was located. The project was developed by Lieutenant Colonel Erantsev, and the architect Permyakov made some changes to it. During the Great Patriotic War, the monument was destroyed and only in 2004, military builders, according to the design of the architect Schaeffer, restored the monument.

Paul Philippoteau. Charge of the Light Brigade led by General Allonville

The Balaklava battle left two impressions. On the one hand, it was not in the slightest degree a victory for the Allies; on the other hand, it was not a complete victory for the Russian army. Capturing the city - the British base - would put the Allied troops in an almost hopeless situation. Many of the English military leaders admitted later that the loss of Balaklava would have forced the allied forces to leave Sevastopol, radically changing the entire Crimean War. Tactically, the battle of Balaklava was successful: Russian troops captured the heights surrounding the city and several guns, the enemy suffered significant damage and restricted the range of their actions, limiting themselves to direct cover of the city. However, the capture of the redoubts and the extermination of the English cavalry did not bring any significant strategic consequences. On the contrary, the battle showed the allies their weakest point, forcing them to take measures to repel a new blow. Our command also did not support the courage of the Russian soldiers, showing surprising indecisiveness. After some time, the captured redoubts were abandoned, almost nullifying the results of the battle.

Drawing by Roger Fenton. Charge of the Light Horse Brigade, 25 October 1854, under Major General Cardigan (1855)

The only positive factor was that after the news of the Battle of Balaklava, both in Sevastopol and throughout our army there was an extraordinary rise in morale. Stories about captured trophies and fallen English cavalrymen, as well as about the extraordinary courage with which Russian soldiers fought, were passed on from mouth to mouth. This is what Liprandi wrote about the behavior of his troops after the battle: “The troops, understanding their high purpose to defend their native land, were eager to fight the enemy. The entire battle is one heroic deed, and it is very difficult to give anyone an advantage over others."

The Cossacks participating in the defeat of the English cavalry caught the horses after the battle, in their own words, “crazy cavalry” and sold expensive blood trotters at a price of fifteen to twenty rubles (while the true cost of the horses was estimated at three hundred to four hundred rubles).

The British, on the contrary, after the battle had a painful feeling of defeat and loss. There was talk about military ignorance and mediocrity of the high command, which led to completely senseless losses. In one English brochure during the Crimean War it is written: “Balaclava” - this word will be recorded in the annals of England and France as a place memorable for the acts of heroism and the misfortune that occurred there, unsurpassed in history until then.” October 25, 1854 will forever remain a mourning date in the history of England. Only twelve days later, a message about the fateful event arrived from Constantinople to London, sent by the famous hater of Russia, Lord Radcliffe. The light cavalry that fell at Balaklava consisted of representatives of the English aristocracy. The impact of this news in the British capital was stunning. Until the war of 1914, pilgrims traveled from there to explore the “valley of death”, where the flower of their nation died. Dozens of books and poems have been written about the disastrous attack, many films have been made, and researchers of the past are still arguing about who is really to blame for the death of English aristocrats.

Photo by Roger Fenton. Council at Raglan headquarters
(the general sits on the left wearing a white hat and without his right hand) (1855)

By the way, based on the results of what happened, a special commission was created. Commander-in-Chief Fitzroy Raglan tried to shift all the blame onto Lucan and Cardigan, telling them at meetings: “You ruined the brigade” (to Lucan) and “How could you attack the battery from the front against all military rules?” (to Cardigan). The commander-in-chief created a whole accusation against George Bingham, who, in his opinion, missed an opportune moment. The press and government supported Raglan so as not to undermine the prestige of the high command. Under public pressure against the cavalry generals, Lucan asked for a more thorough investigation into his actions in the battle, and Cardigan began a long-running lawsuit with Lieutenant Colonel Calthorpe, who claimed that the commander of the light brigade had fled the field before his subordinates had reached the Russian guns.

According to the order of the Russian Emperor, it was decided to perpetuate the memory of all the troops who took part in the defense of Sevastopol from 1854 to 1855. Under the leadership of member of the State Council Pyotr Fedorovich Rerberg, a lot of materials were collected on the wounded and dead Russian soldiers in the key battles of Alma, Inkerman, Chernaya Rechka and Balaklava. In the materials presented to the sovereign, Pyotr Fedorovich mentioned four officers who died in the Battle of Balaklava:

Captain of the Dnieper Infantry Regiment Dzhebko Yakov Anufrievich, killed by a cannonball in the head during the capture of the village of Kamary;

Captain of the Hussar Saxe-Weimar (Ingermanlad) Regiment Khitrovo Semyon Vasilievich, seriously wounded during a battle with Scarlett's dragoons, captured and died in captivity;

Cornet of the Hussar Saxe-Weimar Regiment Konstantin Vasilyevich Gorelov, killed by grapeshot during the regiment’s retreat after a fight with Scarlett’s cavalrymen;

Colonel of the Hussar Regiment Voinilovich Joseph Ferdinandovich, killed during the attack of the English light brigade on the Don Battery.

According to the British command, the losses of the light brigade amounted to more than a hundred killed (including nine officers), one and a half hundred wounded (including eleven officers) and about sixty prisoners (including two officers). Many of the injured people subsequently died. More than three hundred and fifty horses were also lost. The total damage inflicted on the Allies on this day was about nine hundred people. According to later estimates, the losses reached a thousand troops, and some historians even claim that one and a half thousand soldiers died. The losses of the Russian troops amounted to six hundred and twenty-seven people, of whom two hundred and fifty-seven were among the hussars, who suffered most heavily from the English cavalry. In February 1945, after the Yalta Conference, Winston Churchill visited the Balaklava Valley. One of his ancestors from the Marlborough family died in the battle. And in 2001, the brother of the Queen of Great Britain, Prince Michael of Kent, visited the memorial site.

The Battle of Balaklava took place on October 13 (25), 1854 and was one of the largest battles of the Crimean War of 1853-1856 between the allied forces of Great Britain, France and Turkey on the one hand, and Russia on the other.

The battle took place in the valleys north of Balaklava, bounded by the low Fedyukhin Mountains, Sapun Mountain and the Black River. This was the first and only battle of the Crimean War in which Russian troops significantly outnumbered them.

Three events marked this battle, which might have remained a minor one: the defense of the Scots against the determined Russians (also called the "thin red line" la mince ligne rouge), the attack of the British heavy brigade, which, contrary to expectation, turned out to be a success, and the attack of the British Light Brigade, undertaken by Lord Cardigan after a series of misunderstandings and which resulted in heavy losses.

The battle was not decisive. The British folded at Sevastopol, and the Russians retained their guns and position.

Military camp near Balaklava

Location of allied forces in the Balaklava camp

In mid-September 1854, on the hillocks around occupied Balaklava, the allied forces built 4 redoubts (3 large and one smaller), which defended the Turkish troops stationed there by order of Lord Raglan. At each redoubt there were 250 Turkish soldiers and 1 English artilleryman. However, only 3 large redoubts were equipped with artillery. In Balaklava there was a camp and military warehouses for the allied forces. The British treated their Turkish allies with contempt, subjecting them to corporal punishment for the slightest offenses and giving them more than modest rations.

Plans and strengths of the parties

In October, Russian forces approached the allied Balaklava base.

The city and port of Balaklava, located 15 km south of Sevastopol, was the base of the British expeditionary force in the Crimea. A strike by Russian troops on the Allied positions at Balaklava could, if successful, lead to the release of besieged Sevastopol and a disruption in the supply of the British.

The Russian detachment, under the command of infantry general Pavel Petrovich Liprandi, numbered about 16 thousand people and included the Kiev and Ingermanland Hussars, the Ural and Don Cossacks, the Dnieper and Odessa infantry regiments and a number of other units and units. General Liprandi served as deputy commander-in-chief of Russian troops in Crimea, Prince Alexander Sergeevich Menshikov.

Lithograph (1858-1861) Alexander Sergeevich Menshikov

The Allied forces, mainly British troops, included two cavalry brigades. The heavy cavalry brigade under the command of Brigadier General James Scarlett consisted of the 4th and 5th Dragoon Guards, 1st, 2nd and 6th Dragoon Regiments (5 two-squadron regiments, a total of 800 people) and was located to the south, closer to Balaklava. The northern positions, closer to the Fedyukhin Mountains, were occupied by a light cavalry brigade, which included the 4th, 8th, 11th, 13th Hussars and 17th Uhlan regiments (5 regiments of two squadrons, a total of 700 people). The light brigade was commanded by Major General Lord Cardigan.

Cardigan, James

Representatives of the most famous aristocratic families of Great Britain served in the light cavalry, considered an elite branch of the military. Overall command of the British cavalry was exercised by Major General the Earl of Lucan. French and Turkish units also took part in the battle, but their role was insignificant. The number of Allied troops was about two thousand people.

The British Expeditionary Force was commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Raglan, the French by Divisional General Francois Canrobert.

Marshal Canrobert

Start of the battle

Monument to the fallen British in the Balaklava Valley

The battle began at about five in the morning, before dawn. The Russians, with a bayonet attack, drove the Turkish troops out of redoubt No. 1, located on the southern flank, and destroyed about 170 Turks. The three remaining redoubts, located to the north and northwest, were abandoned by the Turks without a fight. The Turkish troops who fled in panic did not render the artillery located on the redoubts unusable, and the Russians received nine guns as a trophy. The British had to stop the retreating Turks by force of arms.

Having captured the redoubts, while attempting to further develop the attack in order to reach Balaklava, the Russians encountered strong resistance from the heavy cavalry of Scarlett and the 93rd Scottish infantry regiment of Baronet Colin Campbell. In order to cover the too wide front of the attack of the Russian cavalry, Campbell ordered his soldiers to line up in lines of two, instead of the lines of four provided for in such cases by the regulations. The words of Campbell's order and the response of his adjutant John Scott went down in British military history:

There will be no order to leave, guys. You must die where you stand.

Yes, Sir Colin. If necessary, we will do it.

The Times correspondent later described the Scottish regiment at that moment as “a thin red strip bristling with steel.” Over time, this expression turned into a stable expression “thin red line”, indicating defense with all the strength.

The attack of Russian troops was repelled. General Liprandi considered the day's task completed.