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.
Fav WW2 battle of study
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I love reading about the Japaneese victories in the first month after Pearl Harbr.
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I would say my favorites are Midway, and Normandy. Oh, and hello to everyone here, figured I would sign up and chat since I look at this stuff often.
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Welcome :smile: Guten Tag
Midway, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, the Burma Campaign, the fall of Sinapore, all good, bloody battles in the Pacific.
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sdrastvyecha, moy drook. Always good to have new people. I enjoy the Eastern front, especially Kursk and Stalingrad. I’d like to learn more about Burma though, it looks quite fascinating. Air campaigns were probably the first thing to catch my interest though.
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Velcomin,Herr Mitchell,
I like all of them.
Re: Pearl Harbour - I will always point out the stupidity of the Japanese Command for not destroying the oil storage and refinery facilities of the Hawaiian islands as it would have set the US supply line back 2,000 miles.
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“Turn of the water sprinkler the party’s over.” - Correct and identify that Quote. -
The Japanese should’ve hit the repair facilities and oil storage tanks, which probably would’ve gave the Japanese several more months for operations. However, the Japanese gave up their attack after the second wave met American resistence. IMO, they should’ve pressed their advantage as there was nothing else that the Americans couldn’ve done about it. Even if the US’s AC task force out in manuevers and unloading duties were to arrive, they probably still would’ve been defeat.
North Africa is another campaign that deserves a case study by its own, at least until after the battle of El Alemin (sp).
If I were a younger man, I would write a history of human stupidity; and I would lie down on my back with my history for a pillow; and I would make a statue of myself, lying on my back, grinning horribly, thumbing my nose at You Know Who. - Bokonon
[ This Message was edited by: TG Moses VI on 2002-06-13 20:16 ]
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Yeah, the Japanese should have captured Honolulu, it would have set back the lines in the Pacific, given the Japanese another fortified island, and it would have kept the Americans from repairing/salvaging many of the boats and planes. And of course using the ones missed by the attack.
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i’m curius to know every one’s faverite world war 2 battle of study. thats batles that you like reading about, watching movies about and understanding the stratagy behind.
my favs are Operation Market Garden and The battle of Ortona.
Stalingrad is the most interesting. The Italian campaign too. Kursk, the air war…Invasion of russia…its all good.
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Yeah, I forgot to mention the Italian Campaign. This is a sure read! I love reading about the Germans (many of elite Fallschrimjager) desperate attempts to hold the Americans (elite units too like the Devil’s Brigade), UK, and Canada’s overwhelming supply of manpower. The Hitler Line, Monte Cassino, Anzio, Rome, house to house fighting… all great actions worth mentioning.
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The Hitler Line, Monte Cassino, Anzio, Rome, house to house fighting… all great actions worth mentioning.
you forgot Ortona
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Yep, we have to give those Canadian Soldiers their due. 8)
But I’m forgetting a lot of other major engagements, Gustav Line, Operation ‘Husky’, Operation ‘Baytown’, Operation ‘Slapstick’, Operation ‘Avalanche’… the list goes on and on.
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The Japanese should have captured Honolulu. It would have been more interesting than simply bombing.
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Personally, I don’t think capturing Hawaii would have been that much of a thing for the Japanese even though they could have definetely pulled it off if they tried. Other than the naval base there, Hawaii isn’t an important strategic target unless of course they wanted to invade America itself…
It was a much better target as a air raid that way they wouldn’t need to garrison it against a much closer American mainland and they can still destroy the American fleet. Now if only Nagumo had ordered a third wave for attacking the sub pens and supplies…
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@Captain:
Personally, I don’t think capturing Hawaii would have been that much of a thing for the Japanese even though they could have definetely pulled it off if they tried. Other than the naval base there, Hawaii isn’t an important strategic target unless of course they wanted to invade America itself…
It was a much better target as a air raid that way they wouldn’t need to garrison it against a much closer American mainland and they can still destroy the American fleet. Now if only Nagumo had ordered a third wave for attacking the sub pens and supplies…
true.
“I love reading about the Germans (many of elite Fallschrimjager) desperate attempts to hold the Americans (elite units too like the Devil’s Brigade), UK, and Canada’s overwhelming supply of manpower. The Hitler Line, Monte Cassino, Anzio, Rome, house to house fighting… all great actions worth mentioning.”
Yes…something about the Germans with a fighting chance…I by no means like what the Nazis did, but I am very interested in how the Germans could of won…but I always cheered for the bad guy since Wild E. Coyote…
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Well much of the Italian Campaign is still taught in military schools today. It was the perfect example of the outgunned, and outnumbered defender using every bit of mountainous topography, weather, logistics, urban defense to his advantage. Kesslering (sp) was a genius militarily for his ability to sustain retreat and reform defensive lines, something that Hitler actually let him do! People forget how close the Salerno landings came close to utter failure.
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Well holding the Island would tie up the Americans for a long, long time, buying the Japaneese time to attack India and China.
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Well holding the Island would tie up the Americans for a long, long time, buying the Japaneese time to attack India and China.
you could hold the island for 2 days…your shipping would be way over stretched.
Yes, Kesselring was a genious…i think we talked about that somewhere earler.
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True, but the Japanese managed to take and hold Wake Island. Distance wise, it isn’t that much further than Midway (which the Japs also intended to hold). But by taking Pearl Harbor, the Japanese would have access to valuable repair and oil storage facilities (something that the second wave should’ve targeted). Also I’m not sure America’s Naval might could repel the Japanese task force.
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@TG:
True, but the Japanese managed to take and hold Wake Island. Distance wise, it isn’t that much further than Midway (which the Japs also intended to hold). But by taking Pearl Harbor, the Japanese would have access to valuable repair and oil storage facilities (something that the second wave should’ve targeted). Also I’m not sure America’s Naval might could repel the Japanese task force.
Wake island was defended by people with world war one uniforms! it was easy to take. Japan couldn’t leave their fleet at Hawaii forever, and the moment some of it leaves, what is left from the American navy, and airforce planes transfered from the continental US would blow japan away…they wouldn’t have that home field advantage.
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Hey, hey! Don’t diss Wake Island defenders! They gave it their all against overwhelming Japanese attacks. Also, they were pretty well equiped (well for a surprise attack at least) with 5-inch naval guns, Wildcat Fighters, M1’s, Lewis Machine guns, Thomsons SMG, and WW1 Uniforms like you said. As for Pearl Harbor, I wouldn’t of held on to it anymore than I needed to. You’re right, Japanese lines were overstretched. But anything is better than calling quits after 2 waves of attackers. Personally, if I were leading, I woul’ve pounded the island with everything and maybe even forced the American carriers into a decisive Naval engagement.
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