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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@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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you’re right. You would figure that after taking out the American fleet you would then pound the docks and stuff so they would be unusable…
but i think the japanese anticipated the Americans fighting back…we wanted it to happen.
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“but i think the japanese anticipated the Americans fighting back…we wanted it to happen.”
Whoa, not sure you can say we wanted this to happen! But the Americans did fight back after the second raid. But still, the Japanese should’ve pressed the 2nd and another 3rd raid. Beside AA and assorted small arms fire, there wasn’t much we could do about it. Hickman Field (think that was what it was called) was in bombed out ruins and what American planes (mostly outdated) rose to intercept were quickly shot down by Zeros. Classic case of the Civil War on side of the damned Yankees. Even though the Confederates were beaten, Lee’s army should’ve been persued and utterly destroyed at the end of the battle – not able to retreat and fight another day.
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It motivated America and got us jout of that depression that FDR worsened with his tax policies.
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And you don’t think that a staunchly American counterattack (ie being prepared for Pearl Harbor when it happen) would’ve served the same purpose? It’s true that it brought us out of the Depression, but many people forget about the early months of post-December 1941 when just about everything went wrong for the Americans and the Allies in general. People were genuinely afraid of the worst. In many areas, morale plummeted (like in parts of the West Coast) and in some, people panicked. I think that if the Japanese were defeated (or at least hotly contested) at Pearl Harbor, it would’ve aroused the American public into a fighting spirit even more.
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America needed to be devestated…it motivated the people to join up.
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I have to disagree. Showing a unified defense at Pearl Harbor would serve to promote unity within the United States. Plus you can forget the important proganda victory. Let’s look at it this way: either we could make Pearl Harbor look like a total defeat or a total victory. People will believe what they hear on the news and read on the newspaper. You think they would really know the true story behind Pearl Harbor. As Prsident, all I have to say it’s classified and the public would still believe me.
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@TG:
I have to disagree. Showing a unified defense at Pearl Harbor would serve to promote unity within the United States. Plus you can forget the important proganda victory. Let’s look at it this way: either we could make Pearl Harbor look like a total defeat or a total victory. People will believe what they hear on the news and read on the newspaper. You think they would really know the true story behind Pearl Harbor. As Prsident, all I have to say it’s classified and the public would still believe me.
don’t make me pull out my video!
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Hahaha… but seriously, did you know way back in 1942 when the government released a video of Pearl Harbor a lot of parks were censored (like pictures of ships knelling over and sinking and how much we goofed up). Makes you think?
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