Battle of Inkerman

battle on 5 November 1854 during the Crimean War

The Battle of Inkerman was fought on 5 November 1854 during the Crimean War.[1] British and French troops defeated the Imperial Russian Army.[1] The British Army suffered 597 killed and 1,860 were wounded. The French lost 143 killed and 750 were wounded. The Russians lost 10,729 killed and wounded. The battle broke the spirit of the Russian Army which never again fielded an army against the British and French allies.[2] It was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol.[2]

Battle of Inkermann
Part of the Crimean War

The 20th Foot at the Battle of Inkerman, by David Rowlands
Date5 November 1854
Location
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
British Empire British Empire
France French Empire
Russia Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
British Empire Lord Raglan
France François Canrobert
Russia Alexander Menshikov
Strength

Total: 15,700 soldiers & 56 guns

  • United Kingdom 7,500 soldiers & 38 guns
  • France 8,200 soldiers & 18 guns
Russia 42,000 soldiers & approximately 134 guns
Casualties and losses

Total: 4,676 killed & wounded

  • United Kingdom 597 killed & 2,163 wounded
  • France 229 killed & 1,551 wounded

Russia Total: 10,216 killed & wounded

  • 3,288 killed & 6,928 wounded

Lead up to the battle

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The allied armies of Britain, France, Sardinia, and the Ottoman Empire had landed on the west coast of Crimea on September 14, 1854.[3] They meant to capture the Russian naval base at Sevastopol. They defeated the Russian army in the Battle of Alma. The allies could have attacked Sevastopol, but the British general and the French commander could not agree on a plan of attack.

Instead, they decided to march around the city and put Sevastopol under siege. Towards the end the allies marched to the southern coast of the Crimean and set up a supply port in the city of Balaklava. Before the siege the Russian commander retreated out of Sevastopol. On 25 October 1854, a Russian force attacked the British base at Balaklava. The attack failed before they could reach it, but the Russian had a stronghold on the British line.

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 "The Battle of Inkerman". Britishbattles.com. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Crimean War: Battle of Inkerman". About.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  3. "The British landing at Eupatoria". The Victorian Web. Retrieved 4 May 2016.