Sea coast of Turkey), the Port prepares forces for landing in Sukhumi and Poti. The detachment of ships P. Nakhimov blocks the bay, waits for the arrival of the main forces and makes an attack, trying to enter between coastal batteries and the Turkish fleet. The rest can be called «carnage» – without special military tricks, mixing ships and swapping volleys. Both sides have a novelty of military thought, bomb weapons – a cross between a large-caliber mortar and a mortar. Russian gunners for the first time in history, and quite successfully use a particularly large caliber, allowing the canopy to shoot 25 kg of explosive (with a high content of gunpowder) projectiles. The Turkish fleet and coastal batteries lose 3,000 people killed and wounded, and 200 sailors, including commander of the fleet Osman Pasha, are taken prisoner. Lit up, 7 frigates are thrown ashore, 3 corvettes, a steamer and a lot of small boats, down to fishing boats, 3 transport damage, 2 coastal batteries are destroyed. The Russian fleet loses about 150 people dead, 3 linear ships receive damage. In the battle, Russian steam-and-fregas (using propellers, speed at this point 15 km h) also participate, but they come to the end of the battle; Sinope battle becomes the swan song of sailing ships of the line.
In Europe, however, this victory is perceived very gloomily, indicating that, according to the rules of warfare, one can not attack ships at anchor in the port, especially the lower class and smaller displacement. But, most importantly, England and France pledged to observe armed neutrality only so long as the Russian Empire defends itself. When it moves to active military operations, on foreign territory, these two colossal colonial powers declare war on Russia. That’s it, March 27, 1854 is happening.
So, on April 22, 1854, the Anglo-French squadron evacuates consuls and foreign citizens from Odessa. One of the allied frigates, without the flag of the parliament, begins maneuvers in the immediate vicinity of the shore. He is fired from the port’s mole (according to one version, warning shots). Using this pretext, nine ships are on a raid in the harbor, subject the city and port to a large-scale bombardment. Rowboats, armed with small-caliber guns, almost approaching the shore, also take part in the bombardment. As a result, 250 city residents are dying, the buildings of the port and adjacent territories of Odessa are being destroyed, all Russian and neutral commercial vessels are sinking. The fire of coastal batteries damages 4 frigates, losses on them are 3—4 seamen.
In June 1854, allied forces – 34 battleships, 55 frigates (most of them – steam) block the Russian fleet – 14 linear sailing ships, 6 frigates and 6 steam-ship frigates in the bay of Sevastopol. Simultaneously, a landing of 62,000 landing troops is carried out, on 350 ships, in Evpatoria. Halfway to Sevastopol, he is welcomed by the 35,000-strong Russian army. The commander-in-chief, A. Menshikov, the great-grandson of Peter the Great’s companion, expresses the phrase becoming the common name – «We throw the hats off» and invites the inhabitants, as to the performance, to contemplate the forthcoming battle.
The French and the British advance separately, seeking to embrace the positions of Russian troops from the flanks. The first one is luckier – Menshikov’s regiments located near the sea fall under the crushing fire of ship artillery, and, having lost their losses, depart. British parts are mixed during the movement, however, hiding in the folds of the terrain, practically do not bear damage from the canister. Most Russian officers in the old manner are building their subordinates in, representing an excellent target, a dense square. Soldiers, now obeying the voice of their reason, are scattered from the columns, in some cases the pitying allies give them a close fight. The battle is now a series of random bayonet fights. Demoralized by the ongoing chaos, and, most of all, accurate shooting from long-range rifled rifles – the so-called. the Russian troops retreat. The Allies, believing that they fought not with the whole army, but only with its vanguard, stop, missing an excellent opportunity to seize Sevastopol from the course. Losses of the parties: allies (excluding Turkish troops) – 3,300 people, the Russian army – 5,700 people.
Admiral Nakhimov wants to go to sea, fight and die with honor. The commander-in-chief declines this proposal and orders the Russian fleet (the oldest ships) to be flooded along the fairway of the bay.
The base of the British expeditionary force is located 15 kilometers south-east of Sevastopol, Balaklava. October 25, 1854, a 16-thousand Russian detachment of Cossacks and the hussar, having fled Turks, attacks a number of structures that scouts erroneously mistaken for a fleet of artillery pieces. However, this is the camp of English dragoons and Scottish infantrymen. The dragoons retreat. To counter the broad front for the Cossacks’ attacks, the Scotsmen dressed in red uniforms line up with two rows instead of four, thus forming a «thin red line» bristling with steel. Quoted phrase, after the appearance on the pages of the newspaper «Times» becomes a widespread speech turnover, meaning defense by all means and the latest forces.
The troops occupy the starting positions, but then a new memorable event follows. The commander of the British forces, General Reglan (later named in his honor jacket), from the hill notices how the Russian cavalry evacuate the nine Turkish guns fired on the redoubts, orders them to intercept them. The order arrives in the elite elite Guards squadron located on the plain. From the words of the messenger and a short note, the commander can not in any way understand which guns he is talking about, and decides that he should attack a battery of heavy guns located at the very end of the valley, which is covered up practically by the whole Russian army. Six hundred people rush along the plain, under the frontal and flanking (roughly speaking – lateral) fire, get to the guns and retreat, losing half the composition during the battle, killed, wounded and captured, and almost all horses.
Attack becomes «legendary», is reflected in Anglo-Saxon literature and cinema. It is unlikely that she, however, would receive so much attention if the offspring of the most aristocratic families of England were not serving in her, and British officers, accustomed to think, as a rule, with their heads, did not show this time helplessness. By the way, in the British army, at this time, the custom of selling military ranks for money is common. Such an order can embarrass, but only at first glance. Presumably, people who have issued a large amount for the rank, hold on to it, take the initiative, constantly improve their competence. The same officers who get to senior positions already in old age, perhaps in peacetime, through complex intrigues or the usual linear advance, already do not want anything, except as a secured quiet old age.
In mid-May 1854, 67 Allied ships appeared on the roadstead in front of Krondstadt, luring mainly the sailing fleet of Russian (26 linear, 7 frigates, 7 steam-fouling) for the battle. Not having waited for this, and having convinced that in many places sea mines are exposed (only 600 pieces), squadrons leave. Later, in the spring of 1855, two British frigates would explode on the pyrotechnical explosive devices of E. Nobel. Ships will get rid of small damages – the charge of black powder is only 4, 5 kilograms, however, the psychological effect of using new weapons exceeds all expectations.
In July 1854, two British steamshopfregat, shelled out of 120 guns Solovetsky monastery – the proposed base for an attack on Arkhangelsk. They are answered by 10 old, caught in a monastery on storage, guns (invalid team of Gunners, 50 people). Attempt to land the naval landing is broken.
…August 29, 1854 in Petropavlovsk (now – «Kamchatkii») Anglo-French fleet landed 926 paratroopers. About 400 of them die or are taken prisoner, the losses of the Russian garrison are 40 people. In anticipation of a second visit, the whole city is dismantled by a log, civilians, ships, garrison, evacuated. Therefore, on May 20, reinforced to fourteen pennants squadron finds on the site of the administrative center of Kamchatka, only a deserted place, not at all suitable for long-term basing. The allied fleet is sent to pursue four transports with residents of Petropavlovsk and the military, as well as two linear warships, and locks them in the De-Kastri (now Chikhachev) bay from the south. At night, the convoy is anchored and leaves to the north, at the mouth of the Amur River. There, on the site of the border post, Nikolayevsky settlers founded a new Russian city – Petropavlovsk-on-Amur. The Allied fleet, whose captains do not know that Sakhalin is an island, still awaits the appearance of ships «from the Gulf» for a long time.
Then