Balaclava - The Cavalry Action

From his vantage point on the Causeway Heights the Russian Commander Liprandi looks across the South Valley with some satisfaction. His infantry have control of the area and, apart from some musketry from skirmishers, the valley is quiet once more.

To his right his cavalry have the upper hand in the brawl with the Heavy Brigade, although the fighting is intense. Further to the right he can see more British cavalry wheeling right with the apparent intent of taking his own cavalry in the flank.  Quickly identifying this new threat he issues an order to his mounted troops in the North Valley along with a Regiment of dragoons on the heights to counter the threat.

As for the British, the two regiments of hussars are now cantering up the slopes of the heights with their speed increasing. The Russian dragoons fail a charge test and the 8^th Hussars slam into them pushing back the front ranks. The 11^th Hussars plough into the flank of the Russian 13^th Lancers, who are close to routing the Inniskillings. A second fierce cavalry action begins:

Meanwhile in the North Valley, Lord Cardigan anticipates the Russian’s next move. Unless he acts he can see more Russian cavalry turning the Hussar’s flanks. He orders the 17 Lancers and the Light Dragoons to engage the enemy cavalry to their front. The two regiments, with Cardigan at their head, trot forward and break into a gallop. To their front are three Russian regiments; the 2^nd Lancers, Ingermannlandski Hussars and a unit of Don Cossacks. Battle is joined:

The Light Dragoons make short work of the Don Cossacks; however the 17^th Lancers do not do as well, taking heavy casualties as they collide with the Hussars.

Up on the Causeway Heights, their horses blown and severely battered, the remnants of the two Heavy Brigade regiments break and retreat towards the west. Over 50% of their number are either casualties, lost their mounts or are taken prisoner. The Russian cavalry are also exhausted and seeing the scarlet ranks of the deploying 1^st Division, they trot to the rear to reorganise.

Back in the North Valley Cossacks up on the Fedioukine Hills begin to wheel left and threaten the flank of the Light Dragoons; however the French 4^th Chasseurs d’ Afrique have been shadowing the action in the North Valley and they charge into the Cossacks with devastating effect. The Cossacks quickly turn tail and the French cavalry pursue them, hacking their way through a Russian artillery battery that is in their way.

On the Causeway heights the British Hussars are also successful the 11^th Hussars shatter the Russian 13^th Lancers, who break and gallop off to the rear. Equally successfully the 8^th Hussars rout the Russian dragoons. But the action is costly as over 100 hussars are killed, wounded or dismounted. To add to their woes, the Russian 17^th Lancers have reformed and charge into the flank of the 11^th Hussars, causing more casualties. The battle on the heights culminates with the British hussars withdrawing back towards the allied lines, but the exhausted Russians do not follow up. To do so would bring them into range of the British infantry who are now at the mouth of the South valley.

In the North Valley the British 17^th Lancers break off the action and the recall is sounded for the Light Dragoons, who face another fresh Russian regiment – the 2^nd Lancers.  Again the Russians do not pursue. Over to the west they can see a mass of blue uniforms as French infantry develop a defensive line below the Sapoune Ridge. The 4^th Chasseurs d’ Afrique, having seen off the Cossacks and a battery of guns, trot back to their start positions.

It is late afternoon and the battle field falls silent save the chink of the cavalry as both sides ride to the rear and reorganise. In the North Valley the action breaks off too.

8th Hussars

After a break for the summer, production has restarted. This time it is another regiment from the Light Brigade. These, like the 11th Hussars, come from the Douglas Miniatures Napoleonic range. They are depicted in full dress wearing pelisse, plumes and cords, which was most unlikely in the Crimea. That said, they make a pretty sight. Their uniform is blue with yellow facings:

Also on the painting table are some Scruby French light infantry and Minifigs S Range French line infantry.

Lord Cardigan - Commander of the Light Brigade

 

It has taken a while to source a suitable figure for the Light Brigade commander. In the end I have gone for plastic figure, converted from an Italeri Napoleonic French horse artillery officer. Here he is at the head of the British light cavalry

British 8th Hussars 

Originally a Douglas Miniatures Napoleonic Hussar, this figure represents another Regiment from the Light Brigade - the 8th Hussars. Seen here in full dress uniform (most unlikely in the Crimea) this figure is armed with a carbine and is on picquet duty:

The Light Brigade

When the Crimean war is mentioned most people conjure up the image of the Charge of the Light Brigade, as this event, as part of the battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854, though of little military significance, became a symbol of courage and valour in Victorian Britain. The charge prompted writers, poets and painters to interpret the glory of what was really a huge military blunder. Debate continues today over who was to blame, but the outcome of misinterpreted orders and personal rivalry was the destruction of the British light cavalry force in the Crimea.

 

The British cavalry was divided into two brigades; the Heavy Brigade, consisting of five regiments of heavy dragoons and the Light Brigade made up of five light cavalry regiments; two hussars, two light dragoons and one of lancers.

The Light Brigade was commanded by Major General James Brudenell, the 7^th Earl of Cardigan (known commonly as Lord Cardigan). The five regiments in the brigade were the 4^th and 13^th Light Dragoons, the 8^th and 11^th Hussars and lastly the 17^th Lancers. Up until Balaclava the Brigade had seen little action and on that fateful day, through a combination of errors and the burning desire to at last get to grips with the enemy a force of around 670 light cavalry charged headlong down a valley defended by the Russians, with over 50 guns, 20 battalions of infantry and a significant cavalry force. The result was inevitable and the Brigade ceased to be an effective fighting force, losing around 278 killed, wounded and taken prisoner, as well as 335 horses.

Douglas Miniatures does a fair job representing the light cavalry, with a light dragoon and a lancer figure. This permits the recreation of three of the regiments, namely the 4^th and 13^th Light Dragoons and the 17^th Lancer. Both the dragoons and the lancer use BH1 Cavalry Horse. There is no hussar figure in the Crimean range, but it is possible to use the Douglas Miniatures Napoleonic range as a substitute.

So far I have painted three regiments for my interpretation of the Light Brigade:

B1 Light Dragoon – painted as the 4^th Light Dragoons:

B3 Lancer, painted as 17^th Lancers.

From the Douglas Miniatures Napoleonic range – NP21 British Hussar in busby with carbine, mounted on NP21a British Hussar horse (both available from John Cunningham). I removed the plume from the busby and replaced the carbine with a sword: