Battlefields in the Crimea - Balaklava and more

[DavidB]

Many thanks for the new section Mark. Hope to see some fascinating photos and maps.
I'll kick off then with some images of Balaklava that I took in summer 2006. I don't have any "then" photos immediately to hand but I guess I'd better find some!

This first one is taken from the Sapoune Heights looking straight down the North Valley. The Worontzoff Road runs from middle right to top centre heading off into the distance. The road running across the photo in the foreground is modern? possibly.
Raglan's position was way off to the right of this view looking down the South Valley, but the spot is inaccessible to the public these days. Gives a reasonable idea of the sweeping view he would have had though.
The position of the Russian guns and the River Chernaya are straight down the valley directly to the front.

[DavidB]

This one taken from the position of redoubt no.4 on the Causeway Heights looking directly south across the South Valley. The most prominent buildings you can see are the village of Kadikoi. Balaklava harbour is down in the V-shaped gully where you can glimpse the sea in the background.
Most of the battlefield has avoided massive modern development and is nowadays given over to vineyards as you see here.

I should add if anyone wants any extra large copies of any, I can email them.

[DavidB]

Taken from the position of redoubt no.4 again, which is maybe the best vantage point open to the public today and is the site of the modern Russian monument commemorating the battle. This one looking back up the line of the Causeway Heights to the Sapoune Heights which don't actually look terribly high.
Redoubt no.5 is marked by a white marker in the field on the far left (just left of the telegraph pole) and redoubt no.6 is marked by the rectangular building in the distance. The modern Worontzoff Road is also visible.

[DavidB]

Summer 2006 again.

Balaklava harbour looking south towards the harbour entrance. Note how narrow and constricting the entrance channel is, or would be for large ships. The remains of the old Genoese towers are still visible up on the hills to the left.

[DavidB]

And from same position looking north towards the head of the harbour and Kadikoi.
I guess you would have seen nothing but Royal Navy ships from this point in 1854-56?

Not a bad match for a "then" photo in this link. Taken from somewhere a bit higher up away from the waterside, but same basic view.
http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/2663948. ... 4F32AD3138

[DavidB]

A map for you - and a confusing one at that. Not just because of the Cyrillic.
This is at the modern battlefield memorial.

Firstly the date: 13 Oct 1854
Can anyone explain? Do we use a different calendar to the Russians?

Secondly of course deciphering it.
My Cyrillic can make out Cardigan and Scarlett on the 2 arrows to the left.
Then "Skiuderi" pointing at redoubt 4, "Rijov" and "Eropkin" pointing at 3, "Semyakin" at 1

[DavidB]

The Russian battlefield memorial. If there's a British memorial on the field today I didn't spot it on my all too brief visit.

[DavidB]

Russian Order of Battle - sorry this panel was huge, couldn't get it all in frame.
Not sure about a few of my identifications

top to bottom:
Azov Regt
Vladimir Regt
Dnieper Regt
Suzdal Regt
4th Strelkovy battalion
6th Strelkovy battalion
Black Sea Regt (Foot Cossacks?)
Odessa (Rifle?) Regt
Ukrainian (Rifle?) Regt
53rd Don Cossacks
1st Ural Cossacks
Svodny Uhlan Regt
Gross-Herzog Saxon-Weimar Hussars (Ingermanland Hussars?)
E.I.V. Nikolai-Maximilian Hussars (Kiev Hussars)
4th Battery, 12th Artillery Brigade
6th and 7th light batteries, 12th Artillery Brigade
1st Battery, 16th Artillery Brigade
2nd light battery, 16th Artillery Brigade
12th Light Horse Battery
3rd Battery Don Cossack Artillery

[DavidB]

Last two in this series then.
This one is taken from redoubt no.4 Causeway heights again, looking across the North Valley to the Fedioukine Hills. I was surprised how low they looked, barely more than shallow rises rather than the hills I was imagining.

So imagine the Light Brigade moving left to right across this frame, and a Russian battery directly opposite.

[DavidB]

And the final one.
A bit too much vegetation in the way for a great photo, but the low hill in the middle distance that's patchy green and brown is Canrobert's Hill. The mast is at what was redoubt no.3 and no.2 is hidden behind it somewhere.

[Darrell]

Great stuff, thanks for showing ...

[Swordswoman]

Thanks so much for posting these - very helpful indeed.

Firstly the date: 13 Oct 1854
Can anyone explain? Do we use a different calendar to the Russians?

We did. Russia only changed to the Gregorian calendar in 1918, so in 1854 was still on the Julian calendar - which from 1800-1900 was 12 days behind. That threw me a lot when I first started looking at Russian sources!

I'm sure, by the way, that you already know this by now, but thought I'd add it in here for the sake of other latecomers to the thread.

Louise

[Jonathan]

Here is an excellent Flickr photostream of watercolours by WG Dawkins of the Coldstream Guards which depict scenes from the Crimean War:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/svkett/tags/wgdawkins/