Inkerman, Battle of

Inkerman, Battle of 

a battle fought on Oct. 24 (Nov. 5), 1854, between Russian and Anglo-French troops in the Crimean War of 1853–56 near Inkerman, which is located east of Sevastopol’. The aim of the Russian command was to thwart the impending assault to Sevastopol’ and to force the enemy to lift its siege. Two detachments, led by General F. I. Soimonov (17,500 men) and General P. Ia. Pavlov (14,000 men), attacked the flank of the British besieging corps (16,000 to 17,000 men). Commander in chief A. S. Menshikov and General P. “A. Dannenberg, who both commanded the advancing columns, directed the troops very badly. The troops that were thrown into battle were disorganized and were thrust back by the superior forces of the enemy. Nevertheless, the Russian troops succeeded in pushing back the British, who subsequently asked the French for assistance. The inaction of the Chorgun Detachment of General M. D. Gorchakov, which had been designated to strike a secondary attack along the Sapun-gora axis, enabled the French to move up reinforcements to the British. The Russian troops were compelled to retreat, incurring great losses. The Russians lost 11,800 men; allied losses totaled 5,700 men.