Battle of Inkerman

The Battle of Inkerman was fought on 5 November 1854 during the Crimean War. British and French troops defeated the Imperial Russian Army. 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. It was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol.

Battle of Inkermann
Part of the Crimean War
The 20th Foot at the Battle of Inkerman, by David Rowlands
Date 5 November 1854 Location Inkerman, Taurida Governorate, Russian Empire (present day Inkerman, Crimea) Result Allied victory
Belligerents
British Empire French Empire	Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
Lord Raglan François Canrobert	Alexander Menshikov
Strength
Total: 15,700 soldiers & 56 guns 7,500 soldiers & 38 guns 8,200 soldiers & 18 guns	42,000 soldiers & approximately 134 guns
Casualties and losses
Total: 4,676 killed & wounded 597 killed & 2,163 wounded 229 killed & 1,551 wounded	Total: 10,216 killed & wounded 3,288 killed & 6,928 wounded

Lead up to the battle

The allied armies of Britain, France, Sardinia, and the Ottoman Empire had landed on the west coast of Crimea on September 14, 1854. 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.