On This Day ... in 1854 & Others
The third major engagement of the Crimean War, the Battle of Inkerman, was fought.
The Russians planned a major coordinated assault by four large columns of troops from Sevastopol against British positions on Mount Inkerman. The British position, held by 2nd Division, was relatively weak, with deep gullies and ravines making reinforcement difficult, and the defenders outnumbered by over 5:1. The attack was launched in the early hours of the morning, amid rain and mist. However, Russian coordination failed, and the battle developed into a series of vicious close quarter actions fought in and around the gullies on the hillside.
Bosquet's French troops arrived to lend invaluable support, as did additional British forces, and the Russians were eventually driven back, having lost 10,700 men killed or wounded. The British lost some 2,300, and the French about 900. No less than sixteen Victoria Crosses were awarded.
As first light came on a cold, wet and misty morning Sir George Cathcart prepared to assault down the rocky face against the Russians. 16 Officers, 15 sergeants, 14 buglers and 198 rank and file of the 68th Durham Light Infantry marched forward in their grey greatcoats ready for the attack.
As Sir George Cathcart rode in behind them the Durhams threw off their greatcoats so that they could fight the better and get at their ammunition - they were the only troops that day to fight in their red coats. The charge was sounded and down the hill the Durhams charged - their red coats attracting heavy fire from the Russian artillery. Sir George Cathcart was killed and two Brigadiers severely wounded, the Durhams were reduced to half their strength.
The remaining Durhams pressed home their attack at bayonet point. The massed Russian 'Yakutsk' regiment wavered and when struck by the Durhams charge, turned and fled the field.
1914: Britain declared war on Ottoman Turkey.
1916: During an assault on German trenches near Le Transloy in France, by men of the 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, the first wave suffered heavy casualties, lost its commander, and became pinned down. Lieutenant Bennett, leading the second wave, managed to push through and capture the objective with some sixty men, despite being wounded. He then organised a successful defence despite being isolated and under heavy attack from both flanks. He received the Victoria Cross.
1940: The German "pocket battleship" Admiral Scheer
attacked convoy HX-84 in the mid-Atlantic. The convoy comprised 37 ships, escorted by the armed merchant cruiser Jervis Bay, commanded by Captain Edward Fegen. Although unarmoured and massively outgunned - seven elderly 6" guns against Scheer's 11" main battery - Fegen attacked the German ship head on, ordering the convoy to scatter. Jervis Bay never once brought Admiral Scheer within the range of her own guns, but fought on with her decks ablaze. 190 of her crew of 255 were killed, including Fegen.
The delay allowed most of the convoy to get clear, the German raider only being able to sink five ships before nightfall. The Canadian armed freighter Beaverford put up a dogged fight for over four hours before being lost. Captain Fegen was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. His citation reads:
For valour in challenging hopeless odds and giving his life to save the many ships it was his duty to protect. On the 5th November, 1940, in heavy seas Captain Fegen, in His Majesty's Armed Merchant Cruiser Jervis Bay, was escorting thirty-one merchantmen. Sighting a powerful German warship, he at once drew clear of the Convoy, made straight for the Enemy and brought his ship between the raider and her prey, so that they might scatter to escape. Crippled, in flames, unable to reply for nearly an hour the Jervis Bay held the German's fire. So she went down; but of the Merchantmen, all but four or five were saved.
1950: 77 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force commenced operations in Korea, flying close-support missions for Australian infantry. Meanwhile, the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, successfully assaulted and held the crucial hill features overlooking Pakchon in the face of heavy North Korean and Chinese resistance.
1956: British and French paratroopers were dropped in airborne assaults at Port Fuad and Port Said in Egypt during the Suez Crisis.
Comments
1940: The German "pocket battleship" Admiral Scheer attacked convoy HX-84 in the mid-Atlantic. The convoy comprised 37 ships, escorted by the armed merchant cruiser Jervis Bay, commanded by Captain Fegen. Although unarmoured and massively outgunned - seven elderly 6" guns against Scheer's 11" main battery - Fegen attacked the German ship head on, ordering the convoy to scatter. Jervis Bay never once brought Admiral Scheer within the range of her own guns, but fought on with her decks ablaze. 190 of her crew of 255 were killed, including Fegen.
A lesson that should be drummed into the ipod generation:
Cowardly Sailors
Posted by: EX_STAB | November 4, 2007 11:53 PM
Convoy HX 84 also contained the fuel tanker San Demetrio, which was shelled and set on fire. The crew abandoned ship, but on the 7th Nov. saw a ship that turned out to be their own. Re-boarding,the crew managed to patch things sufficiently to get under way and bring their 11,000 tons of fuel to the Clyde, having lost only 200 tons. A magnificent feat of seamanship and courage.
More information from one of the crew is here- http://www.rhiw.com/y_mor/capt_j_l_jones/san_demetrio/san_demetrio.htm
Posted by: Dane | November 5, 2009 8:35 AM
"HX" indicates that the convoy was a fast eastbound from HalifaX to the UK (normally Liverpool). ON/ONF (Outward North Atlantic/ later Outward North Atlantic - Fast)were the corresponding westbound movements. The correspodning sssllooowww convoys were SC (Sydney/Cape Breton to UK) and ONS while "Monsters" were ships such as the Queen Mary capable of operating too fast to be attacked by U-boats(also no escort could keep up with them without running out of fuel or being driven so hard as to be damaged)and sailed independently
http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/os33/index.html?
code.htm~mainframe33
http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/
Col Beausaber (whose dad was a sailor on the carrier USS San Jacinto)
Posted by: beausaber | November 5, 2009 12:54 PM