List of British divisions during the Crimean War
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On 28 March 1854, in support of the Ottoman Empire, the British and the Second French Empire declared war on the Russian Empire. Anglo-French forces landed at Gallipoli, to be in a position to defend Constantinople if needed.[1] On 21 February 1854, FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan was appointed as the general officer commanding of the expeditionary force that was dubbed the Army of the East or the Eastern Army.[2] In mid-June, the British force advanced to Varna, on the Black Sea coast of Ottoman Bulgaria. At Varna, they were reorganised into divisions.[3]
British strategic policy was to destroy the Russian Black Sea Fleet, based at Sevastopol, in order to end the war and carry-out long-term British goals.[4] On 14 September, the expeditionary landed north of Sevastopol and subsequently fought the Battle of Alma.[5] This was followed by the investment the Russian port in October and the start of the Siege of Sevastopol.[6] The expeditionary force fought the Battle of Inkerman soon after. While the battle ended in victory for the British force, it created the conditions that dragged the siege on through the winter into 1855.[7] After the city had been subjected to several major cannonades, the Battle of the Great Redan was launched in 1855.[8] This marked the final effort of the campaign. The expeditionary force remained in the Crimea until the war ended in 1856, after which the British Army demobilised.[9]
Divisions
| Formation name | Created | Ceased to exist | Locations served | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Division | 20 June 1854 | 1856 | Ottoman Empire (East Thrace and Bulgaria), Russian Empire (Crimea) | [10][11] | |
| 2nd Division | 20 June 1854 | 1856 | Ottoman Empire (East Thrace and Bulgaria), Russian Empire (Crimea) | The division played a prominent role in the Battle of Inkerman | [12][13] |
| 3rd Division | 18 August 1854 | 1856 | Ottoman Empire (East Thrace and Bulgaria), Russian Empire (Crimea) | [14][15] | |
| 4th Division | 18 August 1854 | 1856 | Ottoman Empire (East Thrace and Bulgaria), Russian Empire (Crimea) | The division was not complete by the time it had landed in the Crimea, and received additional troops in September and its final units in November 1854. The division was heavily engaged in the Battle of Inkerman and went through four commanding officers during the fighting. | [15][16] |
| Highland Division | 13 August 1855 | 1856 | Russian Empire (Crimea) | Formed in the Crimea following the reorganisation of the British force | [17] |
| Light Division | 1856 | Ottoman Empire (East Thrace and Bulgaria), Russian Empire (Crimea) | |||
| Cavalry Division | 18 August 1854 | 1856 | Ottoman Empire (East Thrace and Bulgaria), Russian Empire (Crimea) | [15] |
Footnotes
Citations
- ^ Royle 2004, pp. 127–129.
- ^ Springman 2005, p. 20; McGuigan 2001, p. 10.
- ^ Barthorp 1980, p. 155; Bowden 1991, p. 16; Ponting 2006, p. 72.
- ^ Lambert 2016, pp. 119–121.
- ^ Ponting 2006, pp. 89, 94.
- ^ Ffrench Blake 2006, pp. 169–170.
- ^ Warner 2001, pp. 75–79; Ffrench Blake 2006, pp. 86–94, 98–101; Raugh 2004, p. 187.
- ^ Warner 2001, pp. 150–152; Richards 2006, p. 152.
- ^ Ffrench Blake 2006, pp. 143–144, 150–151; Demchak 2011, p. 127.
- ^ McGuigan 2001, p. 13.
- ^ "No. 21564". The London Gazette. 22 June 1854. p. 1931.
- ^ Barthorp 1980, p. 155; Demchak 2011, p. 127; Warner 2001, pp. 75–79; Ffrench Blake 2006, pp. 86–94, 98–101; Raugh 2004, p. 187.
- ^ "No. 21564". The London Gazette. 22 June 1854. p. 1932.
- ^ McNish, Messenger & Bray 2000, p. 242; Barthorp 1980, p. 155; Demchak 2011, p. 127.
- ^ a b c "No. 21584". The London Gazette. 18 August 1854. p. 2566.
- ^ Barthorp 1980, p. 155; McGuigan 2001, pp. 8, 10, 29–34.
- ^ McGuigan 2001, p. 53.
References
- Demchak, Chris C. (2011). Wars of Disruption and Resilience: Cybered Conflict, Power, and National Security. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press. ISBN 978-0-82034-137-8.
- Barthorp, Michael (1980). The Armies of Britain, 1485-1980. London: National Army Museum. OCLC 252418281.
- Bowden, Mark (1991). Pitt Rivers: The Life and Archaeological Work of Lieutenant-General Augustus Henry Lane Fox Pitt River DCL, FRS, FSA. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-52140-077-0.
- Ffrench Blake, R.L.V. (2006) [1971]. The Crimean War. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-844-15449-4.
- Lambert, Andrew (2016) [2011]. The Crimean War: British Grand Strategy against Russia, 1853–56 (2nd ed.). London: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-409-41011-9.
- McGuigan, Ron (2001). 'Into Battle!' British Orders of Battle for the Crimean War, 1854–56. Bowdon, Cheshire: Withycut House. ISBN 978-1-89924-402-7.
- McNish, Robin; Messenger, Charles; Bray, Paul (2000). Iron Division: The History of the 3rd Division 1809–2000 (3rd ed.). Salisbury, Wiltshire: Headquarters 3 (UK) Division. ISBN 978-0-71102-820-3.
- Ponting, Clive (2006). The Crimean War: The Truth Behind the Myth. Sydney: Pimlico. ISBN 978-0-71263-653-7.
- Raugh, Harold E. (2004). The Victorians at War, 1815–1914: An Encyclopedia of British Military History. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-57607-925-6.
- Richards, Donald (2006). Conflict in the Crimea: British Redcoats on Russian Soil. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-84415-343-5.
- Royle, Trevor (2004) [2000]. Crimea: The Great Crimean War, 1854–1856. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-403-96416-8.
- Springman, Michael, ed. (2005) [1990]. Sharpshooter in the Crimea: The Letters of the Captain Gerald Goodlake VC. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-84415-237-7.
- Warner, Philip (2001) [1972]. The Crimean War: A Reappraisal. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited. ISBN 978-1-84022-247-0.
