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ALMA

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 711 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ALMA , a See also:

river of See also:Russia, in the S. W. of the See also:Crimea, entering the See also:Black See also:Sea 17 m. N. of See also:Sevastopol. It gives its name to a famous victory gained over the Russians, on the loth of See also:September 1854, by the allied armies in the See also:Crimean See also:War (q.v.). The See also:south See also:bank of the river is bordered by a See also:long See also:ridge, which becomes steeper as it approaches the sea, and upon this the Russians, under See also:Prince See also:Menshikov, were See also:drawn up, to See also:bar the Sevastopol road to the See also:allies, who under See also:General See also:Lord See also:Raglan and See also:Marshal St See also:Arnaud approached from the See also:north over an open See also:plain. The See also:Russian See also:commander massed his troops in heavy columns after the See also:fashion of 1.8131 and See also:drew in his See also:left wing so that it should as far as possible be out of range of the allied men-of-war, which were sailing down the See also:coast in See also:line with their See also:land forces. The allied generals decided that the See also:French (right wing) and the See also:Turks should attack Menshikov's left, while the See also:British, further inland, were to See also:assault the front of the Russian position. The forces engaged are stated by See also:Hamley (War in the Crimea) as, French and Turks, 35,000 See also:infantry, with 68 guns; British, 23,000 infantry, 1000 See also:cavalry and 6o guns; Russians, 33,000 infantry, 3800 cavalry and 12o guns; by the See also:Austrian writer Berndt (Zahl See also:im Kriege) the allied forces are reckoned at 57,000 men with 108. guns, and the Russians at 33,600 men with 96 guns. The French advance met at first with little opposition, and several divisions scaled the cliffs of the See also:lower Alma without difficulty. Menshikov relied apparently on being able to detach his reserves to See also:cope with them, but the assailants moved with a rapidity which he had not counted upon, and the Russians only came into See also:action piecemeal in this See also:quarter. Opposite the British, who as usual deployed at a distance and then advanced in long continuous lines, the Russians were posted on the See also:crest of a long See also:glacis-like slope, which offered but little dead ground to an assailant. The See also:village of Burliuk, and the vineyards which bordered the river, were quickly cleared by the British skirmishers, and the line of See also:battle behind them crossed, though With some difficulty.

On emerging from the See also:

cover afforded by the river-See also:bed the British divisions, now crowded together, but still preserving their general line, came under a terrible See also:fire from heavy guns and musketry. The enemy's See also:artillery was three See also:hundred yards away, yet the British pressed on in spite of their losses, and as some of the See also:Light See also:Division troops reached the " See also:Great See also:Battery " the Russians hurried their guns away to safety. In the meantime, on both sides of this battery, the assailants had come to See also:close quarters with the Russian columns, which were aided by their See also:field guns. A brave See also:counter-attack was made by the Russian See also:Vladimir See also:regiment, 3000 strong, against the troops which had stormed the great battery, and for want of support the British were driven out again. But they soon rallied, and now the second line had crossed and formed for attack. The See also:Guards See also:brigade attacked the Vladimir regiment, and on the left the Highland brigade and the cavalry moved forward also. Some of the field artillery, which had now crossed the Alma, fired steadily into the closed masses of the Russian reserve, and the Vladimir regiment lost See also:half of its See also:numbers under the volleys of the Guards. The French were now severely pressing the Russian left, and one-third of Menshikov's forces was drawn into the fight in that quarter. The success of the frontal assault had dispirited the See also:remainder of the defenders, and Menshikov drew off his forces southwards. He had lost 5700 men (Berndt and Hamley). The British had about 2000 killed and wounded; the French stated their losses at 1340 men.

End of Article: ALMA

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