The Charge of the Light Brigade

Memorialising events at the Battle of Balaclava on October 25, 1854, during the Crimean War (1853-56). The action, since 'immortalised' by Tennyson's poem, was in fact a mistaken feat of arms, it being militarily axiomatic that cavalry never attacks artillery head-on. The Russians, having driven the Turks from their redoubts at Kadikoi, entered the valley of Balaclava where they encountered and were driven back by the British Heavy Brigade (of Horse) under General Scarlett. Later that day, acting under a mistaken – certainly ambiguous – order, Lord Cardigan leading the Light Brigade (4^th and 13^th Light Dragoons, 8^th and 11^th Hussars, 17^th Lancers), charged the Russian guns at the head of the valley, and attacked their batteries. Although shelled heavily from three sides (front, left and right), the Light Brigade broke through and captured the Don Cossack batteries at the head of the valley. However, this 'victory' was only temporary, as a larger body of Russian heavy cavalry attacked and Cardigan was compelled to retire with heavy loss – even heavier losses being prevented by the fortuitous support of French 4^e Chasseurs D'Afrique engaging and driving-off the Russians on Fedioukine Heights. The Light Brigade's casualties were considerable: 272 out of 673 who took part in the charge, more than one-third ...