How the brave Russians fought the fearless Gurkhas: Crimean skirmish against Britain's elite soldiers

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The Gurkhas, or as they are also called, the Himalayan highlanders, have long been considered the elite unit of the British colonial troops in the most violent front sectors. For several centuries of service to the British, they proved themselves to be unusually hardy, extremely disciplined and never retreating warriors. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Gurkhas suppressed uprisings in India and China, opposed the Germans in the First and Second World War, and were noticed in Afghanistan. The war chronicles and a vivid episode of the battle between the Gurkha and Russian soldiers were recorded.

Who are the Gurkhas and why they were considered invincible

Since time immemorial, the Gurkha tribe has mastered the unique martial art "kukri". This is a set of high precision knife techniques. Armed with a knife of the same name (kukri), the Nepalese highlanders instantly hit the enemy with a merciless pinpoint strike. The Gurkha knife is powerful, heavy and durable, due to its high balance it is also used as a throwing weapon. Each product came out of the skillful hands of a Gurkha blacksmith in sizes from an inconspicuous knife to an oversized sword. The forged product has historically served not only as a murder weapon, but also as a reliable everyday tool.

The Gurkhas, participating in many British military campaigns, have earned a reputation as reliable, responsible, disciplined and loyal fighters. Imperial Field Marshal Slim said that the Gurkhas were naturally created as ideal foot soldiers, resilient, patient and adaptable. Experienced in military affairs, the British lord saw in the Nepalese highlanders skillful camouflages and well-aimed marksmen, demonstrating amazing loyalty to the British. Compared to the British, the natives of the high mountains and impenetrable jungle had an invariable advantage in fighting in such conditions. The First World War on the European plains became a test for the Gurkha shooters, but they distinguished themselves in those events.

After several uncompromising battles with the participation of the Gurkhas, they were talked about with enthusiasm in the Entente and with fear in the enemy camps. The German infantry, which was considered the best among the soldiers of the Old World, testified how the Gurkhas stepped on the machine guns without even lowering their heads. For them, the concept of a choking attack did not exist, because these people did not know how to retreat. The surviving Gurkhas burst into enemy trenches and cut out the enemy with their knives.

In the 1982 Falklands War, the British magazine Soldier published photographs of Gurkhas sharpening knives before battles to intimidate Argentine troops. The fame of fearless warriors in a duet with professionally spread rumors demoralized the Argentines in advance, so the latter disarmed and surrendered, without even going into battle with the Gurkhas.

Crimean war and Russia against everyone

In the Crimean War of 1853-1856, Russia opposed the combined forces under the flags of Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire. The opponents set themselves the goal of weakening the position of the Russians in the Black Sea. Russia lost that war. Historians call the reasons for the defeat political and strategic mistakes of the leadership, as well as the backward state of the tsarist army. The only thing that no one will question is the bravery of the Russian soldiers in the most difficult situation.

The defense of Sevastopol became a vivid demonstration of the Russian spirit. Soldiers, sailors and ordinary townspeople beat the enemy, which was much outnumbered in both numbers and weapons. The allies, who approached the strategic city from the sea, planned to take the object in a week. But they were stuck in Sevastopol for 11 months, having lost about 70,000 troops. Historians believe that the people of Sevastopol managed to hold back the enemy for so long thanks to a reliable defensive system built under the leadership of military engineer Totleben.

By the end of the spring of 1855, the combined army of foreign allies numbered no less than 175 thousand soldiers. At the same time, the total population of Sevastopol did not even reach 85 thousand people, of which no more than half were military personnel. Fortresses and attacks were completely defended by ordinary civilians, and the Anglo-French army sometimes fired 50 thousand shells a day through the city streets.

Defeated English mercenaries at the Crimean fortress

At the end of 1854, the allied armies of the British, French and Turks, Sevastopol was tightly surrounded. The city on the approaches was defended by bastions. The enemy chose the 3rd bastion, which covered the South Bay and the center, as the main target. The powerful assault began in the early June morning of 1855. The French were responsible for containing the first two fortifications, followed by rushing to the Malakhov Kurgan. The front line was the North African troops of the Zouave. The British, on the other hand, set their sights on the 3rd bastion, relying on the Gurkhas in their ranks.

Vice-Admiral Panfilov was responsible for the defense of the third bastion. According to eyewitnesses, the fortifications were stormed at least five times, but the defenders stubbornly threw the enemy off the walls, developing pursuit. The approaches to the bastion were strewn with corpses on both sides. The last, sixth assault of that day turned out to be especially tragic. When the potential of the British infantry was exhausted, the Gurkhas rushed into the attack. The mountaineers, armed with generalized knives, were considered a dangerous enemy in close combat. Under the hurricane cover of artillery fire with muskets, the highlanders managed to get close to the bastion, starting hand-to-hand combat. But the Russians not only did not know who they were dealing with, but also had nowhere to retreat. The Sevastopol defenders mistook the swarthy attackers in bright clothes for the Ottomans.

The Turks were known in the military ranks for weakness and cowardice, so the desperate attack of the Gurkhas only raised the fighting spirit of the Russians. In a daring battle, the Crimean infantry cut out the colonial detachment to the last Gurkha. Then the British press called this victory of the Russians after the hardest eight-month battles "paradoxical." And throughout the entire subsequent siege, the enemy did not manage to overcome the heroic 3rd bastion.

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