battle]

In November, the French infantry in the Crimea numbered 81,000, the British
16,000, and the Turkish 11,000. Brave as the Moslems undoubtedly were, they
were not permitted to demonstrate their value in subsequent encounters.
While the allies strengthened their batteries and replenished their
magazines, the Russians likewise fortified their position and gathered
reinforcements. It was a race on both sides for the first delivery of the
attack. On November 4, the allied commanders definitely arranged for a
cannonade and an assault which was to place Sebastopol at their mercy. The
Russians, recognizing their peril, completed the assembly of their forces
to attack the allies and forestall them. In all, Menzikov could oppose
115,000 soldiers to the 65,000 available men of the allies. The Russian
commander assigned the main attack to General Soimonov with 19,000 infantry
and 38 guns and to General Paulov with 16,000 infantry and 96 guns. The
regiments in the valley of the Tchernaya, formerly commanded by Liprandi,
but now led by Gortschakov, were "to support the general attack by drawing
the enemy's forces toward them." The garrison of Sebastopol was to cover
with its artillery fire the right flank of the attacking force. After
effecting their junction, the two divisions were to place themselves under
General Danneberg's command.

[Sidenote: Inkermann]

Soimonov issued under cover of a thick fog from the fortress before dawn on
November 5, and to the surprise of the allies began the attack on the
English left. The timely arrival of reinforcements under Buller enabled the
British to repel the Russians. Soimonov was left dead on the field. The
attack of Paulov on the right was no more successful. The Russians were
here repulsed with frightful loss. When Danneberg arrived on the scene he
found that, with Paulov's battalions on Mount Inkermann and with those of
Soimonov, he could recommence the battle with 19,000 men and 90 guns. Ten
thousand of these men were hurled against the English centre and right by
Danneberg. The carnage was frightful. Between the hostile lines rose a
rampart of fallen men. The Russians would probably have swept away the
British by the sheer force of greater numbers, had they not been taken in
the flank and repulsed by a French regiment which arrived just in time to
save their English comrades.

[Sidenote: A dear victory]

Although the Russian attacking force had been diminished to 6,000 men, i