The Alma

This print gives a good overview of the battle of the Alma on 20th Sep. The British and French ships were anchored in the bay to provide gunfire directed at the enemy artillery placed on the heights south of the river Alma by the Russian Commander-in-Chief Prince Alexander Meshikov. The allied army bivouaced on the northern bank and faced the precipitous cliffs running along the length of the south bank for almost 3km. At the end of these cliffs was Telegraph Hill, 350ft high and further east was Kourgane Hill, a natural strongpoint and key to the whole position. There were two redoubts built to protect Kourgane, the Lesser Redoubt on the east, and the Greater Reboubt on the west. A narrow valley ran between Kourgane and Telegraph Hill through which was the only road to Sevastopol. The allied plan was for the French to attack on the west end of the cliffs, nearest the sea, to divert attention from the British attacks on the Redoubts.