CRIMEAN WAR 1854 - 56 - CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

The British Light Brigade is a light cavalry unit that served in the Crimean War (1853-1856) on the peninsula of the same name. It consisted of the 4th and 13th Light Dragoons Regiment, the 17th Lancers Regiment and the 8th and 11th Hussars Regiment under the general command of General James Brudenell. A specific complement to this unit was the Heavy Brigade composed of dragoon regiments and the Scots Grays regiment. The Light Brigade, as the name suggests, was a formation intended primarily for reconnaissance, reconnaissance and insurance of the marches of its own army. It was also ideal for starting a battle or in pursuit of a fleeing enemy. However, the training of the soldiers also allowed it to be used for charge in battle, although it was less suited to such a role than the Heavy Brigade. The Light Brigade made its most famous charge during the Battle of Balaklava on October 25, 1854, when, as a result of an unclear or misinterpreted order of General Raglan, it launched an attack on the very strongly defended and fortified position of the Russian artillery. The charge itself lasted about 8-10 minutes and cost the Light Brigade about 330 killed, wounded and captured. The charge has become a kind of legend in British collective memory, mainly thanks to the reports in The Times newspaper and the poem by Alfred Tennyson entitled "Charge of the Light Brigade" from 1854.