Battle of the Chernaya

Battle context

The Battle of the Chernaya was fought at the Traktir Bridge on the Chernaya River on August 16, 1855, during the allied siege of Sevastopol. The engagement involved Russian forces against a combined French, Piedmontese, and Ottoman force on the outskirts of the besieged city. The disparity in casualties — roughly 8,800 Russian against 1,800–1,900 allied — indicated a costly failure for the larger Russian force of 60,000. Fought near the siege lines, the battle formed part of the wider contest over Sevastopol, the principal Russian naval base in the Black Sea and the central objective of the Crimean War. A Russian setback here weakened the defense of the city at a critical stage of the siege, contributing to the conditions that would determine the fall of Sevastopol.