During the early stages of the war the combined British and French fleets were co-operating in Kavarna Bay, and on April 5th anchored before Odessa, when the Russian commandant firing upon H.M.S. "Furious," which was carrying a flag of truce, the following ships were ordered to open fire on the batteries on April 22nd, 1854. H.M.S. "Furious," "Terrible," "Retribution," "Niger," "Arethusa," and 3 French vessels. The fort was blown up, and the shipping destroyed. Later the "Firebrand" and the "Fury" destroyed the Russian batteries at Sulina, and then with the rest of the fleet took part in the bombardment of Sebastopol. Sebastopol.—The following ships were engaged in Azoff.—The following ships were engaged in the expedition which, together with 3 French men-o'-war and 20 frigates, sailed on May 22nd, 1855, for the Sea of Azoff, blowing up en route the works and magazines at Kertch, and destroying Yenikale: H.M.S. "Agamemnon," "Algiers," "Hannibal," "St. Jean d'Acre," "Princess Royal," "Royal Albert," and 27 frigates. The bar for AZOFF was awarded to the officers and crews of the following ships: "Vesuvius," "Stromboli," "Miranda," "Swallow," "Curlew," "Beagle," "Lynx," "Ardent," "Viper," "Snake," "Medina," "Recruit," "Arrow," "Clinker," "Boxer," "Grinder," "Fancy," "Sulina," "Weser," "Jasper," and "Cracker"; also the first and second launches of the "Agamemnon," "Hannibal," "Algiers," "St. Jean d'Acre," "Princess Royal," and the "Royal Albert." During these operations Lieutenant (afterwards Admiral Sir) E. Commerell of the "Weser" gained the Victoria Cross for his intrepid conduct while engaged in destroying stores on the shore of the Sivash. The Baltic Medal.—For their services in connection with the blockade of the Baltic, Queen Victoria commanded in 1856 that a medal should be struck and issued to the officers, seamen, and marines who had been engaged in the Baltic from March 1854 to August 1855, during which period they had blockaded Bomarsund, attacked and captured it, and bombarded and destroyed Sveaborg. Two officers and 90 sappers and miners who served aboard the flagship and at Bomarsund were also awarded the medal, which bears on the obverse the same bust of Queen Victoria as on the medals previously described, and on the reverse the seated figure of Britannia, holding a trident in her right hand, with a naval gun and pile of shot, flags, and a naval coronet beside her, and behind in the distance the fort of Bomarsund to the left, and Sveaborg to the right; above all is BALTIC, and in the exergue 1854-55. The medal, by L. C. Wyon, is 1? in. in diameter, and depends from a yellow ribbon 1¼ in. wide with blue edges, by means of a curled suspender similar to the Sutlej type. The medals were issued unnamed, except in the case of the officers and sappers mentioned above, and theirs were issued with their names impressed. The following ships were employed in the Baltic: H.M.S. "Duke of Wellington,*" "Saint George," "Neptune," "Princess Royal," "Royal George,*" "Saint Jean d'Acre," "Majestic,*" "Nile,*" "James Watt,*" "Prince Regent," "CÆsar,*" "Monarch," "Boscawen," "Cumberland," "Cressy,*" "Blenheim,*" "Hogue,*" "Edinburgh,*" "Amphion,*" "Arrogant,*" "Ajax,*" "Euryalus,*" "Imperieuse,*" "Cruiser," "Odin," "Dauntless," "Archer," "Leopard," "Valorous," "Desperate," "Magicienne," "Vulture," "Dragon," "Porcupine," "Bulldog," "Conflict," "Driver," "Hec After the recall of Sir Charles Napier, who was censured for not attacking Sveaborg, a fleet was dispatched to the Baltic under Rear-Admiral Hon. R. Dundas. It included the ships named above marked with an asterisk, and the "Calcutta," "Colossus," "Orion," "Cornwallis," "Exmouth," "Russell," "Hawk," "Pembroke," "Hastings," "Retribution," "Falcon," "Esk," "Tartar," "Cossack," "Archer," "Harrier," and "Pylades," with a number of smaller vessels and gunboats. During the second operations in the Baltic, Lieutenant Dowell of the Marine Artillery gained the V.C. for leading a volunteer crew in a boat from the "Ruby," and taking the cutter of the "Arrogant" in tow when she was swamped after the explosion of her magazine during an attack on some vessels at Viborg. The following vessels took part in the attack on Sveaborg: H.M.S. "Duke of Wellington," "Arrogant," "Euryalus," "Exmouth," "Cornwallis," "Cossack," "Pembroke," "Merlin," "Vulture," "Dragon," "Locust," "Volcano," "Lightning," "Hastings," "Amphion," "Edinburgh," "Magicienne," "Geyser," "Eolus," "Belleisle," "Cruiser," "Princess Alice," and the gunboats and mortar vessels "Redwing," "Lark," "Magpie," "Starling," "Skylark," "Stork," "Drake," "Redbreast," "Weasel," "Badger," "Mastiff," "Snapper," "Biter," "Growler," "Pincher," "Porpoise," "Snap," "Blazer," "Dapper," "Pelter," "Pickle," "Havock," "Prompt," "Manly," "Sinbad," "Beacon," "Carron," and "Grappler." Naval Brigade in Crimea.—Some of the naval brigade in the Crimea received medals with three clasps for BALAKLAVA, INKERMANN, and SEBASTOPOL; others two clasps for INKERMANN and SEBASTOPOL, or BALAKLAVA and SEBASTOPOL. Others, showing they had fought per mare, per terras, three clasps for AZOFF, BALAKLAVA, and SEBASTOPOL, or AZOFF, INKERMANN, and SEBASTOPOL. |