The Battle of the Great Redan (or the Storming of the Third Bastion;[6] Russian: Оборона Третьего бастиона, Штурм третьего бастиона) was a major battle during the Crimean War, fought between British forces against Russia on 18 June and 8 September 1855 as a part of the Siege of Sevastopol.

When the French stormed it after an eleven-month siege that the final, the British attack on the Redan became somewhat unnecessary.

[7] Russia attacked the Ottoman Empire in 1853, aiming for territorial aggrandisement, but their invasion was repulsed.

The Franco-British navies entered the Black Sea with the intent of destroying the Russian fleet.

After several days of bombardment the two attacks, one British and one French, were completely successful and the allies held all their gains against heavy Russian counterattacks.

Lord Raglan proposed a further two hours of bombardment to destroy any repairs that had been made during the night and suppress the defences.

On the left attack Sir Richard England's 3rd Division was ordered to make a demonstration against Redoubt No.

The aggressive Russians immediately sent heavy fighting patrols out to engage the French in their assembly areas and, knowing they had been discovered, the local French commanders launched their attack nearly an hour before the three signal rockets were fired at 0300 hrs to initiate the attack.

Windham was promoted Major General out of turn for 'his distinguished conduct in having with the greatest intrepidity and coolness headed the column of attack which assaulted the enemy's defences.

[10] Major Augusta Welsford commanded a ladder party in the initial wave the assault on the Great Redan.

[11] The other Nova Scotian officer, William Buck Carthew Augustus Parker also crossed the 400 metres field under fire, successfully scaled the counterscarp, got inside the work, and made a vain attempt to stem the mounting British retreat before a hail of bullets swept him into the ditch.

[11] Windham's brigade had stormed and occupied the Redan, routing the defenders, and the signal (signal rockets fired from the Lancaster Battery) was made to General la Salles, commanding the French 1st Corps, to assault the Flagstaff Bastion (which the British left attack would co-operate with).

However, la Salles failed to promptly launch his attack and the guns of the Flagstaff Bastion swept the approaches to the Great Redan, stopping the British supports coming forward.

For two hours Windham's men held the Great Redan, and the British infantry put a heavy fire on the Russian reserve line.

With the French on the left not launching their attack, and 3,000 Russians in close order columns coming on with the bayonet.

The French attacks on the Malakoff and Little Redan and the British attacks on the Great Redan were initially successful, but the geography of the Malakoff (a tower surrounded by a moat) enabled the French to retain possession of the position in spite of heavy Russian counterattacks.

The two Redans, being essentially open-backed walls, were not suitable for defence from the rear, and could not be maintained without large numbers.

James Simpson, commander of the British Army following the death of Lord Raglan, ordered another assault the next morning by the Highland and 3rd Divisions, but at 2300 hrs the Russians exploded their magazines and retreated from the Great Redan.

[15] Russian losses on June 18 they may exceed 4,818, but they fell mainly on the day of the bombing, not the assault.