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|combatant2 = |commander1 = |commander2 = Pavel Liprandi | strength1 = 550 〔"Crimea: The Great Crimean War, 1854-56", by Trevor Royle, pages 266 - 267〕 | strength2 = 2,500 〔"Crimea: The Great Crimean War, 1854-56", by Trevor Royle, pages 268〕 | casualties1 = | casualties2 = }} The Thin Red Line was a military action by the British Sutherland Highlanders 93rd (Highland) Regiment at the Battle of Balaklava on 25 October 1854, during the Crimean War. In this incident, the 93rd, aided by a small force of Royal Marines and some Turkish infantrymen, led by Sir Colin Campbell, routed a Russian cavalry charge. Previously, Campbell’s Highland Brigade had taken part in actions at the Battle of Alma and the Siege of Sevastopol. There were more Victoria Crosses presented to the Highland soldiers at that time than at any other. The event was lionized in the British press and became an icon of the qualities of the British soldier in a war that was poorly managed and increasingly unpopular. ==The battle== The Russian cavalry force of 2,500 was on the road to Balaklava. About 400 of them were involved in the incident.〔This original Russian cavalry force divided itself into two smaller groups, and only about 400 of them were involved in the "Thin Red Line" incident. These 400 Russians were the Cossacks and Ingermanlandsky hussars of the 6th Hussar Brigade, commanded by General Rijov. The rest of Rijov's force attacked the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Rijov's command was part of General Pavel Liprandi's 23,000 strong army at Balaklava.("Crimea: The Great Crimean War, 1854-56", by Trevor Royle, pages 266 - 268)〕 It was early morning, and the sole force that lay between the oncoming cavalry and the disorganised and vulnerable British camp was the 93rd Regiment.〔The 93rd Highlanders involved in the "Thin Red Line" incident probably numbered no more than a few hundred infantrymen. This was part of the British, French and Turkish forces at Balaclava which totaled approximately 21,000 strong.〕 Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde is said to have told his men, "There is no retreat from here, men. You must die where you stand."〔(The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) - Scottish Regiments, 1st Battalion A&SH, National Service, world war time, peace time and active service with the Ar... )〕 Sir Colin's aide John Scott is said to have replied, "Aye, Sir Colin. If needs be, we'll do that." (Campbell's relationship with his men was almost family-like.) Campbell formed the 93rd into a line two deep — the "thin red line". Convention dictated that the line should be four deep. However, Campbell, a veteran of 41 years military service, had such a low opinion of the Russian cavalry that he did not bother to form four lines, let alone a square, but met the charge head on with the 2-deep firing line. As the Russian cavalry approached, the 93rd discharged three volleys: at 600, 350 and 150 yards respectively, however they did not get a chance to discharge one at point-blank (as at Minden in 1759) range as in popular belief. This is due to the fact that the Russian commander, seeing such a thin line of infantry, concluded that this was a diversion and that there was a much stronger force behind the 93rd, and ordered the cavalry to withdraw.〔B. Perret, "At All Costs!"〕 At that, some of the Highlanders started forward for a counter-charge, but Sir Colin stopped them with a cry of "93rd, damn all that eagerness!"〔B. Perrett, "At All Costs!" Cassel Military Paperback, 1994〕 ''The Times'' correspondent, William H. Russell, wrote 〔The war in the Crimea - from our special correspondent - Heights Before Sebastopol, The Times 14 November 1854, p7. Times Archive〕 that he could see nothing between the charging Russians and the British regiment's base of operations at Balaklava but the "thin red streak tipped with a line of steel" of the 93rd. Popularly condensed into "the thin red line", the phrase became a symbol of British composure in battle. The battle is represented in Robert Gibb's 1881 oil painting ''The Thin Red Line'', which is displayed in the Scottish National War Museum in Edinburgh Castle. It is also commemorated in the assembly hall of Campbell's former school, High School of Glasgow, where there is a painting of the action hung in the grand position, a tribute to one of the school's two generals, the other being Sir John Moore who was dismembered by a cannonball during the Peninsular War. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Thin Red Line (Battle of Balaclava)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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