Underground Warfare in Sevastopol (1854–1855): The Struggle between French and Russian Mine Systems

Abstract

The course of the struggle between Russian and French sappers in Sevastopol during the Crimean War (1853–1856) is analyzed, and the plans adopted during the fighting for waging an underground war on the part of both besiegers and defenders are studied. The purpose of this article is to study the tactics chosen by Russian and French military engineers to achieve their goals during the siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855), to analyze the general results of their confrontation, and to clarify the influence of the underground war on the general course of the siege of the fortress city and on the further development of military engineering science. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the records of both sides (Russian and French combat logs) to identify what information about the enemy the besiegers and the defenders had at various stages of the siege and from what premises they proceeded when making certain decisions in planning their underground work. Both tactical and technical aspects of the confrontation between Russian and French miners are examined, and organizational factors in the construction of countermine systems in front of Russian fortifications are identified that allowed Russian miners to effectively contain French underground work until the end of the siege of the city. It is demonstrated that due to more advanced underground warfare tactics, Russian military engineers, despite the limited technical means available (especially at the initial stages of countermine construction), managed to achieve superiority over the enemy, preventing French sappers from damaging the fortifications of the defensive line on the southern side of Sevastopol.