Attaque De Bomarsund

Description

This impressive engraving documents a major land-siege operation on the Baltic Front of the Crimean War, namely the Bomarsund Fortress under attack. Bomarsund Fortress is located in the Aland Islands, which today belong to Finland. It was built by the Russian Empire in the 1830s to defend the entrance to the Baltic Sea. During the Crimean War, it became one of the targets of the Anglo-French navy on the Baltic Front. On August 8, 1854, the joint Anglo-French fleet landed and laid siege to the fortress. Although the fortress was not fully completed, it tried to put up a strong resistance with its thick walls. It was seriously damaged by artillery bombardment on August 15–16. The fortress surrendered on August 16, 1854. The Russian garrison was taken prisoner. The fortress was subsequently demolished and never used for military purposes again. The structure in the engraving is the main stone fortress of Bomarsund. The shells hitting the fort send smoke flying from the walls. On the right of the engraving, Allied artillerymen have positioned their cannons and are firing.