The operations in the Baltic were not so important as those in the Black Sea. The fine British fleet, commanded by Sir Charles Napier, was aided by a powerful French fleet, under the command of Vice-admiral Parseval-Deschênes. The achievements of those fleets did not answer the expectations formed. The French arrived late in the season, and acted so dependency upon the British, that they did not even attempt anything. The English admiral showed neither spirit nor activity. Partly through his want of enterprise, and still more from the neglect of the Admiralty at home to provide vessels of draught suitable to the shallow waters of the Baltic, no attempt was made to conquer any of the Russian strongholds. The island and forts of Bomarsund were captured and destroyed, the British and French engineers and artillery having the chief glory of the conquest. The British engineer officer, General Jones, greatly distinguished himself.
Operations were also conducted in the White Sea by the allied squadrons, but the assistance rendered by the French was trivial. The allies, particularly the French, arrived too late in the season to effect much.
In the Pacific Ocean the blunders and tardiness which characterized the allies were extraordinary: incompetency was impressed on all their undertakings. The Russians were attacked in their far-eastern settlements, especially Petropaulovski; but the allies suffered signal and sanguinary defeat, arising from the incompetency of the naval officers in command.
Such were the fortunes of the great war with Russia during 1854.
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