684:. Lieutenant Meade knew he would have to retreat; he telephoned Captain Odjard to alert him. Odjard ordered Meade to put up a delaying fire as long as possible, and promised that the artillery section would cover the retreat from Nizhnyaya Gora. The Americans opened fire as the Bolsheviks drew into range. A platoon of Cossacks arrived from Ust Padenga, but their officer was wounded and they quickly retreated. Finally, Meade ordered the retreat, only to find that the village's main street was covered by enemy machine gun fire, so using them meant certain death. Meade later wrote: "To withdraw we were compelled to march straight down the side of this hill, across an open valley some eight-hundred yards or more in the terrible snow, and under the direct fire of the enemy. There was no such thing as cover, for this valley of death was a perfectly open plain, waist deep in snow. To run was impossible, to halt was worse yet and so nothing remained but to plunge and flounder through the snow in mad desperation, with a prayer on our lips to gain the edge of our fortified positions. One by one, man after man fell wounded or dead in the snow, either to die from grievous wounds or terrible exposure." The Americans got no artillery support as they retreated; the White Russian gunners had abandoned their posts, and by the time Captain Odjard forced them back at pistol point, it was too late to provide support to Meade's retreating troops.
437:
420:
413:
406:
399:
389:
263:
254:
181:
715:(The gun that was at Vysokaya Gora had been sent ahead to Shenkursk.) In the morning of the 24th, the Soviets began firing artillery on the Allies in the town. In the afternoon Captain Mowat was struck by a shell and badly wounded; he was evacuated to the Shenkursk hospital, where he later died. Later that day a Soviet shell struck the lone remaining field gun, destroying it, killing a gunner, and injuring Captain Odjard, who was evacuated to Shenkursk. The Allied Lieutenants decided they could not hold Sholosha without artillery, so they ordered a withdraw to Shenkursk.
359:
316:
307:
298:
286:
219:
744:
146:
368:
325:
239:
169:
210:
199:
134:
43:
626:
752:
the garrison successfully escaped from
Shenkursk without alerting the enemy. At this point the battle was over, the last shots fired were heard some ten miles away by the Allies at 8:00 am on January 25. The fire was from Bolshevik artillery which was shelling Shenkursk, unaware that the Allies had already retreated. When the garrison finally reached Vystavka on January 27, they prepared defenses and
375:
339:
230:
158:
751:
About 100 of the most seriously wounded left first. They were fastened to sleds and sent down the road, pulled by horses. Those who could walk made the march on foot. Captain Odjard, who was wounded himself, feared that the
Bolsheviks had placed snipers along the trail but there proved to be none and
697:
to take over the two three-inch guns from the White
Russians who fled the battle earlier. The Cossack company retreated from Ust Padenga to Vsyokaya Gora, managing to do so without alerting the Bolsheviks. Over the next three days the outnumbered Americans held Vysokaya Gora against repeated attacks
727:
A reached
Shenkursk. Some of the Americans were so weary of battle that they fell asleep as soon as they stopped marching. The Red Army was not far behind them however, and proceeded to surround Shenkursk with the apparent intention of attacking the following morning. Captain Odjard then requested
714:
a.m. on
January 23 and rested briefly before continuing to the village of Spasskoe, four miles from Shenkursk, where they planned to fight a delaying action. When they arrived they were met by Captain O. A. Mowat of the Canadian field artillery, with a detachment of men and a single three-inch gun.
692:
Only seven men of the forty-seven men reached
Vsyokaya Gora, including Meade. The Bolsheviks did not immediately continue the attack, allowing the Americans to recover many of their wounded. By evening only 19 Americans were missing, and six of these were known to be dead. Two more Americans showed
702:
to harass the
American lines instead of launching more bayonet charges against well defended fortifications. The snipers inflicted many additional casualties on the Allied soldiers, as well as shrapnel from repeated artillery bombardments. On January 20 and 21, the Bolsheviks attacked repeatedly,
703:
suffering heavy casualties from the
Canadian guns; they occupied the empty village of Ust Padenga, but made no progress against Vsyokaya Gora. On the evening of January 22, orders came through that Vysokaya Gora was to be abandoned. As the Allies began their retreat, a Soviet
756:. The result of the engagement was important to the overall Bolshevik victory in the war. The Allies having been pushed away to the north, they were unable to launch offensive actions or combine their strength with a large army of White Russians heading west from
647:
was in command of about 200 men of the 339th and a remaining 900 British and White
Russian troops. Odjard's headquarters was at Shenkursk while the majority of Americans, including a section of field artillery consisting of two
1054:
736:, who ordered Odjard to withdraw before being destroyed. There was only one avenue of escape that had not been occupied by the Bolsheviks, an old logging trail that lead north through the forest towards the village of
1049:
1084:
679:
At dawn on
January 19, concealed Bolshevik artillery opened up "a terrific bombardment" on Nizhnyaya Gora. After an hour the shelling ceased and approximately 1,000 Bolsheviks assaulted the village with fixed
629:
A dead Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army soldier killed on January 8, 1919 during a probe against the American forces at Visorka Gora. Photo taken to show the warm white camouflage used by Red Army troops
693:
up that night, having hidden out in a Russian log house for several hours before sneaking past the Bolsheviks. Also that night, Lieutenant Douglas Winslow arrived from Shenkursk with men of the
1059:
498:
1069:
82:
491:
162:
436:
419:
412:
405:
398:
388:
262:
253:
180:
707:
hit the town and set it ablaze. One of the two Canadian three inch guns fell into a ditch, and the gunners had no choice but to disable the gun and leave it.
184:
209:
198:
1031:
Wright, Damien. "Churchill's Secret War with Lenin: British and Commonwealth Military Intervention in the Russian Civil War, 1918-20", Solihull, UK, 2017
522:
484:
1064:
698:
from an enemy which now numbered over 3,000 men. The fighting took the form of heavy skirmishing and eventually the Russians began employing
729:
1011:
984:
257:
1074:
737:
664:
653:
743:
508:
30:
1079:
694:
556:
1044:
1027:. US Army Campaigns of World War I. Vol. 10 (1st ed.). Washington, DC: Center of Military History.
637:
203:
649:
343:
591:
539:
423:
753:
644:
634:
549:
290:
223:
72:
660:
1007:
990:
980:
575:
266:
34:
617:. The battle ended with an Allied retreat from Shenkursk ahead of a superior Bolshevik army.
704:
583:
534:
529:
392:
244:
1022:
605:. Allied forces in Shenkursk and the surrounding villages included men primarily from the
641:
614:
610:
139:
42:
1038:
972:
606:
358:
329:
315:
306:
297:
285:
218:
151:
625:
976:
733:
657:
602:
97:
84:
754:
withstood several Red Army attacks over the course of the next several weeks
598:
579:
476:
68:
964:
594:
587:
757:
681:
668:
640:
made up the bulk of Allied forces protecting the Vaga River. American
699:
374:
367:
338:
324:
238:
229:
174:
157:
76:
663:, was stationed eighteen miles south of Shenkursk at the village of
969:
The Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power
994:
742:
740:. So at midnight on January 24, the garrison evacuated Skenkursk.
624:
667:. Half a mile east of Nizhnyaya Gora, a company of White Russian
480:
1055:
Battles of the Russian Civil War involving the United Kingdom
1050:
Battles of the Russian Civil War involving the United States
1085:
Battles of the Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War
775:
773:
728:
instructions from his commanding officer, British General
876:
874:
872:
760:. Instead the Allies were obliged to defend Vystavka.
747:
Men of the 339th Infantry in North Russia, circa 1918
1060:20th-century military history of the United States
723:By 4 p.m. on January 24, the survivors of Company
656:. A small force of forty-seven Americans, under
710:The Allies reached the village of Sholosha at 7
23:
671:were stationed in the village of Ust Padenga.
1070:Canadian involvement in the Russian Civil War
574:, in January 1919, was a major battle of the
492:
8:
779:
652:, were positioned in the nearby village of
1021:House, John M.; Curzon, Daniel P. (2019).
499:
485:
477:
41:
20:
590:'s next offensive action was against the
928:
916:
904:
892:
880:
863:
851:
827:
815:
803:
769:
245:
7:
952:
940:
839:
791:
14:
1024:The Russian Expeditions 1917-1920
1065:Battles of the Russian Civil War
435:
418:
411:
404:
397:
387:
373:
366:
357:
337:
323:
314:
305:
296:
284:
261:
252:
237:
228:
217:
208:
197:
179:
167:
156:
144:
132:
16:Battle of the Russian Civil War
1:
461:According to American data:
1101:
432:According to Entente data:
353:According to Entente data:
518:
510:North Russia intervention
451:According to Soviet data:
444:
384:According to Soviet data:
280:According to Soviet data:
272:
190:
125:
51:
40:
31:North Russia Intervention
28:
695:Canadian Field Artillery
1002:Halliday, E.M. (1990).
780:House & Curzon 2019
204:Robert Gordon-Finlayson
748:
650:three-inch 18-pounders
630:
613:with support from the
191:Commanders and leaders
47:Shenkursk old panorama
746:
628:
445:Casualties and losses
1006:. New York: Bantam.
645:Otto "Viking" Odjard
117:Russian SFSR victory
1075:January 1919 events
1004:The Ignorant Armies
572:Battle of Shenkursk
94: /
59:January 19‒25, 1919
29:Part of the Allied
24:Battle of Shenkursk
931:, p. 166-167.
907:, p. 163-164.
854:, p. 158-159.
830:, p. 155-156.
794:, p. 229-231.
749:
635:United States Army
633:Company A, of the
631:
291:United States Army
243:O. A. Mowat (
73:Arkhangelsk Oblast
601:; located on the
576:Russian Civil War
565:
564:
475:
474:
267:Alexander Samoylo
258:Dimitri Nadjoznyj
121:
120:
98:62.100°N 42.917°E
35:Russian Civil War
1092:
1028:
1017:
998:
956:
950:
944:
938:
932:
926:
920:
914:
908:
902:
896:
890:
884:
878:
867:
861:
855:
849:
843:
837:
831:
825:
819:
813:
807:
801:
795:
789:
783:
777:
726:
713:
705:incendiary round
584:Battle of Tulgas
578:. Following the
513:
511:
501:
494:
487:
478:
439:
422:
415:
408:
401:
391:
378:
377:
371:
370:
362:
361:
342:
341:
328:
327:
319:
318:
310:
309:
301:
300:
289:
288:
265:
256:
247:
242:
241:
233:
232:
222:
221:
213:
212:
202:
201:
183:
173:
171:
170:
161:
160:
150:
148:
147:
138:
136:
135:
109:
108:
106:
105:
104:
99:
95:
92:
91:
90:
87:
53:
52:
45:
21:
1100:
1099:
1095:
1094:
1093:
1091:
1090:
1089:
1080:Battles in 1919
1035:
1034:
1020:
1014:
1001:
987:
963:
960:
959:
951:
947:
939:
935:
927:
923:
915:
911:
903:
899:
891:
887:
879:
870:
862:
858:
850:
846:
838:
834:
826:
822:
814:
810:
802:
798:
790:
786:
778:
771:
766:
730:Edmund Ironside
724:
721:
711:
690:
677:
623:
568:
567:
566:
561:
514:
509:
507:
505:
471:Unknown wounded
470:
465:
463:
459:
457:
456:60 machine guns
455:
453:
434:
430:
427:
417:
410:
409:48 machine guns
403:
396:
386:
372:
365:
356:
355:
350:
347:
336:
335:
333:
322:
321:
320:37 machine guns
313:
312:
304:
303:
295:
294:
283:
282:
260:
236:
235:
227:
226:
216:
215:
207:
206:
196:
168:
166:
165:
163:Northern Russia
155:
154:
145:
143:
142:
133:
131:
102:
100:
96:
93:
88:
85:
83:
81:
80:
79:
46:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1098:
1096:
1088:
1087:
1082:
1077:
1072:
1067:
1062:
1057:
1052:
1047:
1045:1919 in Russia
1037:
1036:
1033:
1032:
1029:
1018:
1012:
999:
985:
958:
957:
955:, p. 231.
945:
943:, p. 230.
933:
921:
919:, p. 166.
909:
897:
895:, p. 162.
885:
883:, p. 161.
868:
866:, p. 160.
856:
844:
842:, p. 229.
832:
820:
818:, p. 155.
808:
806:, p. 154.
796:
784:
768:
767:
765:
762:
720:
717:
689:
686:
676:
675:Nizhnyaya Gora
673:
665:Nizhnyaya Gora
638:339th Infantry
622:
619:
615:White Russians
611:United Kingdom
563:
562:
560:
559:
557:Bolshie Ozerki
554:
553:
552:
547:
542:
532:
527:
519:
516:
515:
506:
504:
503:
496:
489:
481:
473:
472:
467:
447:
446:
442:
441:
380:
275:
274:
270:
269:
250:
193:
192:
188:
187:
177:
140:United Kingdom
128:
127:
123:
122:
119:
118:
115:
111:
110:
103:62.100; 42.917
67:
65:
61:
60:
57:
49:
48:
38:
37:
26:
25:
19:
18:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1097:
1086:
1083:
1081:
1078:
1076:
1073:
1071:
1068:
1066:
1063:
1061:
1058:
1056:
1053:
1051:
1048:
1046:
1043:
1042:
1040:
1030:
1026:
1025:
1019:
1015:
1013:0-553-28456-8
1009:
1005:
1000:
996:
992:
988:
982:
978:
974:
970:
966:
962:
961:
954:
949:
946:
942:
937:
934:
930:
929:Halliday 1990
925:
922:
918:
917:Halliday 1990
913:
910:
906:
905:Halliday 1990
901:
898:
894:
893:Halliday 1990
889:
886:
882:
881:Halliday 1990
877:
875:
873:
869:
865:
864:Halliday 1990
860:
857:
853:
852:Halliday 1990
848:
845:
841:
836:
833:
829:
828:Halliday 1990
824:
821:
817:
816:Halliday 1990
812:
809:
805:
804:Halliday 1990
800:
797:
793:
788:
785:
782:, p. 48.
781:
776:
774:
770:
763:
761:
759:
755:
745:
741:
739:
735:
731:
718:
716:
708:
706:
701:
696:
688:Vysokaya Gora
687:
685:
683:
674:
672:
670:
666:
662:
659:
655:
654:Vysokaya Gora
651:
646:
643:
639:
636:
627:
620:
618:
616:
612:
608:
607:United States
604:
600:
596:
593:
589:
585:
581:
577:
573:
558:
555:
551:
548:
546:
543:
541:
538:
537:
536:
533:
531:
528:
526:
525:
521:
520:
517:
512:
502:
497:
495:
490:
488:
483:
482:
479:
468:
462:
452:
449:
448:
443:
438:
433:
429:
425:
421:
414:
407:
400:
394:
390:
385:
381:
376:
369:
364:
360:
354:
349:
345:
344:Northern Army
340:
331:
330:Canadian Army
326:
317:
308:
302:2,800 troops
299:
292:
287:
281:
277:
276:
271:
268:
264:
259:
255:
251:
248:
240:
231:
225:
220:
211:
205:
200:
195:
194:
189:
186:
182:
178:
176:
164:
159:
153:
152:United States
141:
130:
129:
124:
116:
113:
112:
107:
78:
74:
70:
66:
63:
62:
58:
55:
54:
50:
44:
39:
36:
32:
27:
22:
1023:
1003:
968:
948:
936:
924:
912:
900:
888:
859:
847:
835:
823:
811:
799:
787:
750:
722:
709:
691:
678:
632:
582:loss at the
571:
569:
544:
523:
466:~100 wounded
460:
458:2,000 rifles
450:
440:6,000 troops
431:
402:3,100 troops
383:
382:
352:
351:
279:
278:
214:C. C. Graham
185:Russian SFSR
126:Belligerents
977:Basic Books
734:Arkhangelsk
540:Ust-Padenga
363:700 troops
224:Otto Odjard
101: /
33:during the
1039:Categories
995:2004695066
986:046500721X
764:References
661:Harry Mead
658:Lieutenant
603:Vaga River
535:Vaga River
524:Polar Bear
464:~39 killed
379:900 troops
965:Boot, Max
953:Boot 2003
941:Boot 2003
840:Boot 2003
792:Boot 2003
719:Shenkursk
599:Shenkursk
580:Bolshevik
545:Shenkursk
469:~1 killed
428:no data
424:Partisans
69:Shenkursk
973:New York
967:(2003).
738:Vystavka
682:bayonets
669:Cossacks
609:and the
595:garrison
588:Red Army
550:Vystavka
393:6th Army
348:no data
273:Strength
64:Location
758:Siberia
700:snipers
642:Captain
454:15 guns
416:16 guns
334:no data
311:15 guns
234:unknown
89:42°55′E
86:62°06′N
1010:
993:
983:
725:
712:
621:Battle
592:Allied
586:, the
530:Tulgas
175:Canada
172:
149:
137:
114:Result
77:Russia
1008:ISBN
991:LCCN
981:ISBN
570:The
56:Date
732:in
597:of
246:DOW
1041::
989:.
979:.
975::
971:.
871:^
772:^
75:,
71:,
1016:.
997:.
500:e
493:t
486:v
426::
395::
346::
332::
293::
249:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
