‘Russian Rifle Pit. Now part of the British advanced Trenches, on the left of the...

‘Russian Rifle Pit. Now part of the British advanced Trenches, on the left of the right attack, or Gordon's Battery’ . Coloured tinted lithograph by C Haghe, 1855. One of 40 lithographs from 'The Seat of War in the East - First Series' after William Simpson, published by Paul and Dominic Colnaghi and Company, 11 June 1855. The rifle pit had been part of Lieutenant-General Eduard Totleben’s elaborate defence works at Sevastopol. He created flexible trench systems linked to redoubts such as the Redan and Malakoff. His ongoing improvisation of both the defences and offensive counter-works met the changing phases of the Allied attack on Sevastopol. During the night his men built new obstacles such as counter-approaches, tunnels, rifle pits and buried land mines. They took part in raids on enemy saps and attempted to capture the lips of blown mines.