On the 22nd February, after months of inactivity, the Russians stole a march on the allies by occupying the Mamelon, a small but significant hill in front of their main fortification of the Malakoff. Taken by surprise, the French could only watch as the Russians streamed out of the city to grab the hill and quickly dig themselves in.
That same night the French counter-attack went in with much cheering and great élan. The fighting continued for hours with Jack and his men peering anxiously over the parapet and asking when it would be their turn to go and rout the Russians. Next morning they heard that the French had sent in five full battalions and the Russians had beaten them back. The trenches were no further forward than they had been two months previously. The Allied attack on Sebastop
