ABSTRACT
Command of the sea remained vital to the allied position in the Crimea, never more so than during the winter of 1854–55. After the departure of Dundas and Hamelin the structure of the allied fleets changed. Sailing battleships were replaced by steamers of every class. The British ships went home; their crews being required for the enlarged 1855 Baltic fleet, the French used their spare ships as transports. A small number were kept as depots, Rodney in Kazatch Bay and Leander at Eupatoria. Queen, Albion and London at Beicos sent men to the Naval Brigade. At the end of January Princess Royal and St Jean d’Acre arrived, giving Lyons six steam battleships, although Algiers was a very inferior specimen. The cruisers were also reinforced: Retribution and Sampson went home, being replaced by Leopard, Odin, Valorous and Dauntless. Six Arrow class gunvessels and the ex-Prussian iron gunvessels Weser and Recruit arrived for the Sea of Azov; in June six gunboats and six mortar vessels completed the force. The French fleet, under Bruat, was reduced to six active battleships, seven frigates and 11 cruisers. The French concentrated on logistics support.
