A mamelon () is a French name for a breast shaped hillock. At the

Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855) The siege of Sevastopol (at the time called in English the siege of Sebastopol) lasted from October 1854 until September 1855, during the Crimean War. The allies ( French, Sardinian, Ottoman, and British) landed at Eupatoria on 14 September ...

during the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the de ...

the French called a strategic hillock (location: ) the Mamelon. The British adopted the French name for the hill, but also called it ''Gordon's Hill''. In October 1854 the French attempted to capture the summit of the hillock with a ''

coup de main A ''coup de main'' (; plural: ''coups de main'', French for blow with the hand) is a swift attack that relies on speed and surprise to accomplish its objectives in a single blow. Definition The United States Department of Defense defines it as ...

'' but were repulsed with casualties of about 600 officers and men. During the winter of 1854/55 the Russians built the Kamtschatka

Redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldi ...

on the summit of the Mamelon as part of a comprehensive defensive ring of double and in some parts triple lines of continuous defensive works around Sevastopol. During the campaign season of 1855, after two more failed attempts, and following a heavy bombardment and the capture of the outlying defences, the Kamtschatka Redoubt was stormed and captured by the French in early June. During the final assault, the British took some of the outlying works and suffered casualties of 30 officers and 350 other ranks; the French in the main assault deployed many more men and suffered about three times the British casualties.Kamtschatka or Kamtchatka Redoubt

Cultural references

The word appears in the "

Major-General's Song "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" (often referred to as the "Major-General's Song" or "Modern Major-General's Song") is a patter song from Gilbert and Sullivan's 1879 comic opera ''The Pirates of Penzance''. It has been called the ...

" from Gilbert and Sullivan's 1879 comic opera, ''The Pirates of Penzance'', in which Major-General Stanley sings, "... In fact, when I know what is meant by mamelon and

ravelin A ravelin is a triangular fortification or detached outwork, located in front of the innerworks of a fortress (the curtain walls and bastions). Originally called a ''demi-lune'', after the ''lunette'', the ravelin is placed outside a castle ...

..."

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mamelon (Fort) Crimean War Fortifications in Russia