Sardinia and the War - Part 2

La Marmora sailed aboard the ‘Governolo’ on April 28th, to arrive at Constantinople on May 5th. He stayed two days in Constantinople to go through a full agenda. He paid a visit to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, had his aforementioned meeting with Baron Tecco and De Cavero. He also met with Lord William Paulet,the British local commander in Constantinople, and separately with Col. Béville and General Saint Jean d’Angély of the French Army. With these two he had the opportunity to discuss once again the change in the operational plan of the reserve army and the change in destination of the Sardinian Army.

On May 7th La Marmora set off for Balaklava, and after a short stop at Jeni Koi, to visit the hospital and the supplies, he arrived off Balaklava on the evening of May 8th, to find the harbour crowded with ships. The ‘Governolo’ had to wait till the next day, after the departure of some ships to moor in Balaclava Harbour.

The target of the Sardinian Government was to stockpile in the war theatre three months supplies of military stores and twenty days of forage. The problem was to find enough tonnage to transport what amounted to 600.000 rations, plus fodder and construction material. Two steamships, the ‘Croesus’ and the ‘Nubio’, and some sailing ships were used for that purpose.

The ‘Croesus’ was by far the biggest of them. She was one of the most modern British steamships of the time. In order to arrive before the troops, the ‘Croesus’, manned by 155 British sailors, was due to sail on April 21st, carrying 450.000 rations, and an advanced party of 34 officers and 244 soldiers tasked with preparing for the arrival of the troops. The ‘Croesus’ was to tow the ‘Pedestrian’, a sailing-vessel chartered by the British Government and used at this time to bring forage to the East.

Cargo loading got well behind schedule, and the departure had to be postponed till April 24th. At 6 a.m. the ‘Croesus’ left the harbour. The ‘Pedestrian’ had arrived late and a signal was made to speed up towing preparations. At the moment the ‘Croesus’ was about to take the ‘Pedestrian’ in tow, due to a manoeuvre of one or both of the ships, and the effect of the strong wind, they collided with a heavy shock. It appeared

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