it , ▁and ▁it ▁served ▁as ▁the ▁main ▁supply ▁route ▁to ▁rein force ▁their ▁troops ▁at ▁Se v ast opol . ▁The ▁destruction ▁of ▁the ▁bridge ▁would ▁force ▁the ▁Rus si ans ▁to ▁travel ▁an ▁extra ▁ ▁to ▁deliver ▁supplies , ▁and ▁it ▁therefore ▁became ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁objective ▁for ▁British ▁forces . ▁Two ▁attacks ▁to ▁cut ▁the ▁floating ▁bridge ' s ▁ha w sers ▁had ▁proved ▁un success ful ▁and ▁alert ed ▁the ▁Russian ▁g arrison . ▁The ▁British ▁made ▁a ▁third ▁attempt ▁on ▁ 3 ▁July ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁using ▁HMS ▁Be agle ' s ▁four - o ared ▁gig , ▁commanded ▁by ▁Gun ner ▁John ▁Hay les , ▁and ▁a ▁small ▁p addle - box ▁ste amer ▁with ▁one ▁gun , ▁under ▁Mid ship man ▁Martin ▁T racy . ▁The ▁p addle - box ▁ste amer ▁mo ored ▁where ▁the ▁crew ▁could ▁see ▁Russian ▁soldiers ▁march ing ▁about ▁on ▁shore ▁and ▁fired ▁the ▁first ▁round ▁in ▁the ▁b ree ch , ▁which ▁drew ▁the ▁gun ' s ▁se cur ing ▁bol ts ▁and ▁made ▁it ▁useless . ▁That ▁left ▁six ▁men ▁in ▁a ▁four - o ared ▁boat ▁( including ▁Joseph ▁T rew avas ), ▁one ▁rif le , ▁ten ▁r ounds ▁of ▁am mun ition , ▁and ▁a ▁cut lass ▁ap ie ce ▁to ▁face ▁two ▁hundred ▁enemy ▁on ▁shore ▁behind ▁he aps ▁of ▁coal . ▁ ▁In ▁T rew avas ' s ▁own ▁words : ▁ ▁( T rew avas ▁wonder ed ▁why ▁the ▁Rus si