what happened?
The invasion plan of 25 April 1915 was for the 29th Division to land at
Helles on the tip of the peninsula and then advance upon the forts at
Kilitbahir. The Anzacs were to land north of Gaba Tepe on the Aegean coast, from where they could advance
across the peninsula, cutting off retreat from or reinforcement of Kilitbahir. The small cove in and around which
they landed became known as Anzac Cove. This sector of the Gallipoli Peninsula
became known as 'Anzac'; the area held by the British and French became known as
the 'Helles sector' or simply 'Helles'. The French made a diversionary landing
at Kum Kale on the Asian shore before re-embarking to hold the eastern area of
the Helles sector. There was also a diversion by the Royal Naval Division,
including a one-man diversion by Bernard Freyberg at Bulair, for which he was
awarded the DSO. Later he became a Lieutenant-General during
World War II, and went on to be awarded the VC.
The Helles landing was made by the 29th
Division under the command of Major-General Aylmer
Hunter-Weston, on five beaches in an arc about the tip of the
peninsula, designated from east to west as S, V, W, X and Y beach. The Jewish Legion also landed at Helles on the 25th,
as well as a regiment of British Gurkhas, the 6th Gurkha Rifles; this unit took and secured
Sari Bair above the landing beaches.
The commander of the Y Beach landing was able to walk unopposed to within 500
metres (550 yards) of Krithia village, which was deserted. The British
never got so close again. Y Beach was evacuated the following day as Ottoman
reinforcements arrived.
The main landings were made at V Beach, beneath the old Seddülbahir fortress, and at W Beach, a short distance to the west on the
other side of the Helles headland.
At Cape Helles V Beach the covering force from the
Royal Munster Fusiliers and Royal
Hampshires was landed from a converted collier, SS
River Clyde, which was run aground beneath the fortress so
that the troops could disembark directly via ramps to the shore. The Royal
Dublin Fusiliers would land at V Beach from open boats. At W
Beach the Lancashire Fusiliers also landed in open boats on
a small beach overlooked by dunes and obstructed with barbed
wire. On both beaches the Ottoman defenders were in a position to
inflict appalling casualties on the landing infantry. The troops emerging one by
one from the sally ports on the River Clyde presented perfect targets to
the machine guns in the Seddülbahir fort. Out of the first 200 soldiers
to disembark, only 21 men made it onto the beach.
As at Anzac, the Ottoman defenders were too few to force the British off the
beach; however, they furiously defended every inch of their soil. On the morning
of 25 April 1915, out of ammunition and left with nothing but bayonets
to meet the attackers on the slopes leading up from the beach to the heights of
Chunuk Bair, the commander of the 19th Division, Lieutenant-Colonel Mustafa
Kemal, issued his most famous order to the 57th Infantry
Regiment:
Helles on the tip of the peninsula and then advance upon the forts at
Kilitbahir. The Anzacs were to land north of Gaba Tepe on the Aegean coast, from where they could advance
across the peninsula, cutting off retreat from or reinforcement of Kilitbahir. The small cove in and around which
they landed became known as Anzac Cove. This sector of the Gallipoli Peninsula
became known as 'Anzac'; the area held by the British and French became known as
the 'Helles sector' or simply 'Helles'. The French made a diversionary landing
at Kum Kale on the Asian shore before re-embarking to hold the eastern area of
the Helles sector. There was also a diversion by the Royal Naval Division,
including a one-man diversion by Bernard Freyberg at Bulair, for which he was
awarded the DSO. Later he became a Lieutenant-General during
World War II, and went on to be awarded the VC.
The Helles landing was made by the 29th
Division under the command of Major-General Aylmer
Hunter-Weston, on five beaches in an arc about the tip of the
peninsula, designated from east to west as S, V, W, X and Y beach. The Jewish Legion also landed at Helles on the 25th,
as well as a regiment of British Gurkhas, the 6th Gurkha Rifles; this unit took and secured
Sari Bair above the landing beaches.
The commander of the Y Beach landing was able to walk unopposed to within 500
metres (550 yards) of Krithia village, which was deserted. The British
never got so close again. Y Beach was evacuated the following day as Ottoman
reinforcements arrived.
The main landings were made at V Beach, beneath the old Seddülbahir fortress, and at W Beach, a short distance to the west on the
other side of the Helles headland.
At Cape Helles V Beach the covering force from the
Royal Munster Fusiliers and Royal
Hampshires was landed from a converted collier, SS
River Clyde, which was run aground beneath the fortress so
that the troops could disembark directly via ramps to the shore. The Royal
Dublin Fusiliers would land at V Beach from open boats. At W
Beach the Lancashire Fusiliers also landed in open boats on
a small beach overlooked by dunes and obstructed with barbed
wire. On both beaches the Ottoman defenders were in a position to
inflict appalling casualties on the landing infantry. The troops emerging one by
one from the sally ports on the River Clyde presented perfect targets to
the machine guns in the Seddülbahir fort. Out of the first 200 soldiers
to disembark, only 21 men made it onto the beach.
As at Anzac, the Ottoman defenders were too few to force the British off the
beach; however, they furiously defended every inch of their soil. On the morning
of 25 April 1915, out of ammunition and left with nothing but bayonets
to meet the attackers on the slopes leading up from the beach to the heights of
Chunuk Bair, the commander of the 19th Division, Lieutenant-Colonel Mustafa
Kemal, issued his most famous order to the 57th Infantry
Regiment: