World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula; World War, 1914-1918 -- New Zealand
In this day's attack on Scimitar Hill, serious scrub fires broke out
and held the attention of the troops for the rest of the day. At noon
the units fell back to a line between Sulajik and Green Hill.
A New Move that Failed.
General Hamilton concluded that on this right flank success would be
delayed, and decided to land part of his reserve--the infantry brigades
of the 54th Division--up at the new landing place near Cape Suvla, so
that they might advance, with the 10th Irish Division, along Kiretch
Tepe Sirt, then thrust towards Kavak Tepe and capture the line Ejelmer
Bay to Anafarta, thus turning the Turkish flank.
The infantry of the 53rd (Territorial) Division landed during the
night of the 8/9th, and were to assist the units on the right flank.
The advance of these newly-arrived territorials was a pitiable thing.
Crossing the open country from Lala Baba towards the Anafarta Hills,
the enemy artillery, now considerably increased, took heavy toll. The
enemy again fought his sniping screen with conspicuous ability. The
attack could not get on. Realizing that the troops were unequal to the
situation, it was decided to dig in on a line from near the Azmak Dere,
through the knoll east of the Chocolate Hill, to the ground held by the
10th Division on Kiretch Tepe Sirt.
On August 11, the infantry brigades of the 54th Division were
disembarked and placed in reserve. An attack on Kavak Tepe-Tekke Tepe
was planned by Sir Ian Hamilton, but after a series of minor disasters
the projected night march and attack was abandoned. General Stopford
was now thoroughly convinced that his troops could not be expected
to do more. Even if they gained the high ground, he considered that
the supply of water and food would be too difficult and well-nigh
impossible to arrange. There seemed nothing to do but to dig in
everywhere and strengthen the line.
* * * * *
So ended the great battle for the heights of Sari Bair. The Turk still
held the higher ground at Helles, Anzac, and Suvla.
PART V.
After the Battle.
The Trenches on the Crest of Chunuk.
There has been placed on record a statement that the trenches on the
crest of Chunuk were badly sited. No soldier of experience would have
made such a criticism if he understood the facts. Bare justice is due
to Colonel Malone and those New Zealanders who took Chunuk and held it.
It has been said that the trench line was the wrong side of the crest,
and that there was not a good field of fire.
What would anyone else have done?
We all know that a trench should have the best field of fire. But one
can easily get in a training manual what one seeks for in vain during a
pitched battle! In the carefully prepared treatise, principles are laid
down and their application is expounded. But the enemy is not firing
bullets and hand grenades in the book. The ground in the book, too, is
easy to dig.
Look for a moment at this sketch of a typical crest.
[Illustration]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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