Sir Ian Hamilton's Despatches from the Dardanelles, etc. — John Shaqi
Sir Ian Hamilton's Despatches from the Dardanelles, etc.Hamilton, Ian
History
Sir Ian Hamilton's Despatches from the Dardanelles, etc.
Hamilton, Ian
World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula
Our casualties in this affair amounted to 2 officers, 31 other ranks
killed, 12 officers and 176 other ranks wounded. The enemy's losses
must have been serious, and were probably equal to those sustained on
May 9-10. Except for the first withdrawal in the confusion of the mine
explosion, all ranks fought with the greatest tenacity and courage.
On May 30 preparations were made in Quinn's Post to attack and destroy
two enemy saps, the heads of which had reached within 5 yards of our
fire trench. Two storming parties of thirty-five men went forward at 1
p.m., cleared the sap heads and penetrated into the trenches beyond,
but they were gradually driven back by Turkish counter-attacks, in
spite of our heavy supporting fire, our casualties being chiefly caused
by bombs, of which the enemy seem to have an unlimited supply.
During May 31 close fighting continued in front of Quinn's Post.
On June 1, an hour after dark, two sappers of the New Zealand Engineers
courageously crept out and laid a charge of guncotton against a timber
and sandbag bomb-proof. The structure was completely demolished.
DISTRACTING THE ENEMY
After sunset on June 4 three separate enterprises were carried out by
the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. These were undertaken in
compliance with an order which I had issued that the enemy's attention
should be distracted during an attack I was about to deliver in the
southern zone.
(1) A demonstration in the direction of Kaba Tepe, the Navy
co-operating by bombarding the Turkish trenches.
(2) A sortie at 11 p.m. towards a trench 200 yards from Quinn's Post.
This failed, but a second sortie by 100 men took place at 2.55 a.m. on
June 5 and penetrated to the Turkish trench; demolished a machine-gun
emplacement which enfiladed Quinn's Post, and withdrew in good order.
(3) At Quinn's Post an assault was delivered at 11 p.m. A party of
sixty men, accompanied by a bomb-throwing party on either flank,
stormed the enemy's trench. In the assault many Turks were bayoneted
and twenty-eight captured. A working party followed up the attack and
at once set to work. Meanwhile the Turkish trenches on the left of the
post were heavily assailed with machine-gun fire and grenades, which
drew from them a very heavy fire. After daybreak a strong bomb attack
developed on the captured trench, the enemy using a heavier type of
bomb than hitherto.
At 6.30 a.m. the trench had to be abandoned, and it was found necessary
to retire to the original fire trench of the post and the bomb-proof
in front of its left. Our casualties were eighty; those of the enemy
considerably greater.
A SORTIE FROM QUINN'S POST
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