The Children's Story of the War Volume 4 (of 10): The Story of the Year 1915Parrott, Edward
History
The Children's Story of the War Volume 4 (of 10): The Story of the Year 1915
Parrott, Edward
World War, 1914-1918 -- Juvenile literature
The boats and destroyers steal in towards the land. They are now close
to the shore, and the troops perceive that they must fight for a
footing. Turkish soldiers are seen running along the beach ready to give
the boats a warm reception. Not a word is spoken: our men remain
perfectly still and quiet, awaiting the enemy's fire. A few moments
more, and bullets rain down on them. Many a man has breathed his last
before the boats run aground.
The keels have not touched the sand when the Australians of the 3rd
Brigade spring out of their boats. A blaze of fire sweeps against them
from the Turkish trenches on the beach, but they heed it not. With fixed
bayonets they dash forward, as though they mean to conquer the whole
peninsula by one mighty rush. On they go, and the Turks flee before
them. The beach is carried with cold steel, and in open order they dive
into the scrub and scramble up the hundred feet of cliff that rises
before them. The famous exploit at Wolfe's Cove, when the Heights of
Abraham were scaled, is altogether outdone.[46]
Now they are on the top of the cliff, and come under the main Turkish
fire. The ground, however, gives them good cover, and they speedily dig
themselves in. By seven in the morning they are holding the cliff top.
Meanwhile the 1st and 2nd Brigades have come ashore, and two batteries
of Indian Mountain Artillery have been landed. The enemy is now shelling
the transports, and they are obliged to stand out to sea. Further
artillery cannot, therefore, be put ashore just yet. By noon more than
10,000 men are on the beach, or are climbing the gully and the ravine.
The thousand yards of shore is covered with busy working-parties. Stores
are being landed, the Royal Engineers are making roads, and wireless
stations are being erected; and all the time Turkish shells are falling
fast and thick. Our warships are at work, but the morning sun is in the
eyes of the gunners, and they fire at a disadvantage.
The Australians on the cliff top have not been content to remain idle in
their hastily-dug trenches. They rashly push on across three ridges, and
actually come within sight of the Narrows; but now the enemy is strongly
reinforced, and they are driven back with heavy loss. Stretcher-bearers
are stumbling down the steep paths and across the beach carrying their
freight of wounded to the hospital ships on the bullet-splashed sea.
There is much confusion as the advancing troops meet those who are
retiring; but before noon a semicircular position on the cliffs is
firmly held. Parties of the 9th and 10th Battalions charge and put out
of action three of the enemy's Krupp guns.
The Turks now begin their counter-attacks, which continue far into the
night. Again and again our men make bayonet charges, and the line holds
fast. They have suffered terribly, but they have made good their
footing, and are firmly placed at Gaba Tepe, on Anzac territory.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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