THE ÇANAKKALE WAR

M.Kemal ATATÜRK

GALLIPOLI 1915

Anatolia has for centuries possessed an enormous strategic importance as a result of the policies adapted by powers in their attempt to reach the high seas and warmer climates and other powers who wanted to establish sovereignty over the Middle East, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean by means of a geo-political belt stretching from the Baltic throughout the Bosphorus to the Persian Gulf.

The situation during 1. World War

At the beginning of the 20th century the political climate in Europe was extremely tense. The great powers of Europe in order to gain sovereignty in both the geo-political and economic spheres had split Europe into two blocs; Germano-Latin and Anglo-French.

Thus the Triple Alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy and the Triple Entente between Britain, France and Russia were founded.

When the outbreak of the 1st WW seemed imminent, the Ottoman Empire attempted to ally herself with the Entente under the conditions that her borders were guaranteed and that the economic capitulations were abolished. Upon receiving a negative response, the Empire found herself obliged to join the Triple Alliance and signed the treaty of 2nd August 1914.

The Ottoman Empire was not yet prepared for war though it decided to keep the treaty secret.

The German warships Goben and Breslau, then in the  Mediterranean were allowed to pass through the Dardanelles on the 10th August. The Ottoman flag was raised and it was announced that they had been purchased from Germany. The commander of the ships, Admiral Souchon was appointed to the Naval Command .

The Entente declared war on the Empire as a result of the naval operation: known as the "Black Sea incident" carried out by the Turkish Navy in the Black Sea.

The Ottoman Government actively entered the war after this declaration, on 11 November 1914.

The Allied fleet chasing the German warships blockaded the Dardanelles ,began bombarding the Turkish batteries at the entrance to the Straits on 3rd November 1914. This bombardment continued intermittently until 12th 1915.

Naval Battle

On 18th March 1915, at the beginning of the Dardanelles  campaign, the commander of the Allied fleet, Admiral de Robeck divided the fleet into three sections. The first section entered the straits at 10.30 am. and penetrated as far as the row of mines. The Intepe batteries started a heavy fire.

The Intepe, Erenkoy and Tengertepe batteries intensified their fire and a fierce bombardment continued for three hours. In the afternoon Admiral de Robeck withdrew his ships in the third section and threw forward six warships waiting in the rear. During the withdrawal, one of the ships hit a mine and sunk after a terrible explosion.

The naval battle continued in all its intensity for seven hours. In the face of the dogged resistance of the Turkish Straits Defense, Admiral de Robeck decided that nothing further could be done that day. During this operation three ships from the Allied Fleet had been sunk and three badly damaged. It was under these circumstances that Admiral de Robeck, at 17.30 brought the days' operation to a close with the order, "All ships, general withdrawal."

Land Battles

In spite of all the efforts in the Dardenelles from 19th February to 18th March nothing had been gained by the Allied Forces. Now, alongside the Naval bombardments and amphibious operation was under consideration in order to capture the peninsula.

The Anzac Corps, the 29th British Territorial Infantry Division, the 1st Royal Naval Infantry Division, the 29th Indian Infantry Brigade and the French 1st Infantry Division were to take part in this action. These forces were to be split into two groups, the first group was to seize the Seddulbahir area and open the Straits whilst the second was to land in the Kabatepe region, seize the Conkbayir area and obstruct the Turkish Forces moving down from the north.

The Commander of the Ottoman 5th Army had evaluated the defense of the Gallipoli peninsula as of secondary importance. Thus out of six divisions he allocated two divisions and one cavalry brigade to the defense of the Gulf of Saros, two divisions to the defense of the area between Anafartalar and Seddulbahir and the remaining two divisions to the defense of the Asian coast.

Of the two divisions deployed on the Gallipoli peninsula one was the 19th division which served as the Chief of Command Reserve Force in Bigali. The commander of this brigade was Mustafa Kemal.

At the beginning of the 1st WW, Staff Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal was Military Attaché in Sofia. Preferring to participate personally in the struggle of his county against invading super powers of the time, rather than watching from the sidelines, he requested active military duty from the Chief of Staff. Upon his insistence, he was appointed to the 19th Divisional Command founded in Tekirdag on 1st February 1915.

In less than one month, Mustafa Kemal had the division prepared for war. On 25th February, his division was at Eceabat and ready for combat.

The Seddulbahir Battles

At dawn on the 25th April, the Seddulbahir coast was seen to be surrounded by several ships and landing crafts.

At 5.30 am. a hellish fire was opened from the allied warships.

Bombardment from the sea held the tip of the peninsula under fire from three sides. The 29th British Infantry Division attempted to move into the land.

The defending forces broke the first wave of the invading forces with success. Then, with the reinforcements which were later brought in, the operation was extended on the land without much success.

The 1st., 2nd., and 3rd Battles of Kirte and Kerevizdere continued from 25th April until the end of May when it turned into chronic local clashes.

In June 1915 the battle again intensified and after the bloody Zigindere Battles which began on the 28th June continued for eight days.

Arıburnu Battles

The area chosen by the Anzac Corps as a landing area was the coast to the north of Kabatepe. However, the Anzacs had landed in the steep, inaccessible area of Ariburnu due to their boats having been carried by the strong current. First landing group consisted of 1500 men with the same number again in a following wave. The first target to be captured after the landing was the "Karacimen Bloc."

One of the battalions of the 27th regiment of the 9th Turkish Division in Ariburnu was guarding the coasts of the area. One company of the battalion had spread from the Ariburnu hills to Agildere. This company consisted squads; one on the Ariburnu hilltops, one in Balikcidamlari and one other in reserve on Haintepe.

The Anzac attack began at 4.30 on 25th April. They landed at Ariburnu in the form of a surprise attack. The defending squad opened fire on the invading forces, but the Anzacs advanced. The Turkish company defending the coast immediately reported the situation to 27 regimental Command to the west of Eceabat.

While the Regimental Commander was giving his report to the 9th Division, at the same time he informed the 19th Division. The 8th Company Commander brought up reinforcements to counter the first wave of attacks, however, the heavy losses caused by the intense cannon fire from the ships and the lack of ammunition led him to retreat.

Although Staff Lieutenant-Colonel Mustafa Kemal had sent reports to the army and the Corps Command at Gallipoli, he received no reply. Using his initiative he attacked the Anzacs. Reinforcing the 57th Regiment with a hill-top cannon battery, he advanced towards Ariburnu via KocaCimen. In a critical moment Mustafa Kemal gave the order for a company to rapidly reach the area and for the forward battalion to immediately enter the fray. With their arrival, the Turkish forces attained the initiative. The 57th Regiment completed their battle preparations by noon and moved southwards from Conkbayiri to the Anzac forces. This strike could not advance any further than Duztepe because of the effective cannon fire from the ships. He arrived at Korucakoy and reported the situation to the Army Headquarters. He met the commander of the 3rd corps at Maltepe from whom he received permission to deploy the entire 19th Division after explaining to him the situation. He moved those forces forward. Mustafa Kemal's decision, on the night of 25-26th April was to take the command of the 27th Regiment and to attack the Anzacs with two regiments from the south and two regiments from the north and to drive them that night at whatever cost into the sea. Same night the attack was deployed. Since the majority of the 27th Regiment which arrived from Aleppo was composed of aged soldiers, the action on the southern flank did not develop as hoped. The 57th and 72nd Regiments forced the Anzacs to retreat further south from the Cesarettepe hill-top. The Anzacs were in great difficulty to defend their positions with this latest assault. The allied commander decided to evacuate his forces into Hamilton.

Due to the lack of necessary vehicles, the evacuation move was suspended. Dig-in and defend order was given instead.

As time passed both sides were gradually reinforced. The 16th Division was rushed from Thrace and the 2nd Division from Istanbul. Fierce Anzac assaults on Ariburnu continued steadily and the fighting went on until the end of May. Finally, from the end of May onwards it turned into a French warfare.

The clashes of Seddulbahir and Ariburnu in June and July of 1915 were typical of stationary warfare. The opposing forces were extremely close to each other, indeed as close as eight meters on certain locations.

The Anafartalar Battles

General Hamilton, unable to achieve any success on the Seddulbahir and Ariburnu fronts in the past five months decided to open a third front in Anafartalar bay in order to encircle and destroy the Turkish Army from the rear. He assigned this task to the 9th British Corps.

The aim was to immediately seize the Conkbayiri and KocaCimen blocs, advance from there and take control of the Straits. During this landing limited action was to be taken in order to keep the Turkish forces in the Seddulbahir and Ariburnu regions pinned down.

British Army Corps began landing on the night of 6-7 August, to start the final attack against the Turkish troops aproximately on the 9th of August. They landed to the south of the Buyukkemikli and Kucukkemikli headlands. Due to the hot weather and exhaustion of the British soldiers, 9th corps spend a day on the beach front instead of moving to the target hills immediately. During this time two Ottoman divisions were transferred to the front with Mustafa Kemal as commander. One of these divisions pushed the 9th corps into the sea while the other one prevented the Anzacs to reach to the battle front.

ldiers

T he 12th Division attacked the 9th Corps front lines. The most critical point was over for the Turks. The 9th Corps, under the fire of the Turkish Forces, fell in great numbers on the beaches and were left totally ineffective. Eventhough the 9th Corps, that was later reinforced, attempted more flank attacks from Ismailoglu Hill to Anafartalar and from Mt. Karakol to Ece Harbour and Tekke Hill, they could not succeed.

The pinning-down and encircling action against the Northern Group was halted but some sections did come within 25 meters of the crest-line. The 9th Turkish Division, which had counter-attacked for two days in order to alleviate this dangerous situation was not able to achieve a success. Then, Liman Von Sanders, Commander of the 5th Ottoman Army reinforced the 8th Division with two regiments and put it under Mustafa Kemal's orders.

Colonel Mustafa Kemal arrived at the headquarters of the 8th Division, the night of 9-10th August and ordered his soldiers to attack using only bayonets at down on the 10th of August. The attack succeeded and even the British Brigade Commander was among the dead. Upon the seizure of the land that would guarantee the security of the defense line, the order to dig-in and defend was given. The British operation that had been carried out with strong attack groups in high hopes on Ariburnu and the landings at Anafartalar were paralyzed and as in the other regions were brought to a standstill.

Thus the allied forces clearly saw that no possibility remained either of breaking the Turkish defense in the Dardanelles or of achieving any result in the Gallipoli Campaign, above all of achieving their ambition of taking Istanbul. On 20th December 1915 they ordered the evacuation of Ariburnu-Anafartalar and on the 9th January 1916 Seddulbahir.

Over 33000 allied and 86000 Turkish troops died in the eight-month Gallipoli campaign which achieved none of its objectives. A British royal commission later concluded that the operation had been ill-conceived. Gallipoli cost 8700 Australian dead and 19000 wounded. Large numbers of the dead have no known grave. The story of Anzac has had an enduring effect on the way Australians see themselves. Though the campaign was a failure, Anzac has come to stand, in the words of the official historian, C.E.W. Bean, "for reckless valour in a good cause, for enterprise, recourcefulness, fidelity, comradeship and endurance".

ANZACS

80 years ago Australians, fought against the Turks, alongside with the British Empire Army and Navy in the land of Turks, which is called Anatolia.

It marked the turning point for a young country, Australia, only 14 years after it had come into being. Unfortunately, the young Australian soldiers were sent to a war which was impossible to win. The defending side, Turks, were defending their land against major invading powers of the time. The spirit of the defenders were so high even an allied army of many nations could not break this defense.

This sorry event was not only a bitter story for the participating nations. But also indication of the emergence of two nations, Turks and Australians. Australia was a new sovereign state and this was the first battle they, Australians, fought. At the same time the Ottoman Empire, located in Anatolia was about to collapse and a new Turkish State, known as Turkey today, was about to emerge on this land.

Since then the land on which this fierce battle broke years ago became nearly a pilgrimage place for young and old Australians and also Turks. The cove where the Anzacs landed first during the hottest days of Gallipoli war, was renamed as Anzac Cove today by the Turkish Government.

The following article was written by one of the veterans for an Anzac Day ceremony in 1993;

"I have been fortunate to travel to Turkey on six occasions to visit Gallipoli on Anzac Day. There is no more touching dawn service than the one conducted in the Beach Cemetery at Anzac Cove. One of the great pleasures of the trip is mixing with the Turkish people. The Turks are very conservative and formal;  They dress almost invariably in suits and with their dark hair and shaggy mustaches appear very solemn. But when you explain you are Australian their faces light up with wonderful smiles, and you are overwhelmed with hospitality.

Surprisingly this warm relationship evolves from our involvement as antagonists in one of the most remarkable military campaigns ever conducted, the attempt by the allies to capture the Dardanelles in 1915.

Just the name Dardanelles has an evocative ring to it. This narrow strategic passage from the warm waters of the Mediterranean, through the sea of Marmara, and from there through the even narrower Bosphorus to the Black Sea, provides Russia's only year round ice free access to the worlds oceans, an access historically coveted by the Russians and a cause of the Crimean war (another British amphibious operation of disastrous magnitude). This waterway was also the historic crossing for invaders from Asia into Europe. At the narrows near Canakkale, known as Hellespont, the Persian King Xerxes built a bridge of boats to launch his invasion of Greece. Further back in time the Trojan war was fought at the entrance to the Dardanelles.

No wonder the classically educated members of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force felt a lifting of their spirits as they sailed into this historic setting early in 1915. They were further excited by the prospect of a dramatic strategic blow that might drive Ottomans out of the war and break the deadlock of trench warfare that was consuming the manhood and wealth of nations in France and Belgium with no sign of breakthrough.

Tragically, these high hopes could not override the difficulties of mounting an amphibious landing on a hostile shore, one of the most complicated operations of war. The gallant men of the British and French Empires were to pay a heavy price for a poor command structure, hasty operational planning and execution and totally inadequate logistic preparation and support.

We tend naturally to concentrate on the events at Anzac the subsidiary landing some 25 kilometers north of the main British landing at Cape Helles. We should not forget that both the British and the French suffered greater losses than the Australians and New Zealanders during the campaign. Nevertheless, it does have a special significance for us, because it was our first involvement in war as a separate nation and established our identity in the world as distinctly Australian. The performance of the Anzacs set a standard by which all Australian forces, down to the battalion currently serving in Somalia, are judged.

In saying this I do not claim it as a brilliant military achievement. Although the AIF had trained hard in Egypt, they were inexperienced in war. Confusion reigned in the early stages, mistakes were made, some leaders failed. But in this furnace of bitter, close-hand combat were forged traditions that have shone brightly ever since: courage, endurance, self-sacrifice, mateship, egalitarianism, initiative and leadership by example.

I will pass quickly over the key events of the campaign - the landing in the wrong location and assault inland over unknown terrain against a stiffening Turkish resistance; the establishment of a perimeter and its defense against heavy counter attacks; the months of stalemate through the heat of the summer with steady losses due to casualties and illness; the attempted breakout in August starting with the brilliant assault and bitter fighting at Lone Pine, the sacrifice of the light horse regiments at the Nek and the awe-inspiring achievement of the New Zealanders in capturing and holding the heights of Chunuk Bair, only to see the position lost in a last desperate Turkish counter-attack; more months of stalemate and at last in December the decision to evacuate, ironically the best planned and executed operation of the whole campaign but marking its ultimate failure and victory for the Turks.

Who were this gallant enemy, who share so much in the spirit of Anzac ? to the ignorant and untested diggers who landed on 25 April. They were "Unspeakable Turk" of the decaying Ottoman Empire.

A second-class enemy who would be quickly defeated. This illusion did not survive the landing which was strongly opposed by a Turkish company of perhaps 200 men, many form the local area. From the ferocity of the early fighting there developed a hatred of the Turks, fed on rumors of disfigurement of our dead, because the diggers did not appreciate the effects of mass rifle and machine gun fire on the human body. The massive Turkish counter-attacks on 19 May, pressed on despite heavy casualties, bred a reluctant respect. On 24 May a truce to bury the dead and recover wounded was negotiated. Diggers and Turks mingled on the battle field in these sad tasks. Gifts were exchanged and a mutual recognition of each others humanity was born. From that point there existed a common respect for each other, although the fighting was as fierce as ever. The Australians would throw tins of Jam across the narrow no-mans land in exchange for Turkish tobacco. Snipers competing in a deadly duel would signal misses as if on a firing range. In the final withdrawal many units left notes and gifts for the victorious Turks.

This mutual respect continued between the surrendered Turkish forces and the Australian military mission which returned to Anzac in 1919 to the dead and to record the campaign. Australians and Turks were not to meet again on the battlefield until Korea in 1952 when they were both serving under the United Nations mandate. Elaborate plans to celebrate Anzac Day together were disrupted by a major Chinese offensive in which the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, was awarded the US Presidential Citation for their defense of the village of Kapyong on the night 42 years ago.

How did this formidable Turkish Army emerge from a nation in political chaos. The corrupt, decadent and inefficient Ottoman Empire had been overthrown by a military junta known as the Young Turks, but they were ridden with factionalism and unable to spark the fire of nationalism. The inspiration came eventually from an obscure junior divisional commander, rallying his troops in the defense of the homeland. It is one of the many ironies of the Gallipoli campaign that the advance of the Anzacs on the day of the landing was opposed by one of the most dynamic military and political leaders of this century, colonel Mustafa Kemal, later to be immortalized as Kemal Ataturk, the "Father of the Turks". His division in reserve, he was ordered to send a battalion against the Anzacs. Kemal deduced that the landing was a major threat and dispatched a regiment, with the rest of his division to follow. Arriving on the vital heights of Chunuk Bair he found the Turkish defenders retreating, out of ammunition. He ordered them to fix bayonets and lie down. The Australian skirmish line faltered , and the chance was lost. For the rest of the day attack and counter-attack swept across the heights but the courage, determination and leadership of this inspired soldier held the line. In the assault on Lone Pine the Australians again threatened to break the Turkish defenses. Kemal drove reinforcements into the gap and five days of trench fighting as savage as ever experienced by Australians the Turks held them just 20 meters from the critical point of breakthrough.

Kemal inspired in his soldiers the burning fervor of nationalism. For the first time Mehmets, most of them simple peasants form Anatolia, were conscious of their identity as Turks. Defeat in war meant the loss of the old Ottoman Empire and Turkey withdrew to its natural boundaries. In 1921 a new threat emerged with an invasion of the Anatolian heartland threatening the new capital of Ankara. Kemal was again equal to the task. In a brilliant campaign he drove the invaders back to the Mediterranean coast and forced their evacuation. By the end of 1922 Turkey was united, and Kemal could, as president , reform the nation as a secular, democratic republic.

This formidable reputation of the Turkish soldier must account in part for the fact that Turkey, in a volatile part of the world and surrounded by potential enemies, stayed free of war until its UN contingent served in Korea. Their performance there confirmed their reputation and established that in thirty years of peace they had lost nothing of their fighting spirit.

Gallipoli has been a place of pilgrimage for Australians and New Zealanders for seventy years and the numbers visiting continues to grow. On each visit I encounter young Australians and New Zealanders; backpackers, hitchhikers; traveling in old London buses or Kombi Wagons, drawn to this location about which they know nothing except its importance in their Nation's History. The Anzac area has the status of a National Park and at each key point of the terrain here is a Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery. It is impossible to walk through these little cemeteries without shedding a tear for the loss, the waste of youthful hopes and potential.

Interestingly, until about ten years ago there were few major Turkish Memorials on the battlefield. It was after all only one of many in which Turks had sacrificed themselves in defense of the homeland. I have a theory that it was the constant stream of foreign visitors to Gallipoli that developed a Turkish consciousness that great deeds had been done.

Now splendid monoliths mark the key sites and a ceremonial area and museum have been established. The link with Australia was formalized in 1985 with the naming of Anzac Cove. You have all read the immortal words of Ataturk in the program for this occasion. These words carved on a stone wall of Anzac Cove are now a place of pilgrimage for Australians and Turks alike, and formally denote the link that will forever bind our two countries in the spirit of Anzac

ANZAC DAY

''Those heroes that shed their blood and lose their lives.....You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country. Thereforerest in pleace. There is no difference between the Johnnies andthe Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this countryof ours..... You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far awaycountries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in ourbosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on thisland they have become our sons as well''

M.Kemal ATATURK

Each year Australia commemorates the anniversary of Anzac  Day on the 25th of April as the day when Anzacs landed into the beaches of Gallipoli. The courage, honesty, endurance, resourcefulness and loyalty of Anzacs became an inspiration to this young nation.

Australians commemorate this day in Australia and overseas mainly at Anzac Cove (Gallipoli- Turkey -) each year with great proud and respect to his great sons of Anzacs. They recall that from the deeds and sacrifices of the Anzacs at Gallipoli there emerged a powerful sense of Australian identity.

In fact, the young Turkish soldiers on one side and the young Australian soldiers on the other, were both innocent victims of cruel and imperialist policies of the major super powers of the time. All the wars are unjustifiable and evil. But this one was also an unofficial announcement of the birth of two nations: Australians from a British colony and Turks from a collapsing Ottoman Empire.

Let us hope that the nations of the earth are emerging from the self-destructive practices of enmity and will build, in sunlight, a world of peace.