Gallipoli 5. The ANZACs mission for 25th April and beyond

Today is ANZAC day, the 100th anniversary of the landing at Ari Burnu, known to posterity as ANZAC Cove.

Landing craft at ANZAC Cove 25 April 1915

The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (originally named the Australasian Army Corps) was formed from volunteers in November 1914, as the British Empire was scoured for troops for the Western Front. The shortened name ANZAC soon came into being. It was convenient for clerical staff and administrators and allegedly short enough to fit on to a rubber stamp. Its first commander, General William Birdwood, and other senior officers were moved from posts in the British India Army to take control. Birdwood was one more highborn English general. He had served on the staff of Kitchener during the Boer War. The ANZACs set sail for England and their training on Salisbury Plain, but were diverted to warmer climes in Egypt via the Suez Canal.

Following brief training in Egypt under Hamilton's overall direction, they set off for their immortal landing and campaign at Gallipoli

Landing craft being towed to Gaba Tepe

Further north from the carnage at V and W beaches of Cape Helles, and on the west side of the peninsula, the landing force of the Australia and New Zealand Corps was being transported eastwards from the Aegean Island of Lemnos. They were raw, and had received very little training for the difficult landing that was envisaged. Nevertheless, optimism ruled, and following a successful landing their orders were to cross right over to the eastern side of the peninsula, near the Kilid Bahr heights, to link up with British and French forces advancing from the South. Of course they never got there. Their task was not helped by the northerly drift of their landing craft, which brought them to shore well to the north of the intended spot. They grounded at Ari Burnu, what became known as ANZAC Cove. Although this was helpful for the landings, as the Turkish defence

Ari Burnu, immortalised as ANZAC Cove

was stronger to the south near Gaba Tepe, the terrain was much more difficult. 12,000 troops were landed there by the end of 25^th.  Mustapha Kemal Bey was the commander of the Turkish defence at the southern end of Gallipoli, and he quickly realised the significance of these landings, and called desperately for reinforcements to hold them to the beaches.

For three hectic days the ANZAC attempts to advance continued and were fought off. By the evening of 28^th an uneasy stalemate prevailed and the beleaguered allied strongholds remained separated from each other. 

General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston.
Described by Haig as a "rank amateur",
'Bunter-Hunter' exemplifies the 'Donkey-
General' label

In the south east, from S beach, an incursion inland by British and French troops commanded by Hunter-Weston (see left) became known as the First Battle of Krithia (Gallipoli's equivalent to Ypres, it would soon have 2nd and 3rd brutal battles). Deprived of the reinforcements they needed from Egypt or England, more time was lost while the front line commanders appealed to Kitchener. Late on 28^th he agreed to dispatch an Indian Brigade and a Territorial Division from Egypt. Those 13,000 men might have made a big difference, but they did not arrive until early May, whereas Turkish reinforcements were appearing all the time. By 1^st May the Turks were ready to counter attack. For three days they did so, without repulsing the invaders, and then by 6-8^th May the badly needed reinforcements were arriving from Egypt, enabling the Allies to go again on to the offensive, with 50,000 men attacking 30,000 Turks. Once more, losses were severe for very little gain on either side. From 25/4 to the end of this stage of the campaign on 8^th May, the British had lost 15,000 men and the French a further 4,000. Nothing could now be done without yet further replacements other than to dig in and hold on. A further month would pass before the next phase. The various allied beach heads were separated from each other, and none had been able to gain any of their positional objectives.