Osprey Campaign 8 : Gallipoli 1915 : Frontal Assault on Turkey

The Gallipoli expedition of 1915, the brainchild of Winston Churchill, was designed to knock the Turkish Empire out of the First World War and open a supply route to Russia. Although characterised by the most outstanding courage and determination on both sides, the campaign is also remembered for the military incompetence of the higher commands, particularly that of the Allies. This, combined with a lack of initiative on the part of more junior officers, meant that early opportunities such as the landing on the undefended 'Y' beach were not used to their full advantage, with the result that as on the Western Front, warfare at Gallipoli became stagnant trench-fighting. When, at last, the final evacuation took place from Helles on 8-9th January 1916, it could be seen that this was the most carefully organised and successful part of the entire campaign: instead of the estimated 40,000 casualties only two men were wounded. However, in spite of the bungling and incompetence of the Allied higher command, Gallipoli deserves to be, and is remembered not simply for it's failure, but also for the heroism and resourcefulness of both the British army and the men of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The ANZACS as these latter were called were hardy and often showed greater initiative than their 'pom' equivalents: their name will forever be associated with the Dardenelles campaign. Philip Haythornthwaite details the battles, hardships and eventual evacuation that these men had to go through. Both the contribution of the Royal Navy and the reaction of the Turks to the landings are also excellently covered in this comprehensive guide to the Gallipoli landings.

Contents

• Origins of the Campaign
• The Commanders
• The Opposing Armies
• The Naval Attack
• The Landings v The Battles of Krithia
• Stalemate
• Sari Bair
• Suvla
• Evacuation
• The Battlefield Today
• Chronology
• A Guide to Further Reading
• Wargaming Gallipoli