Second Battle of Krithia
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Second Battle of Krithia | |
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Part of The Krithia, Gallipoli, Ottoman Empire 40°04′44″N 26°12′14″E / 40.07889°N 26.20389°E | |
Result | Ottoman victory |
Antoine Masnou
Erich Weber
72 guns
The Second Battle of Krithia (
Prelude
Forces
Following the failure of the
Other British reinforcements included brigades from the
The Ottomans and their German officers had also been reinforcing their defences around Krithia. Trenches and machine guns positions were hidden and camouflaged by design and placement.[5] According to
- 1/ and 2/29th Regt (10th Div),
- 2/56th Regt. (15th Div),
- 2/19th Regt. (7th Div),
- 1/ and 4/26th Regt. (9th Div), and
- 15th Regt. (5th Div).
The infantry actually in front of Krithia on 8 May comprised:
- 2/25th Regt. (9th Div),
- 1/20th Regt. (7th Div), and
- 2/56th Regt. (15th Div).
The Ottomans had seven field-batteries positioned on either side of Achi Baba, as well as a six-gun battery of 4.7 in (120 mm) howitzers.[6]
Terrain
While
Plan
Like the first battle, the plan was for a general advance on a broad front across the peninsula. The attack was divided into three phases. The first phase involved a general advance of one mile across the entire front which would place the
In the end, after three days of fighting, the Allies would abandon the battle without even completing the first phase. In fact, the greatest advance achieved was a mere 600 yd (550 m). The plan was made despite the fact that the British had no clear idea where the Ottoman fortifications were. There was as yet no continuous system of trenches and aerial reconnaissance had failed to locate the defences. Consequently, the preliminary bombardments that were made before each advance were utterly ineffectual. Hunter-Weston also insisted that the attacks be made in broad daylight, fearing that an attack under the cover of darkness would become confused.[8] Having failed with this approach once during the first battle did not deter Hunter-Weston, and as the second battle progressed he would remain undeterred.
Battle
The Allied advance began later than scheduled, around 11:00 on 6 May, and was swiftly halted by strong Ottoman resistance. The 88th Brigade of the 29th Division advancing on Fir Tree Spur managed to capture Fir Tree Wood, and the 6th (Hood) Battalion of the
On the morning of 8 May, the 88th Brigade in front of Krithia on Fir Tree Spur was relieved by the
Despite their predicament, Hunter-Weston ordered the New Zealanders, including the Otago Battalion in reserve, to resume that attack at 17:30. The brigade commander, Colonel Francis Johnston, protested but Hunter-Weston insisted the attack proceed. However, General Sir Ian Hamilton, commander of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, who had landed at Helles to oversee the battle, ordered a general advance to be made at 17:30 along the entire front with the aim of capturing Krithia and Achi Baba.[9]
The Australian 2nd Infantry Brigade, under the command of
The New Zealand brigade made another attempt to cross the Daisy Patch, and some troops managed to actually sight the Ottoman trenches. On the right, the French resumed their advance at 18:00 and made good progress, reaching the Ottoman trenches on Kereves Dere. They managed to capture and hold Bouchet Redoubt but were forced back everywhere else.
Aftermath
About ⅓ of the Allied soldiers who fought in the battle became casualties. General Hamilton could ill-afford such losses as they made it difficult enough to hold the little ground he had, let alone continue to capture more. The poor planning of the battle extended to the medical provisions for the wounded which were woeful. The few stretcher bearers that were available often had to carry their burdens all the way to the beach as there was no intermediate collecting station with wagon transport. The hospital ship arrangements were also inadequate so that once the wounded were taken off the beach they would have trouble finding a ship prepared to take them on board.
With the failure of the second battle, Hamilton made a request to the British
Notes
References
- Bean, Charles (1941) [1926]. The Story of ANZAC from 4 May 1915, to the Evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsula. OCLC 220051990.
- Gariepy, P. (2014). Gardens of Hell: Battles of the Gallipoli Campaign. Potomac Books Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-61234-683-0.
- Sellers, L. (1993). The Hood Battalion: Royal Naval Division: Antwerp, Gallipoli, France 1914–1918. Pen & Sword Select. Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-4738-1941-2.
Further reading
- Austin, Ronald (1989). The White Gurkhas: the 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade at Krithia, Gallipoli. ISBN 0-7316-5323-8.
External links
- Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, No. 46, 27 May 1915, pp. 981–982 (online version at the National Library of Australia)
- The Age, 18 June 1915, p. 10 (online transcript at the National Library of Australia)
- Major Fred Waite: New Zealanders at Gallipoli. Whitecomb and Tombs Limited 1919, Chapter 9 – Battle of Krithnia (Online-Version (New Zealand Electronic Text Center))
- 2nd Battle of Krithia at firstworldwar.com