THE ANZAC LANDING.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 April 1922, Page 4

THE ANZAC LANDING.

THE STORY OF 1015.

(By Captain David Ferguson, AI.C.) ! '(Canterbury Regiment). :|

The orders for the attack on the Peninsula provided that the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps should land at “Z” Beach, between Gaba Tepe . and Fisherman’s Hut, and capture the ridge over which ran the Gallipoli-■ Maides and Boghali-Koja Here roads. > The Australian Division was to land before the New Zealand and Australian Division, and was to provide a party,, consisting of the 3rd Australian Brigade, to effect the first landing, and to i-over the disembarkation of the remainder of the Corps.

The transports carrying the Australian Division sailed out of Mudros Bay on the afternoon of April 24th, and reached the rendezvous, off the coast of the Peninsula, at 1.30 a.m. on the 25th. Here, 1,500 troops of the 3rd Australian Brigade, who had made tlie voyage on H..M.S. Queen, London, and Prince of Wales, were transferred to the boats of those ships and taken in tow by them. The remaining 2,500 troops of the covering force were at the same time transferred from their transports to six destroyers. The battleships and destroyers then proceeded inshore, and when about a mile and a quarter oil' the coast the battleships dropped the tows, which moved on towards the beach.

To quote Sir Jail Hamilton’s despatch of .May 20th, 1015: “All these arrangements worked without hitch, and were carried out in complete orderliness and silence. No breath of wind ruffled the surface of the sea, and every condition was favorable save for the moon, which, sinking behind the ships, may have silhouetted them against its orb, betraying them thus to the watchers on the shore.

“A rugged and difficult part of the coast had been selected for the landing, so difficult and rugged that I considered the Turks were not at all likely to anticipate such a descent. Indeed, owing to the tows having failed to maintain their exact direction, the actual point of disembarkation was more than a mile north ol that which T had selected, and was more closely overhung by sleeper dills. Although this accident increased the initial difficult of driving the enemy oil the heights inland, it has since proved itself io have been a blessing in disguise, inasmuch as the actual base ol (he force of occupation has been unit'll heller defiladed from shell-lire. ••The beach on which the landing was actually effected is a very narrow strip of land, about 1,01)0 yards in length, hounded on the north and south by two small promontories. At its southern extremity a dec]) ravine, with exceedingly steep scrub-clad sides, runs inland in a north-easterly direction. Near the northern end of the lunch n small but strep gully runs up into the hills at right angles to the shore. Between tie ravine and Hie gnllv the w hole < f the l.eaeli is, hacked by the seaward face of the spur which farms the north-western side ol the ravine. From the top of the spur the ground falls almost sheer, except near the southern limit of the beach, vliere

gi utler slopes give access to the mouth of the ravine behind. Eiirther inland lie in a tangled knot the under-features of Sari Bair, separated by deep ra- •. ines, which make a most confusing diveisity of direction. Sharp spurs, covered with dense scrub, and lulling away in many (daces in precipitous sandy cliffs, radiate from the principal mass of the mountain, from which they run north-west, west, south-west, and south to the coast.

‘ The boats approached the land in the silence and the darkness and they v,ere close to th<> shore before the enemy stirred. Then about one battalion of the Turks was seen running along the bench to intercept the lines of the boats. At this so eiifical a moment, the conduct of all ranks was: most praisewot thy. Not a word was spoken everyone remained perfectly orderly, and quietly waiting the enemy’s lire, which sure enough opened, causing run ii v casualties. The moment the

boats touched land, the Australian’s turn laid come. Like lightning they leapt ashore, and each man as lit* did so went straight as his havonet to the enemy. So vigorous was the onslaught that the Turks made no effort to withstand it, and (led from ridge to ridge pursued by the Australian Infantry.”

])j reel !y the boats had landed the first party of 1,500, they returned to the destroyers, which had meanwhile stood further inshore, and disembarked the remaining troops of the did Australian Brigade. The Ist and 2nd Australian Brigades followed, and were all disembarked by 2 p.m. .Meanwhile, the tir.st transports of the New Zealand and Australian Division bad not left Lemnos till 1 a.in. on the 2olh, and the Goslnr, carrying the New Zealand Brigade Headquarters, did not leave till 0 a.m. on the same day. The Uutzow, on which wore the Headquarters and the Ist and 2nd Companies of the Canterbury Battalion, arrived at 7 a.m. off Anzne Cove (as. the landing place of the Corps was henceforth known), Imt owing to the confusion caused by the alteration of the place of landing, and the casualties incurred by the Navy, the first troops of the battalion did not leave the ship till 10 a.m. Disembarkation was completed by about 12.30 p.m. and although the landing was made under shrapnel fire no casualties were incurred.

Owing to the facts that Colonel l l '. 7£. Johnston, commanding the New Zealand Brigade was temporarily indisposed, and that the Goslar with the headquarters staff of the same brigade had not yet arrived off the landing place, Brigadier-General 11. B. Walker, D. 5.0., Brigadier-General on the General Stall of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, took command of the brigade for the time being. On lauding, the 3rd Australian Brigade had spread out fanwise, and crossing the ridge the east and south-east of An/.ae Cove (.MacLagan’s Bulge) had fought its way to the south eastern side of Shrapnel Gully, which lay be- , yornl the edge. The brigade was reinforced on its right and centre by the two remaining brigades of the Australian Division, and throughout the day a line of posts was being established from the sea, about n mile south of the landing place, along the ridge on the south-east side of Shrapnel Gully as

far as 'Pope’s Hill, about fifteen hundred yards cast of Ari Burnu. From here to a point on the shore about hall a mile north of Ari Burnu, the line was very weakly held by a few tioops *4 the 3rd Australian Brigade; in fact j there was a gap of some hundred yards between the left of the line and the sea. The 2nd Australian Battalion of the Ist Brigade apparently went nstray as it took up a position on the lower slopes of Walker’s Ridge near the sea, instead of going with the iesl of the Brigade, to Shrapnel Gully. The., first troops of the New Zealand Brigade to land were, , tljc Auckland Battalion, at noon, and the headquarters and Ist. and 2nd Companies of the Canterbury Battalion, at 12.30 p.m. These were immediately ordered to reinforce the. left flank of the 3rd Australian Brigade, and to iill the gap between that flank and the sea. W hilc the order was in process of being carried out, the two Canterbury Companies became separated on Pluggc s Plateau, a quarter of a mile east of the beach. There was great confusion, as the men of the various companies bad not only become mixed with one another, but in some cases had attached themselves to the Auckland and various Australian Battalions, while Aucklanders and Australians were picked U]> by tire officers commanding the various Canterbury parties.

Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart with the 2nd Company got well forward, and took it]) a position on the upper portion of Walker’s Ridge, which ran northcast from near Pope’s Hill down to the sea. They immediately became involved in heavy fighting, and Lieuten-ant-Colonel Stewart, going back to bring up reinforcements, collected a large party of Australians, and was killed while exposing himself in. leading them up to the firing line. There the 2,nd Company and the Australian reinforcements repulsed with the bayonet three Turkish attacks, and then withdrew slightly to more sui'nhle ground, where they dug in. Two platoons of the Ist Company went east from the Plateau and reached the bring line at Quinn’s and Courtney’s Posts. The other two platoons were held in reserve on the Plateau : one of them, later in the day. was taken by Captain Critehley-Salmonson to till a gap on the, left Hank, wheie Walker’s Ridge ran down to the sea coast. Two sections of the remaining

platoon were engaged in carrying ammunition to the Australians on the right, and on reaching the firing line were kept there and were very badly cut up.

The transport carrying the 12th and 13'li Companies did not arrive at its anchorage off Anzac till 5 p.m. and these companies on landing acre immediately dispatched to the lower slopes of Walker’s Ridge, which they reached at about 0.30 p.m. The night was spent in consolidating the position under .heavy fire and in the face of several infnntrv attacks.

At the close of the day the question of ro-omharkalion was seriously dis-ens'-ed at Corps Headquarters, hut General Birdwooil pointed out the difficulty of the operation, and decided to wait long enough to enable the position to stabilise. The above is a very hare outline of the day’s events, but the whole operation was a very confused one. and the accounts of eye-witne-se.s do not help tii make it clearer. It must he leincmliered that the elaborate ordets to which officers were accustomed la*or . in France, assigning a if linito role to each company, and even to each platoon, could not lie issued in an undertaking of this nature. In the absence of piovious leeonnais.inee of the country, which was of course impossible, elaborate plans would have led to confusion rather than they would have IClpod those entrusted with the task of carrying them out. In any ease, owing to the landing taking place further north titan was intended, such plans would have proved useless. All that could be dome was lor the Divisional Commanders on the spot to issue their orders to meet the needs of the moment. The orderly landing of live brigades on a beach blit a thousand yards long, backed by precipitous hills two hundred feet high would even under peace conditions prove a dillieiilt leal ; when it is considered ilinL this was done in the face of the enemy, it is not surprising that a great deal of confusion arose. Again, alter the landing was successfully carried out, the troops had to attack, over precipitous country totally strange to them, an enemy who was invisible to the. them, and who was established in formidable del’en.-ive pasi-

The difficult nature of the country is testified to by the fact that many wlm took part in the lighting were unable afterwards to recognise the route over which they had travelled, in spile ol the fact that the area of the country occupied at Anzne for the first three months was under a mile and a hall long, and twelve hundred and fitly yards across al its broadest. The casualties of the Canterbury Battalion, for the day of the landing alone, show the desperate nature of the lighting. They are: Officers Other ranks Killed 3 21 Wounded 2 37 Missing 1 100 6 208

Lieutenant Colonel D. Mcß Stewart •Major D. Grant, Lieutenant ( • C. Bar clay, wine the tluee oflicers killed.

During the afternoon of the —.bill, the Otago Battalion landed and was held in Brigade support on Plugge’s Plateau, and the Wellington Battalion and three battalions of the -Ith Australian Brigade came ashore during the night of the 25th-2(ith. Two Australian Battalions were sent to veinforce the tiring line on the right ol the New Zealand Brigade, where the 3rd Australian Brigade troops were present in such small numbers that there was practically a gap in the lines. A company and a half of the 'Wellingtons were sent to Walker’s Bidge, and the remainder of the battalion with the 13th Australian Battalion, were held in Divisional reserve on the beach.

Up tilt this time the infantry had bad as artillery support, beyond the guns of the warships, only one mountain battery (the 21st) and one field gun of the Australian Divisional Artillery. Neither these few held guns nor the naval guns were able, on account of their flat trajectory, to tiring their lire to bear on the enemy artillery, most of which was firing from deep gullies inaccessible to the tiro of

anything but howitzers. The result was that, though the guns of the ileet I and the few guns ashore were able to' give valuable assistance in repulsing enemy infantry attacks -they eoulcl not, silence the enemy howitzers, which con- j tinuallv harrassod , our bring line. So j serious were the effects of the enemy shell-fire that the Commander of the j New Zcajand Brigade informed the Divisional Commander .that it the line was to he Isold more field guns would have to he,, landed during the night of the 25th-2Gth. The situation was imI proves] by, the landing of the New /jCUland Howitzer Battery on the 2oth. On the morning ol the 2(ith, the enemy’s guns again opened sin accurate lire on the firing line, Plugge s Plateau, and the bench. The guns of the .Mountain Buttery on shore replied, and the burst of their. -shrapnel enabled! the Queen, Nli/.aheth to pick up thentargets. The, effect'of the gunlire from the battleship was to silence tne enentybs batteries for several hours. During tlie morning the whole ol the Canterbury Battalion was concentrated on Walker’s Midge, and the companies were rc-organised as well as possible, though there were still numbers ol the men "of the battalion astray with other battalions. At 2 p.m. the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Australian Battalion asked for reinloicements to be sent to bis left flank, which was being attacked. The 12th Cemp’-ny was scut; hid while advancing to the required poi-<-tion it was checked by the withdrawal of two Australian platoons Com tie Midge. The 12th Company went torward and by tid’d) p.m. had lv-establish-cd the line. During the night the position was strengthened by hard dig-

fjjlllg. ... The Aii/nt-s remained mi tic Gallipoli Peninsula till 20th December, when i, wonderful retreat was effected. In the interval between the landing and the evacuation, there was much nard lighting under very trying conditions, and the losses were consider'able.