The Battle of Anzac Cove

Gallipoli, 25 April 1915

3rd Infantry Brigade War Diary 

The following is a transcription of the War Diary of the 3rd Infantry Brigade, AIF, of their role in the landings at Anzac on 25 April 1915.

25 April 1915

4.15 am - Battleship tows landed under fire north of Gaba Tepe between Squares 224 L and G. Rushed heights near shore.

4.25 am - Destroyer tows begin to land under fire. Brigade ashore by 4.45 am when advance pushed on to high position Sq 224 M K B.

6 am - Above position taken and strengthened. Brigade considerably mixed but roughly in order 9th, 10th, 12th, 11th from right.

7 am - Reorganising to push on.

8 am - Counter attack repulsed.

2nd Infantry Brigade put in on right, 1st Infantry Brigade right and left.

2pm - New Zealand Brigade comes in to support left.

3 - 4 pm - Brigade holding on to position Square 224 N to I.

Heavy fighting - Mountain Battery supporting Brigade.

4 pm -  Enemy attacks die down under ships fire - spotting by aeroplane. Lieutenant Clare and Vowles at Brigade Headquarters spotting.

Brigade Headquarters at Square 224 I6.

6 pm - All orders to entrench and dig in for night. Ammunition supply working well. Indian mules especially.

Night 25/26 - All night counter-attacks, sniping by enemy.

Some of the Brigade relieved at about 8 pm, impossible to extenuate others.

Position at Map App 23.


26 April 1915

Brigade Headquarters, Signals Section still at 224 I4. A few more details relieved. These plus details from midnight formed up. Water and ammunition replenished.

This party called up at 4 pm to help 16th Regiment about Square 224 M6. Slight general advance between 4.30 -5.30 pm.

Heavy machine gun counter attack at 5.30. enemy held off.

6 pm - Note - Excellent messages from Major Denton 11th Battalion. Also good work by Major Salisbury 9th Battalion.

Original details of all Battalions still in front trenches.

6 pm - Brigade Headquarters and Signal Section relieved by 1st Brigade Headquarters. Details of 3rd Brigade came under charge of 1st Brigade.

App 24, 25 Congratulatory received.

Note - 2 New Zealand Battalion up in support.

Troops generally warned against ruses.

 

Further Reading:

The Battle of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915

The Battle of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915, 3rd Infantry Brigade, Roll of Honour 

The Battle of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915, AIF, Roll of Honour 

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EAST

Updated: Saturday, 10 April 2010 11:35 PM EADT

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The Battle of Anzac Cove

Gallipoli, 25 April 1915

2nd Infantry Brigade Signals - No. 3 

The following is a transcription of the Signal No. 3 of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, AIF, which forms part of a series which illustrates the chaos and problems experienced in executing their role in the landings at Anzac on 25 April 1915.

Aust Div

KB 9 25/4/15 AAA

Begins:

Brigade Headquarters about 224 R 5 AAA Am slowly prolonging to right along Main Ridge AAA Heavy firing at intervals continues in my centre AAA Brigadier and Major Villiers Stuart going forward to reconnoitre

Ends.

2 AIB

224 R5

9.54 am

Previous: 2nd Infantry Brigade Signals - No. 2

Next: 2nd Infantry Brigade Signals - No. 4

Further Reading:

The Battle of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915

The Battle of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915, 2nd Infantry Brigade, Roll of Honour 

The Battle of Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, 25 April 1915, AIF, Roll of Honour 

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EAST

Updated: Thursday, 8 April 2010 2:29 PM EADT

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NZMRB Sig Trp

New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade Signal Troop

Contents

Items

Outline

New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade Signal Troop, Outline

Roll of Honour 

New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade Signal Troop, Roll of Honour 

Lest We Forget

Further Reading:

New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade Signal Troop

New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade Signal Troop, Roll of Honour

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Citation: New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade Signal Troop, Contents

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EAST

Updated: Saturday, 29 January 2011 9:17 AM EAST

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Great War Issues

Lest We Forget - But We Did Anyway

Contents

This thread deals with those service personnel who gave their lives to the defence of Australia but have not been recognised. In addition, this thread deals with cases of injustice that are yet to see justice and other service personnel who have fallen between the cracks. By use of this thread, these people are remembered.

Items:

Died on Active Service but not Recognised to date

James Marshall, Died of Illness, 17 September 1914

Leonard Pitchers, Died of Accident, 13 October 1914   

 

Justice Denied

981 Private George William Pearson, medals denied

North Russian Campaign, 3153 Private Ernest Gaffey, recognition of his wounding denied

Further Reading:

Lest We Forget - But We Did Anyway

The Light Horse

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EAST

Updated: Saturday, 30 January 2010 5:05 PM EAST

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The Battle of the Suez Canal

Egypt, 28 January - 4 February 1915

Outline

[Click on map for larger version.]

Following Egypt's entry into the war in support of the British, considerations had to be made regarding two threats; the anti-British sentiment felt by many Arab citizens of Egypt and the possibility of attack from the Ottoman Army. The former threat was aggravated when the Ottoman empire declared hostility against the United Kingdom and the West, with the intention of stirring up Arab anger in Egypt and causing a revolt. The British countered this by removing the (anti-British) head of state Abbas Il Helmi and replacing him with Sultan Hussein Kamel.

As it happened there was a real military threat - the Fourth Turkish Army was preparing a force of 20,000 men under the command of the Ottoman Minister of the Marine Djemal Pasha to take or destroy the Suez Canal. Djemal Pasha was one of the Three Pashas who effectively controlled the Ottoman government. The attack on the Suez was suggested by Enver Pasha, the main leader of the Ottoman government.

To protect this strategic interest the British had by January 1915 assembled some 70,000 troops in Egypt. Major-General Sir John Maxwell, a veteran of Egypt and Sudan, was commander-in-chief and led mostly Indian divisions, as well as the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division, local formations and the I Anzac Corps. 30,000 of the troops stationed in Egypt manned defences along the Suez Canal. The Turks had only three available routes to reach the Suez Canal through the roadless and waterless Sinai Peninsula:

• a coastal advance that would have water supplies and usable tracks, but would be within range of Royal Navy warships
• a central course from Beersheba to Ismailia
• a southern track between El Kossaima and the Suez Canal

The central route was chosen as it would provide the Turkish soldiers with proper tracks to follow once they crossed the canal.

Two Turkish divisions plus one more in reserve, with camel and horse units, were ready to depart in mid-January. The advance across the Sinai took ten days, tracked all the way by British aircraft, even though German aircraft stationed in Palestine in turn aided the Ottomans and later flew some bombing missions in support of the main attack. The British observers had sighted the large column of troops on January 28 and British and French naval vessels took up positions in the canal and opened fire on the advancing Ottomans. Patrolling troops from each side clashed sporadically on February 2 but major action was prevented by a sandstorm.

The early hours of the following morning saw the main Turkish attack - with inflatable pontoons and rafts, the Turkish made their way to the eastern bank of the canal and into the water, to be met by Anglo-Indian machine gun fire which cut the advancing ranks of boats to ribbons and tore through the massing Turkish troops on the water's edge. Panic soon ensued and many Turkish troops surrendered, dashing any hopes of the attack succeeding.

At 6a.m. a second attack was launched, this time with diversions being carried out north of the crossing point. The attack was checked by the defending British troops and the gunnery of the British and French ships in the canal. By 3a.m. the Turks attack had petered out and failed and a full withdrawal was effected. The thirsty Turkish troops retreated to Beersheba, free from molestation by British forces.

The attack on the Suez Canal was a failure, taking 1,500 Turkish lives with it and showing that there was apparently little interest in Egypt for an Arab revolt against the British. A larger force with more sufficient supplies would be required for any further Turkish attacks on Egypt (see the Battle of Romani for the details of that attack). The British, although successful, came to the realization that it was too risky to rely on the Canal itself as a defence line.

The German General Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressenstein (Djemal Pasha's Chief of Staff) led a small Turkish force over the rest of the year, conducting raids against the Canal defenders. The idea was to keep British attention on the Ottoman army and try to increase the standing forces in Egypt (and thus decrease available manpower for offensives such as Gallipoli). In this, the Ottoman army achieved its objective because the British did keep far more forces here than they expected at the start of the war.

[From: The Australasian, 13 March 1915, Picture Supplement p. 8.]

Further Reading:

Where Australians Fought, Sinai, 1916-1917

Light Horse Battles

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Citation: The Battle of the Suez Canal, Egypt, 28 January - 4 February 1915, Outline

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EAST

Updated: Friday, 28 January 2011 8:34 AM EAST

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