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| A. View of Cape Helles from Achi Baba |
Image A was taken near the peak of a 600-ft. hill known as Achi Baba. Six miles in the distance are the invasion beaches of Cape Helles. The troops landing on those beaches were supposed to advance to this point and capture the nearby village of Krithia within a day of landing. Image A gives the impression that the advance would be made up a gently sloping rise.
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| B. Typical Terrain of the Battles for Krithia |
Image B gives an up-close view of the undulating ground. The sector is further complicated by four cuts or ravines crossing it. The most famous of these, Gully Ravine, will be visited at the next stop.
Allied forces never reached either Krithia or Achi Baba. There were six attempts between 28 April and 12 July, the largest of which are known as the three battles of Krithia. The earliest of these attacks was met with incredibly fierce Turkish resistance and shattered the wishful thinking of the invaders that their opposition would simply dissolve before a determined assault.
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| C. Turkish Monument and Memorial at Cape Helles |
Key Dates for the Helles Sector:
Apr 25: Initial Landings on Five Helles Beaches
Apr 28: First Battle of Krithia
May 6–8: Second Battle of Krithia
June 4: 3rd Battle of Krithia
June 21: French advance on right flank
June 28: Successful British advance on left flank (image B of Gully Ravine)
July 2–5: Series of strong but unsuccessful Turkish attacks at Helles
July 12–13: Final major Allied attack at Helles over 2km front
August: Suvla sector becomes main focus of Gallipoli Campaign
Oct 3: 2nd French Division leaves for Salonika
Dec 7: British Government orders evacuation of Gallipoli
Jan 9: Helles evacuation completed, marking end of Dardanelles/Gallipoli Campaign
Reminds me of the multiple Battles of the Isonzo between 1915 and 1917.
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