Show GUST 22 1915 ANALYSIS OF THE W WARThe WAR WARThe R The Dardanelles Camp Campaign By Frank H. H Simonds I At the outset of any discussion atthe of at the Dardanelles campaign it is la necessary necessary nee essary to describe the comparatively simple geographical circumstances stances of the battlefield The Gallipoli Peninsula Penin Penin- sula Bula Is 18 perhaps fifty fUty miles long extending extending ex ex- tending westward from th the European mainland mainland with the Dardanelles Straits at the south and the Gulf of Saros at atthe the north Were Vere l I Manhattan Island a peninsula its relation to the East River would bo be wholly similar to that of or the Gallipoli Peninsula to the Dardanelles But only the western tip of this peninsula has yet yot ot been involved In Inthe Inthe inthe the struggle To master the topography topo graphy graph of this Sir Ian Hamilton in his first report of operations has supplied sup supplied sup sup- I plied piled an au admirable figure Ho He compares compares compares com com- pares it to a badly worn boot Accept Ac Ac- this figure and nd the relation of ot the important d details to the main mainc c campaign can easily be set net forth f Thus the toe of the boot is the II western estern end of at the peninsula the extreme ex ox ox 1 J Jand point of which is 18 Cape Hellas and the notable feature is the town of Bahr the site of ot the Turkish Turkish Turk Turk- ish forts torts commanding the entrance to the straits and the scene cene of the first fighting lighting Eastward from Bahr along the solo sale of or the boot to the heel is slightly less Jess than ten miles and exactly exactly ex ex- at the heel is the narrow point in the Dardanelles commanded b by a cluster of or Turkish forts on th the Gallipoli Gal Peninsula and faced by others othe I Ion on the Asiatic shore I Objective of 0 Allies Allie No Now going east along the other shore of the peninsula at the point which corresponds ds to the an ankle de I la Is a curving bay begInning bay beginning at ot the hillot hill mil of ot Gaba and ending at Bay Bay Bay-a a stretch of ot three or four miles domina dominated led by the ride of Sari Bahr some some feet over the Gulf o of f Saros From Cape Hellas to Bay Day is perhaps twelve mile A AGaba At t Gaba the ankle the Gallipoli Peninsula is about five miles west a athe at atthe t the toe toe between Bahr and Cape Hellas less than two Now the objective of ot the Allied forces is the cluster of forts torts Just under the heel above the village of ot Bahr To reach this two to ways were open Troops could be landed along the shore of at tho the ankle from Gaba to Bay Day They could also ba landed at the toe from Cape Hellas to Bahr and Just under the toe at Morto Bay the Bay the best landing land land- landing ing place of at all but under fire from tram Turkish batteries on the Asiatic shore near the site of or Troy But east of at Cape as far Car as Gaba Tape Tepo the tho character of the coast was such as to make landing operations difficult and an effort here hero ended in relative failure Tho The first problem of the Allied command was to to get his troops ashore and he Was was obliged to tomake make a general attempt that is to fling tung his forces at every available landing places at once in order to avoid the destruction of or each separate landing party by the Turks who could easily concentrate overwhelming numbers at any threatened point point- It H is worth recording that the landing cost 15 15 casualties that is a number equal to the whole of the first American Amer Amer- American ican lean expedition to Santiago in 1898 Landing Parties Checked The landing was made mainly at atthe atthe atthe the t c from Cape Hellas to Bahr Meantime the French landed on the Asiatic side and for tor the moment moment moment mo mo- ment so engaged d the Asiatic batteries batter batter- ies les that Morto Motto Bay was occupied At the same time other parties were put ashore at the tho ankle above Gaba Gabo Tepo repe and below it on the instep east of Cape Hellas and Gaba Gabo Tope Tape But these thes est two landing landin parties were Instantly checked and until the last few days daya could make no progress whatever Once the main force was ashore it moved up the toe too of the boot a 1 line straight across the peninsula But after atter having pro- pro r d for some gome three miles mUes It reached tho the first t strong defensive position that of at Achl Achi Bab Baba Here Is t 1 lino of hills stretches straight the peninsula rising abruptly across eleva eleva- from tho ilia Gulf of Saros to toi an from tram the l Straits tion of at feet and to feet teet Midway across the peninsula pen pen- peninsula of the village o of and Just east of at is the dominating hill hm A Achi chi Baba Daba feet high this Coming east tram from the toe loe escar escar- position Is la reached by a sleep steep bythe bythe by bythe ment It was strong strongly y fortified forthe forthe for forthe the Turks It was impossible the guns of the fleet to be bo of ot much service Hen because the contour ot of the country compelled them to lie far lar out to get the necessary elevation Against this position the Allied forces moved on the first day after they landed but they were halted there and since the first check they have been unable to make any sub subS progress toward oward Strong Defenses Left Meantime a second force torce landed above Gaba was designed to tomoe move mo south across the ho th Instep thus arriving in the rear of the tho Achl Acid D Baba ba position and compelling the Turks to retire from It But Dut this force was no less promptly checked along the face of the Sari Bahr bill hill and has been unable to do anything but Jut hang on sinco It is only within the past few Cew days that a force landed furr further fur tur- ther up at bay bar has como come south along tho the ankle and begun to climb the Sari Bahr ridge But Dut If It the Sari Sorl Bahr Dahr ridge is taken taleen and the rear of oC the Achl Achi Baba position position tion threatened the Turks will still sun be able to fall CaU back to tho the main defensive de de- position west of P Pasha sha Dagh Dagli which is formed by a 0 confused mass massof massof massof of hills north of the heel and amI the forts forte of at Bahr Pasha Dash Dagh the dominating summit here Is feet high On all sides aldos this position rises from Crom deep ravines and it is fair to assume that It has been thoroughly thor fortified Peninsula Situation Briefly then the situation in the Peninsula Is this The landing party has moved cast east alon along tho the boot for or three miles and there has been checked Tho The check came I In the first days of Ma May and since alnee that time there has been only slight alight progress Incident to siege work The check cheek took place before beCore tho the first defensive line which still aUlL holds Bolds A second landing party getting ashore at the ankle has been held almost on the beach and is only Just beginning beginning begin begin- ning to progress toward the Ule rear of the first defensive position of the Turks If IC the Turks lose their first position I at itch Achi Achl Baba they still have the stronger Pasha Dagh position But if it they lose this then the forts on both the European and the Asiatic side are doomed because they are commanded by the landward hills on the Peninsula The Tho fall of at these forts torts will open the Straits and Constantinople cannot be defended against a hostile fleet neet Allies Allie Progress Slowly But Dut it t Is essential to remember that In four months the Allies have not progressed four tour miles mUes that most of ot tho the progress was made In the first rush that the country is admirably ad adapted to defence the hills are ire separated by steep ravines tho the fleet neet Is able to render only a limited amount of help and the thc whole allied torce force is within range of the Turkish heavy artillery Above all it is necessary nee nee- essary to remember that the Allies have lave not yet reached the main defensive de de- position of ot the Turks at Pasha Dagh which Is far tar stronger than the line at which they thoy have been seen halted As to the possibility of at cutting the Turkish line of communications By land the only line Une is Js the road coming from the east cast entering the Gallipoli Peninsula at the neck which is only about three miles wide But this neck Is strongly fortified Westward West West- Westward w ward rd the road follows the Dardanelles Dardanelles Dardan Dardan- elles shore and cannot be cut until the Allies AUles have got clear across the peninsula Even then there remains the water roote which is only partially partially par par- Interrupted by Allied submarine rine rifle operations Ammunition Problem The question of ot the number and the ammunition supply of or the Turks remains in doubt If It the ammunition is falling failing then Allied success is 18 in in- evitable It is hard to believe that Turkish numbers are yet et failing Calling and until they tall fall or the ammunition gives out the strength of at the Turkish Turk ish sh ish position is such as to make the prospect of or Allied success slight unless un un- unless less a n Bulgarian attack through Thrace draws off orf Turkish forces and ultimately reaches the Sea of Marmora Mar Mar- mora morn at as did that of ot 1912 thus cutting the tho landward route from Gallipoli to Constantinople This situation explains the Allied effort to persuade Bulgaria to lo enlist Turkish losses In the Caucasus about Gallipoli and in Egypt make it unlikely un um likely that the Turks would succeed now as they failed Caned at Lule Burgas in 1912 in checking Bulgar advance to the lh 0 But short of at such Buch an lD advance or the landing of a a. Greek or Italian expedition at Enos on m the Gulf of oC Saros which should I the same task it is hard to I ice see how the Allies can win while Turkish ammunition holds out 1 |