Battle of Sari Bair
— World War I — Battle of Gallipoli
| Battle of Sari Bair | |||||||||||||||||
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| Conflict | World War I | ||||||||||||||||
| Date | August 6 - August 29, 1915 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place | Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey | ||||||||||||||||
| Result | Turkish victory | ||||||||||||||||
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The World War I battle for the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey had raged on two fronts, Anzac and Helles, for three months since the invasion of April 25. With the Anzac landing a tense stalemate, the Allies had attempted to carry the offensive on the Helles battlefield at enormous cost for little gain. In August, the British command proposed a new operation to reinvigorate the campaign, which became known as the Battle of Sari Bair or the August Offensive. The aim was to seize control of the Sari Bair ridge, the high ground that dominated the middle of the peninsula.
The main operation started on August 6 with a fresh landing 3 miles north of Anzac at Suvla Bay in conjunction with the Anzacs mounting an attack north into the rugged country alongside the Sari Bair range with the aim of linking with the Suvla landing and capturing the high ground. At Helles, the British were now to remain largely on the defensive.
Prelude
For this offensive the Allied commander, Sir Ian Hamilton, was provided with three British New Army divisions; the 10th (Irish) Division, the 11th (Northern) Division and the 13th (Western) Division — all previously untried in battle.
The Battle
Anzac
The attack from the Anzac perimeter was directed against two peaks of the Sari Bair range; Chunuk Bair and Hill 971. Under the overall command of General Godley, the attacking force included the New Zealand and Australian Division, the British 13th Division plus a couple of extra infantry brigades.
The plan was for two assaulting columns to march out of Anzac on the night of August 6. The right-hand column, comprising the New Zealand Infantry Brigade under Brigadier General Francis Johnston, would head for Chunuk Bair. The left-hand column heading for Hill 971 contained the Australian 4th Infantry Brigade (Monash) and the 29th Indian Brigade (General Vaughn Cox). Both objectives were expected to be captured by dawn.
To distract the Turks from the impending offensive, on August 6, at 5.30 pm, an attack was made at Lone Pine by the infantry brigades of the Australian 1st Division. While the attack was ultimately successful in capturing the Turkish trenches, it was counterproductive as a diversion as it attracted reinforcements to the north.
The right column heading for Chunuk Bair had a simpler navigation task as their route was to some degree visible from the old Anzac perimeter. In what became known as the Battle of Chunuk Bair, the New Zealanders were unable to capture the peak by morning but managed the feat the next day. However, the Allies were unable to adequately reinforce their hold on the peak which was recaptured by the Turks in a massive counter-attack.
The left column's journey through the tangled ravines was doomed to failure and, having become lost and confused, it never got close to the objective of Hill 971.
On the morning following the breakout, a number of other attacks were planned within the old Anzac perimeter. The most notorious being the attack of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade at The Nek.
Hill Q.
With Hill 971 out of reach, the left column's objective became a low rise called 'Hill 60' which overlooked the Suvla battlefield. Control of this hill would allow the Anzac and Suvla landings to be joined. On August 21 the Anzacs and Indian troops launched an assault on Hill 60 while the British attacked Scimitar Hill from Suvla. The Battle of Hill 60 lasted for eight days and while the summit of the hill was eventually reached, the Allies were unable to completely dislodge the Turkish defenders so the position became part of the new front line that was to remain static for the remainder of the campaign.
See Also: Battle of Lone Pine — Battle of the Nek — Battle of Chunuk Bair — Battle of Hill 60
Suvla
The Suvla landing was made by the British IX Corps, under the command of the aged Lieutenant General Sir Frederick Stopford who had retired in 1909 and had never commanded men in battle. His corps comprised the British 10th and 11th Divisions. At the time of the landing on August 6 the British were confronted by three Turkish battalions spread thinly about the immediate area. Three Turkish divisions were in reserve at Bulair and would have to march a considerable distance to reach Suvla.
The 11th Division landed on the night of August 6. The 10th Division would land the following morning. The original objectives were the capture of the ridge lines to the north and east and the line of hills to the south. However, Stopford's timorous nature and Hamilton's failure to exert his will on his subordinate commanders meant the objectives were diluted to little more than securing the beach. Failure to quickly capture the high ground at Suvla meant that, as was the case at Anzac, the landing developed into a seige.
See Also: Battle of Scimitar Hill