KRITHIA AND THE SOUTHERN PENINSULA
Worn out as his men were by Wednesday (the 28th) morning, almost deprived of sleep since the Saturday before, reduced by heavy loss, especially in officers, and calling in vain for reinforcements to fill up their ranks, Sir Ian resolved to press forward upon the Turks while they were still disorganised. At 8 a.m. a general advance was ordered, the 29th Division moving forward on the left and centre, with the deserted village of Krithia as objective, the French on the right aiming to reach the western or right slope of Kereves Dere, a broad and deep valley which runs down from the foot of Achi Baba and issues into the strait about a mile above De Tott’s Battery (Eski Hissarlik). Next to Seddel Bahr, the village of Krithia was the largest collection of houses upon the end of the Peninsula. It stands on the gradual slope leading up to Achi Baba, about four and a half miles from Cape Helles, whence its grey walls and squat windmills are distinctly visible. The land between the high plateau at Helles and the approaches to Achi Baba falls from both ends into a long and shallow scoop, like the inside of a flattish spoon. On the Ægean, or Xeros side, the rim of the spoon looks fairly complete, though in fact it is broken at the Gully Beach by the mouth of that long and hidden valley of Saghir Dere or Gully Ravine. On the side of the strait the rim is much less obvious, being broken at Morto Bay by the combined watercourses which drain the western and central slopes of Achi Baba, and farther north by the Kereves Dere. At the time of landing, the centre, or scoop of the spoon, was still bright with grass and aromatic plants. Olive trees were scattered over it, and here and there thin woods of stunted fir. At one spot, near the bottom of the curve, rose large trees like elms, which afforded a welcome grove of shade to the Royal Naval Division’s headquarters during the greater part of the campaign. On the whole, the French lines on our right were rather more thickly wooded than ours. At rare intervals stood the ruins of some isolated cottage, surrounded by a patch of cultivation for maize or vines.
Almost exactly down the centre ran the Krithia road from Seddel Bahr, having the “Achi Baba nullah,” which runs into Morto Bay, close on the right. Almost parallel to the road, at an average distance of 300 yards to the left or west side, runs the main or “Krithia” gully, which drains the greater part of the central scoop, and also issues into Morto Bay. A track, which became a road, ran beside this gully as far as a dividing-point, called “Clapham Junction,” where the trickle of water branched into East Krithia and West Krithia nullahs. Almost every yard of this wide scoop of land was fully exposed to the guns on Achi Baba, and some of it to the Asiatic guns as well. In consequence, as the campaign continued, it rapidly became covered with a network of trenches and dug-outs, looking like a vast graveyard, and terminating in an almost inextricable maze at the front, where it was checked by the Turkish system, equally elaborated. Except close to the front, however, transport and other communications were always carried on above ground; the grass was turned into sandy waste, and the paths into roads thick with dust. About half-way between Cape Helles and Krithia, the Peninsula was cut right across from sea to strait by the Eski or Old Line, which crossed the Gully Ravine near Gully Farm, and the Krithia nullah about 250 yards north of Clapham Junction, and ended about a third of a mile below the mouth of Kereves Dere.
ADVANCE OF APRIL 28
Over this slightly hollow plain, and these roads and gullies then unnamed, the advance of April 28 was made. The 87th Brigade led upon the left or seacoast flank, and penetrated rapidly over the open ground almost parallel to the Gully Ravine for nearly two miles. As the K.O.S.B. and S.W. Borderers had been separately engaged at Y and S Beaches, the Drake Battalion, R.N.D., took their place, the remainder of the brigade consisting only of the 1st Border Regiment and 1st Inniskillings. The 88th Brigade was on their right; the 86th, which had covered the first landings, was held in reserve under Colonel Casson (S.W. Borderers). In spite of weariness and the prolonged shock of battle, the relics of this unsurpassed Division advanced sturdily against increasing opposition; but by midday their progress was stopped. Small parties came within a short distance of Krithia, but the 86th Brigade reinforced them in vain. There is a human limit even for the bravest; ammunition ran short, and could not be brought up; and only a few guns had yet been landed. The brigades, accordingly, made a rough line conforming with the 88th in the centre, and the hope of reaching Achi Baba faded, though near fulfilment. The French on our right had reached the approaches to Kereves Dere, but an attempt to advance towards Krithia failed. In the afternoon the Turks counter-attacked with the bayonet, and the French line shook. A rapid retirement exposed the Worcesters to heavy loss on their right flank, and a line had to be rapidly secured from a point about three miles up the coast from Tekke Bornu to a point about a mile farther up the strait than De Tott’s Battery. Here it rested, and two days were spent in strengthening the defences and sorting out the confused battalions.
In order to encourage the worn-out divisions (for it was impossible for any soldiers to maintain the spirit of the first landing without flagging), Sir Ian issued the following order on April 29:
“I rely on all officers and men to stand firm and steadfastly to resist the attempts of the enemy to drive us back from our present position which has been so gallantly won.
“The enemy is evidently trying to obtain a local success before reinforcements can reach us; but the first portion of these arrive to-morrow, and will be followed by a fresh Division from Egypt.
“It behoves us all, French and British, to stand fast, hold what we have gained, wear down the enemy, and thus prepare for a decisive victory.”
A TURKISH COUNTER-ATTACK