FAILURE AT SCIMITAR HILL
This unsuccessful attempt to capture the hill so ominously known as “Scimitar,” and occupied, it may be remembered, without opposition by a single battalion on Sunday evening, August 8, cost little less than 6500 casualties. Most of the loss fell on the 29th Division, but the Yeomanry lost nearly 1000 of their small force, and among the killed were Brigadier-General F. A. Kenna, V.C. (formerly of the 21st Lancers), Brigadier-General the Earl of Longford (formerly of the 2nd Life Guards), whose body was never found, and Sir John Milbanke, V.C. (formerly of the 10th Hussars), commanding the Sherwood Rangers.[207] The failure of the attempt had proved that even when acting in combination with the finest Regulars, inexperienced and untried brigades cannot be hurried into the firing lines of an important attack without risk of confusion or collapse. For neither in officers nor in men had the sense of leadership, confidence, or even of direction been trained into an instinct strong enough to bear the strain of the shocks and confused impressions inevitable to a violently opposed advance.
On the south or Anzac side of the broad valley leading up to Biyuk Anafarta, the action was far more successful. The main object in this region was to secure complete possession of the Kaiajik Aghala, that rough and intersected ridge partly occupied by the 4th Australian Infantry Brigade during the general attack upon Sari Bair a fortnight earlier. That brigade, reduced to some 1500 men, now held a position separated by a deep creek from the main ridge, the whole of which, and especially the broad and flattish eminence at the northern extremity, had been occupied by the Turks and strongly fortified. The white lines of their trenches were visible from Suvla and the whole district, the earth being whitish there, as though mixed with chalk. The eminence, which we knew as Hill 60, was chequered with these lines, and resembled the back of a large tortoise with the markings picked out in white. It was, indeed, converted into a fortress commanding the broad and flattish valley between it and W Hill about one and a half miles away. As before explained, the possession of Hill 60 was essential for the security of communication between Anzac and Suvla. If W Hill had been occupied, Biyuk Anafarta and the northern approaches to Koja Chemen Tepe would also have lain open.
ATTACK ON KABAK KUYU WELLS
Only a short distance west of Hill 60, just where the ridge begins to rise from the plain, two wells called Kabak (or Kaba) Kuyu are situated, equally desirable to the enemy and to ourselves. These also the Turks had strongly fortified, and our first stroke was to seize them. Major-General Sir Herbert Cox, who was in command of the whole movement, had at his disposal his own Indian Brigade, two regiments (Canterbury and Otago) of New Zealand Mounted Rifles, a mixed force of the 4th Australian Infantry Brigade, the 4th South Wales Borderers (40th Brigade, 13th Division), the 5th Connaught Rangers, and the 10th Hampshires (both of the 29th Brigade, 10th Division, now under Lieut.-Colonel Agnew).[208] His guns were commanded by Brigadier-General Napier Johnston. He arranged his line so as to have the 5th Gurkhas in the open ground on his extreme left, guarding the communication with Suvla, the Connaught Rangers in the centre opposite the wells, the New Zealanders under Brigadier-General Russell to the right of them, the Hampshires in support of the Australians who attacked on the right, and the remainder in reserve. After a preliminary but insufficient bombardment, the advance began about 3.30 p.m. on August 21, almost exactly at the same time as the attack upon Scimitar Hill across the broad valley.
The moment the guns ceased, the Connaught Rangers, who were finely commanded throughout by Lieut.-Colonel Jourdain, issued from a ravine in the maze of Damakjelik Hill, where they had lain concealed all day. “With a yell like hounds breaking covert,” they dashed forward by platoons in line. They had nearly 400 yards to run, and the ground was open. A terrible fire from the parapets around the wells and from the slopes of Hill 60 itself met them at once. Without firing a shot in answer, they charged forward with bayonets level. It was a race which a young officer won—an International football player for Ireland. The Turks stood the wild onset, but not for long. In a few minutes they had died or escaped; the wells were ours, the communications cleared. A reserve company charged still farther forward to assist the New Zealanders at the foot of Hill 60, but was almost exterminated.[209] The remainder became scattered in the confusion of the assault, lost direction, and were not re-formed till nightfall.
FIRST ATTACK ON HILL 60
To the right of the Connaught Rangers, the New Zealanders issued at the same time from the almost inextricable gullies of the Damakjelik, but between them and Hill 60 ran a singularly deep ravine, one of the branches of the Kaiajik Dere. In climbing down the steep side of this ravine, entangled in prickly bushes, many fell to the bullets poured from the opposite trenches, and the bodies of many who fell there could not be recovered for burial. The only chance for safety was to rush down to the bottom of the ravine and shelter in the dead ground against the steep side of the hill itself. The New Zealanders made the rush, and some succeeded in climbing up the dead ground opposite and driving the enemy out from 50 yards of his lowest trench. Others remained clinging to the steep side, and there a few of the South Wales Borderers, who came between the New Zealanders and the Connaught Rangers, succeeded in joining them. Three hundred yards farther to their right, a party of the 4th Australian Brigade rushed across the ravine in the same manner, and the hundred who came over untouched also clung to the side of the hill just below the trench. So the night was passed, our men along the steep dead ground just holding their position, but exposed to repeated bombing from the trench above them. Fortunately, the Australian Brigade dug a deep zigzag right across the middle of the ravine as a communication trench, thus rendering the approach over the upper or southern reach of the Dere fairly secure. During the night also many wounded, lying on the exposed slope of the ravine, and drawing attention by their cries, were brought in. But the hours passed in great peril and discomfort.[210]
SECOND ATTACK ON HILL 60
Next morning a new battalion (the 18th Australian) appeared. It had arrived at Anzac only the day before as the first instalment of the 2nd Australian Division, commanded by Major-General J. G. Legge, who had occupied various military positions in New South Wales, had served in South Africa, and represented Australia on the Imperial General Staff.[211] Early on August 22 the 18th Battalion (Lieut.-Colonel A. E. Chapman) passed through the Gurkhas on our left, and charging across the open, fought their way up the northern end of the hill and captured another piece of the outer trench. Bombed and enfiladed there, most of them struggled along the trench to their right—a difficult task, for the Turks had dug it so deep and narrow that only one man at a time could squeeze along it. Thus they linked up with the New Zealanders, still in the same position where they had passed the night. The trench, in fact, ran continuously all round the oval of the hill, and for the next five days we could but cling on to the small segment gained. Meantime the Connaught Rangers were withdrawn for four days to rest. They had lost 12 officers and over 250 men.[212] After the first attack, the 29th (British) Brigade under Colonel Agnew was employed by General Russell to dig a communication trench past Kaba Kuyu to Hill 60. They therefore had little rest.