On the 26th the landing of troops, guns and stores continued throughout the day; this was a most trying service, as the enemy kept up an incessant shrapnel fire, and it was extremely difficult to locate the well-concealed guns of the enemy. Occasional bursts of fire from the ships in the Narrows delayed operations somewhat, but these bursts of fire did not last long, and the fire from our ships always drove the enemy's ships away.
The enemy heavily counter-attacked, and though supported by a very heavy shrapnel fire he could make no impression on our line which was every minute becoming stronger. By nightfall on April 26 our position north of Gaba Tepe was secure.
The landing at the southern extremity of the Gallipoli peninsula was carried out under the orders of Rear-Admiral R. E. Wemyss, C.M.G., M.V.O., his squadron consisting of the following ships:
| Battleships. | Cruisers. | Fleet Sweepers. | Trawlers. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiftsure | Euryalus | 6 | 14 |
| Implacable | Talbot | ||
| Cornwallis | Minerva | ||
| Albion | Dublin | ||
| Vengeance | |||
| Lord Nelson | |||
| Prince George |
Landings in this area were to be attempted at five different places; the conditions at each landing varied considerably. The position of beaches is given below.
Position of Beach.—Y beach, a point about 7,000 yards north-east of Cape Tekeh. X beach, 1,000 yards north-east of Cape Tekeh. W beach, Cape Tekeh—Cape Helles. V beach, Cape Helles—Seddul Bahr. Camber, Seddul Bahr. S beach, Eski-Hissarlik Point.
Taking these landings in the above order: Landing at Y Beach.—The troops to be first landed, the King's Own Scottish Borderers, embarked on the 24th in the Amethyst and Sapphire, and proceeded with the transports Southland and Braemar Castle to a position off Cape Tekeh. At 4.0 a.m. the boats proceeded to Y beach, timing their arrival there at 5 a.m., and pulled ashore covered by fire from H.M.S. Goliath. The landing was most successfully and expeditiously carried out, the troops gaining the top of the high cliffs overlooking this beach without being opposed; this result I consider due to the rapidity with which the disembarkation was carried out and the well-placed covering fire from ships.
The Embarkation
The Scottish Borderers were landed in two trips, followed at once by the Plymouth Battalion Royal Marines. These troops met with severe opposition on the top of the cliffs, where fire from covering ships was of little assistance, and, after heavy fighting, were forced to re-embark on the 26th. The re-embarkation was carried out by the following ships: Goliath, Talbot, Dublin, Sapphire, and Amethyst. It was most ably conducted by the beach personnel and covered by the fire of the warships, who prevented the enemy reaching the edge of the cliff, except for a few snipers.
Landing at X Beach.—The 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers (two companies and M.G. section) embarked in Implacable on 24th, which ship proceeded to a position off the landing-place, where the disembarkation of the troops commenced at 4.30 a.m., and was completed at 5.15 a.m.