Volume 1 in the official Great War history’s account of the tragic Gallipoli campaign covers the early stages from its inception down to May 1915. Gallipoli was conceived – by Winston Churchill among others – as a bold and imaginative surprise, aimed at severing the links between Turkey and her European allies; forcing a route through the Dardanelles straits from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea to supply southern Russia; and possibly even capturing the Ottoman capital, Constantinople (modern Istanbul). Sadly, none of these ambitious goals were achieved. Launched at first as a purely naval enterprise in March, the element of surprise was lost after several ships hit mines and others were shelled from the Turkish forts. A gap followed in which military reinforcements – including Churchill’s Royal Naval Division, and the Anzac Corps – were shipped to the sector. The Turks used the time to reinforce the defences of the Gallipoli peninsula under German guidance, so the Allied troop landings in April met with fierce and determined opposition.
All the 20 bound-in sketch maps (17 in colour) are present and correct.Complete with the appendix volume to the first of the two-part Official History of the Gallipoli campaign, this contains appendices essential to understanding the fatally flawed initial operations.
List of the twenty nine appendices that are included in this volume.
1. Lord Kitcheners’s Instructions to Sir Ian Hamilton
2. Order of Battle, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
3. Sir I. Hamilton’s Order for Landing, 25th of April 1915
4. Instructions for Helles Covering Force
5. Instructions for G.O.C.A. & N.Z.A.C
6. Instructions for Kum Kale Landing
7. Epitome of Orders issued by Vice-Admiral de Robeck
8. Composition of Naval Squadrons
9. Epitome of Orders issued by Rear-Admiral Wemiss
10. General Orders to Masters of Transport
11. Medical Arrangements for the Landings
12. Epitome of Orders issued by Rear-Admiral Thursby
13. Suggested Action in Event of Failure
14. Gen. Birdwood’s Orders for Anzac Landing
15. Gen. Birdwood’s Instructions to 1st Australian Division
16. 1st Australian Division Order for Landing
17. 29th Division Order for Landing
18. 29th Division Instructions for Covering Force
19. 86th Brigade Operation Order No. 1
20. Instructions to G.O.C C.E.O.
21. Extracts from Signal Log, H.M.S Euryalus
22. 29th Division Order, First Battle of Krithia
23. 87th Brigade Order, First Battle of Krithia
24. G.H.Q Order, Second Battle of Krithia
25. 29th Division Order, Second Battle of Krithia
26. 29th Division Order, Second Battle of Krithia, (2nd Day)
27. G.H.Q Order, Second Battle of Krithia, (3rd Day)
28. 29th Division Order, Second Battle of Krithia, (Final Phase)
29. Notes on Signal Arrangements