The Landing
From the get go the campaign was a disaster. The initial landings were actually supposed to launch on the 23rd of April 1915 but were delayed due to bad weather conditions. So on Sunday 25th April the MEF began their attack on the Dardanelles. The 1st Australian Division led the way but they landed almost 2 km away from the intended landing site. Many historians argue about the reason for this and various theories such as; rough tides, navigational errors or incompetence/inefficiency of British leadership and planning, were discussed. The troops landed on one of the worst places on the whole stretch of the coast line in Turkey. The surrounding landscape was poor, with steep hills, gullies and rugged terrain, making setting camp and a difficult task. Soon after the New Zealand Infantry landed to shore and were bombarded by bullets from the Ottoman army. All the soldiers were very confused as they joined the Australian Infantry in trying to get footholds in the rugged terrain just over Anzac Cove. They were unable to get further inland as the Ottoman army had the advantage and their defenses were very strong. Luckily, the ANZAC's managed to keep control over Anzac cove and the beach, which would be their 'home' for the next 8-9 months.
Living Conditions
Living conditions for troops at Gallipoli were very poor. This was due to the small land space, poor sanitation, diseases, climate and lack of food and water.
The Anzac perimeter itself was very small; with 25,000 New Zealand and Australian troops packed into an area less than six-square kilometers, at the furthest point, the distance between the shore and front line was just over 900 meters. As a result, the soldiers had to eat, sleep, fight and recover all in the same small space. This negatively affected the troops as the small space made added difficulties for them.
Issues regarding to sanitation also arose due to the small space. There were very few proper latrines and so the troops ended up having to eat and sleep in very unsanitary conditions. Poor sanitation and the masses of unburied bodies, led to a very popular breeding ground for flies, insects and lice. These spread diseases like dysentery, diarrhea and typhoid amongst the men. Swarms of flies attacked the men who found simple tasks such as preparing meals or sleeping very difficult.
The climate was an added annoyance for the soldiers, due to there being extreme weather conditions. During Summer (May-August), temperatures soared, making the heat almost unbearable for the men especially the New Zealand soldiers, as New Zealand's climate generally tends to be on the cooler side. In the winter months, temperatures plummeted as rain, bone-chilling winds and snow furiously attacked the soldiers. The rain and snow would fill up the trenches meaning that the soldiers had to spend hours removing the water and emptying the trenches. This made sleeping very difficult for the troops.
There were a large number of food and water shortages which led to malnutrition of soldiers. Water was in short supply, due to the area not having any natural water source. Water would be shipped in every 2-3 days but due to weather and climate conditions, sometimes these ship loads would be delayed causing dehydration for troops. The troops diet was also quite meager, with soldiers having survived most of their time at Gallipoli on Bully Beef (corned beef) and biscuits. Their diet lacked all sorts of necessary vital nutrients and vitamins which they would need to boost their energy and maintain their health, which the troops especially needed as they underwent rigorous physical work all day, whether it was digging trenches or fighting. Eggs were also in very short supply, and soldiers usually mixed their biscuits with jam to make a sort of porridge adding variety to their diet. The troops didn't even have the basic necessities which made life at Gallipoli very difficult for them.
The Anzac perimeter itself was very small; with 25,000 New Zealand and Australian troops packed into an area less than six-square kilometers, at the furthest point, the distance between the shore and front line was just over 900 meters. As a result, the soldiers had to eat, sleep, fight and recover all in the same small space. This negatively affected the troops as the small space made added difficulties for them.
Issues regarding to sanitation also arose due to the small space. There were very few proper latrines and so the troops ended up having to eat and sleep in very unsanitary conditions. Poor sanitation and the masses of unburied bodies, led to a very popular breeding ground for flies, insects and lice. These spread diseases like dysentery, diarrhea and typhoid amongst the men. Swarms of flies attacked the men who found simple tasks such as preparing meals or sleeping very difficult.
The climate was an added annoyance for the soldiers, due to there being extreme weather conditions. During Summer (May-August), temperatures soared, making the heat almost unbearable for the men especially the New Zealand soldiers, as New Zealand's climate generally tends to be on the cooler side. In the winter months, temperatures plummeted as rain, bone-chilling winds and snow furiously attacked the soldiers. The rain and snow would fill up the trenches meaning that the soldiers had to spend hours removing the water and emptying the trenches. This made sleeping very difficult for the troops.
There were a large number of food and water shortages which led to malnutrition of soldiers. Water was in short supply, due to the area not having any natural water source. Water would be shipped in every 2-3 days but due to weather and climate conditions, sometimes these ship loads would be delayed causing dehydration for troops. The troops diet was also quite meager, with soldiers having survived most of their time at Gallipoli on Bully Beef (corned beef) and biscuits. Their diet lacked all sorts of necessary vital nutrients and vitamins which they would need to boost their energy and maintain their health, which the troops especially needed as they underwent rigorous physical work all day, whether it was digging trenches or fighting. Eggs were also in very short supply, and soldiers usually mixed their biscuits with jam to make a sort of porridge adding variety to their diet. The troops didn't even have the basic necessities which made life at Gallipoli very difficult for them.
Evacuation
With the Anzacs suffering
severe losses every day and having to fight in difficult terrain, the added
inconvenience of the poor living conditions made life very difficult for the
soldiers. With the Anzacs not being able to capture any part of the Dardanelles
(basically not being able to move out of the Anzac cove), the campaign had
reached a stalemate. The MEF tried many ways to get an advantage over the Ottoman army and to gain control over other parts of Turkey, but they failed. Neither did they win against the Ottomans at Krithia, Cape Helles, Chunuk Bair or Sari Bair. With the number of wounded and dead rising at a high speed it was best for the troops to be evacuated from Gallipoli. Once the evacuation orders were sent by the British, evacuation was done efficiently and quickly (probably the most well-planned event out of the whole 9 month long campaign).
The British planning of the Gallipoli Campaign was ill-fated for the New Zealand troops. The planning of the entire campaign and the battles within it was completely disorganized. In the Battle of Krithia, the New Zealand soldiers had little time to prepare and attacked behind a weak artillery barrage. This was a disaster as the Ottoman army's defenses were strong and there were around 835 New Zealand casualties. Like Krithia, the British ordered for the New Zealand troops to attack other places in Gallipoli e.g Sari Bair, Chunuk Bair and their disorganization and underestimation of the Ottoman forces resulted in many New Zealand troops being wounded or killed in action. A first hand account showing the poor planning of the British was written in Glynn Harper's book 'Letters from the Battlefield', in which Lieutenant Fred McKee of the 2nd Canterbury Battalion wrote:
"A little further up the coast we could see our own ships inshore discharging. We were supposed to be in the third relay, but we lost our place as we were late. As we drew near we could hear a great battle going on and we knew our landing was being stubbornly resisted". This shows that the British planning failed for the New Zealand troops. They did not take into consideration that the troops on landing could be met with attack from the Ottoman army. The troops on board also saw that they wouldn't be able to land where they were supposed to, due to the poor planning.
The British organization of medical services for wounded troops at Gallipoli was also ill-fated for the New Zealand troops. The evacuation fell apart, because of the poor planning of the co-ordination of ambulances, cleaning stations and military hospitals. There were not many medical resources available to acommodate for the large numbers of wounded and dead. The mismanagement meant that serious cases were left on the beach for too long, making the already wounded men suffer more, which meant that some troops may have died just waiting for evacuation. Even the wounded who did get off the beach found the conditions on the rescue ships that the British had sent, to be appalling.
The British planning of the Gallipoli Campaign was ill-fated for the New Zealand troops. The planning of the entire campaign and the battles within it was completely disorganized. In the Battle of Krithia, the New Zealand soldiers had little time to prepare and attacked behind a weak artillery barrage. This was a disaster as the Ottoman army's defenses were strong and there were around 835 New Zealand casualties. Like Krithia, the British ordered for the New Zealand troops to attack other places in Gallipoli e.g Sari Bair, Chunuk Bair and their disorganization and underestimation of the Ottoman forces resulted in many New Zealand troops being wounded or killed in action. A first hand account showing the poor planning of the British was written in Glynn Harper's book 'Letters from the Battlefield', in which Lieutenant Fred McKee of the 2nd Canterbury Battalion wrote:
"A little further up the coast we could see our own ships inshore discharging. We were supposed to be in the third relay, but we lost our place as we were late. As we drew near we could hear a great battle going on and we knew our landing was being stubbornly resisted". This shows that the British planning failed for the New Zealand troops. They did not take into consideration that the troops on landing could be met with attack from the Ottoman army. The troops on board also saw that they wouldn't be able to land where they were supposed to, due to the poor planning.
The British organization of medical services for wounded troops at Gallipoli was also ill-fated for the New Zealand troops. The evacuation fell apart, because of the poor planning of the co-ordination of ambulances, cleaning stations and military hospitals. There were not many medical resources available to acommodate for the large numbers of wounded and dead. The mismanagement meant that serious cases were left on the beach for too long, making the already wounded men suffer more, which meant that some troops may have died just waiting for evacuation. Even the wounded who did get off the beach found the conditions on the rescue ships that the British had sent, to be appalling.