Chunuk Bair .28.C3.87anak Bay.C4.B1r.C4.B1.2FConk Bay.C4.B1r.C4.B1.29 Battle of Chunuk Bair

assault on chunuk bair, 8 august

the opportunity swift victory @ chunuk bair had been lost. 8:00 ottomans had started firing on new zealanders on spur. commander of ottoman 9th division, german lieutenant-colonel hans kannengiesser, had reached summit , preparing defence. in daylight, after exhausting climb , faced stiffening opposition, prospects new zealand assault against peak looked slim. nevertheless, general godley ordered johnston attack.

two hundred yards beyond new zealanders positioned on apex knoll called pinnacle straight climb summit. off side of spur north small, sheltered plateau known farm.

johnston told auckland battalion attack. 100 made far pinnacle desperately tried dig in. around 300 fell casualties between there , apex. johnston told wellington battalion continue attack. battalion s commander, lieutenant colonel william malone refused, stating not willing order men carry out hopeless attack. said battalion take chunuk bair @ night.

during day new zealanders reinforced 2 battalions british 13th (western) division; 7th battalion of gloucestershire regiment , pioneers of 8th battalion, welch regiment.

shortly after 3:00 on 8 august, following naval bombardment of peak, wellingtons, followed gloucesters, reached chunuk bair virtually unopposed. preceding barrage had driven of ottoman defenders away ground hard , rocky deep entrenchments.

chunuk bair hard defend, possible scrape shallow trenches amongst rocks , peak exposed fire main ottoman line on battleship hill south , hill q north. if original plan offensive had worked, hill q have been in allied hands. allanson s battalion of gurkhas reached briefly following day in no position offer relief troops on chunuk bair.

by 5:00 am, ottomans counter-attacked wellingtonians. slope of hill steep ottomans within 22 yards (20 m) of trenches without being seen. new zealanders fought desperately hold off ottomans, firing rifles , of fallen companions until wood of stock hot touch. when ottomans got trenches fighting continued bayonet. ottomans overran part of new zealand trench , took prisoners. in full daylight, reinforcements reaching summit @ trickle.

the fight raged day until trenches clogged new zealand dead. around 5:00 pm, malone killed misdirected artillery shell, fired either anzac or british ship.

the ottomans had reclaimed east side of summit , reinforced arrival of 8th division helles. extent of allied offensive became apparent, general otto liman von sanders, commander of ottoman forces in dardanelles, appointed competent officer, colonel mustafa kemal, commander defence of suvla , sari bair.

as darkness fell on evening of 8 august, fighting subsided , wellington battalion relieved. out of 760 men of battalion had reached summit, 711 had become casualties. whereas malone had resisted sending men on suicidal charge when told follow auckland battalion on 7 august, day later outcome same. new army battalions had suffered same. 417 casualties amongst welch pioneers , 350 amongst gloucester s including officers of battalion. wounded suffering beginning. took 3 days travel higher reaches of rhododendron spur beach, little on kilometre away.