Chapter 42 – Ali

The initial Turkish defence against the ANZAC landing is described by Haluk Oral in Gallipoli 1915 Through Turkish Eyes . Many details in this chapter are taken from Oral’s description. The description is from the based on an account by Reserve Lieutenant Ibradili Ibrahim, commander of the 1st Platoon from the 4th Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Regiment. The 1st Platoon was based at trenches near Fisherman’s Hut at the landing. Oral states that 4km of shoreline, including  the Anzac landing area, was defended by a the three platoons of the 4th company—made up of a total of around 250 men with rifles and no machine guns. (p. 47, 52).

“If the unbelievers join battle with you, they shall be put to flight. They shall find none to protect or help them.”  Koran Quote – From surah: ‘The Victory’, 48:22. Penguin Classics translation by N. J. Dawood 2014.

Mustafa Kemal was a lieutenant-colonel at the time of the landing, as stated by Andrew Mango in Ataturk (p. 143) and Haluk Oral in Gallipoli 1915 Through Turkish Eyes (p. 347).

“You do not run from the enemy! If you don’t have ammunition you have your bayonets!” Haluk Oral states in Gallipoli 1915 Through Turkish Eyes (p. 58-62) that this famous quote from Mustafa Kemal was delivered to “the soldiers of Ibradili Ibrahim’s 1st Platoon as they were retreating due to lack of ammunition. It was after 10.00 in the morning and they had been fighting for more than six hours.” Oral also includes a translation of Kemal’s verbal addition to his orders to men of his 57 Regiment on 25 April 1915: “I am not ordering you to attack; I am ordering you to die. During the time that will elapse until we die, new forces and commanders may arrive and replace us.” (p. 283).

The orders were recounted by Mustafa Kemal in an interview with a journalist from the Magazine Yeni Mecmua (“New Magazine”) in 1918.

Harvey Broadbent states in Gallipoli – The Turkish Defence (p.48), that Ibrahim’s platoon, having retreated from Fisherman’s hut, later faced Anzacs on lower slopes of Battleship Hill with few rounds left. Mustafa Kemal came across a remnant of Ibrahim’s men who had climbed from Fisherman’s Hut and had run out of ammunition. Kemal asked them why they were running away, then ordered them to fix their bayonets and lie down (p. 79). Kemal claimed that the time gained by these men with no ammunition was critical in the defence of the high ground on 25 April 1915.