Chapter 47 – Mustafa

Harvey Broadbent states in Defending Galipoli – The Turkish Story, that the 2nd battalion of the 57th regiment was virtually annihilated by the dawn of 26 April 1915 (p. 79). On p. 119 he states that “Kemal stated in his memoirs that 26 April was the most critical situation the Ottomans faced…Througout the second day they were heavily bombarded by the enemy’s navy and were vulnerable to any major assault.”

Many accounts describe how the front battle line established within the first day of the landing became a stalemate as both sides reinforced and entrenched their positions. A Turkish map illustrating this is included in Harvey Broadbent’s Defending Gallipoli – The Turkish Story , on p. 81.

The disintegration of the 77th “Arab” Regiment on 25 April is described by Mesut Uyar in The Ottoman Defence Against the ANZAC Landing, pp. 137-145. Uyar states that Mustafa Kemal learned of the catastrophe in an early morning report [26 April] from Sefik [Major Sefik was commander of the 27th Regiment] (p. 145). Harvey Broadbent reports that the 1st Battalion of the 27th Regiment was forced to withdraw as a result of the disintegration of the 77th Regiment alongside it in Defending Galipoli – The Turkish Story, p. 119. [& Gallipoli- The Turkish Defence p.156]

Mesut Uyar describes the events of 26 April 1915 in the epilogue of The Ottoman Defence Against the ANZAC Landing (p. 146 -160). He includes the following statements:”

“In his notes, Mustafa Kemal labelled 26 April 1915 the most critical day of the landing.” (p. 146)

“Mustafa Kemal devoted most of the day to reorganising the 77th Regiment.” (p. 149)

Mesut Uyar states in The Ottoman Defence Against the ANZAC Landing that Ottoman officers were trained in and operated under the German mission command, and that an important principle of this system was never to hesitate in a command void (p. 120).

Harvey Broadbent states in Defending Gallipoli – The Turkish Story, that on the night of 25/26 April 1915, Kemal reconnoitred the whole length of his frontline in the rain with his Chief of Staff Izzettin, led by a gendarme scout. Izzettin claimed it was dangerous and pointless at the time.

Mesut Uyar describes in The Ottoman Defence Against the ANZAC Landing how the 55th and 56th Regiments were taken from Mustafa Kemal’s 19th Division, and swapped with the 72nd and 77th Regiments from the Fourth Army in Syria (p. 75). Mesut Uyar also describes how the 77th Regiment was made up half of Arabs, and included nomadic Turks, Kurds, Yazidis and Nusayris. These areas had no military tradition and no conscription experience. Many were very old or young conscripts (p. 77) recruited in Aleppo (p. 137). Later on p.143 he describes them as ill-trained conscripts without combat experience and unaccustomed to the Gallipoli terrain. The 77th Regiment commander Saip ordered the 1st Battalion of the 27th Regiment to retreat alongside 77th Regiment.

Harvey Broadbent, in describing events of 26 April 1915 in Gallipoli-The Turkish Defence (p. 157), states that the Ottoman 3th Artillery Battalion was positioned at the ridges around Kemalyeri (Scrubby Knoll) along with the three cannons of the mountain battery retrieved from the previous day…”

Mesut Uyar describes in The Ottoman Defence Against the ANZAC Landing (p. 149) how Mustafa Kemal sent the last of his reserves – two battalions of the 72nd Regiment to Legge Valley where the 77th Regiment had evacuated. Kemal established a security line behind the 77th [Regiment] using the corps and divisional cavalry to catch any deserters and confused soldiers. One composite battalion of 400 men was formed from those in the 77th Regiment with discipline and motivation. He then court-martialled and executed two dozen men who had constantly resisted discipline, in front of their regiments and others to set an example. Others were sent back for retraining and reorganisation.