Chapter 79 – Mustafa

Many details in this chapter have been taken from Gallipoli – The Turkish Defence by Harvey Broadbent. Harvey Broadbent includes references translated to English from Turkish archives and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s memoirs. Following are page references for some of these details:

p. 295,297 – Mustafa Kemal held grave concerns for Chunuk Bair on 8 August and was frustrated to see poorly coordinated reinforcements be deployed ineffectively. His complaints to General Esat seemed to fall on deaf ears. Kemal recorded this situation in his memoirs: “These gathered forces had been all defeated and laid waste because they were not dispatched and managed in a disciplined and well-designed manner.”

p. 292 – A translation is provided of the note Kemal received, as quoted:

“An attack on Chunuk Bair has been ordered. To whom shall I pass this order? I am looking for the battalion commanders, I cannot find them. All is confusion and the situation is grave. It is obvious that a person familiar with the terrain should be assigned, but there is no report and no news, I do not know what to do…”

This note was written by Major Mehmet Rüştü. Major Rüştü was an observation officer and a platoon commander of the 5th Army cavalry company (see p. 333-334).

p. 295 – Kemal exercised initiative in sending reinforcements from 10th and 25th Regiments to Chunuk Bair in the afternoon of 8 August. The area was outside his command sector, but he recognised the strategic risk of inaction.

p. 297 – Quote from Kemal’s memoirs—his plea to General Esat on 8 August: “…the situation at Chunuk Bair is conspicuously perilous. For the welfare of the country, I implore you to assist in seriously attracting the attention of the Army Commander to this issue.”

p. 300 – Kemal’s conversation with the 5th Army Chief of Staff, Colonel Kazim, has been paraphrased from the translation provided from Kemal’s memoirs.

p. 300-301 – Political concerns about Kemal’s troubled relationship with the Minster for War, Enver were a consideration in the decision to promote Kemal. Field Marshal Liman von Sanders consulted with Enver, before promoting Kemal to Group Commander.

p. 299 – Kemal’s aide-de-camp notified him at 17:30 on 8 August that the enemy at Chunuk Bair was 25-30 metres away from their frontline soldiers and no further movement foreward was possible.

p. 301 – Kemal made the effort to encourage subordinates even when under extreme pressure.

p. 301 – At 21:45 on 8 August, Kemal received orders to take command of the Anafarta Group, responsible for defence of the sector from Chunuk Bair in the south to Salt Lake in the north.

p.326 – The Ottoman counter-attack at Salt Lake had been delayed numerous times, but the final re-schedule by the outgoing commander Ahmet Fevzi was for 04:30 on 9 August. This timing was communicated to the 5th Army Command before Fevzi was replaced by Kemal.

p. 304-305 – Kemal had not slept for three days and nights, and took the 19th Divisions Chief Physician with him to Anafarta Group Headquarters, to preserve his own health for the good of the men he commanded. Kemal also took with an officer to replace his “heroic” aide-de-camp who lost his life earlier that day.

p. 305 – Kemal’s farewell circular to the 19th Division, before he departed late on 8 August   is quoted:

“I am departing now to undertake command of the Anafarta Hills Group. The 27th Regiment Commander Shefik Bey has been assigned as the deputy divisional commander. I farewell you convinced that with the help of your love and trust in me, I will complete the accomplishment that you brought into being by your ardour and devotion to this duty that I have just undertaken.”

p. 326 – Kemal and his party travelled from Battleship Hill to the Anafarta Headquarters at Çamlıtekke (English translation: Shrine of Pines) via a route north of Kocadere village. He commented that for the first time in four months he was breathing pure air.

p. 303 – Kemal served as Chief Operations Officer of the Ottoman Army on the Gallipoli Peninsula during the Balkan wars of 1912-13.

p. 326-327 – Kemal arrived at the Anafarta Group headquarters at 01:30. Outgoing commander Fevzi was asleep. After receiving a situational report, Kemal lay down on the ground and fell into a deep sleep. He was awoken with the approach of dawn.