Chapter 81 – 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. 326-342 – Describes Kemal’s role in organising the defence of the Anafartas area on 9 August.

p. 307 – Kemal arrived at the 8th Division field headquarters at Chunuk Bair (Conkbayırı) from the Anafarta area in the early hours of 10 August. He was forced to take a wider route east of Hill Q (Besim Tepe) and up Blind Gully (Kördere) after facing enemy rifle fire from Chunuk Bair on the way.

p. 308 – Reinforcement infantry (from 9th, 7th and 12th Divisions) and artillery had not yet arrived when Kemal received initial situational reports at Chunuk Bair, and it was unclear when they would come. The 8th Division Chief of Staff, Captain Ali Galip argued against an attack until reinforcements were available, his views were representative of 8th Division regimental commanders. His concerns related to losses already experienced, as well as additional losses that would be experienced. Kemal agreed with this logic, but wanted to minimise the time the enemy could use to dig in, and so decreed that an attack would take place at 04:30.

p. 303 – General Esat is quoted at stating that “Conkbayırı (Chunuk Bair) was a place that could be regarded as the key to the Gelibolu (Gallipoli) Peninsula, hence the whole Strait itself.”

p. 309 – The assault was to begin with ‘the raising of a shovel’ from the unit at Saddle Point (Saddle Point is at the head of Köredere – p308, Köredere is the pass between Hill Q and Chunuk Bair - pxvi), a suitable place to observe Baby 700 and Chunuk Bair. Kemal checked his watch just before 04:30 and was worried that day was breaking so he ran forward immediately. Troops from the 24th Regiment formed the front line, the 23rd and 28th regiments were behind. Kemal crept forward with the scouts and gave the signal for the raising of the shovel by raising his riding crop and bringing it down sharply, just after 04:30. Five thousand men in twenty-two lines rose from behind and charged past him.

p. 409-410 – In the evening of 10 August, Kemal provided an account to Field Marshal Limon von Sanders of the morning’s bayonet attack: “with the signal…the bayonet assault began and the English were driven back to the sea. At that moment, a piece of bullet hit me in the chest and broke my watch. This watch saved my life.” Kemal then gave the watch to his commander as a gift. (also see p. 311)

p. 338 – Kemal later wrote of the August battles in his memoirs: “I give credit to every one of the officers and soldiers of the troops that I commanded. I commemorate our sacred martyrs who sacrificed their lives for this magnanimous cause with reference and homage.”

p. 311 – Naval bombardment and machine gun fire prevented Turkish advance onto the seaward slopes. At 12:15, Kemal ordered the 8th Division commander, Colonel Ali Riza, to stop the attack. They had been fighting for about eight hours. Around 9,000 Turks were killed or wounded, but they again held the highest ground. Only lower Rhododendron Ridge (Falcon Spur) remained in British possession. Allied casualties in this battle were similar, reported to be around 10,000 (citation referencing a report by General Birdwood, Australian War Memorial record AWM 3 DRL 3376, Item 46). Kemal decided against further attack as he realised that more heavy losses would result, and he had to return to the Anafarta front.