In August 1915 the Allies carried out landings at Suvla Bay, north of Anzac Cove, hoping to bring the Dardanelles to a successful conclusion.

Hamilton’s plan Anzac Lone Pine Sari Bair

The 6th Battalion, York & Lancs was part of these landings, and the detail of their involvement is taken from the battalion history.

Sir Ian Hamilton proposed landings at Suvla Bay on the 6th August as the means to defeat the Turks.  For this purpose 10th, 11th, 13th, 53rd & 54th Divisions would be the elements of IX Corps.  Kitchener chose Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Stopford as the Corps Commander, “elderly, somewhat infirm, and who had never commanded a large formation. A worse choice could hardly have been made.” (Haythornthwaite)

Hamilton, in his last despatch, gave his objectives for the August Landings as;

(1) To break out with a rush from Anzac and cut off the bulk of the Turkish Army from land communication with Constantinople.

(2) To gain such a command for my artillery as to cut off the bulk of the Turkish Army from sea traffic whether with Constantinople or with Asia.

Hamilton now had 120,000 troops but the new ones were raw. In IX Corps 10, 11 and 13 Divisions were New Army, while 53 and 54 Divisions were Territorials.

While Churchill was in favour of a landing at Bulair, a good bit further north on the peninsula, Hamilton chose Suvla Bay, four miles north of Anzac Cove. It was only lightly defended and only four miles from the high ground they needed to win.  From 6th Battalion history; “The time was now at hand when the new British offensive was to be launched, and for this the plan of attack necessitated four separate actions as follows:-

1. A feint was to be made at the head of the Gulf of Saros, as if to take the Bulair Lines in flank and rear.

2. A strong offensive was to be made in the Helles area against Achi Baba with the hope of attracting the Turkish reserve to Krithia.

3. The Anzac Corps was to endeavour to gain the heights of Khoja Chemen Tepe and the seaward ridges.

4. A simultaneous and new landing was to be effected in Suvla Bay. If then the Anafarta Hills could be seized, and the right of the Suvla Bay force be linked up with the left of the Australians, the British would hold the central crest of the uplands running through the western end of the Peninsula, cutting the Turkish communications and leading to the capture of the Achi Baba and the Pasha Dagh tableland.

The map above is from the Battalion history. I believe there is an error, all other sources have the Battalion landing, along with the rest of 32 Brigade, south of Nibrunesi Point, around the area “Sand Hills”.

The diversionary attack at Helles turned into attack and counter attack, but did not prevent the transfer of the Turkish 4th Division to the Anzac area. 

At Anzac Birdwood had 40,000 men after the addition of 13th Division and 29 Infantry Brigade. The troops under his command would make two attacks, one at Lone Pine, south of their bridgehead, then later against the heights of Sari Bair.

At Lone Pine the troops again showed unbelievable courage and bravery.  The attack started on the 6th August, but the fighting continued until the 9th.  Seven VCs were awarded, and one battalion suffered almost 75% casualties.

Lt-General Sir William Birdwood. Commander of the Anzac Corps.

Sari Bair. As the operation started at Lone Pine two columns moved from the Anzac area against Sari Bair.  The terrain was difficult and the men became exhausted, the result was a slower movement than planned, so allowing Turkish re-inforcement of the heights. From the 8th to the 10th August brave but in the end futile attempts were made to take the hill at Chunuk Bair, on the Sari Bair ridge.  By the 10th the Allied casualties had reached some 12,000.

Meanwhile the main landings at Suvla Bay were under way.