British deceptions made a landing on the Asian shore possible so three divisions were located there while three more were stationed 30 miles north of Suvla at Bulair on the neck of the peninsula. Suvla was defended by only three battalions, the ' Anafarta Detachment ' under the command of a Bavarian cavalry officer, Major Wilhelm Willmer, whose task was to delay any enemy advance until reinforcements arrived. Willmer had no machine guns and few field artillery pieces. Willmer constructed three strong points; one on Kiretch Tepe to the north, one on Hill 10 in the centre and one on Chocolate Hill, near the southhern end of the salt lake that lay behind the beach. Small pickets were positioned elsewhere, including on Lala Baba, a small hill between the beach and the salt lake.
Gallipoli
The map left shows the general landing area at Suvla Bay with Salt Lake and other key features, whilst the above map shows the location of Anzac Cove and surrounding features such as the ' Nek ' and ' Lone Pine ' in relation to the British landing.
Stopford did not go ashore from the Jonquil on the 7th August. By the end of the day the chain of command had completely broken down.
Stopford was satisfied with the results of the first day. On the morning of the 8th August, he signalled Hamilton: " Major General Hammersley and troops under him deserve great credit for the result attained against strenuous opposition and great difficulty. I must now consolidate the position held. "
He had no intention of advancing to the high ground. The British staff had estimated that it would take the Turkish Divisions at Bulair 36 Hours to reach Suvla - they could be expected to arrive on the evening of 8th August. Hamilton was dismayed by the lack of progress so far and the absence of any drive from Stopford or his subordinates. He had already dispatched Captain Aspinall to discover first hand what was happening at Suvla. Aspinall was accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel Maurice Hankey, Secretary to the Committee of Imperial Defence, who was to report on the progress of the campaign to the British Cabinet. When he received Stopford's signal, Hamilton decided to see Suvla for himself, travelling on the yacht HMS Triad.
Aspinall and Hankey initially found the ease and inactivity at Suvla, encouraging, assuming it meant the fighting was now far away amongst the hills. Once on the beach, they were warned to keep their heads down as the front line was only a few hundred yards away - and that Stopford was still aboard the Jonquil. Aspinall found Stopford ' in excellent spirits ' well satisfied with progress. When Aspinall pointed out that the men had not reached the high ground, Stopford replied, " No, but they are ashore. "
Aspinall and Hamilton both converged on the light cruiser HMS Chatham, the flagship of Rear-Admiral John de Robeck who commanded the landing fleet. Finally on the afternnon of the 8th August, nearly two days after the landing commenced, Hamilton gained a clear picture of events. Accompanied by Aspinall and Commondore Roger Keyes, he crossed to the Jonquil to confront Stopford who had finally been ashore to consult with Hammersley.
Stopford and Hammersley planned to order an advance the following morning, the 9th August. Hamilton insisted that an advance be made immediately and so, at 6:30 pm, the 32nd Brigade of the 11th (Northern)
Division was ordered to march two and a half miles to the Teke Tepe ridge. The march, in darkness over unfamiliar, rough terrain, was difficult and the brigade did not approach the summit until 4am on the 9th August. The Turkish reinforcements had reached the ridge shortly before them and met the exhausted British infantry with a bayonet charge. The 32nd Brigade was virtually annihilated in a matter of minutes and the remnants of the battalions scattered towards the beach. Hamilton watched the battle from the Triad. He wrote in his diary: " My heart has grown tough amidst the struggles of the peninsula but the misery of this scene wellnigh broke it . .Words are of no use. "
Stopford was satisfied with the results of the first day. On the morning of the 8th August, he signalled Hamilton: " Major General Hammersley and troops under him deserve great credit for the result attained against strenuous opposition and great difficulty. I must now consolidate the position held. "
He had no intention of advancing to the high ground. The British staff had estimated that it would take the Turkish Divisions at Bulair 36 Hours to reach Suvla - they could be expected to arrive on the evening of 8th August. Hamilton was dismayed by the lack of progress so far and the absence of any drive from Stopford or his subordinates. He had already dispatched Captain Aspinall to discover first hand what was happening at Suvla. Aspinall was accompanied by Lieutenant-Colonel Maurice Hankey, Secretary to the Committee of Imperial Defence, who was to report on the progress of the campaign to the British Cabinet. When he received Stopford's signal, Hamilton decided to see Suvla for himself, travelling on the yacht HMS Triad.
Aspinall and Hankey initially found the ease and inactivity at Suvla, encouraging, assuming it meant the fighting was now far away amongst the hills. Once on the beach, they were warned to keep their heads down as the front line was only a few hundred yards away - and that Stopford was still aboard the Jonquil. Aspinall found Stopford ' in excellent spirits ' well satisfied with progress. When Aspinall pointed out that the men had not reached the high ground, Stopford replied, " No, but they are ashore. "
Aspinall and Hamilton both converged on the light cruiser HMS Chatham, the flagship of Rear-Admiral John de Robeck who commanded the landing fleet. Finally on the afternnon of the 8th August, nearly two days after the landing commenced, Hamilton gained a clear picture of events. Accompanied by Aspinall and Commondore Roger Keyes, he crossed to the Jonquil to confront Stopford who had finally been ashore to consult with Hammersley.
Stopford and Hammersley planned to order an advance the following morning, the 9th August. Hamilton insisted that an advance be made immediately and so, at 6:30 pm, the 32nd Brigade of the 11th (Northern)
Division was ordered to march two and a half miles to the Teke Tepe ridge. The march, in darkness over unfamiliar, rough terrain, was difficult and the brigade did not approach the summit until 4am on the 9th August. The Turkish reinforcements had reached the ridge shortly before them and met the exhausted British infantry with a bayonet charge. The 32nd Brigade was virtually annihilated in a matter of minutes and the remnants of the battalions scattered towards the beach. Hamilton watched the battle from the Triad. He wrote in his diary: " My heart has grown tough amidst the struggles of the peninsula but the misery of this scene wellnigh broke it . .Words are of no use. "
British troops gathering on the shore of Suvla Bay
Feizi Bey's troops began to arrive, as expected by the British, on the evening of the 8th August. Von Sanders wanted to attack immediately but Feizi Bey objected saying that the men were exhausted and without artillery support, so Von Sanders dismissed him. In his place he put Mustafa Kemal, the Commander of the Turkish 19th Division, which had been fighting at Chunuk Bair. Kemal assumed authority over the Anafarta section which spanned from Suvla south to Chunuk Bair.
Kemal was easily a match for Stopford. Ruthless and decisive, he held the high ground and was contenet to remain on the defensive at Suvla while he dealt with the threat to the Sari Bair ridge. The intensity of the fighting escalated at Suvla on the 9th August but the opportunity for the British to make a swift advance had now disappeared. Around midday the gunfire set scrub alight on Scimitar Hill and Ashmead-Bartlett, watching from Lala Baba, saw the British wounded trying to escape the flames.
Kemal was easily a match for Stopford. Ruthless and decisive, he held the high ground and was contenet to remain on the defensive at Suvla while he dealt with the threat to the Sari Bair ridge. The intensity of the fighting escalated at Suvla on the 9th August but the opportunity for the British to make a swift advance had now disappeared. Around midday the gunfire set scrub alight on Scimitar Hill and Ashmead-Bartlett, watching from Lala Baba, saw the British wounded trying to escape the flames.
" I watched the flames approaching and the crawling figures disappear amidst dense clouds of black smoke. When the fire passed on, little mounds of scorched khaki alone marked the spot where another mismanaged soldier of the King had returned to mother earth. "
Reinforcements were arriving, the 53rd ( Welsh ) Division had started coming ashore on the night of 8th August, and the 54th ( East Anglian ) Division arrived on the 10th, but command remained paralysed.
