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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Gallipoli Diary,  Volume I, by Ian Hamilton
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Gallipoli Diary,  Volume I
+
+Author: Ian Hamilton
+
+Release Date: September 19, 2006 [EBook #19317]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GALLIPOLI DIARY,  VOLUME I ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell, Janet Blenkinship and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+GALLIPOLI DIARY
+
+
+BY GENERAL SIR IAN HAMILTON, G.C.B.
+
+AUTHOR OF "A STAFF-OFFICER'S SCRAP-BOOK," ETC.
+
+WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS
+
+
+IN TWO VOLUMES
+
+VOL. I
+
+
+
+
+NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 1920
+PRINTED BY UNWIN BROTHERS, LTD.--WOKING--ENGLAND
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+
+On the heels of the South African War came the sleuth-hounds pursuing
+the criminals, I mean the customary Royal Commissions. Ten thousand
+words of mine stand embedded in their Blue Books, cold and dead as so
+many mammoths in glaciers. But my long spun-out intercourse with the
+Royal Commissioners did have living issue--my Manchurian and Gallipoli
+notes. Only constant observation of civilian Judges and soldier
+witnesses could have shown me how fallible is the unaided military
+memory or have led me by three steps to a War Diary:--
+
+(1) There is nothing certain about war except that one side won't win.
+
+(2) The winner is asked no questions--the loser has to answer for
+everything.
+
+(3) Soldiers think of nothing so little as failure and yet, to the
+extent of fixing intentions, orders, facts, dates firmly in their own
+minds, they ought to be prepared.
+
+Conclusion:--In war, keep your own counsel, preferably in a note-book.
+
+The first test of the new resolve was the Manchurian Campaign, 1904-5;
+and it was a hard test. Once that Manchurian Campaign was over I never
+put pen to paper--in the diary sense[1]--until I was under orders for
+Constantinople. Then I bought a note-book as well as a Colt's automatic
+(in fact, these were the only two items of special outfit I did buy),
+and here are the contents--not of the auto but of the book. Also, from
+the moment I took up the command, I kept cables, letters and copies
+(actions quite foreign to my natural disposition), having been taught in
+my youth by Lord Roberts that nothing written to a Commander-in-Chief,
+or his Military Secretary, can be private if it has a bearing on
+operations. A letter which may influence the Chief Command of an Army
+and, therefore, the life of a nation, may be "Secret" for reasons of
+State; it cannot possibly be "Private" for personal reasons.[2]
+
+At the time, I am sure my diary was a help to me in my work. The
+crossings to and from the Peninsula gave me many chances of reckoning up
+the day's business, sometimes in clear, sometimes in a queer cipher of
+my own. Ink stands with me for an emblem of futurity, and the act of
+writing seemed to set back the crisis of the moment into a calmer
+perspective. Later on, the diary helped me again, for although the
+Dardanelles Commission did not avail themselves of my formal offer to
+submit what I had written to their scrutiny, there the records were.
+Whenever an event, a date and a place were duly entered in their actual
+coincidence, no argument to the contrary could prevent them from falling
+into the picture: an advocate might just as well waste eloquence in
+disputing the right of a piece to its own place in a jig-saw puzzle.
+Where, on the other hand, incidents were not entered, anything might
+happen and did happen; _vide_, for instance, the curious misapprehension
+set forth in the footnotes to pages 59, 60, Vol. II.
+
+So much for the past. Whether these entries have not served their turn
+is now the question. They were written red-hot amidst tumult, but
+faintly now, and as in some far echo, sounds the battle-cry that once
+stopped the beating of thousands of human hearts as it was borne out
+upon the night wind to the ships. Those dread shapes we saw through our
+periscopes are dust: "the pestilence that walketh in darkness" and "the
+destruction that wasteth at noonday" are already images of speech: only
+the vastness of the stakes; the intensity of the effort and the grandeur
+of the sacrifice still stand out clearly when we, in dreams, behold the
+Dardanelles. Why not leave that shining impression as a martial cloak to
+cover the errors and vicissitudes of all the poor mortals who, in the
+words of Thucydides, "dared beyond their strength, hazarded against
+their judgment, and in extremities were of an excellent hope?"
+
+Why not? The tendency of every diary is towards self-justification and
+complaint; yet, to-day, personally, I have "no complaints." Would it not
+be wiser, then, as well as more dignified, to let the Dardanelles
+R.I.P.? The public will not be starved. A Dardanelles library exists---
+nothing less--from which three luminous works by Masefield, Nevinson and
+Callwell stand out; works each written by a man who had the right to
+write; each as distinct from its fellow as one primary colour from
+another, each essentially true. On the top of these comes the Report of
+the Dardanelles Commission and the Life of Lord Kitchener, where his
+side of the story is so admirably set forth by his intimate friend, Sir
+George Arthur. The tale has been told and retold. Every morsel of the
+wreckage of our Armada seems to have been brought to the surface. There
+are fifty reasons against publishing, reasons which I know by heart. On
+the other side there are only three things to be said:--
+
+(1) Though the bodies recovered from the tragedy have been stripped and
+laid out in the Morgue, no hand has yet dared remove the masks from
+their faces.
+
+(2) I cannot destroy this diary. Before his death Cranmer thrust his own
+hand into the flames: "his heart was found entire amidst the ashes."
+
+(3) I will not leave my diary to be flung at posterity from behind the
+cover of my coffin. In case anyone wishes to challenge anything I have
+said, I must be above ground to give him satisfaction.
+
+Therefore, I will publish and at once.
+
+A man has only one life on earth. The rest is silence. Whether God will
+approve of my actions at a moment when the destinies of hundreds of
+millions of human beings hung upon them, God alone knows. But before I
+go I want to have the verdict of my comrades of all ranks at the
+Dardanelles, and until they know the truth, as it appeared to me at the
+time, how can they give that verdict?
+                                                         IAN HAMILTON.
+
+LULLENDEN FARM,
+   DORMANSLAND.
+  _April_ 25, 1920.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER FROM GENERAL D'AMADE TO THE AUTHOR
+
+
+MON GÉNÉRAL,
+
+Dans la guerre Sud Africaine, ensuite en Angleterre, j'avais en
+spectateur vécu avec votre armée. Avec elle je souhaitais revivre en
+frère d'armes, combattant pour la même cause.
+
+Les Dardanelles ont réalisé mon rêve. Mais le lecteur ne doit pas
+s'attarder avec moi. Lire le récit de celui même qui a commandé: quel
+avantage! L'Histoire, comme un fleuve, se charge d'impuretés en
+s'éloignent de ses sources. En en remontant le cours, dans votre
+Journal, j'ai découvert les causes de certains effets demeuré, pour moi
+des énigmes.
+
+Au début je n'avais pas cru à la possibilité de forcer les Dardanelles
+sans l'intervention de l'armée. C'est pour cela que, si la décision
+m'eût appartenus et avant d'avoir été placé sous vos ordres, j'avais
+songé à débarquer à Adramit, dans les eaux calmes de Mithylène, à courir
+ensuite à Brousse et Constantinople, pour y saisir les clefs du détroit.
+
+En présence de l'opiniâtre confiance de l'amiral de Robecq j'abaissai
+mon pavillion de terrien et l'inclinai devant son autorité de marin
+Anglais. Nous fûmes conquis par cette confiance.
+
+Notre théâtre de guerre de Gallipoli était très borné sur le terrain. Ce
+front restreint a permis à chacun de vos soldats de vous connaître.
+Autant qu'avec leurs armes, ils combattaient avec votre ardeur de grand
+chef et votre inflexible volonté.
+
+Dans le passé ce théâtre qui était la Troade, venait se souder aux
+éternels récommencements de l'Histoire.
+
+Dans l'avenir son domaine était aussi vaste. "Si nos navires avaient pu
+franchir les détroits, a dit le Premier Ministre Loyd Georges le 18
+décembre 1919 aux Communes, la guerre aurait été raccourcie de 2 ou 3
+ans."
+
+Il y a pire qu'une guerre, c'est une guerre qui se prolonge. Car les
+dévastations s'accumulent. Le vaincu qui a eu l'habileté de les éviter à
+son pays, se donnera, sur les ruines, des manières de vainqueur. Le
+premier but de guerre n'est il pas d'infliger à l'adversaire plus de mal
+qu'il ne vous en fait?
+
+Si nous avions atteint Constantinople dans l'été 1915 c'était alors
+terminer la guerre, éviter la tourmente russe et tous les obstacles
+dressés par ce cataclysme devant le rétablissement de la paix du monde.
+C'était épargner à nos Patries des milliards de dépenses et des
+centaines de milliers de deuils.
+
+Que nous n'ayons pas atteint ce but ne saurait établir qu'il n'ait été
+juste et sage de le poursuivre.
+
+Voilà pour quelle cause sont tombés les soldats des Dardanelles.
+"Honneur à vous, soldats de France et soldats du Roi! ainsi que vous
+les adjuriez en les lançant à l'attaque.
+
+"Morts héroïques! il n'a rien manqué à votre gloire, pas même une
+apparence d'oubli. Des triomphes des autres vous n'avez recueilli que
+les rayons extrêmes: ceux qui ont franchi la cime des arcs de triomphe
+pour aller au loin, coups égarés de la grande gerbe, éclairer vos
+tombés.
+
+"Mais 'Ne jugez pas avant le temps.' Le crépuscule éteint, laissez
+encore passer la nuit. Vous aurez pour vous le soleil Levant."
+
+Vous, Mon Général, vous aurez été l'ouvrier de cette grande idée, et
+l'annonciateur de cette aurore.
+                                                      Gén. A. d'Amade.
+
+  Fronsac,
+     Gironde, France.
+  22 décembre, 1919.
+
+
+
+  CONTENTS
+
+
+                                                                    PAGE
+
+  PREFACE                                                              v
+
+  LETTER FROM GENERAL D'AMADE TO THE AUTHOR                            x
+
+  CHAPTER
+
+  I. THE START                                                         1
+
+  II. THE STRAITS                                                     21
+
+  III. EGYPT                                                          54
+
+  IV. CLEARING FOR ACTION                                             86
+
+  V. THE LANDING                                                     127
+
+  VI. MAKING GOOD                                                    159
+
+  VII. SHELLS                                                        196
+
+  VIII. TWO CORPS OR AN ALLY?                                        219
+
+  IX. SUBMARINES                                                     243
+
+  X. A DECISION AND THE PLAN                                         283
+
+  XI. BOMBS AND JOURNALISTS                                          314
+
+  XII. A VICTORY AND AFTER                                           343
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+SIR ROGER KEYES, VICE-ADMIRAL DE ROBECK, SIR IAN HAMILTON, GENERAL
+BRAITHWAITE _Frontispiece_
+
+LIEUT.-GEN. SIR J.G. MAXWELL, G.C.B., K.C.M.G                         58
+
+REVIEW OF FRENCH TROOPS AT ALEXANDRIA                                 78
+
+S.S. "RIVER CLYDE"                                                   132
+
+"W" BEACH                                                            176
+
+GENERAL D'AMADE                                                      222
+
+VIEW OF "V" BEACH, TAKEN FROM S.S. "RIVER CLYDE"                     254
+
+MEN BATHING AT HELLES                                                294
+
+THE NARROWS FROM CHUNUK BAIR                                         330
+
+GENERAL GOURAUD                                                      346
+
+
+MAPS
+
+KEY MAP _Inside front cover_
+
+CAPE HELLES AND THE SOUTHERN AREA _At end of volume_
+
+
+
+
+GALLIPOLI DIARY
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THE START
+
+
+_In the train between Paris and Marseilles, 14th March, 1915._
+
+Neither the Asquith banquet, nor the talk at the Admiralty that midnight
+had persuaded me I was going to do what I am actually doing at this
+moment. K. had made no sign nor waved his magic baton. So I just kept as
+cool as I could and had a sound sleep.
+
+Next morning, that is the 12th instant, I was working at the Horse
+Guards when, about 10 a.m., K. sent for me. I wondered! Opening the door
+I bade him good morning and walked up to his desk where he went on
+writing like a graven image. After a moment, he looked up and said in a
+matter-of-fact tone, "We are sending a military force to support the
+Fleet now at the Dardanelles, and you are to have Command."
+
+Something in voice or words touched a chord in my memory. We were once
+more standing, K. and I, in our workroom at Pretoria, having just
+finished reading the night's crop of sixty or seventy wires. K. was
+saying to me, "You had better go out to the Western Transvaal." I asked
+no question, packed up my kit, ordered my train, started that night. Not
+another syllable was said on the subject. Uninstructed and unaccredited
+I left that night for the front; my outfit one A.D.C., two horses, two
+mules and a buggy. Whether I inspected the columns and came back and
+reported to K. in my capacity as his Chief Staff Officer; or, whether,
+making use of my rank to assume command in the field, I beat up de la
+Rey in his den--all this rested entirely with me.
+
+So I made my choice and fought my fight at Roodewal, last strange battle
+in the West. That is K.'s way. The envoy goes forth; does his best with
+whatever forces he can muster and, if he loses;--well, unless he had
+liked the job he should not have taken it on.
+
+At that moment K. wished me to bow, leave the room and make a start as I
+did some thirteen years ago. But the conditions were no longer the same.
+In those old Pretoria days I had known the Transvaal by heart; the
+number, value and disposition of the British forces; the characters of
+the Boer leaders; the nature of the country. But my knowledge of the
+Dardanelles was nil; of the Turk nil; of the strength of our own forces
+next to nil. Although I have met K. almost every day during the past six
+months, and although he has twice hinted I might be sent to Salonika;
+never once, to the best of my recollection, had he mentioned the word
+Dardanelles.
+
+I had plenty of time for these reflections as K., after his one
+tremendous remark had resumed his writing at the desk. At last, he
+looked up and inquired, "Well?"
+
+"We have done this sort of thing before, Lord K." I said; "we have run
+this sort of show before and you know without saying I am most deeply
+grateful and you know without saying I will do my best and that you can
+trust my loyalty--but I must say something--I must ask you some
+questions." Then I began.
+
+K. frowned; shrugged his shoulders; I thought he was going to be
+impatient, but although he gave curt answers at first he slowly
+broadened out, until, at the end, no one else could get a word in
+edgeways.[3]
+
+My troops were to be Australians and New Zealanders under Birdwood (a
+friend); strength, say, about 30,000. (A year ago I inspected them in
+their own Antipodes and no finer material exists); the 29th Division,
+strength, say 19,000 under Hunter-Weston--a slashing man of action; an
+acute theorist; the Royal Naval Division, 11,000 strong (an excellent
+type of Officer and man, under a solid Commander--Paris); a French
+contingent, strength at present uncertain, say, about a Division, under
+my old war comrade the chivalrous d'Amade, now at Tunis.
+
+Say then grand total about 80,000--probably panning out at some 50,000
+rifles in the firing line. Of these the 29th Division are
+extras--_division de luxe._
+
+K. went on; he was now fairly under weigh and got up and walked about
+the room as he spoke. I knew, he said, his (K.'s) feelings as to the
+political and strategic value of the Near East where one clever tactical
+thrust delivered on the spot and at the spot might rally the wavering
+Balkans. Rifle for rifle, _at that moment_, we could nowhere make as
+good use of the 29th Division as by sending it to the Dardanelles, where
+each of its 13,000 rifles might attract a hundred more to our side of
+the war. Employed in France or Flanders the 29th would at best help to
+push back the German line a few miles; at the Dardanelles the stakes
+were enormous. He spoke, so it struck me, as if he was defending himself
+in argument: he asked if I agreed. I said, "Yes." "Well," he rejoined,
+"You may just as well realize at once that G.H.Q. in France do not
+agree. They think they have only to drive the Germans back fifty miles
+nearer to their base to win the war. Those are the same fellows who used
+to write me saying they wanted no New Army; that they would be amply
+content if only the old Old Army and the Territorials could be kept up
+to strength. Now they've been down to Aldershot and seen the New Army
+they are changing their tune, but I am by no means sure, _now_, that
+I'll give it to them. French and his Staff believe firmly that the
+British Imperial Armies can pitch their camp down in one corner of
+Europe and there fight a world war to a finish. The thing is absurd but
+French, plus France, are a strong combine and they are fighting tooth
+and nail for the 29th Division. It must clearly be understood then:--"
+
+(1) That the 29th Division are only to be a loan and are to be returned
+the moment they can be spared.
+
+(2) That all things ear-marked for the East are looked on by powerful
+interests both at home and in France as having been stolen from the
+West.
+
+Did I take this in? I said, "I take it from you." Did I myself, speaking
+as actual Commander of the Central Striking Force and executively
+responsible for the land defence of England, think the 29th Division
+could be spared at all? "Yes," I said, "and four more Territorial
+Divisions as well." K. used two or three very bad words and added, with
+his usual affability, that I would find myself walking about in civilian
+costume instead of going to Constantinople if he found me making any
+wild statements of that sort to the politicians. I laughed and reminded
+him of my testimony before the Committee of Imperial Defence about my
+Malta amphibious manoeuvres; about the Malta Submarines and the way
+they had destroyed the battleships conveying my landing forces. If there
+was any politician, I said, who cared a hang about my opinions he knew
+quite well already my views on an invasion of England; namely, that it
+would be like trying to hurt a monkey by throwing nuts at him. I didn't
+want to steal what French wanted, but now that the rifles had come and
+the troops had finished their musketry, there was no need to squabble
+over a Division. Why not let French have two of my Central Force
+Territorial Division at once,--they were jolly good and were wasting
+their time over here. That would sweeten French and he and Joffre would
+make no more trouble about the 29th.
+
+K. glared at me. I don't know what he was going to say when Callwell
+came into the room with some papers.
+
+We moved to the map in the window and Callwell took us through a plan of
+attack upon the Forts at the Dardanelles, worked out by the Greek
+General Staff. The Greeks had meant to employ (as far as I can remember)
+150,000 men. Their landing was to have taken place on the North-west
+coast of the Southern part of the Peninsula, opposite Kilid Bahr. "But,"
+said K., "half that number of men will do you handsomely; the Turks are
+busy elsewhere; I hope you will not have to land at all; if you _do_
+have to land, why then the powerful Fleet at your back will be the prime
+factor in your choice of time and place."
+
+I asked K. if he would not move the Admiralty to work a submarine or two
+up the Straits at once so as to prevent reinforcements and supplies
+coming down by sea from Constantinople. By now the Turks must be on the
+alert and it was commonsense to suppose they would be sending some sort
+of help to their Forts. However things might pan out we could not be
+going wrong if we made the Marmora unhealthy for the Turkish ships. Lord
+K. thereupon made the remark that if we could get one submarine into the
+Marmora the defences of the Dardanelles would collapse. "Supposing," he
+said, "one submarine pops up opposite the town of Gallipoli and waves a
+Union Jack three times, the whole Turkish garrison on the Peninsula will
+take to their heels and make a bee line for Bulair."
+
+In reply to a question about Staff, Lord K., in the gruff voice he puts
+on when he wants no argument, told me I could not take my own Chief of
+Staff, Ellison, and that Braithwaite would go with me in his place.
+Ellison and I have worked hand in glove for several years; our qualities
+usefully complement one another; there was no earthly reason I could
+think of why Ellison should _not_ have come with me, but; I like
+Braithwaite; he had been on my General Staff for a time in the Southern
+Command; he is cheery, popular and competent.
+
+Wolfe Murray, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, was then called
+in, also Archie Murray, Inspector of Home Forces, and Braithwaite. This
+was the first (apparently) either of the Murrays had heard of the
+project!!! Both seemed to be quite taken aback, and I do not remember
+that either of them made a remark.
+
+Braithwaite was very nice and took a chance to whisper his hopes he
+would not give me too much cause to regret Ellison. He only said one
+thing to K. and that produced an explosion. He said it was vital that we
+should have a better air service than the Turks in case it came to
+fighting over a small area like the Gallipoli Peninsula: he begged,
+therefore, that whatever else we got, or did not get, we might be fitted
+out with a contingent of up-to-date aeroplanes, pilots and observers. K.
+turned on him with flashing spectacles and rent him with the words,
+_"Not one_!"
+
+_15th March, 1915. H.M.S. "Phaeton." Toulon Harbour._ Embarked at
+Marseilles last night at 6 p.m. and slept on board. Owing to some
+mistake no oil fuel had been taken aboard so we have had to come round
+here this morning to get it. Have just breakfasted with the Captain,
+Cameron by name, and have let the Staff go ashore to see the town. We do
+not sail till 2 p.m.: after special trains and everything a clean
+chuck-away of 20 hours.
+
+I left off in the S. of S.'s room at the War Office. After the bursting
+of the aeroplane bomb K. did most of the talking. I find it hard to
+remember all he said: here are the outstanding points:--
+
+(1) We soldiers are to understand we are string Number 2. The sailors
+are sure they can force the Dardanelles on their own and the whole
+enterprise has been framed on that basis: we are to lie low and to bear
+in mind the Cabinet does not want to hear anything of the Army till it
+sails through the Straits. But if the Admiral fails, then we will have
+to go in.
+
+(2) If the Army has to be used, whether on the Bosphorus or at the
+Dardanelles, I am to bear in mind his order that no serious operation is
+to take place until the whole of my force is complete; ready;
+concentrated and on the spot. No piecemeal attack is to be made.
+
+(3) If we do start fighting, once we _have_ started we are to burn our
+boats. Once landed the Government are resolved to see the enterprise
+through.
+
+(4) Asia is out of bounds. K. laid special stress on this. Our sea
+command and the restricted area of Gallipoli would enable us to
+undertake a landing on the Peninsula with clearly limited liabilities.
+Once we began marching about continents, situations calling for heavy
+reinforcements would probably be created. Although I, Hamilton, seemed
+ready to run risks in the defence of London, he, K., was not, and as he
+had already explained, big demands would make his position difficult
+with France; difficult everywhere; and might end by putting him (K.) in
+the cart. Besika Bay and Alexandretta were, therefore, taboo--not to be
+touched! Even after we force the Narrows no troops are to be landed
+along the Asian coastline. Nor are we to garrison any part of the
+Gallipoli Peninsula excepting only the Bulair Lines which had best be
+permanently held, K. thinks, by the Naval Division.
+
+When we get into the Marmora I shall be faced by a series of big
+problems. What would I do? From what quarter could I attack
+Constantinople? How would I hold it when I had taken it? K. asked me
+the questions.
+
+With the mud of prosaic Whitehall drying upon my boots these remarks of
+K.'s sounded to me odd. But, knowing Constantinople, and--what was more
+to the point at the moment--knowing K.'s hatred of hesitation, I managed
+to pull myself together so far as to suggest that if the city was weakly
+held and if, as he had said, (I forgot to enter that) the bulk of the
+Thracian troops were dispersed throughout the Provinces, or else moving
+to re-occupy Adrianople, why then, possibly, by a _coup de main_, we
+might pounce upon the Chatalja Lines from the South before the Turks
+could climb back into them from the North. Lord K. made a grimace; he
+thought this too chancy. The best would be if we did not land a man
+until the Turks had come to terms. Once the Fleet got through the
+Dardanelles, Constantinople could not hold out. Modern Constantinople
+could not last a week if blockaded by sea and land. That was a sure
+thing; a thing whereon he could speak with full confidence. The Fleet
+could lie off out of sight and range of the Turks and with their guns
+would dominate the railways and, if necessary, burn the place to ashes.
+The bulk of the people were not Osmanli or even Mahomedan and there
+would be a revolution at the mere sight of the smoke from the funnels of
+our warships. But if, for some cause at present non-apparent, we were
+forced to put troops ashore against organized Turkish opposition, then
+he advocated a landing on the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus to hold out
+a hand to the Russians, who would simultaneously land there from the
+Black Sea. He only made the suggestion, for the man on the spot must be
+the best judge. Several of the audience left us here, at Lord K.'s
+suggestion, to get on with their work. K. went on:--
+
+The moment the holding of Constantinople comes along the French and the
+Russians will be very jealous and prickly. Luckily we British have an
+easy part to play as the more we efface ourselves at that stage, the
+better he, K., will be pleased. The Army in France have means of making
+their views work in high places and pressure is sure to be put on by
+them and by their friends for the return of the 29th and Naval Divisions
+the moment we bring Turkey to book. Therefore, it will be best in any
+case to "let the French and Russians garrison Constantinople and sing
+their hymns in S. Sophia," whilst my own troops hold the railway line
+and perhaps Adrianople. Thus they will be at a loose end and we shall be
+free to bring them back to the West; to land them at Odessa or to push
+them up the Danube, without weakening the Allied grip on the waterway
+linking the Mediterranean with the Black Sea.
+
+This was the essence of our talk: as it lasted about an hour and a half,
+I can only have put down about one tenth of it.
+
+At odd times I have been recipient of K.'s reveries but always,
+_always_, he has rejected with a sort of horror the idea of being War
+Minister or Commander-in-Chief. Now by an extreme exercise of its ironic
+spirit, Providence has made him both.
+
+In pre-war days, when we met in Egypt and at Malta, K. made no bones
+about what he wanted. He wanted to be Viceroy of India or Ambasssador at
+Constantinople.
+
+I remember very well one conversation we had when I asked him why he
+wanted to hang on to great place, and whether he had not done enough
+already. He said he could not bear to see India being mismanaged by
+nincompoops or our influence in Turkey being chucked out of the window
+with both hands: I answered him, I remember, by saying there were only
+two things worth doing as Viceroy and they would not take very long. One
+was to put a huge import duty on aniline dyes and so bring back the
+lovely vegetable dyes of old India, the saffrons, indigoes, madders,
+etc.; the other was to build a black marble Taj at Agra opposite the
+white and join the two by a silver bridge. I expected to get a rise, but
+actually he took the ideas quite seriously and I am sure made a mental
+note of them. Anyway, as Viceroy, K. would have flung the whole vast
+weight of India into the scale of this war; he would have poured Army
+after Army from East to West. Under K. India could have beaten Turkey
+single-handed; aye, and with one arm tied behind her back. With K. as
+Ambassador at Constantinople he would have prevented Turkey coming into
+the war. There is no doubt of it. Neither Enver Pasha nor Talaat would
+have dared to enrage K., and as for the idea of their deporting him, it
+is grotesque. They might have shot him in the back; they could never
+have faced him with a war declaration in their hands. As an impresser
+of Orientals he is a nonesuch. So we put him into the War Office in the
+ways of which he is something of an amateur, with a big prestige and a
+big power of drive. Yes, we remove the best experts from the War Office
+and pop in K. like a powerful engine from which we have removed all
+controls, regulators and safety valves. Yet see what wonders he has
+worked!
+
+Still, he remains, in the War Office sense, an amateur. The Staff left
+by French at the W.O. may not have been von Moltke's, but they were K.'s
+only Councillors. An old War Office hand would have used them. But in no
+case, even had they been the best, could K. have had truck or parley
+with any system of decentralization of work--of semi-independent
+specialists each running a show of his own. As late (so-called) Chief of
+Staff to Lord K. in South Africa, I could have told them that whatever
+work K. fancies at the moment he must swipe at it, that very moment, off
+his own bat. The one-man show carried on royally in South Africa and all
+the narrow squeaks we had have been completely swallowed up in the final
+success; but how will his no-system system work now? Perhaps he may pull
+it through; anyway he is starting with a beautifully cleaned slate. He
+has surpassed himself, in fact, for I confess even with past experience
+to guide me, I did not imagine our machinery could have been so
+thoroughly smashed in so short a time. Ten long years of General Staff;
+Lyttelton, Nicholson, French, Douglas; where are your well-thought-out
+schemes for an amphibious attack on Constantinople? Not a sign!
+Braithwaite set to work in the Intelligence Branch at once. But beyond
+the ordinary text books those pigeon holes were drawn blank. The
+Dardanelles and Bosphorus might be in the moon for all the military
+information I have got to go upon. One text book and one book of
+travellers' tales don't take long to master and I have not been so free
+from work or preoccupation since the war started. There is no use trying
+to make plans unless there is some sort of material, political, naval,
+military or geographical to work upon.
+
+Winston had been in a fever to get us off and had ordered a special
+train for that very afternoon. My new Staff were doubtful if they could
+get fixed up so quickly and K. settled the matter by saying there was no
+need to hustle. For myself, I was very keen to get away. The best plan
+to save slips between cup and lip is to swallow the liquor. But K.
+thought it wisest to wait, so I 'phoned over to Eddie to let Winston
+know we should not want his train that day.
+
+Next morning, the 13th, I handed over the Central Force Command to
+Rundle and then, at 10.30 went in with Braithwaite to say good-bye. K.
+was standing by his desk splashing about with his pen at three different
+drafts of instructions. One of them had been drafted by Fitz--I suppose
+under somebody's guidance; the other was by young Buckley; the third K.
+was working on himself. Braithwaite, Fitz and I were in the room; no one
+else except Callwell who popped in and out. The instructions went over
+most of the ground of yesterday's debate and were too vague. When I
+asked the crucial question:--the enemy's strength? K. thought I had
+better be prepared for 40,000. How many guns? No one knows. Who was in
+command? Djavad Pasha, it is believed. But, K. says, I may take it that
+the Kilid Bahr Plateau has been entrenched and is sufficiently held.
+South of Kilid Bahr to the point at Cape Helles, I may take it that the
+Peninsula is open to a landing on very easy terms. The cross fire from
+the Fleet lying part in the Aegean and part in the mouth of the Straits
+must sweep that flat and open stretch of country so as to render it
+untenable by the enemy. Lord K. demonstrated this cross fire upon the
+map. He toiled over the wording of his instructions. They were headed
+"Constantinople Expeditionary Force." I begged him to alter this to
+avert Fate's evil eye. He consented and both this corrected draft and
+the copy as finally approved are now in Braithwaite's despatch box more
+modestly headed "Mediterranean Expeditionary Force." None of the drafts
+help us with facts about the enemy; the politics; the country and our
+allies, the Russians. In sober fact these "instructions" leave me to my
+own devices in the East, almost as much as K.'s laconic order "git" left
+me to myself when I quitted Pretoria for the West thirteen years ago.
+
+So I said good-bye to old K. as casually as if we were to meet together
+at dinner. Actually my heart went out to my old Chief. He was giving me
+the best thing in his gift and I hated to leave him amongst people who
+were frightened of him. But there was no use saying a word. He did not
+even wish me luck and I did not expect him to, but he did say, rather
+unexpectedly, _after_ I had said good-bye and just as I was taking up my
+cap from the table, "If the Fleet gets through, Constantinople will fall
+of itself and you will have won, not a battle, but the war."
+
+At 5 o'clock that afternoon we bade adieu to London. Winston was
+disappointed we didn't dash away yesterday but we have not really let
+much grass grow under our feet. He and some friends came down to Charing
+Cross to see us off. I told Winston Lord K. would not think me loyal if
+I wrote to another Secretary of State. He understood and said that if I
+wanted him to be aware of some special request all I had to say was,
+"You will agree perhaps that the First Lord should see." Then the S. of
+S. for War would be bound to show him the letter:--which proves that
+with all his cleverness Winston has yet some points to learn about his
+K. of K.!
+
+My Staff still bear the bewildered look of men who have hurriedly been
+snatched from desks to do some extraordinary turn on some unheard of
+theatre. One or two of them put on uniform for the first time in their
+lives an hour ago. Leggings awry, spurs upside down, belts over shoulder
+straps! I haven't a notion of who they all are: nine-tenths of my few
+hours of warning has been taken up in winding up the affairs of the
+Central Force.
+
+At Dover embarked on H.M.S. _Foresight_,--a misnomer, for we ran into a
+fog and had to lie-to for a devil of a time. Heard far-off guns on
+French front,--which was cheering.
+
+At 10.30 p.m. we left Calais for Marseilles and during the next day the
+French authorities caused me to be met by Officers of their Railway
+Mobilization Section. Had my first breathing space wherein to talk over
+matters with Braithwaite, and he and I tried to piece together the
+various scraps of views we had picked up at the War Office into a
+pattern which should serve us for a doctrine. But we haven't got very
+much to go upon. A diagram he had drawn up with half the spaces unfilled
+showing the General Staff. Another diagram with its blank spaces only
+showed that our Q. branch was not in being. Three queried names,
+Woodward for A.G., Winter for Q.M.G. and Williams for Cipher Officer.
+The first two had been left behind, the third was with us. The following
+hurried jottings by Braithwaite:--"Only 1600 rounds for the 4.5
+Howitzers!!! High Explosive essential. Who is to be C.R.E.? Engineer
+Stores? French are to remain at Tunis until the day comes that they are
+required. Egyptian troops also remain in Egypt till last moment.
+Everything we want by 30th (it is hoped). Await arrival of 29th Division
+before undertaking anything big. If Carden wants military help it is for
+Sir Ian's consideration whether to give or to withhold it." These rough
+notes; the text book on the Turkish Army, and two small guide books: not
+a very luminous outfit. Braithwaite tells me our force are not to take
+with them the usual 10 per cent. extra margin of reserves to fill
+casualties. Wish I had realised this earlier. He had not time to tell
+me he says. The General Staff thought we ought certainly to have these
+and he and Wolfe Murray went in and made a personal appeal to the A.G.
+But he was obdurate. This seems hard luck. Why should we not have our
+losses quickly replaced--supposing we do lose men? I doubt though, if I
+should have been able to do very much even if I had known. To press K.
+would have been difficult. Like insisting on an extra half-crown when
+you've just been given Fortunatus' purse. Still, fair play's a jewel,
+and surely if formations destined for the French front cross the Channel
+with 10 per cent. extra, over and above their establishment, troops
+bound for Constantinople ought to have a 25 per cent. margin over
+establishment?
+
+_17th March, 1915. H.M.S. "Phaeton." At sea._ Last night we raced past
+Corfu--my birthplace--at thirty knots an hour. My first baby breath was
+drawn from these thyme scented breezes. This crimson in the Eastern sky,
+these waves of liquid opal are natal, vital.
+
+Thirty miles an hour through Paradise! Since the 16th January, 1853, we
+have learnt to go the pace and as a result the world shrinks; the
+horizons close in upon us; the spacious days are gone!
+
+Thoughts of my Mother, who died when I was but three. Thoughts of her
+refusal as she lay dying--gasping in mortal pain--her refusal to touch
+an opiate, because the Minister, Norman Macleod, had told her she so
+might dim the clearness of her spiritual insight--of her thoughts
+ascending heavenwards. What pluck--what grit--what faith--what an
+example to a soldier.
+
+Exquisite, exquisite air; sea like an undulating carpet of blue velvet
+outspread for Aphrodite. Have been in the Aegean since dawn. At noon
+passed a cruiser taking back Admiral Carden invalided to Malta. One week
+ago the thunder of his guns shook the firm foundations of the world. Now
+a sheer hulk lies poor old Carden. _Vanitas vanitatum_.
+
+Have got into touch with my staff. They are all General Staff: no
+Administrative Staff. The Adjutant-General-to-be (I don't know him) and
+the Chief Medico (I don't know who he is to be) could not get ready in
+time to come off with us, and the Q.M.G., too, was undecided when I
+left. There are nine of the General Staff. I like the looks of them.
+Quite characteristic of K., though, that barring Braithwaite, not one of
+the associates he has told off to work hand in glove with me in this
+enterprise should ever have served with me before.
+
+Only two sorts of Commanders-in-Chief could possibly find time to
+scribble like this on their way to take up an enterprise in many ways
+unprecedented--a German and a Britisher. The first, because every
+possible contingency would have been worked out for him beforehand; the
+second, because he has nothing--literally nothing--in his portfolio
+except a blank cheque signed with those grand yet simple words--John
+Bull. The German General is the product of an organising nation. The
+British General is the product of an improvising nation. Each army would
+be better commanded by the other army's General. Sounds fantastic but is
+true.[4]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+THE STRAITS
+
+
+Cast anchor at Tenedos at 3 p.m., 17th March, 1915, having entered the
+harbour at the very same instant as le général d'Amade.
+
+Hurried over at once to a meeting aboard that lovely sea monster, H.M.S.
+_Queen Elizabeth_.
+
+Present:--
+
+  Admiral de Robeck,
+  Commodore Roger Keyes,
+  Admiral Guépratte, cmdg. French Fleet,
+  General d'Amade,
+  General Braithwaite,
+  Admiral Wemyss,
+  Captain Pollen,
+  Myself.
+
+De Robeck greeted me in the friendliest fashion. He is a fine looking
+man with great charm of manner. After a word or two to d'Amade and being
+introduced to Wemyss, Guépratte and Keyes, we sat down round a table and
+the Admiral began. His chief worry lies in the clever way the enemy are
+now handling their mobile artillery. He can silence the big fortress
+ordnance, but the howitzers and field guns fire from concealed
+positions and make the clearing of the minefields something of a V.C.
+sort of job for the smaller craft. Even when the Fleet gets through,
+these moveable guns will make it very nasty for store ships or
+transports which follow. The mine-sweepers are slow and bad with worn
+out engines. Some of the civilian masters and crews of the trawlers have
+to consider wives and kids as well as V.C.s. The problem of getting the
+Fleet through or of getting submarines through is a problem of clearing
+away the mines. With a more powerfully engined type of mine-sweeper and
+regular naval commanders and crews to man them, the business would be
+easy. But as things actually stand there is real cause for anxiety as to
+mines.
+
+The Peninsula itself is being fortified and many Turks work every night
+on trenches, redoubts and entanglements. Not one single living soul has
+been seen, since the engagement of our Marines at the end of February,
+although each morning brings forth fresh evidences of nocturnal
+activity, in patches of freshly turned up soil. All landing places are
+now commanded by lines of trenches and are ranged by field guns and
+howitzers, which, thus far, cannot be located as our naval seaplanes are
+too heavy to rise out of rifle range. There has been a muddle about
+these seaplanes. Nominally they possess very powerful Sunbeam engines;
+actually the d----d things can barely rise off the water. The naval
+guns do not seem able to knock the Turkish Infantry out of their deep
+trenches although they can silence their fire for awhile. This was
+proved at that last landing by Marines. The Turkish searchlights are
+both fixed and mobile. They are of the latest pattern and are run by
+skilled observers. He gave us, in fact, to understand that German
+thoroughness and forethought have gripped the old go-as-you-please Turk
+and are making him march to the _Parade-schritt_.
+
+The Admiral would prefer to force a passage on his own, and is sure he
+can do so. Setting Constantinople on one side for the moment, _if_ the
+Fleet gets through and the Army _then_ attacks at Bulair, we would have
+the Turkish Army on the Peninsula in a regular trap. Therefore, whether
+from the local or the larger point of view, he has no wish to call us in
+until he has had a real good try. He means straightway to put the whole
+proposition to a practical test.
+
+His views dovetail in to a hair's breadth with K.'s views. The Admiral's
+"real good try" leads up towards K.'s "after every effort has been
+exhausted."
+
+That's a bit of luck for our kick-off, anyway. What we soldiers have to
+do now is to hammer away at our band-o-bast[5] whilst the Navy pushes as
+hard, as fast and as far as its horsepower, manpower and gunpower will
+carry it.
+
+The Admiral asked to see my instructions and Braithwaite read them out.
+When he stopped, Roger Keyes, the Commodore, inquired, "Is that all?"
+And when Braithwaite confessed that it was, everyone looked a little
+blank.
+
+Asked what I meant to do, I said I proposed to get ready for a landing,
+as, whether the Fleet forces the passage and disembarked us on the
+Bosphorus; or, whether the Fleet did not force the passage and we had to
+"go for" the Peninsula, the _band-o-bast_ could be made to suit either
+case.
+
+The Admiral asked if I meant to land at Bulair? I replied my mind was
+open on that point: that I was a believer in seeing things for myself
+and that I would not come to any decision on the map if it were possible
+to come to it on the ground. He then said he would send me up to look at
+the place through my own glasses in the Phaeton to-morrow; that it would
+not be possible to land large forces on the neck of Bulair itself as
+there were no beaches, but that I should reconnoitre the coast at the
+head of the Gulf as landing would be easier with every few miles we drew
+away towards the North. I told him it would be useless to land at any
+distance from my objective, for the simple reason that I had no
+transport, mechanical or horse, wheeled or pack, to enable me to support
+myself further than five or six miles from the Fleet and it would take
+many weeks and many ships to get it together; however, I ended, I would
+to-morrow see for myself.
+
+The air of the Aegean hardly differs so much from the North Sea haze as
+does the moral atmosphere of Tenedos differ from that of the War Office.
+This is always the way. Until the plunge is taken, the man in the arm
+chair clamps rose coloured spectacles on to his nose and the man on the
+spot is anxious; _but_, once the men on the spot jump off they become
+as jolly as sandboys, whilst the man in the arm chair sits searching for
+a set-back with a blue lens telescope.
+
+Here, the Peninsula looks a tougher nut to crack than it did on Lord K.'s
+small and featureless map. I do not speak for myself for I have so far
+only examined the terrain through a field glass. I refer to the tone of
+the sailors, which strikes me as being graver and less irresponsible
+than the tone of the War Office.
+
+The Admiral believes that, at the time of the first bombardment, 5000
+men could have marched from Cape Helles right up to the Bulair lines.
+(Before leaving the ship I learnt that some of the sailors do not
+agree). Now that phase has passed. Many more troops have come down,
+German Staff Officers have grappled with the situation, and have got
+their troops scientifically disposed and heavily entrenched. This
+skilful siting of the Turkish trenches has been admired by all competent
+British observers; the number of field guns on the Peninsula is now many
+times greater than it was.
+
+After this the discussion became informal. Referring again to my
+instructions, I laid stress on the point that I was a waiting man and
+that it was the Admiral's innings for so long as he could keep his
+wicket up. Braithwaite asked a question or two about the trenches and
+all of us deplored the lack of aeroplanes whereby we were blinded in our
+attack upon an enemy who espied every boat's crew moving over the
+water.
+
+The more I revolve these matters in my mind, the more easy does it seem
+to accept K.'s order not to be in too great a hurry to bring the Army to
+the front. I devoutly hope indeed (and I think the fiercest of our
+fellows agree) that the Navy will pull us out the chestnuts from the
+fire.
+
+At the close of the sitting I made these notes of what had happened and
+drafted a first cable to Lord K., giving him an epitome of the Admiral's
+opening statement about the enemy's clever use of field guns to hinder
+the clearing of the minefields; his good entrenchments and the nightly
+work thereon; our handicap in all these matters because the type of
+seaplanes sent us "are too heavy to rise out of effective rifle
+range"--(one has to put these things mildly). I add that the Admiral,
+"while not making light of dangers was evidently determined to exhaust
+every effort before calling upon the soldiers for their help on a large
+scale"; and I wind up by telling him Lemnos seems a bad base and that I
+am off to-morrow on an inspection of the coasts of the Peninsula. Having
+got these matters off my chest on to the chest of K., was then taken
+round the ship by the Flag Captain, G.P.W. Hope. By this time it was
+nearly 7 so I stayed and dined with the Admiral--a charming host. After
+dinner got back here.
+
+_18th March, 1915._ _H.M.S. "Phaeton."_ Cleared Tenedos Harbour at 4
+a.m. and reached Lemnos at 6 a.m. I never saw so many ships collected
+together in my life; no, not even at Hong Kong, Bombay or New York.
+Filled up with oil fuel and at 7 a.m. d'Amade and Major-General Paris,
+commanding the Royal Naval Division, came on board with one or two Staff
+Officers. After consulting these Officers as well as McLagan, the
+Australian Brigadier, cabled Lord K. to say Alexandria _must_ be our
+base as "the Naval Division transports have been loaded up as in peace
+time and they must be completely discharged and every ship reloaded," in
+war fashion. At Lemnos, where there are neither wharfs, piers, labour
+nor water, the thing could not be done. Therefore, "the closeness of
+Lemnos to the Dardanelles, as implying the rapid transport of troops, is
+illusory."
+
+The moment I got this done, namely, at 8.30 a.m., we worked our way out
+of the long narrow neck of Mudros Harbour and sailed for the Gulf of
+Saros. Spent the first half of the sixty mile run to the Dardanelles in
+scribbling. Wrote my first epistle to K., using for the first time the
+formal "Dear Lord Kitchener." My letters to him will have to be formal,
+and dull also, as he may hand them around. I begin, "I have just sent
+you off a cable giving my first impressions of the situation, and am now
+steaming in company with Generals d'Amade and Paris to inspect the
+North-western coast of the Gallipoli Peninsula." I tell him that the
+real place "looks a much tougher nut to crack than it did over the
+map,"--I say that his "impression that the ground between Cape Helles
+and Krithia was clear of the enemy," was mistaken. "Not a bit of it." I
+say, "The Admiral tells me that there is a large number of men tucked
+away in the folds of the ground there, not to speak of several field
+Batteries." Therefore, I conclude, "If it eventually becomes necessary
+to take the Gallipoli Peninsula by military force, we shall have to
+proceed bit by bit." This will vex him no doubt. He likes plans to move
+as fast as his own wishes and is apt to forget, or to pretend he has
+forgotten, that swiftness in war comes from slow preparations. It is
+fairer to tell K. this now, when the question has not yet arisen, than
+hereafter if it does then arise.
+
+Passing the mouth of the Dardanelles we got a wonderful view of the
+stage whereon the Great Showman has caused so many of his amusing
+puppets to strut their tiny hour. For the purpose it stands matchless.
+No other panorama can touch it. There, Hero trimmed her little lamp;
+yonder the amorous breath of Leander changed to soft sea form. Far away
+to the Eastwards, painted in dim and lovely hues, lies Mount Ida. Just
+so, on the far horizon line she lay fair and still, when Hector fell and
+smoke from burning Troy blackened the mid-day sun. Against this
+enchanted background to deeds done by immortals and mortals as they
+struggled for ten long years five thousand years ago,--stands forth
+formidably the Peninsula. Glowing with bright, springtime colours it
+sweeps upwards from the sea like the glacis of a giant's fortress.
+
+So we sailed on Northwards, giving a wide berth to the shore. When we
+got within a mile of the head of the Gulf of Saros, we turned, steering
+a South-westerly course, parallel to, and one to two miles distant from,
+the coastline. Then my first fears as to the outworks of the fortress
+were strengthened. The head of the Gulf is filled in with a horrible
+marsh. No landing there. Did we land far away to the Westward we must
+still march round the marsh, or else we must cross it on one single road
+whose long and easily destructible bridges we could see spanning the bog
+holes some three miles inland. Opposite the fortified lines we stood in
+to within easy field gun range, trusting that the Turks would not wish
+prematurely to disclose their artillery positions. So we managed a peep
+at close quarters, and were startled to see the ramifications and extent
+of the spider's web of deep, narrow trenches along the coast and on
+either front of the lines of Bulair. My Staff agree that they must have
+taken ten thousand men a month's hard work from dark to dawn. In advance
+of the trenches, Williams in the crow's nest reported that with his
+strong glasses he could pick out the glitter of wire over a wide expanse
+of ground. To the depth of a mile the whole Aegean slope of the neck of
+the Peninsula was scarred with spade work and it is clear to a tiro that
+to take these trenches would take from us a bigger toll of ammunition
+and life than we can afford: especially so seeing that we can only see
+one half of the theatre; the other half would have to be worked out of
+sight and support of our own ships and in view of the Turkish Fleet.
+Only one small dent in the rockbound coast offered a chance of landing
+but that was also heavily dug in. In a word, if Bulair had been the only
+way open to me and I had no alternative but to take it or wash my hands
+of the whole business, I should have to go right about turn and cable
+my master he had sent me on a fool's errand.
+
+Between Bulair and Suvla Bay the coastline was precipitous; high cliffs
+and no sort of creeks or beaches--impracticable. Suvla Bay itself seems
+a fine harbour but too far North were the aim to combine a landing there
+together with an attack on the Southern end of the Peninsula. Were we,
+on the other hand, to try to work the whole force ashore from Suvla Bay,
+the country is too big; it is the broadest part of the Peninsula; also,
+we should be too far from its waist and from the Narrows we wish to
+dominate. Merely to hold our line of Communications we should need a
+couple of Divisions. All the coast between Suvla Bay and for a little
+way South of Gaba Tepe seems feasible for landing. I mean we could get
+ashore on a calm day if there was no enemy. Gaba Tepe itself would be
+ideal, but, alas, the Turks are not blind; it is a mass of trenches and
+wire. Further, it must be well under fire of guns from Kilid Bahr
+plateau, and is entirely commanded by the high ridge to the North of it.
+To land there would be to enter a defile without first crowning the
+heights.
+
+Between Gaba Tepe and Cape Helles, the point of the Peninsula, the
+coastline consists of cliffs from 100 to 300 feet high. But there are,
+in many places, sandy strips at their base. Opinions differ but I
+believe myself the cliffs are not unclimbable. I thoroughly believe also
+in going for at least one spot that _seems_ impracticable.
+
+Sailing Southwards we are becoming more and more conscious of the
+tremendous bombardment going on in the Straits. Now and then, too, we
+can see a huge shell hit the top of Achi Baba and turn it into the
+semblance of a volcano. Everyone excited and trying to look calm.
+
+At 4 p.m., precisely, we rounded Cape Helles. I had promised de Robeck
+not to take his fastest cruiser, fragile as an egg, into the actual
+Straits, but the Captain and the Commander (Cameron and Rosomore), were
+frightfully keen to see the fight, and I thought it fair to allow one
+mile as being the _mouth_ of the Straits and not _the_ Straits. Before
+we had covered that mile we found ourselves on the outskirts of--dream
+of my life--a naval battle! Nor did the reality pan out short of my
+hopes. Here it was; we had only to keep on at thirty knots; in one
+minute we should be in the thick of it; and who would be brave enough to
+cry halt!
+
+The world had gone mad; common sense was only moonshine after all; the
+elephant and the whale of Bismarckian parable were at it tooth and nail!
+Shells of all sizes flew hissing through the skies. Before my very eyes,
+the graves of those old Gods whom Christ had risen from the dead to
+destroy were shaking to the shock of Messrs. Armstrong's patent thunder
+bolts!
+
+Ever since the far-away days of Afghanistan and Majuba Hill friends have
+been fond of asking me what soldiers feel when death draws close up
+beside them. Before he charged in at Edgehill, Astley (if my memory
+serves me) exclaimed, "O, God, I've been too busy fixing up this battle
+to think much about you, but, for Heaven's sake, don't you go and
+forget about me," or words to that effect.
+
+The Yankee's prayer for fair play just as he joined issue with the
+grizzly bear gives another glimpse of these secrets between man and his
+Maker. As for myself, there are two moments; one when I think I would
+not miss the show for millions; another when I think "what an ass I am
+to be here"; and between these two moments there _is_ a border land when
+the mind runs all about Life's workshop and tries to do one last bit of
+stock-taking.
+
+But the process can no more be fixed in the memory than the sequence of
+a dream when the dew is off the grass. All I remember is a sort of
+wonder:--why these incredible pains to seek out an amphibious battle
+ground whereon two sets of people who have no cause of quarrel can blow
+one another to atoms? Why are these Straits the cockpit of the world?
+What is it all about? What on earth has happened to sanity when the
+whale and elephant are locked in mortal combat making between them a
+picture which might be painted by one of H.M.'s Commissioners in Lunacy
+to decorate an asylum for homicides.
+
+Whizz--flop--bang--what an ass I am to be here. If we keep on another
+thirty seconds we are in for a visit to Davy Jones's Locker.
+
+Now above the _Queen Elizabeth_, making slowly backwards and forwards up
+in the neck of the Narrows, were other men-o'-war spitting tons of hot
+metal at the Turks. The Forts made no reply--or none that we could make
+out, either with our ears or with glasses. Perhaps there was an attempt;
+if so, it must have been very half-hearted. The enemy's fixed defences
+were silenced but the concealed mobile guns from the Peninsula and from
+Asia were far too busy and were having it all their own way.
+
+Close to us were steam trawlers and mine-sweepers steaming along with
+columns of spray spouting up close by them from falling field gun
+shells, with here and there a biggish fellow amongst them, probably a
+five or six inch field howitzer. One of them was in the act of catching
+a great mine as we drew up level with her. Some 250 yards from us was
+the _Inflexible_ slowly coming out of the Straits, her wireless cut away
+and a number of shrapnel holes through her tops and crow's nest.
+Suddenly, so quickly did we turn that, going at speed, the decks were at
+an angle of 45° and several of us (d'Amade for one) narrowly escaped
+slipping down the railless decks into the sea. The _Inflexible_ had
+signalled us she had struck a mine, and that we must stand by and see
+her home to Tenedos. We spun round like a top (escaping thereby a salvo
+of four from a field battery) and followed as close as we dared.
+
+My blood ran cold--for sheer deliberate awfulness this beat everything.
+We gazed spellbound: no one knew what moment the great ship might not
+dive into the depths. The pumps were going hard. We fixed our eyes on
+marks about the water line to see if the sea was gaining upon them or
+not. She was very much down by the bows, that was a sure thing. Crew and
+stokers were in a mass standing strictly at attention on the main deck.
+A whole bevy of destroyers crowded round the wounded warrior. In the
+sight of all those men standing still, silent, orderly in their ranks,
+facing the imminence of death, I got my answer to the hasty moralizings
+about war, drawn from me (really) by a regret that I would very soon be
+drowned. On the deck of that battleship staggering along at a stone's
+throw was a vindication of war in itself; of war, the state of being,
+quite apart from war motives or gains. Ten thousand years of peace would
+fail to produce a spectacle of so great virtue. Where, in peace,
+passengers have also shown high constancy, it is because war and martial
+discipline have lent them its standards. Once in a generation a
+mysterious wish for war passes through the people. Their instinct tells
+them that _there is no other way_ of progress and of escape from habits
+that no longer fit them. Whole generations of statesmen will fumble over
+reforms for a lifetime which are put into full-blooded execution within
+a week of a declaration of war. There is _no other way_. Only by intense
+sufferings can the nations grow, just as the snake once a year must with
+anguish slough off the once beautiful coat which has now become a strait
+jacket.
+
+How was it going to end? How touching the devotion of all these small
+satellites so anxiously forming escort? Onwards, at snail's pace, moved
+our cortege which might at any moment be transformed into a funeral
+affair, but slow as we went we yet went fast enough to give the go-by
+to the French battleship _Gaulois_, also creeping out towards Tenedos in
+a lamentable manner attended by another crowd of T.B.s and destroyers
+eager to stand to and save.
+
+The _Inflexible_ managed to crawl into Tenedos under her own steam but
+we stood by until we saw the _Gaulois_ ground on some rocks called
+Rabbit Island, when I decided to clear right out so as not to be in the
+way of the Navy at a time of so much stress. After we had gone ten miles
+or so, the _Phaeton_ intercepted a wireless from the _Queen Elizabeth_,
+ordering the _Ocean_ to take the _Irresistible_ in tow, from which it
+would appear that she (the _Irresistible_) has also met with some
+misfortune.
+
+Thank God we were in time! That is my dominant feeling. We have seen a
+spectacle which would be purchased cheap by five years of life and, more
+vital yet, I have caught a glimpse of the forces of the enemy and of
+their Forts. What with my hurried scamper down the Aegean coast of the
+Peninsula and the battle in the Straits, I begin to form some first-hand
+notion of my problem. More by good luck than good guidance I have got
+into personal touch with the outer fringes of the thing we are up
+against and that is so much to the good. But oh, that we had been here
+earlier! Winston in his hurry to push me out has shown a more soldierly
+grip than those who said there was no hurry. It is up to me now to
+revolve to-day's doings in my mind; to digest them and to turn myself
+into the eyes and ears of the War Office whose own so far have
+certainly not proved themselves very acute. How much better would I be
+able to make them see and hear had I been out a week or two; did I know
+the outside of the Peninsula by heart; had I made friends with the
+Fleet! And why should I not have been?
+
+Have added a P.S. to K.'s letter:--
+
+"Between Tenedos and Lemnos. 6 p.m.--This has been a very bad day for us
+judging by what has come under my own personal observation. After going
+right up to Bulair and down again to the South-west point looking at the
+network of trenches the Turks have dug commanding all possible landing
+places, we turned into the Dardanelles themselves and went up about a
+mile. The scene was what I believe Naval writers describe as 'lively.'"
+(Then follows an account based on my Diary jottings). I end:
+
+"I have not had time to reflect over these matters, nor can I yet
+realise on my present slight information the extent of these losses.
+Certainly it looks at present as if the Fleet would not be able to carry
+on at this rate, and, if so, the soldiers will have to do the trick.":
+
+"Later.
+
+"The _Irresistible_, the _Ocean_ and the _Bouvet_ are gone! The
+_Bouvet_, they say, just slithered down like a saucer slithers down in a
+bath. The _Inflexible_ and the _Gaulois_ are badly mauled."
+
+_19th March, 1915._ _H.M.S. "Franconia."_--Last night I left H.M.S.
+_Phaeton_ and went on board the _Franconia_. To-day, we have been busy
+fixing things up. The chance sailors, seen by the Staff, have been using
+highly coloured expletives about the mines. Sheer bad luck they swear;
+bad luck that would not happen once in a hundred tries. They had knocked
+out the Forts, they claim, and one, three-word order, "Full steam
+ahead," would have cut the Gordian Knot the diplomats have been fumbling
+at for over a hundred years by slicing their old Turkey in two. Then
+came the big delay owing to ships changing stations during which mines
+set loose from up above had time to float down the current, when, by the
+Devil's own fluke, they impinge upon our battleships, and blow de Robeck
+and his plans into the middle of next week--or later! These are
+ward-room yarns. De Robeck was working by stages and never meant, so far
+as we know, to run through to the Marmora yesterday.
+
+Cabled to Lord K. telling him of yesterday's reconnaissance by me and
+the battle by de Robeck. Have said I have no official report to go upon
+but from what I saw with my own eyes "I am being most reluctantly driven
+to the conclusion that the Straits are not likely to be forced by
+battleships as at one time seemed probable and that, if my troops are to
+take part, it will not take the subsidiary form anticipated. The Army's
+part will be more than mere landings of parties to destroy Forts, it
+must be a deliberate and progressive military operation carried out at
+full strength so as to open a passage for the Navy."
+
+To be able, if necessary, to act up to my own words I sent another
+message to the Admiral and told him, if he could spare the troops from
+the vicinity of the Straits, I would like to take them right off to
+Alexandria so as to shake them out there and reship them ready for
+anything. He has wirelessed back asking me, on political grounds, to
+delay removing the troops "until our attack is renewed in a few days'
+time."
+
+Bravo, the Admiral! Still; if there are to be even a few days' delay I
+must land somewhere as mules and horses are dying. And, practically,
+Alexandria is the only port possible.
+
+Wemyss has just sent me over the following letter. It confirms
+officially the loss of the three battleships:--
+
+                                                              _Friday._
+
+  "My Dear General,
+
+"The enclosed is a copy of a Signal I have received from de Robeck. I
+sincerely hope that the word disastrous is too hard. It depends upon
+what results we have achieved I think. I gather from intercepted signals
+that the _Ocean_ also is sunk, but of this I am not quite certain. I am
+off in _Dublin_ immediately she comes in and expect I may be back
+to-night. This of course depends a good deal upon what de Robeck wants.
+Captain Boyle brings this and will be at your disposal. He is the Senior
+Naval Officer here in my absence.
+
+                "Believe me, Sir,
+                   "Yours sincerely,
+                       (_Sd._) "R. Wemyss."
+
+           Copy of Telegram enclosed:--
+
+  "_From_ V.A.E.M.S.
+  "_To_ S.N.O. Mudros.
+  "_Date, 18th March, 1915._
+
+"Negative demonstration at Gaba Tepe, 19th. Will you come to Tenedos and
+see me to-morrow. We have had disastrous day owing either to floating
+mines or torpedoes from shore tubes fired at long range. H.M.S.
+_Irresistible_ and _Bouvet_ sunk. H.M.S. _Ocean_ still afloat, but
+probably lost. H.M.S. _Inflexible_ damaged by mine. _Gaulois_ badly
+damaged by gunfire. Other ships all right, and we had much the best of
+the Ports."
+
+_20th March, 1915._ _H.M.S. "Franconia." Mudros Harbour._ Stormy
+weather, and even here, inside Mudros harbour, touch with the shore is
+cut off.
+
+After I was asleep last night, an answer came in from K., straight,
+strong and to the point. He says, "You know my view that the Dardanelles
+passage must be forced, and that if large military operations on the
+Gallipoli Peninsula by your troops are necessary to clear the way, those
+operations must be undertaken after careful consideration of the local
+defences and must be carried through."
+
+Very well: all hinges on the Admiral.
+
+_21st March, 1915._ _H.M.S. "Franconia."_ A talk with Admiral Wemyss and
+General d'Amade. Wemyss is clear that the Navy must not admit a check
+and must get to work again as quickly as they can. Wemyss is Senior
+Naval Officer at the Dardanelles and is much liked by everyone. He has
+put his seniority in his pocket and is under his junior--fighting first,
+rank afterwards!
+
+A letter from de Robeck, dated "Q.E. the 19th," has only just come to
+hand:--
+
+"Our men were splendid and thank heaven our loss of life was quite
+small, though the French lost over 100 men when _Bouvet_ struck a mine.
+
+"How our ships struck mines in an area that was reported clear and swept
+the previous night I do not know, unless they were floating mines
+started from the Narrows!
+
+"I was sad to lose ships and my heart aches when one thinks of it; one
+must do what one is told and take risks or otherwise we cannot win. We
+are all getting ready for another 'go' and not in the least beaten or
+downhearted. The big forts were silenced for a long time and everything
+was going well, until _Bouvet_ struck a mine. It is hard to say what
+amount of damage we did, I don't know, there were big explosions in the
+Forts!"
+
+Little Birdie, now grown up into a grand General, turned up at 3 p.m. I
+was enchanted to see him. We had hundreds and thousands of things to
+talk over. Although the confidence of the sailors seems quite unshaken
+by the events of the 18th, Birdie seems to have made up his mind that
+the Navy have shot their bolt for the time being and that we have no
+time to lose in getting ready for a landing. But then he did not see the
+battle and cannot, therefore, gauge the extent to which the Turkish
+Forts were beaten.
+
+_22nd March, 1915._ _H.M.S. "Franconia."_ At 10 a.m. we had another
+Conference on board the _Queen Elizabeth_.
+
+Present:--
+
+  Admiral de Robeck,
+  Admiral Wemyss,
+  General Birdwood,
+  General Braithwaite,
+  Captain Pollen,
+  Myself.
+
+The moment we sat down de Robeck told us _he was now quite clear he
+could not get through without the help of all my troops_.
+
+Before ever we went aboard Braithwaite, Birdwood and I had agreed that,
+whatever we landsmen might think, we must leave the seamen to settle
+their own job, saying nothing for or against land operations or
+amphibious operations until the sailors themselves turned to us and said
+they had abandoned the idea of forcing the passage by naval operations
+alone.
+
+They have done so. The fat (that is us) is fairly in the fire.
+
+No doubt we had our views. Birdie and my own Staff disliked the idea of
+chancing mines with million pound ships. The hesitants who always make
+hay in foul weather had been extra active since the sinking of the three
+men-of-war. Suppose the Fleet _could_ get through with the loss of
+another battleship or two--how the devil would our troopships be able to
+follow? And the store ships? And the colliers?
+
+This had made me turn contrary. During the battle I had cabled that the
+chances of the Navy pushing through on their own were hardly fair
+fighting chances, but, since then, de Robeck, the man who should know,
+had said twice that he _did_ think there was a fair fighting chance. Had
+he stuck to that opinion at the conference, then I was ready, as a
+soldier, to make light of military croaks about troopships.
+Constantinople must surrender, revolt or scuttle within a very few hours
+of our battleships entering the Marmora. Memories of one or two obsolete
+six inchers at Ladysmith helped me to feel as Constantinople would feel
+when her rail and sea communications were cut and a rain of shell fell
+upon the penned-in populace from de Robeck's terrific batteries. Given a
+good wind that nest of iniquity would go up like Sodom and Gomorrah in a
+winding sheet of flame.
+
+But once the Admiral said his battleships could not fight through
+without help, there was no foothold left for the views of a landsman.
+
+So there was no discussion. At once we turned our faces to the land
+scheme. Very sketchy; how could it be otherwise? On the German system
+plans for a landing on Gallipoli would have been in my pocket,
+up-to-date and worked out to a ball cartridge and a pail of water. By
+the British system (?) I have been obliged to concoct my own plans in a
+brace of shakes almost under fire. Strategically and tactically our
+method may have its merits, for though it piles everything on to one
+man, the Commander, yet he is the chap who has got to see it through.
+But, in matters of supply, transport, organisation and administration
+our way is the way of Colney Hatch.
+
+Here am I still minus my Adjutant-General; my Quartermaster-General and
+my Medical Chief, charged with settling the basic question of whether
+the Army should push off from Lemnos or from Alexandria. Nothing in the
+world to guide me beyond my own experience and that of my Chief of the
+General Staff, whose sphere of work and experience lies quite outside
+these administrative matters. I can see that Lemnos is practically
+impossible; I fix on Alexandria in the light of Braithwaite's advice and
+my own hasty study of the map. Almost incredible really, we should have
+to decide so tremendous an administrative problem off the reel and
+without any Administrative Staff. But time presses, the responsibility
+cannot be shirked, and so I have cabled K. that Lemnos must be a
+wash-out and that I am sending my troops to get ship-shape at Alexandria
+although, thereby, I upset every previous arrangement. Then I have had
+to cable for Engineers, trench mortars, bombs, hand grenades,
+periscopes. Then again, seeing things are going less swimmingly than K.
+had thought they would, I have had to harden my heart against his horror
+of being asked for more men and have decided to cable for leave to bring
+over from Egypt a Brigade of Gurkhas to complete Birdwood's New Zealand
+Division. Last, and worst, I have had to risk the fury of the Q.M.G. to
+the Forces by telling the War Office that their transports are so loaded
+(water carts in one ship; water cart horses in another; guns in one
+ship; limbers in another; entrenching tools anyhow) that they must be
+emptied and reloaded before we can land under fire.
+
+These points were touched upon at the Conference. I told them too that
+my Intelligence folk fix the numbers of the enemy now at the Dardanelles
+as 40,000 on the Gallipoli Peninsula with a reserve of 30,000 behind
+Bulair: on the Asiatic side of the Straits there are at least a
+Division, but there _may_ be several Divisions. The Admiral's
+information tallies and, so Birdie says, does that of the Army in Egypt.
+The War Office notion that the guns of the Fleet can sweep the enemy off
+the tongue of the Peninsula from Achi Baba Southwards is moonshine. My
+trump card turns out to be the Joker; best of all cards only it don't
+happen to be included in this particular pack!
+
+As ideas for getting round this prickly problem were passing through my
+mind, two suggestions for dealing with it were put forward. The sailors
+say some lighters were being built, and probably by now are built, for
+the purpose of a landing in the North: they would carry five hundred
+men; had bullet-proof bulwarks and are to work under their own gas
+engines. If I can possibly get a petition for these through to Winston
+we would very likely be lent some and with their aid the landing under
+fire will be child's play to what it will be otherwise. But the cable
+must get to Winston: if it falls into the hands of Fisher it fails, as
+the sailors tell me he is obsessed by the other old plan and grudges us
+every rope's end or ha'porth of tar that finds its way out here.
+
+Rotten luck to have cut myself off from wiring to Winston: still I see
+no way out of it: with K. jealous as a tiger--what can I do? Also,
+although the sailors want me to pull this particular chestnut out of the
+fire, it is just as well they should know I am not going to speak to
+their Boss even under the most tempting circs.: but they won't cable
+themselves: frightened of Fisher: so I then and there drafted this to K.
+from myself:--
+
+"Our first step of landing under fire will be the most critical as well
+as the most vital of the whole operations. If the Admiralty will
+improvise and send us out post haste 20 to 30 large lighters difficulty
+and duration of this phase will be cut down to at least one half. The
+lighters should each be capable of conveying 400 to 500 men or 30 to 40
+horses. They should be protected by bullet-proof armour."
+
+Everyone agreed but Birdwood pointed out that, by sending this message,
+we implied in so many words, that we would not land until the lighters
+came out from England. He assumed that we had definitely turned down any
+plan of scrambling ashore forthwith, as best we could? I said, "Yes,"
+and that the Navy were with me in that view, a statement confirmed by de
+Robeck and Wemyss who nodded their heads. Birdwood said he only wanted
+to be quite clear about it, and there the matter dropped.
+
+Actually I had thought a lot about that possibility. To a man of my
+temperament there was every temptation to have a go in and revenge the
+loss of the battleships forthwith. We might sup to-morrow night on Achi
+Baba. With luck we really might. Had I been here for ten days instead of
+five, and had I had any time to draft out any sort of scheme, I might
+have had a dart. But the operation of landing in face of an enemy is the
+most complicated and difficult in war. Under existing conditions the
+whole attempt would be partial, _décousu_, happy-go-lucky to the last
+degree. There are no small craft to speak of. There is no provision for
+carrying water. There is no information _at all_ about springs or wells
+ashore. There is no arrangement for getting off the wounded and my
+Principal Medical Officer and his Staff won't be here for a fortnight.
+My orders against piecemeal occupation are specific. But the 29th
+Division is our _pièce de résistance_ and it won't be here, we
+reckon--not complete--for another three weeks.
+
+All the same, I might chance it, for, by taking all these off chances we
+_might_ pull off the main chance of stealing a march upon the Turks.
+What puts me off is not the chances of war but the certainties of
+commonsense. If I did so handle my troops on the spot as to sup on Achi
+Baba to-morrow night, I still could not counter the inevitable reaction
+of numbers, time and space. The Turks would have at least a fortnight to
+concentrate their whole force against my half force; to defeat them and
+then to defy the other half.
+
+I must wait for the 29th Division. By the time they come I can get
+things straight for a smashing simultaneous blow and I am resolved that,
+so far as in me lies, the orders and preparations will then be so
+thoroughly worked out--so carefully rehearsed as to give every chance to
+my men.[6]
+
+If the 29th Division were here--or near at hand--I could balance
+shortage against the obvious evils of giving the Turks time to reinforce
+and to dig. Could I hope for the 29th Division within a week it might be
+worth my while to fly in the face of K. by grasping the Peninsula firmly
+by her toe: or,--had my staff and self been here ten days ago, we could
+have already got well forward with our plans and orders, as well as with
+the laying of our hands upon the thousand odds and ends demanded by the
+invasion of a barren, trackless extremity of an Empire--odds and ends
+never thought of by anyone until the spur of reality brought them
+galloping to the front. Then the moment the Fleet cried off, we might
+have had a dash in, right away, with what we have here. The onslaught
+could have been supported from Egypt and the 29th Division might have
+been treated as a reserve.
+
+But, taking things as they are:--
+
+(1). No detail thought out, much less worked out or practised, as to
+form or manner of landing;
+
+(2). Absence of 29th Division;
+
+(3). Lack of gear (naval and military) for any landing on a large scale
+or maintenance thereafter;
+
+(4). Unsettled weather; my ground is not solid enough to support me
+were I to put it to K. that I had broken away from his explicit
+instructions.
+
+The Navy, i.e., de Robeck, Wemyss and Keyes, entirely agree. They see as
+well as we do that the military force ought to have been ready before
+the Navy began to attack. What we have to do now is to repair a first
+false step. The Admiral undertakes to keep pegging away at the Straits
+whilst we in Alexandria are putting on our war paint. He will see to it,
+he says, that they think more of battleships than of landings. He is
+greatly relieved to hear _I_ have practically made up my mind to go for
+the South of the Peninsula and to keep in closest touch with the Fleet.
+The Commodore also seems well pleased: he told us he hoped to get his
+Fleet Sweeps so reorganised as to do away with the danger from mines by
+the 3rd or 4th of April; then, he says, with us to do the spotting for
+the naval guns, the battleships can smother the Forts and will alarm the
+Turkish Infantry as to that tenderest part of an Army--its rear. So I
+may say that all are in full agreement,--a blessing.
+
+Have cabled home begging for more engineers, a lot of hand grenades,
+trench mortars, periscopes and tools. The barbed wire bothers me! Am
+specially keen about trench mortars; if it comes to close fighting on
+the Peninsula with its restricted area trench mortars may make up for
+our lack of artillery and especially of howitzers. Luckily, they can be
+turned out quickly.
+
+_23rd March, 1915. H.M.S. "Franconia."_ At 9 a.m. General d'Amade and
+his Staff came aboard. D'Amade had been kept yesterday by his own
+pressing business from attending the Conference. I have read him these
+notes and have shown him my cable of yesterday to Lord K. in which I say
+that "The French Commander is equally convinced that a move to
+Alexandria is a practical necessity, although a point of honour makes it
+impossible for him to suggest turning his back to the Turks to his own
+Government." But, I say, "he will be enchanted if they give him the
+order." D'Amade says I have not quite correctly represented his views.
+Not fantastic honour, he says, caused him to say we had better, for a
+while, hold on, but rather the sense of prestige. He thought the
+departure of the troops following so closely on the heels of the naval
+repulse would have a bad moral effect on the Balkans. But he agrees
+that, in practice, the move has now become imperative; the animals are
+dying; the men are overcrowded, whilst Mudros is impossible as a base.
+My cable, therefore, may stand.
+
+At 10 o'clock he, Birdie and myself landed to inspect a Battalion of
+Australians (9th Battalion of the 3rd Brigade). I made them carry out a
+little attack on a row of windmills, and really, they did not show much
+more imagination over the business than did Don Quixote in a similar
+encounter. But the men are superb specimens.
+
+Some of the troop transports left harbour for Egypt during the
+afternoon. Bad to see these transports sailing the wrong way. What a
+d----d pity! is what every soldier here feels--and says. But to look
+on the bright side, our fellows will be twice as well trained to boat
+work, and twice as well equipped by the time the 29th turn up, and by
+then the weather will be more settled. As d'Amade said too, it will be
+worth a great deal to us if the French troops get a chance of working a
+little over the ground together with their British comrades before they
+go shoulder to shoulder against the common enemy. All the same, if I had
+my men and guns handy, I'd rather get at the Turks quick than be sure of
+good weather and good _band-o-bast_ and be sure also of a well-prepared
+enemy.
+
+In the afternoon Braithwaite brought me a draft cable for Lord K. _re_
+yesterday's Conference. I have approved. In it I say, "on the
+thoroughness with which I can make the preliminary arrangements, of
+which the proper allocation of troops, etc., to transports is not the
+least important, the success of my plans will largely depend."
+Therefore, I am going to Alexandria, as a convenient place for this work
+and, "the Turks will be kept busy meanwhile by the Admiral."
+
+_24th March, 1915. H.M.S. "Franconia."_ D'Amade and Staff came aboard at
+10 a.m. He has got leave to move and will sail to Alexandria forthwith.
+Roger Keyes from the Flagship came shortly afterward. He is sick as a
+she-bear robbed of her cubs that his pets: battleships, T.B.s,
+destroyers, submarines, etc., should have to wait for the Army. Well, we
+are not to blame! Keyes has been shown my cables to K. and is pleased
+with them. He accepts the fact, I think, that the Army must tackle the
+mobile artillery of the Turks before the Navy can expect to silence the
+light guns protecting the mine fields and then clear out the mines with
+the present type of mine sweeper. But the Admiral's going to fix up the
+mine sweeper question while we are away. Once he has done that, Keyes
+believes the Fleet can knock out the Forts; wipe out the protective
+batteries and sweep up the mines quite comfortably. He said one
+illuminating and encouraging thing to Braithwaite; viz., that he had
+never felt so possessed of the power of the Navy to force a passage
+through the Narrows as in the small hours of the 19th when he got back
+to the Flagship after trying in vain to salve the _Ocean_ and the
+_Irresistible_.
+
+Keyes brought me a first class letter from the Admiral--very much to the
+point:--
+
+                                                "H.M.S. _Q.E._
+                                                     _24th March, 15._
+
+  "My Dear General,
+
+"I hear the Authorities at 'Home' have been sending hastening telegrams
+to you. They most unfortunately did the same to us and probably if our
+work had been slower and more thorough it would have been better. If
+only they were on the _spot_, they would realise that to hurry would
+write failure. In my very humble opinion, good co-operation and
+organisation means everything for the future. A great triumph is much
+better than scraping through and poor results! We are entirely with you
+and can be relied on to give any assistance in our power. We will not be
+idle!
+
+                             "Believe me,
+                                 "Yours sincerely,
+                                    (_Sd._) "J.M. de Robeck."
+
+11-15. Admiral Thursby (just arrived with the _Queen_ and _Implacable_)
+came to make his salaams. We served together at Malta and both broke
+sinews in our calves playing lawn tennis--a bond of union.
+
+Have cabled to Lord K. telling him I am just off to Alexandria. Have
+said that the ruling factor of my date of landing must be the arrival of
+the 29th Division "(see para. 2 of your formal instructions to me the
+foresight of which appeals to me with double force now we are at close
+quarters with the problem[7])." I have pointed out that Birdwood's
+Australians are very weak in artillery; that the Naval Division has none
+at all and that the guns of the 29th Division make that body even more
+indispensable than he had probably realised. I would very much like to
+add that these are no times for infantry divisions minus artillery
+seeing that they ought to have three times the pre-war complement of
+guns, but Braithwaite's good advice has prevailed. As promised at the
+Conference I express a hope that I may be allowed "to complete
+Birdwood's New Zealand Division with a Brigade of Gurkhas who would work
+admirably in the terrain" of the Peninsula. In view of what we have
+gathered from Keyes, I wind up by saying, "The Admiral, whose confidence
+in the Navy seems to have been raised even higher by recent events, and
+who is a thruster if ever there was one, is in agreement with this
+telegram."
+
+Actually Keyes will show him a copy; we will wait one hour before
+sending it off and, if we don't hear then, we may take it de Robeck will
+have endorsed the purport. Of course, if he does not agree the last
+sentence must come out, and he will have to put his own points to the
+Admiralty.
+
+_Later_.--Have sent Doughty Wylie to Athens to do "Intelligence": the
+cable was approved by Navy; duly despatched; and now--up anchor!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+EGYPT
+
+
+_25th March, 1915. H.M.S. "Franconia." At Sea._ A fine smooth sea and a
+flowing tide. Have written to K. and Mr. Asquith. Number two has caused
+me _fikr_.[8] The P.M. lives in another plane from us soldiers. So it
+came quite easily to his lips to ask _me_ to write to him,--a high
+honour, likewise an order. But K. is my soldier chief. As C.-in-C. in
+India he refused point blank to write letters to autocratic John Morley
+behind the back of the Viceroy, and Morley never forgave him. K. told me
+this himself and he told me also that he resented the correspondence
+which was, he knew, being carried on, behind his (K.'s) back, between
+the army in France and his (K.'s) own political Boss: that sort of
+action was, he considered, calculated to undermine authority.
+
+I have had a long talk with Braithwaite _re_ this quandary. He strongly
+holds that my first duty is to K. and that it is for us a question of K.
+and no one but K. Were the S. of S. only a civilian (instead of being a
+Field Marshal) the case _might_ admit of argument; as things are, it
+does not. So have written the P.M. on these lines and shall send K. the
+carbons of all my letters to him. To K. himself I have written backing
+up my cable and begging for a Brigade of Gurkhas. Really, it is like
+going up to a tiger and asking for a small slice of venison: I remember
+only too well his warning not to make his position impossible by
+pressing for troops, etc., but Egypt is not England; the Westerners
+don't want the Gurkhas who are too short to fit into their trenches and,
+last but not least, our landing is not going to be the simple,
+row-as-you-please he once pictured. The situation in fact, is not in the
+least what he supposed it to be when I started; therefore, I am
+justified, I think, in making this appeal:--"I am very anxious, if
+possible, to get a Brigade of Gurkhas, so as to complete the New Zealand
+Divisional organisation with a type of man who will, I am certain, be
+most valuable on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The scrubby hillsides on the
+South-west face of the plateau are just the sort of terrain where those
+little fellows are at their brilliant best. There is already a small
+Indian commissariat attached to the Mountain Batteries, so there would
+be no trouble on the score of supply."
+
+"As you may imagine, I have no wish to ask for anything the giving of
+which would seriously weaken our hold on Egypt, but you will remember
+that four Mounted Brigades belonging to Birdwood's force are being left
+behind to look after the land of the Pharaohs, and a Mounted Brigade for
+a battalion seems a fair exchange. Egypt, in fact, so far as I can make
+out, seems stiff with troops, and each little Gurkha might be worth his
+full weight in gold at Gallipoli."
+
+Wrote Fitz in much the same sense:--"We are desperately keen to extract
+a Gurkha Brigade out of Egypt and you might lend a hand, not only to us,
+but to all your own Sikh and Dogra Regiments, by making K. see that the
+Indian Army was never given a dog's chance in the mudholes. They were
+benumbed: _it was not their show_. Here, in the warm sun; pitted against
+the hereditary _dushman_[9] who comes on shouting 'Allah!' they would
+gain much _izzat_.[10] _Now mind_, if you see any chance of an Indian
+contingent for Constantinople, do everyone a good turn by rubbing these
+ideas into K."
+
+Braithwaite has already picked up a number of useful hints from Roger
+Keyes. His old friendship with the Commodore should be a help. Keyes is
+a fine fellow; radiating resolve to do and vigour to carry
+through--hereditary qualities. His Mother, of whom he is an ugly
+likeness, was as high-spirited, fascinating, clever a creature as ever I
+saw. Camel riding, hawking, dancing, making good _band-o-bast_ for a
+picnic, she was always at the top of the hunt; the idol of the Punjab
+Frontier Force. His Father, Sir Charles, grim old Paladin of the
+Marshes, whose loss of several fingers from a sword cut earned him my
+special boyish veneration, was really the devil of a fellow. My first
+flutter out of the sheltered nest of safe England into the outer sphere
+of battle, murder and sudden death, took place under the auspices of
+that warrior so famouséd in fight when I was aged twenty. Riding
+together in the early morning from the mud fort of Dera Ismail Khan
+towards the Mountain of Sheikh Budin, we suddenly barged into a mob of
+wild Waziri tribesmen who jumped out of the ditch and held us up--hand
+on bridle. The old General spoke Pushtu fluently, and there was a
+parley, begun by him, ordinarily the most silent of mankind. Where were
+they going to? To buy camels at Dera Ghazi Khan. How far had they come?
+Three days' march; but they had no money. The General simulated
+amazement--"You have come all that distance to buy camels without money?
+Those are strange tales you tell me. I fear when you pass through Dera
+Ismail you will have to raise the wind by selling your nice pistols and
+knives: oh yes, I see them quite well; they are peeping at me from under
+your poshteens." The Waziris laughed and took their hands off our reins.
+Instantly, the General shouted to me, "Come on--gallop!" And in less
+than no time we were going hell for leather along the lonely frontier
+road towards our next relay of horses. "That was a narrow squeak," said
+the General, "but _you may take liberties with a Waziri if only you can
+make him laugh_."
+
+_26th March, 1915. H.M.8. "Franconia." At Sea._ Inspected troops on
+board. A keen, likely looking lot. All Naval Division; living monuments,
+these fellows, to Winston Churchill's contempt for convention.
+
+Reached Port Said about 3.30 p.m. Nipped into a "Special" which seems to
+have become my "ordinary" vehicle and left for Cairo. Opened despatches
+from London. "Bullet-proof lighters cannot be provided." "I quite agree
+that the 29th Division with its artillery is necessary." Not a word
+about the Gurkhas. Arrived at 10 p.m., and was met by Maxwell.
+
+_27th March, 1915 Cairo._ Working hard at Headquarters all day till 6.15
+p.m., when I made my salaam to the Sultan at the Abdin Palace. A real
+Generals' dinner--what we used to call a _burra khana_--at Maxwell's
+hospitable board:--
+
+  General Birdwood,
+  General Godley,
+  General Bridges,
+  General Douglas,
+  General Braithwaite,
+  Myself.
+
+_28th March, 1915. Cairo._ Inspected East Lancashire Division and a
+Yeomanry Brigade (Westminster Dragoons and Herts). How I envied Maxwell
+these beautiful troops. They will only be eating their heads off here,
+with summer coming up and the desert getting as dry as a bone. The
+Lancashire men especially are eye-openers. How on earth have they
+managed to pick up the swank and devil-may-care airs of crack regulars?
+They _are_ Regulars, only they are bigger, more effective specimens than
+Manchester mills or East Lancashire mines can spare us for the Regular
+Service in peace time. Anyway, no soldier need wish to see a finer lot.
+On them has descended the mantle of my old comrades[11] of
+Elandslaagte and Caesar's Camp, and worthily beyond doubt they will wear
+it.
+
+[Illustration: Lieut.-Gen. the Rt. Hon. Sir J. G. Maxwell, G.C.B.,
+K.C.M.G.]
+
+The enthusiasm of the natives was a pleasing part of the show. During
+four years of Egyptian Inspections I recall no single instance of any
+manifestation of friendliness to our troops, or even of interest in
+them, by Gyppies. But the Territorials seem, somehow, to have conquered
+their goodwill. As each stalwart company swung past there was a
+spontaneous effervescence of waving hands along the crowded street and
+murmurs of applause from Bedouins, Blacks and Fellaheen.
+
+Maxwell will have a fit if I ask for them! He will fall down in a fit, I
+am sure. Already he is vexed at my having cabled and written Lord K. for
+_his_ (Maxwell's) Brigade of Gurkhas. To him I appear careless of his
+(Maxwell's) position and of the narrowness of his margin of safety. For
+the life of him K. can't help putting his Lieutenants into this
+particular cart. The same old story as the eight small columns in the
+Western Transvaal: co-equal and each thinking his own beat on the veldt
+the only critical spot in South Africa: and the funny thing is that
+Maxwell was then running the base at Vryberg and I was in command in the
+field! But _there_ my word was law; _here_ Maxwell is entirely
+independent of me, which is as much as to say, that the feet are not
+under control of the head; i.e., that the expedition must move like a
+drunken man. That is my fear: Maxwell will do what lies in him to help,
+but in action it is better to order than to ask.
+
+Grand lunch at the Abdin Palace with the Sultan. Most of the Cabinet
+present. The Sultan spoke French well and seems clever as well as most
+gracious and friendly. He assured me that the Turkish Forts at the
+Dardanelles were absolutely impregnable. The words "absolute" and
+"impregnable" don't impress me overmuch. They are only human opinions
+used to gloss over flaws in the human knowledge or will. Nothing is
+impregnable either--that's a sure thing. No reasons were given me by His
+Highness.
+
+Have just written home about these things: midnight.
+
+_29th March, 1915. 9.30 p.m. Palace Hotel, Alexandria._ Early start to
+the Mena Camp to see the Australians. A devil of a blinding storm gave a
+foretaste of dust to dust. That was when they were marching past, but
+afterwards I inspected the Infantry at close quarters, taking a good
+look at each man and speaking to hundreds. Many had been at my
+inspections in their own country a year ago, but most were new hands who
+had never worn uniform till they 'listed for the war. The troops then
+marched back to Camp in mass of quarter columns--or rather swept by like
+a huge yellow cloud at the heart of which sparkled thousands of
+bayonets.
+
+Next I reviewed the Artillery, Engineers and Cavalry; winding up with
+the overhaul of the supply and transport column. This took time, and I
+had to make the motor travel getting across twelve miles or so to
+inspect a mixed Division of Australians and New Zealanders at
+Heliopolis. Godley commanded. Great fun seeing him again. These fellows
+made a real good show; superb physique: numbers of old friends
+especially amongst the New Zealanders. Another scurry in the motor to
+catch the 4.15 for Alexandria. Tiring day if I had it in my mind to be
+tired, but this 30,000 crowd of Birdwood's would straighten up the back
+of a pacifist. There is a bravery in their air--a keenness upon their
+clean cut features--they are spoiling for a scrap! Where they have
+sprung from it is hard to say. Not in Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney,
+Melbourne or Perth--no, nor in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington or
+Auckland, did I meet specimens like unto these. The spirit of War has
+breathed its fires into their hearts; the drill sergeant has taken
+thought and has added one cubit to their stature.
+
+D'Amade has just been to make me known to a couple of Frenchmen about to
+join my Staff. They seem to be nice fellows. The French have been here
+some days and they are getting on well. Hunter-Weston landed this
+morning; his first batch of transports are in the harbour. I am to see
+the French troops in four days' time; Hunter-Weston's 29th Division on
+the fifth day. Neither Commander has yet worked out how long it will
+take before he has reloaded his transports. They declare it takes three
+times as long to repack a ship loaded at haphazard as it would have
+taken to have loaded her on a system in the first instance. Six days per
+ship is their notion of what they can do, but I trust to improve a bit
+on that.
+
+Hunter-Weston had written me a letter from Malta (just to hand) putting
+it down in black and white that we have not a reasonable prospect of
+success. He seemed keen and sanguine when we met and made no reference
+to this letter: so it comes in now as rather a startler. But it is best
+to have the black points thrust upon one's notice beforehand--so long
+always as I keep it fixed in the back of my mind that there was never
+yet a great thought or a great deed which was not cried down as
+unreasonable before the fact by a number of reasonable people!
+
+_30th March, 1915. Alexandria._ Have just dictated a long letter to Lord
+K. in the course of which I have forced myself to say something which
+may cause the great man annoyance. I feel it is up to me to risk that.
+One thing--he knows I am not one of those rotters who ask for more than
+they can possibly be given so that, if things go wrong, they may
+complain of their tools. I have promised K. to help him by keeping my
+demands down to bedrock necessities. I make no demand for ammunition on
+the France and Flanders scale but--we must have _some_! There must be a
+depot somewhere within hail. Here is the crucial para.:--
+
+"I realise how hard up you must be for ammunition, but I hope the M.G.O.
+will have by now put in hand the building up of some reserves at our
+base in Alexandria. If our batteries or battalions now serving in France
+run short, something, at a pinch, can always be scraped together in
+England and issued to them within 24 hours. Here it would be a question
+of almost as many days, and, if it were to turn out that we have a long
+and severe struggle, with no reserves nearer us than Woolwich--well--it
+would not be pleasant! Moreover the number of howitzers, guns and rifles
+in France is so enormous that it is morally impossible they should all
+be hotly engaged at the same time. Thus they automatically form their
+own reserves. In other words, a force possessing only ten howitzers
+ought to have at least twice the reserves of a force possessing a
+hundred howitzers. So at least it seems to me."
+
+In the same letter I tell him about "Birdwood's crowd" and of their
+splendid physique; their growing sense of discipline, their exceeding
+great keenness, and wind up by saying that, given a fair chance, they
+will, for certain, "render a very good account of themselves."
+
+Confabs with d'Amade and Hunter-Weston. Hunter-Weston's "appreciation"
+of the situation at the Dardanelles is to be treated as an _ad interim_
+paper; he wrote it, he says now, without the fuller knowledge he is
+daily acquiring--knowledge which is tending to make him more sanguine.
+His stay at Malta and his talks with Officers there had greatly
+impressed him with the hardness of the nut we have to try and crack; so
+much so that his paper suggests an indefinite putting off of the attempt
+to throw open the Straits. I asked him if he had laid his view before K.
+in London and he said, No; that he had not then come to it and that he
+had not definitely come to it now.
+
+D'Amade's own inclinations would have led him to Asia. When he left
+France he did not know he was to be under me and he had made up his mind
+to land at Adramiti. But now he waives all preconceived ideas and is
+keen to throw himself heart and soul into Lord K.'s ideas and mine. He
+would rather I did not even refer to his former views as he sees they
+are expressly barred by the tenor of my instructions. The French are
+working to time in getting ship-shape. The 29th Division are arriving up
+to date and about one-third of them have landed. We are fixing up our
+gear for floating and other piers and are trying to improvise ways and
+means of coping with the water problem--this ugly nightmare of a water
+problem. The question of the carriage and storage of water for thousands
+of men and horses over a roadless, mainly waterless track of country
+should have been tackled before we left England.
+
+To solve these conundrums we have had to recreate for ourselves a
+special field service system of food, water and ammunition supply. As an
+instance we have had to re-organise baggage sections of trains and fit
+up store ships as substitutes for additional ammunition columns and
+parks. We are getting on fairly fast with our work of telling off troops
+to transports so that each boat load of men landed will be, so to say,
+on its own; victualled, watered and munitioned. But it takes some doing.
+Greatly handicapped by absence of any Administrative, or Q. Staff. The
+General Staff are working double shifts, at a task for which they have
+never been trained:--
+
+  It's a way we have in the Aaarmy!
+  It's a way we have in the NAAAAvy!!
+  It's a way we have in the Eeeeeempire!!!
+     That nobody can deny!!!!
+
+What would my friends on the Japanese General Staff say--or my quondam
+friends on the German General Staff--if they knew that a
+Commander-in-Chief had been for a fortnight in touch with his troops,
+engaged with them upon a huge administrative job, and that he had not
+one administrative Staff Officer to help him, but was willynilly using
+his General Staff for the work? They would say "mad Englishmen" and this
+time they would be right. The British public services are poisoned by
+two enormous fallacies: (_a_) if a man does well in one business, he
+will do equally well or better in another; (_b_) if a man does badly in
+one business he will do equally badly or worse in another. There is
+nothing beyond a vague, floating reputation or public opinion to enable
+a new Minister to know his subordinates. The Germans have tabulated the
+experiences and deficiencies of our leaders, active and potential, in
+peace and war--we have not! Every British General of any note is
+analysed, characterised and turned inside out in the bureau records of
+the great German General Staff in Berlin. We only attempt anything of
+that sort with burglars. My own portrait is in those archives and is
+very good if not very flattering; so a German who had read it has told
+me. This is organisation: this is business; but official circles in
+England are so remote in their methods from these particular notions of
+business that I must turn to a big newspaper shop to let anyone even
+begin to understand what it is to run Q. business with a G.S. team.
+Suppose Lord Northcliffe decided to embark upon a journalistic campaign
+in Canada and that his scheme turned upon time; that it was a question
+of Northcliffe catching time by the forelock or of time laying
+Northcliffe by the heels. Suppose, further, that he had no first-hand
+knowledge of Canada and had decided to place the conduct of the campaign
+in the hands of his brother who would spy out the land; choose the best
+site; buy a building; order the printing press; engage hands and start
+the paper. Well; what staff would he send with him? A couple of leader
+writers, a trio of special correspondents and half a dozen reporters?
+Probably; but would there not also be berths taken in the Cunarder for a
+manager trained in the business side of journalism? Quite a fair way of
+putting the present case, although, on the other side, it is also fair
+to add that British Officers have usually had to play so many parts in
+the charade of square pegs in round holes, that they can catch a hold
+anywhere, at any time, and carry on somehow.
+
+_31st March, 1915. Alexandria._--Quill driving and dictating. Have made
+several remonstrances lately at the way McMahon is permitting the
+Egyptian Press to betray our intentions, numbers, etc. It is almost
+incredible and Maxwell doesn't see his way clear to interfere. For the
+last day or two they have been telling the Turks openly where we are
+bound for. So I have written McMahon the following:--
+
+                   "General Headquarters,
+                        "18 RUE EL CAIED GOHAR,
+                            "ALEXANDRIA, 31/3/15.
+
+  "DEAR HIGH COMMISSIONER,
+
+"I was somewhat startled a couple of mornings ago by an article in the
+_Egyptian Gazette_ giving away the arrival of the French troops, and
+making open references to the Gallipoli Peninsula. The very frankness of
+such communications may of course mislead the Turk into thinking we mean
+thereby to take his mind off some other place which is our real
+objective, but I doubt it. He knows our usual methods too well.
+
+"Consequently as it is very important at least to throw him into some
+state of bewilderment as to our movements, I propose sending the
+following cable to Lord Kitchener:--
+
+"'Whether of set purpose or through inadvertence articles have appeared
+in Egyptian Press openly discussing arrival of French and British troops
+and naming Gallipoli as their destination. Is there any political
+objection to my cautiously spreading rumour that our true objective is,
+say, Smyrna?'
+
+"Before I despatch the wire, however, I think I should like you to see
+it, in case you have any objections. I have all the facilities for
+spreading any rumour I like through my Intelligence Branch, which would
+be less suspected than information leaking out from political sources.
+
+"Could you kindly send me a wire on receipt of this?
+
+                                            "Yours sincerely,
+                                               (_Sd._) "IAN HAMILTON."
+
+"I only propose to ask Lord K. in case there may be political reasons
+why I should not select any particular place about which to spread a
+rumour of our landing."
+
+Forgot to note a step taken yesterday--to nowhere perhaps--perhaps to
+Constantinople. Yesterday the _Doris_ brought me a copy of a long cable
+sent by Winston to de Robeck six days ago, together with a copy of the
+V.A.'s reply. The First Lord is clearly in favour of the Fleet going on
+knocking the Forts to pieces whilst the Army are getting on with their
+preparations; clearly also he thinks that, under rough handling from
+Q.E. & Co., the Turkish resistance might at any moment collapse. Then we
+should sail through as per Lord K.'s programme. Well; nothing would suit
+me so well. If we are to have an opposed landing better kill two birds
+with one stone and land bang upon the Bosphorus. The nearer to the heart
+I can strike my first blow, the more telling it will be. Cable 140 puts
+the case very well. Winston hits the nail on the head, so it seems to
+me, when he points out that the Navy is not tied to the apron strings of
+the Army but that it is the other way about: i.e., if the Fleet makes
+another big push whilst we are getting ready, they can still fall back
+on the combined show with us if they fail; whereas, if they succeed they
+will save us all the loss of life and energy implied by an opposed
+landing at the Dardanelles. Certainly Braithwaite and I had understood
+that de Robeck would work to that end; that this is what he was driving
+at when he said he would not be idle but would keep the Turks busy
+whilst we were getting ready. Nothing will induce me to volunteer
+opinions on Naval affairs. But de Robeck's reply to Winston might be
+read as if I _had_ expressed an opinion, so I am bound to clear up that
+point--definitely.
+
+  "_From_ GENERAL SIR IAN HAMILTON.
+  "_To_ VICE-ADMIRAL SIR JOHN DE ROBECK.
+
+"Copy of number 140 from Admiralty received AAA I had already
+communicated outline of our plan to Lord Kitchener and am pushing on
+preparations as fast as possible AAA War Office still seems to cherish
+hope that you may break through without landing troops AAA Therefore, as
+regards yourself I think wisest procedure will be to push on
+systematically though not recklessly in attack on Forts AAA It is always
+possible that opposition may crumple up AAA If you should succeed be
+sure to leave light cruisers enough to see me through my military attack
+in the event of that being after all necessary AAA If you do not succeed
+then I think we quite understand one another AAA
+                                                       "IAN HAMILTON."
+
+_1st April, 1915. Alexandria._ The _Arcadian_ has arrived bringing my
+A.G. and Q.M.G. with the second echelon of the Staff. God be praised for
+this immense relief! The General Staff can now turn to their legitimate
+business--the enemy, instead of struggling night and day with A.G. and
+Q.M.G. affairs; allocating troops and transports; preparing for water
+supply; tackling questions of procedure and discipline. We are all sorry
+for the Q. Staff who, through no fault of their own, have been late for
+the fair, _their_ special fair, the preparation, and find the show is
+practically over. On paper at least, the Australians and New Zealanders
+and the 29th Division are properly fixed up. We should begin embarking
+these formations within the next three days. After that will come the
+Naval Division from Port Said and the French Division from here.
+
+_2nd April, 1915. Alexandria._ Hard at it all day in office. Am leaving
+to-night by special train for Port Said to hurry things along.
+
+A cable in from the Foreign Office telling me that the Russian part of
+my force consists of a complete Army Corps under General
+Istomine--evidently War and Foreign Offices still work in watertight
+compartments!
+
+Left Alexandria last night at 11 and came into Port Said at dawn. After
+breakfast mounted an Arab charger which seems to have emerged out of the
+desert to meet my wishes just as do special trains and banquets: as if I
+wore on my finger the magic ring of the Arabian fairy tale: so I do I
+suppose, in the command it has pleased K., Imperial Grand Vizier, to
+bestow upon this humble but lively speck of dust. Mounting we cantered
+through the heavy sand towards the parade ground near the docks. Here,
+like a wall, stood Winston's far-famed Naval Division drawn up in its
+battle array. General Paris received me backed by Olivant and Staff.
+After my inspection the Division marched past, and marched past very
+well indeed, much better than they did when I saw them some months ago
+in Kent, although the sand was against them, muffling the stamp of feet
+which binds a Company together and telling unevenly on different parts
+of the line. Admiral Pierce and his Flag Captain, Burmeister, honoured
+the occasion: they were on foot and so, not to elevate the stature of
+the Army above that of the Senior Service, I took the salute dismounted.
+
+Next had a look round camp. Found things so, so. Saw Arthur Asquith and
+Rupert Brooke of the Howe Battalion, both sick, neither bad. Asked
+Brooke to join my personal Staff, not as a fire insurance (seeing what
+happened to Ronnie Brooke at Elandslaagte and to Ava at Waggon Hill) but
+still as enabling me to keep an eye on the most distinguished of the
+Georgians. Young Brooke replied, as a _preux chevalier_ would naturally
+reply,--he realised the privileges he was foregoing, but he felt bound
+to do the landing shoulder-to-shoulder with his comrades. He looked
+extraordinarily handsome, quite a knightly presence, stretched out there
+on the sand with the only world that counts at his feet.
+
+Lunched on the _Franconia_ and conversed with Lieutenant-Colonel
+Matthews and Major Mewes of the Plymouth Battalion; also with Major
+Palmer. To see with your eyes; to hear with your ears; to touch with
+your fingers enables you to bring the truth home to yourself. Five
+minutes of that personal touch tells a man more than five weeks of
+report reading. In five minutes I gained from these Officers five times
+more knowledge about Sedd-el-Bahr and Kum Kale than all their own bald
+despatches describing their own landings and cutting-out enterprises had
+given me. Paris' account had not helped me much either, the reason being
+that it was not first hand,--was only so many words that he had
+heard,--was not what he had _felt_. Now, I do really, at last and for
+the first time, realistically grasp the lie of the land and of the
+Turks. The prospect is not too rosy, but Wolfe, I daresay, saw blue as
+he gazed over the water at his problem, without map or General Staff
+plan to help him. There lay Quebec; within cannon shot; but that enemy
+was thrice his strength; entrenched in a fortress--there they lay
+confident--a landing was "impossible!" But all things are possible--to
+faith. He had faith in Pitt; faith in his own bright particular star;
+faith in the British Fleet standing resolute at his back:--he launched
+his attack; he got badly beaten at the landing; he pulled himself
+together; he met a thousand and one mishaps and delays, and when, at the
+long last, he fell, he had the plum in his pocket.
+
+The Turks lie close within a few yards of the water's edge on the
+Peninsula. Matthews smiled sarcastically at the War Office idea that no
+Turks can exist South of Achi Baba! At Sedd-el-Bahr, the first houses
+are empty, being open to the fire of the Fleet, but the best part of the
+other houses are defiladed by the ground and a month ago they were held.
+Glad I did not lose a minute after seeing the ground in asking Maxwell
+and Methuen to make me some trench mortars. Methuen says he can't help,
+but Maxwell's Ordnance people have already fixed up a sample or
+two--rough things, but better than nothing. We have too little shrapnel
+to be able to spare any for cutting entanglements. Trench mortars may
+help where the Fleet can't bring their guns to bear. The thought of all
+that barbed wire tucked away into the folds of the ground by the shore
+follows me about like my shadow.
+
+Left Port Said for Kantara and got there in half an hour. General Cox,
+an old Indian friend of the days when I was A.D.C. to Sir Fred., met me
+at the station. He commands the Indian troops in Egypt. We nipped into a
+launch on the Canal, and crossed over to inspect the Companies of the
+Nelson, Drake, Howe and Anson Battalions in their Fort, whilst Cox
+hurried off to fix up a parade of his own.
+
+The Indian Brigade were drawn up under Brigadier-General Mercer. After
+inspection, the troops marched past headed by the band of the 14th
+Sikhs. No one not a soldier can understand what it means to an old
+soldier who began fighting in the Afghan War under Roberts of Kandahar
+to be in touch once again with Sikhs and Gurkhas, those splendid
+knights-errant of India.
+
+After about eighteen years' silence, I thought my Hindustani would fail
+me, but the words seemed to drop down from Heaven on to my tongue. Am
+able now to understand the astonishment of St. Paul when he found
+himself jabbering nineteen to the dozen in lingo, Greek to him till
+then. But he at least was exempt from my worst terror which was that at
+any moment I might burst into German!
+
+After our little _durbar_, the men were dismissed to their lines and I
+walked back to the Fort. There I suddenly ordered the alarm to be
+sounded (I had not told anyone of my intention) so the swift yet smooth
+fall-in to danger posts was a feather in Cox's helmet.
+
+Back to main camp and there saw troops not manning the Fort. There were
+the:--
+
+  Queen Victoria's Own
+    Sappers                Captain Hogg, R.E.,
+  69th Punjabis            Colonel Harding,
+  89th Punjabis            Colonel Campbell,
+  14th K.G.O. Sikhs        Colonel Palin,
+  1st Bn. 6th Gurkhas      Colonel Bruce,
+  29th Mountain Battery
+    and the Bikaner Camel
+    Corps                  Major Bruce.
+
+Had a second good talk to the Native Officers, shaking hands all round.
+Much struck with the turn-out of the 29th Mountain Battery which is to
+come along with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps to the
+Dardanelles.
+
+From the platform of the Fort the lines of our defences and the way the
+Turks attacked them stood out very clearly to a pair of field glasses.
+Why, with so many mounted men some effort was not made to harry the
+enemy's retreat, Cox cannot tell me. There were no trenches and the
+desert had no limits.
+
+_Now_ (in the train on my way back to Alexandria) I must have one more
+try at K. about these Gurkhas! My official cable and letter asking for
+the Gurkha Brigade have fallen upon stony ground. No notice of any sort
+has been vouchsafed to my modest request. Has _any_ action been taken
+upon them? Possibly the matter has been referred to Maxwell for opinion?
+If so, he has said nothing about it, which does not promise well. Cox
+has heard nothing from Cairo; only no end of camp rumours. Most likely
+K. is vexed with me for asking for these troops at all, and thinks I am
+already forgetting his warning not to put him in the cart by asking for
+too many things. France must not be made jealous and Egypt ditto, I
+suppose. I cannot possibly repeat my official cable and my demi-official
+letter. The whole is _most_ disappointing. Here is Cox and here are his
+men, absolutely wasted and frightfully keen to come. There are the
+Dardanelles short-handed; there is the New Zealand Division short of a
+Brigade. If surplus and deficit had the same common denominator, say
+"K." or "G.S." they would wipe themselves out to the instant
+simplification of the problem. As it is, they are kept on separate
+sheets of paper;
+
+  too many troops        too few troops
+      Maxwell               Hamilton
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Have just finished dictating a letter to K., giving him an account of my
+inspection of the Indian troops and of how "they made my mouth water,
+especially the 6th Gurkhas." I ask him if I could not anyway have _them_
+"as a sort of escort to the Mountain Battery," and go on to say, "The
+desert is drying up, Cox tells me; such water as there is is becoming
+more and more brackish and undrinkable; and no other serious raid, in
+his opinion, will be possible this summer." I might have added that once
+we open the ball at the Dardanelles the old Turks must dance to our
+tune, and draw in their troops for the defence of Constantinople but it
+does not do to be too instructive to one's Grandmother. So there it is:
+I have done the best I can.
+
+_4th April, 1915. Alexandria._ Busy day in office. Things beginning to
+hum. A marvellous case of "two great minds." K. has proffered his advice
+upon the tactical problem, and how it should be dealt with, and, as I
+have just cabled in answer, "No need to send you my plan as you have got
+it in one, even down to details, only I have not shells enough to cut
+through barbed wire with my field guns or howitzers." I say also, "I
+should much like to have some hint as to my future supply of gun and
+rifle ammunition. The Naval Division has only 430 rounds per rifle and
+the 29th Division only 500 rounds which means running it fine."
+
+What might seem, to a civilian, a marvellous case of coincidence or
+telepathy were he ever to compare my completed plan with K.'s cabled
+suggestion is really one more instance of the identity of procedure born
+of a common doctrine between two soldiers who have worked a great deal
+together. Given the same facts the odds are in favour of these facts
+being seen eye to eye by each.
+
+Forgot to note that McMahon answered my letter of the 31st personally,
+on the telephone, saying he had no objection to my cabling K. or
+spreading any reports I liked through my Intelligence, but that he is
+not keeper of the _Egyptian Gazette_ and must not quarrel with it as
+Egypt is not at war! No wonder he prefers the telephone to the telegram
+I begged him to send me if he makes these sort of answers. Egypt is in
+the war area and, if it were not, McMahon can do anything he likes. The
+_Gazette_ continues to publish full details of our actions and my only
+hope is that the Turks will not be able to believe in folly so
+incredible.
+
+_5th April, 1915. Alexandria._ Motored after early breakfast to French
+Headquarters at the Victoria College. Here I was met by d'Amade and an
+escort of Cuirassiers, and, getting on to my Australian horse, trotted
+off to parade.
+
+Coming on to the ground, the French trumpeters blew a lively fanfare
+which was followed by a roll of drums. Never was so picturesque a
+parade, the verdict of one who can let his mind rove back through the
+military pageants of India, Russia, Japan, Germany, Austria,
+Switzerland, China, Canada, U.S.A., Australia, and New Zealand. Yes,
+Alexandria has seen some pretty shows in its time; Cleopatra had an eye
+to effect and so, too, had the great Napoleon. But I doubt whether the
+townsfolk have ever seen anything to equal the _coup d'oeil_ engineered
+by d'Amade. Under an Eastern sun the colours of the French uniforms,
+gaudy in themselves, ran riot, and the troops had surely been posted by
+one who was an artist in more than soldiering. Where the yellow sand was
+broken by a number of small conical knolls with here and there a group,
+and here and there a line, of waving palms, there, on the knolls, were
+clustered the Mountain Batteries and the Batteries of Mitrailleuses. The
+Horse, Foot and Guns were drawn up, Infantry in front, Cavalry in rear,
+and the Field Artillery--the famous 75s--at right angles.
+
+Infantry of the Line in grey; Zouaves in blue and red; Senegalese wore
+dark blue and the Foreign Legion blue-grey. The Cavalry rode Arabs and
+barbs mostly white stallions; they wore pale blue tunics and bright
+scarlet breeches.
+
+I rode down the lines of Infantry first and then galloped through the
+heavy sand to the right of the Cavalry and inspected them, by d'Amade's
+request, at a trot, winding up with the six Batteries of Artillery. On
+reaching the Saluting Base, I was introduced to the French Minister
+whilst d'Amade presented colours to two Regiments (175th Régiment de
+marche d'Afrique and the 4th Colonial Regiment) making a short and
+eloquent speech.
+
+He then took command of the parade and marched past me at the head of
+his forces. Were all the Houris of Paradise waving lily hands on the one
+side, and were these French soldiers on the other side, I would give my
+cold shoulder to the Houris.
+
+The Cavalry swung along at the trot to the cadence of the trumpets and
+to the clink-clank and glitter of steel. The beautiful, high-stepping
+barbs; the trembling of the earth beneath their hoofs; the banner
+streaming; the swordsmen of France sweeping past the saluting base;
+breaking into the gallop; sounding the charge; charging; _ventre à
+terre_; out into the desert where, in an instant, they were snatched
+from our sight and changed into a pillar of dust!
+
+High, high soared our hopes. Jerusalem--Constantinople? No limit to what
+these soldiers may achieve. The thought passed through the massed
+spectators and set enthusiasm coursing through their veins. Loudly they
+cheered; hats off; and hurrah for the Infantry! Hurrah, hurrah for the
+Cavalry!! Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah for the 75s!!!
+
+At the end I said a few farewell words to the French Minister and then
+galloped off with d'Amade. The bystanders gave us, too, the warmest
+greetings, the bulk of them (French and Greek) calling out "d'Amade!"
+and the Britishers also shouting all sorts of things at the pitch of
+their voices.
+
+Almost lost my temper with Woodward, my new A.G., and this was the
+thusness thereof:--
+
+Time presses: K. prods us from the rear: the Admiral from the front. To
+their eyes we seem to be dallying amidst the fleshpots of Egypt whereas,
+really, we are struggling like drowning mariners in a sea of chaos;
+chaos in the offices; chaos on the ships; chaos in the camps; chaos
+along the wharves; chaos half seas over rolling down the Seven Sisters
+Road. The powers of Maxwell as C.-in-C., Egypt; of the Sultan and
+McMahon, High Commissioner of Egypt, and of myself, C.-in-C., M.E.F.,
+not to speak of the powers of our police civil and military, have all to
+be defined and wheeled into line. We cannot go rushing off into space
+leaving Pandemonium behind us as our Base! I know these things from a
+very long experience. Braithwaite believes in the principle as a student
+and ex-teacher of students. And yet that call to the front!
+
+We've _got_ to tackle the landing scheme on the spot and quick. Luckily
+the problems at Alexandria are _all_ non-tactical; pure A.G. and Q.M.G.
+Staff questions; whereas, at present, the problems awaiting me at the
+Dardanelles are mainly tactical; G.S. questions. So I am going to treat
+G.H.Q. as Solomon threatened to treat the baby; i.e., leave the
+Administrative Staff here until they knock their pidgin more or less
+into shape and send off the G.S. to pluck _their_ pidgin at the Straits.
+The Q. people have still to commandeer offices for Woodward's men, three
+quarters of whom stay here permanently to do the casualty work; they
+have to formulate a local code of discipline; take up buildings for base
+hospitals and arrange for their personnel and equipment; outline their
+schemes for getting sick and wounded back from the front; finish up the
+loading of the ships, etc., etc., etc., _ad infinitum_. Whilst the Q.
+Staff are thus pulling their full weight, the G. Staff will sail off
+quickly and put their heads together with the Admiral and his Staff. As
+to myself, I'm off: I cannot afford to lose more time in getting into
+touch with the sailors, and the scene of action.
+
+All was well until the Commander-in-Chief said he was going, but that
+moment arose the good old trouble--the trouble which muddled our start
+for the Relief of Chitral and ruined the Tirah Campaign. Everyone wants
+to rush off to the excitement of the firing line--(a spasm usually cured
+by the first hard fight), and to leave the hum-drum business of the Base
+and Line of Communication to shift for itself. Braithwaite, of all
+people, was good natured enough to plead for the Administration. He came
+to tell me that it might tend towards goodwill amongst the charmed
+circle of G.H.Q. if even now, at the eleventh hour, I would sweeten
+Woodward by bringing him along. I said, yes, if he, Braithwaite, would
+stand surety that he, Woodward, had fixed up his base hospitals and
+third echelon, but if not, no! Next came Woodward himself. With great
+pertinacity he represented that his subordinates could do all that had
+to be done at the base. He says he speaks for the Q.M.G., as well as for
+the Director General of Medical Services, and that they all want to
+accompany me on my reconnaissance of the coasts of the Peninsula. I was
+a little sharp with him. These heads of Departments think they must be
+sitting in the C.-in-C.'s pocket lest they lose caste. But I say the
+Departments must be where their work lies, or else the C.-in-C. will
+lose caste, and luckily he can still put his own Staff where he will.
+Finally, I agreed to take with me the Assistant to the Director of
+Medical Services to advise his own Chief as to the local bearings of his
+scheme for clearing out the sick and wounded; the others stay here until
+they get their several shows into working order, and with that my A.G.
+had fain to be content.
+
+D'Amade and two or three Frenchmen are dining with me to-night. Sir John
+Maxwell has just arrived.
+
+_6th April, 1915. Alexandria._ Started out at 9.15 with d'Amade and Sir
+John to review the Mounted troops of the 29th Division. We first saw
+them march down the road in column of route. What a contrast between
+these solid looking men on their magnificent weight-carrying horses and
+our wiry little Allies on their barbs and Arabs. The R.H.A. were superb.
+
+After seeing the troops I motored to Mex Camp and inspected the 86th and
+87th Infantry Brigades. There was a strong wind blowing which tried to
+spoil the show, but could not--that Infantry was too superb! Alexander,
+Hannibal, Caesar, Napoleon; not one of them had the handling of
+legionaries like these. The Fusilier Brigade were the heavier. If we
+don't win, I won't be able to put it on the men.
+
+Maxwell left at 4 p.m. for Cairo. I have pressed him hard about Cox's
+Indian Brigade and told him of my conversation with Cox himself and of
+how keen all ranks of the Brigade are to come. No use. He expects, so he
+says, a big attack on the Canal any moment; he has heard nothing from
+K.; the fact that K. has ignored my direct appeal to him shows he would
+not approve, etc., etc., etc. All this is just the line I myself would
+probably take--I admit it--if asked by another General to part with my
+troops. The arrangement whereby I have to sponge on Maxwell for men if I
+want them is a detestable arrangement. At the last he consented to cable
+K. direct on the point himself and then he is to let me know. Two things
+are quite certain; the Brigade are not wanted in Egypt. Old campaigners
+versed in Egyptian war lore tell me that the drying up of the wells must
+put the lid on to any move across the desert until the winter rains,
+and, apart from this, how in the name of the beard of their own false
+prophet can the Turks attack Egypt whilst we are at the gates of
+Constantinople?
+
+But if the Brigade are not wanted on the Canal, we are bound to be the
+better for them at the Dardanelles, whatever course matters there may
+take. Concentration is the cue! The German or Japanese General Staffs
+would tumble to these truths and act upon them presto. K. sees them too,
+but nothing can overcome his passion for playing off one Commander
+against another, whereby K. of K. keeps all reins in his hands and
+remains sole arbiter between them.
+
+Birdwood has just turned up. We're off to-morrow evening.
+
+'Phoned Maxwell last thing telling him to be sure not to forget to jog
+K.'s elbow about Cox and his Gurkhas.
+
+_7th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." 10 p.m._ D'Amade looked in to say
+good-bye.
+
+On my way down to the harbour I overhauled the Assyrian Jewish Refugee
+Mule Corps at the Wardian Camp. Their Commander, author of that
+thrilling shocker, "The Man-killers of Tsavo," finds Assyrians and mules
+rather a mouthful and is going to tabloid bipeds and quadrupeds into
+"The Zion Corps." The mules look very fit; so do the Assyrians and,
+although I did not notice that their cohorts were gleaming with purple
+or gold, they may help us to those habiliments: they may, in fact, serve
+as ground bait to entice the big Jew journalists and bankers towards our
+cause; the former will lend us the colour, the latter the coin. Anyway,
+so far as I can, I mean to give the chosen people a chance.
+
+Got aboard at 5.15, but owing to some hitch in the arrangements for
+filling up our tanks with fresh water, we are held up and won't get off
+until to-morrow morning.
+
+If there drops a gnat into the ointment of the General, be sure there
+are ten thousand flies stinking the ointment of the troops.
+
+_8th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."_ Sailing free to the Northwards. A
+fine day and a smooth sea. What would not Richard Coeur de Lion or
+Napoleon have given for the _Arcadian_ to take them to St. Jean d'Acre
+and Jerusalem?
+
+As we were clearing harbour a letter was brought out to us by a launch:
+
+                                                       "UNION CLUB,
+                                                          "ALEXANDRIA.
+
+"The following telephone received from General Maxwell, Cairo:--Your
+message re Cox, I will do my best to meet your wishes. Will you in your
+turn assist me in getting the seaplanes arriving here in _Ganges_? I
+have wired to Admiral de Robeck, I want them badly, so please help me if
+you can.
+
+                 "_Forwarded by_ ADMIRAL ROBINSON."
+
+Cutlet for cutlet! I wish it had occurred to me sooner to do a deal with
+some aeroplanes. But, then I have none. No matter: I should have
+promised him de Robeck's! South Africa repeats itself! Egypt and Mudros
+are not one but two. Maxwell and I are co-equal allies; _not_ a combine
+under a Boss!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+CLEARING FOR ACTION
+
+
+_9th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."_ Isles of the Aegean; one more lovely
+than the other; weather warm; wireless off; a great ship steaming fast
+towards a great adventure--why do I walk up and down the deck feeling a
+ton's weight of trouble weighing down upon my shoulders? Never till
+to-day has solicitude become painful. This is the fault of Birdwood,
+Hunter-Weston and Paris. I read their "appreciations of the situation"
+some days ago, but until to-day I have not had the unbroken hour needed
+to digest them. Birdwood begins by excusing himself in advance against
+any charge of vacillation. At our first meeting he said he was convinced
+our best plan would be to go for the South of the Gallipoli Peninsula.
+Now he has, in fact, very much shifted his ground under the influence of
+a new consideration, "(which I only learned after leaving Lemnos) that
+the Turks now have guns or howitzers on the Asiatic side which could
+actually command our transports should they anchor off Morto Bay." "As I
+told you," he says, "after thinking it out thoroughly, I was convinced
+our best plan would be to go for the South of the Gallipoli Peninsula,"
+but now he continues, he finds his Staff "all seem to be keen on a
+landing somewhere between Saros Bay and Enos. For this I have no use, as
+though I think we should doubtless be able to effect a landing there
+pretty easily, yet I do not see that we shall be any 'forrarder' by
+doing so. We might put ourselves in front of the Bulair Lines, but there
+would be far less object in attacking them and working South-west with
+the Navy only partially able to help us, than by working up from the
+other end with the Navy on either flank."
+
+Birdwood himself rather inclines towards a landing on the Asiatic side,
+for preference somewhere South of Tenedos. The attractive part of his
+idea is that if we did this the Turks must withdraw most of their mobile
+artillery from the Peninsula to meet us, which would give the Navy just
+the opportunity they require for mine-sweeping and so forcing the
+Narrows forthwith. They know they can give the superstition of old Forts
+being stronger than new ships its quietus if only they can clear a
+passage through the minefield. There are forts and forts, ships and
+ships, no doubt. But from what we have done already the sailors know
+that our ships here can knock out those forts here. But first they must
+tackle the light guns which protect the minefield from the sweepers.
+Birdwood seems to think we might dominate the Peninsula from the country
+round Chunuk. In his P.S. he suggests that anyway, if we are beaten off
+in our attempt to land on the Peninsula we may have this Asiatic scheme
+in our mind as a second string. Disembarkation plans already made would
+"probably be suitable _anywhere_ with very slight modifications. We
+might perhaps even think of this--if we try the other first and can't
+pull it off?"
+
+In my answer, I say I am still for taking the shortest, most direct
+route to my objective, the Narrows.
+
+First, because "I have no roving commission to conquer Asia Minor." My
+instructions deny me the whole of that country when they lay down as a
+principle that "The occupation of the Asiatic side by military forces is
+to be strongly deprecated."
+
+Secondly, because I agree that a landing between Saros Bay and Enos
+would leave us no "forrarder." There we should be attacked in front from
+Rodosto; in flank from Adrianople; in rear from Bulair; whilst, as we
+advanced, we would lose touch with the Fleet. But if our scheme is to be
+based on severance from the Fleet we must delay another month or six
+weeks to collect pack transport.
+
+Thirdly, the Asiatic side _does not_ dominate the Peninsula whereas the
+Kilid Bahr plateau _does_ dominate the Asiatic narrows.
+
+Fourthly, the whole point of our being here is to work hand-in-glove
+with the Fleet. We are here to help get the Fleet through the
+Dardanelles in the first instance and to help the Russians to take
+Constantinople in the second. The War Office, the Admiralty, the
+Vice-Admiral and the French Commander-in-Chief all agree now that the
+Peninsula is the best place for our first step towards these objects.
+
+Hunter-Weston's appreciation, written on his way out at Malta, is a
+masterly piece of work. He understands clearly that our true objective
+is to let our warships through the Narrows to attack Constantinople.
+"The immediate object," he says, "of operations in the Dardanelles is to
+enable our warships, with the necessary colliers and other unarmoured
+supply ships--without which capital ships cannot maintain themselves--to
+pass through the Straits in order to attack Constantinople."
+
+And again:--
+
+"It is evident that land operations at this stage must be directed
+entirely towards assisting the Fleet; and no operations should be
+commenced unless it is clear that their result will be to enable our
+warships, with their necessary colliers, etc., to have the use of the
+Straits."
+
+The Fleet, he holds, cannot do this without our help because of:--
+
+  (1). Improvement of the defences.
+  (2). The mobile howitzers.
+  (3). The Leon floating mines.
+
+Things being so, he sets himself to consider how far the Army can help,
+in the light of the following premises:--
+
+"The Turkish Army having been warned by our early bombardments and by
+the landings carried out some time ago, has concentrated a large force
+in and near the Gallipoli Peninsula."
+
+"It has converted the Peninsula into an entrenched camp, has, under
+German direction, made several lines of entrenchments covering the
+landing places, with concealed machine gun emplacements and land mines
+on the beach; and has put in concealed positions guns and howitzers
+capable of covering the landing places and approaches with their fire."
+
+"The Turkish Army in the Peninsula is being supplied and reinforced from
+the Asiatic side and from the Sea of Marmora and is not dependent on the
+Isthmus of Bulair. The passage of the Isthmus of Bulair by troops and
+supplies at night cannot be denied by the guns of our Fleet."
+
+After estimates of our forces and of the difficulties they may expect to
+encounter, Hunter-Weston comes to the conclusion that, "the only landing
+places worth serious consideration are:
+
+  "(1). Those near Cape Suvla,
+   (2). Those near Cape Helles."
+
+Of these two he advises Helles, because:--"the Fleet can also surround
+this end of the Peninsula and bring a concentrated fire on any Turks
+holding it. We, therefore, should be able to make sure of securing the
+Achi Baba position." Also, because our force is too weak to hold the big
+country round Suvla Bay and at the same time operate against Kilid Bahr.
+
+If this landing at Helles is successful, he considers the probable
+further course of the operations. Broadly, he thinks that we are so
+short of ammunition and particularly of high explosive shell that there
+is every prospect of our getting tied up on an extended line across the
+Peninsula in front of the Kilid Bahr trenches. Should the enemy
+submarines arrive we should be "up a tree."
+
+The cards in the game of life are the characters of men. Staking on
+those cards I take my own opinions--always. But when we play the game of
+death, things are our counters--guns, rivers, shells, bread, roads,
+forests, ships--and in totting up the values of these my friend
+Hunter-Weston has very few equals in the Army.
+
+Therefore, his conclusion depresses me very much, but not so much as it
+would have done had I not seen him. For certainly during his conference
+on the 30th March with d'Amade and myself he never said or implied in
+any way that under conditions as he found them and as they were then set
+before him, there was no reasonable prospect of success:--quite the
+contrary. Here are the conclusions as written at Malta:--
+
+"Conclusion. The information available goes to show that if this
+Expedition had been carefully and secretly prepared in England, France
+and Egypt, and the Naval and Military details of organisation, equipment
+and disembarkation carefully worked out by the General Staff and the
+Naval War Staff, and if no bombardment or other warning had been given
+till the troops, landing gear, etc., were all ready and despatched, (the
+troops from England ostensibly for service in Egypt and those in Egypt
+ostensibly for service in France) the capture of the Gallipoli
+Peninsula and the forcing of the Dardanelles would have been successful.
+
+"Von der Goltz is reported to have visited the Dardanelles on 11th
+February and before that date it appears that very little had been done.
+
+"Now big guns have been brought from Chatalja, Adrianople and
+elsewhere,--roads have been made,--heavy movable armaments
+provided,--troops and machine guns have been poured into the
+Peninsula,--several lines of trenches have been dug,--every landing
+place has been trenched and mined, and all that clever German Officers
+under Von der Goltz can design, and hard working diggers like the Turks
+can carry out, has been done to make the Peninsula impregnable.
+
+"The prizes of success in this Expedition are very great.
+
+"It was indeed the most hopeful method of finishing the war.
+
+"No loss would be too heavy and no risks too great if thereby success
+would be attained.
+
+"But if the views expressed in this paper be sound, there is not in
+present circumstances a reasonable chance of success. (The views are
+founded on the information available to the writer at the time of
+leaving Malta, and may be modified by further information at first hand
+on arrival at Force Head Quarters.)
+
+"The return of the Expedition when it has gone so far will cause
+discontent, much talk, and some laughter; will confirm Roumania and
+Greece in the wisdom of their neutrality, and will impair the power of
+our valuable friend M. Venezelos. It will be a heavy blow to all of us
+soldiers, and will need great strength and moral courage on the part of
+the Commander and Government.
+
+"But it will not do irreparable harm to our cause, whereas to attempt a
+landing and fail to secure a passage through the Dardanelles would be a
+disaster to the Empire.
+
+"The threat of invasion by the Allies is evidently having considerable
+effect on the Balkan States.
+
+"It is therefore advisable to continue our preparations;--to train our
+troops for landing, and to get our expedition properly equipped and
+organised for this difficult operation of war; so as to be ready to take
+advantage of any opportunity for successful action that may occur.
+
+"But I would repeat; no action should be taken unless it has been
+carefully thought out in all its possibilities and details and unless
+there is a reasonable _probability_ of success.
+
+                                              "A. HUNTER-WESTON, M.G."
+
+Paris's appreciation gives no very clear lead. "The enemy is of strength
+unknown," he says, "but within striking distance there must be 250,000."
+He also lays stress on the point that the enemy are expecting
+us--"Surprise is now impossible--.... The difficulties are now increased
+a hundredfold.... To land would be difficult enough if surprise was
+possible but hazardous in the extreme under present conditions." He
+discusses Gaba Tepe as a landing place; also Smyrna, and Bulair. On the
+whole, he favours Sedd-el-Bahr as it "is the only place where transports
+could come in close and where the actual landing may be unopposed. It is
+open to question whether a landing could be effected elsewhere. With the
+aid of the Fleet it may be possible to land near Cape Helles almost
+unopposed and an advance of ten miles would enormously facilitate the
+landing of the remainder South of Gaba Tepe."
+
+The truth is, every one of these fellows agrees in his heart with old
+Von der Goltz, the Berlin experts, and the Sultan of Egypt that the
+landing is impossible. Well, we shall see, D.V., we shall see!! One
+thing is certain: we must work up our preparations to the _n_th degree
+of perfection: the impossible can only be overborne by the
+unprecedented; i.e., by an original method or idea.
+
+_10th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Cast anchor at 7 a.m. After
+breakfast went on board the _Queen Elizabeth_ where Braithwaite and I
+worked for three hours with Admiral de Robeck, Admiral Wemyss and
+Commodore Roger Keyes.
+
+Last time the Admiral made the running; to-day it was my turn for I had
+to unfold my scheme and go through it point by point with the sailors.
+But first I felt it my duty to read out the appreciations of
+Hunter-Weston, Birdwood and Paris. Then I gave them my own view that
+history had never offered any nation so clean cut a chance of bringing
+off an immeasurably big coup as she had done by putting our Fleet and
+Army precisely where it was at present on the map of the war world. Half
+that unique chance had already been muddled away by the lack of secrecy
+and swiftness in our methods. With check mate within our grasp we had
+given two moves to the enemy. Still, perhaps; nay, probably, there was
+time. Were we to prolong hesitation, or, were we, now that we had done
+the best we could with the means under our hands, to go boldly forward?
+Here was the great issue: there was no use discussing detail until the
+principle was settled. By God's mercy the Vice-Admiral, Wemyss and Keyes
+were all quite clear and quite determined. They rejected Bulair; they
+rejected Asia; most of all they spurned the thought of further delay or
+of hanging about hoping for something to turn up.
+
+So I then told them my plan. The more, I said, I had pondered over the
+map and reflected upon the character, probable numbers and supposed
+positions of the enemy, the more convinced I had become that the first
+and foremost step towards a victorious landing was to upset the
+equilibrium of Liman von Sanders, the enemy Commander who has succeeded
+Djavad in the Command of the Fifth Army. I must try to move so that he
+should be unable to concentrate either his mind or his men against us.
+Here I was handicapped by having no knowledge of my opponent whereas the
+German General Staff is certain to have transferred the "life-like
+picture" Schröder told me they had of me to Constantinople. Still, sea
+power and the mobility it confers is a great help, and we ought to be
+able to rattle the enemy however imperturbable may be his nature and
+whatever he knows about us if we throw every man we can carry in our
+small craft in one simultaneous rush against selected points, whilst
+using all the balance in feints against other likely places. Prudence
+here is entirely out of place. There will be and can be no
+reconnaissance, no half measures, no tentatives. Several cautious
+proposals have been set before me but this is neither the time nor the
+place for paddling about the shore putting one foot on to the beaches
+with the idea of drawing it back again if it happens to alight upon a
+land mine. No; we've got to take a good run at the Peninsula and jump
+plump on--both feet together. At a given moment we must plunge and stake
+everything on the one hazard.
+
+I would like to land my whole force in one,--like a hammer stroke--with
+the fullest violence of its mass effect--as close as I can to my
+objective, the Kilid Bahr plateau. But, apart from lack of small craft,
+the thing cannot be done; the beach space is so cramped that the men and
+their stores could not be put ashore. I have to separate my forces and
+the effect of momentum, which cannot be produced by cohesion, must be
+reproduced by the simultaneous nature of the movement. From the South,
+Achi Baba mountain is our first point of attack, and the direct move
+against it will start from the beaches at Cape Helles and Sedd-el-Bahr.
+As it is believed that the Turks are there in some force to oppose us,
+envelopment will be attempted by landing detachments in Morto Bay and
+opposite Krithia village. At the same time, also, the A. and N.Z. Corps
+will land between Gaba Tepe and Fisherman's Hut to try and seize the
+high backbone of the Peninsula and cut the line of retreat of the enemy
+on the Kilid Bahr plateau. In any case, the move is bound to interfere
+with the movements of Turkish reinforcements towards the toe of the
+Peninsula. While these real attacks are taking place upon the foot and
+at the waist of the Peninsula, the knife will be flourished at its neck.
+Transports containing troops which cannot be landed during the first two
+days must sail up to Bulair; make as much splash as they can with their
+small boats and try to provide matter for alarm wires to Constantinople
+and the enemy's Chief.
+
+So much for Europe. Asia is forbidden but I hold myself free, as a
+measure of battle tactics, to take half a step Troywards. The French are
+to land a Brigade at Kum Kale (perhaps a Regiment may do) so as, first,
+to draw the fire of any enemy big guns which can range Morto Bay;
+secondly, to prevent Turkish troops being shipped across the Narrows.
+
+With luck, then, within the space of an hour, the enemy Chief will be
+beset by a series of S.O.S. signals. Over an area of 100 miles, from
+five or six places; from Krithia and Morto Bay; from Gaba Tepe; from
+Bulair and from Kum Kale in Asia, as well as, if the French can manage
+it, from Besika Bay, the cables will pour in. I reckon Liman von
+Sanders will not dare concentrate and that he will fight with his local
+troops only for the first forty-eight hours. But what is the number of
+these local troops? Alas, there is the doubtful point. We think forty
+thousand rifles and a hundred guns, but, if my scheme comes off, not a
+tenth of them should be South of Achi Baba for the first two days. Hints
+have been thrown out that we are asking the French cat to pull the
+hottest chestnut out of the fire. Not at all. At Kum Kale, with their
+own ships at their back, and the deep Mendere River to their front,
+d'Amade's men should easily be able to hold their own for a day or
+two,--all that we ask of them.
+
+The backbone of my enterprise is the 29th Division. At dawn I intend to
+land the covering force of that Division at Sedd-el-Bahr, Cape Helles
+and, D.V., in Morto Bay. I tack my D.V. on to Morto Bay because the
+transports will there be under fire from Asia unless the French succeed
+in silencing the guns about Troy or in diverting their aim. Whether then
+our transports can stick it or not is uncertain, like everything else in
+war, only more so. They must if they can and if they can they must; that
+is all that can be said at present.
+
+As to the effort to be made to envelop the enemy's right flank along the
+coast between Helles and Krithia, I have not yet quite fixed on the
+exact spot, but I am personally bent upon having it done as even a small
+force so landed should threaten the line of retreat and tend to shake
+the confidence of any Turks resisting us at the Southernmost point.
+Some think these cliffs along that North-west coast unclimbable, but I
+am sure our fellows will manage to scramble up, and I think their losses
+should be less in doing so than in making the more easy seeming lodgment
+at Sedd-el-Bahr or Helles. The more broken and precipitous the glacis,
+the more the ground leading up to the objective is dead. The guns of the
+Fleet can clear the crest of the cliffs and the strip of sand at their
+foot should then be as healthy as Brighton. If the Turks down at Helles
+are nervous, even a handful landing behind their first line (stretching
+from the old Castle Northwards to the coast) should make them begin to
+look over their shoulders.
+
+As to the A. and N.Z. landing, that will be of the nature of a strong
+feint, which may, and we hope will, develop into the real thing. My
+General Staff have marked out on the maps a good circular holding
+position, starting from Fisherman's Hut in the North round along the
+Upper Spurs of the high ridges and following them down to where they
+reach the sea, a little way above Gaba Tepe. If only Birdwood can seize
+this line and fix himself there for a bit, he should in due course be
+able to push on forward to Kojah Dere whence he will be able to choke
+the Turks on the Southern part of the Peninsula with a closer grip and a
+more deadly than we could ever hope to exercise from far away Bulair.
+
+We are bound to suffer serious loss from concealed guns, both on the sea
+and also during the first part of our landing before we can win ground
+for our guns. That is part of the hardness of the nut. The landings at
+Gaba Tepe and to the South will between them take up all our small craft
+and launches. So I am unable to throw the Naval Division into action at
+the first go off. They will man the transports that sail to make a show
+at Bulair.
+
+This is the substance of my opening remarks at the meeting: discussion
+followed, and, at the end, the Navy signified full approval. Neither de
+Robeck, Wemyss nor Roger Keyes are men to buy pigs in pokes; they wanted
+to know all about it and to be quite sure they could play their part in
+the programme. Their agreement is all the more precious. They (the
+Admirals and the Commodore) are also, I fancy, happier in their minds
+now that they know for sure what we soldiers are after. Rumours had been
+busy in the Fleet that we were shaping our course for Bulair. Had that
+been the basis of my plan, we should have come to loggerheads, I think.
+As it is, the sailors seem eager to meet us in every possible way. So
+now we've got to get our orders out.
+
+On maps and charts the scheme may look neat and simple. On land and
+water, the trouble will begin and only by the closest thought and
+prevision will we find ourselves in a position to cope with it. To throw
+so many men ashore in so short a time in the teeth of so rapid a current
+on to a few cramped beaches; to take the chances of finding drinking
+water and of a smooth sea; these elemental hazards alone would suffice
+to give a man grey hairs were we practising a manoeuvre exercise on
+the peaceful Essex coast. So much thought; so much _band-o-bast_; so
+much dove-tailing and welding together of naval and military methods,
+signals, technical words, etc., and the worst punishment should any link
+in the composite chain give way. And then--taking success for
+granted--on the top of all this--comes the Turk; "unspeakable" he used
+to be, "unknowable" now. But we shall give him a startler too. If only
+our plans come off the Turk won't have time to turn; much less to bring
+into play all the clever moves foreseen for him by some whose stomachs
+for the fight have been satisfied by their appreciation of its dangers.
+
+Units of the 29th Division have been coming along in their transports
+all day. The bay is alive with ships.
+
+_11th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."_ One of those exquisite days when
+the sunlight penetrates to the heart. Admiral Guépratte, commanding the
+French Fleet, called at 9.45 and in due course I returned his visit,
+when I was electrified to find at his cabin door no common sentry but a
+Beefeater armed with a large battleaxe, dating from about the period of
+Charlemagne. The Admiral lives quite in the old style and is a
+delightful personage; very gay and very eager for a chance to measure
+himself against the enemy. Guépratte, though he knows nothing
+officially, believes that his Government are holding up their sleeve a
+second French Division ear-marked Gallipoli! But why bottle up trumps;
+trumps worth a King's ransome, or a Kaiser's? He gives twice who gives
+quickly (in peace); he gives tenfold who gives quickly (in war). The
+devil of it is the French dare not cable home to ask questions, and as
+for myself, I have not been much encouraged--so far!
+
+During the afternoon Admirals de Robeck and Wemyss came on board to work
+together with the General Staff on technical details. They too have
+heard these rumours about the second French Division, and Wemyss is in
+dismay at the thought of having to squeeze more ships into Mudros
+harbour. His anxiety has given me exactly the excuse I wanted, so I have
+dropped this fly just in front of K.'s nose, telling him that "There are
+persistent rumours here amongst the French that General d'Amade's
+Command is to be joined by another French Division. Just in case there
+is truth in the report you should know that Mudros harbour is as full as
+it will hold until our dash for the Peninsula has been made." We will
+see what he says. If the Division exists, then the Naval people will
+recommend Bizerta for their base; the ships can sail right up to the
+Peninsula from there and land right away until things on Lemnos and
+Tenedos have shaken themselves down.
+
+Our first Taube: it passed over the harbour at a great height. One of
+our lumbering seaplanes went up after it like an owl in sunlight, but
+could rise no higher than the masts of the Fleet.
+
+_12th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ The _Queen Elizabeth_ has
+been having some trouble with her engines and in the battle of the 18th
+was only able to use one of her propellers. Now she has been overhauled
+and the Admiral has asked me to come on board for her steam trials.
+These are to take place along the coastline of the Peninsula and I have
+got leave to bring with me a party selected from Divisions and Brigades.
+So when I went aboard this morning at 8.30 there were about thirty-five
+Officers present. Starting at once, we steamed at great pace half way up
+the Gulf of Saros and about 1 o'clock turned to go back, slowing down
+and closing in to let me take a second good look at the coast. Our
+studies were enlivened by an amusing incident. Nearing Cape Helles, the
+_Queen Elizabeth_ went astern, so as to test her reverse turbines. The
+enemy, who must have been watching us like a mouse does a cat, had the
+ill-luck to select just this moment to salute us with a couple of
+shells. As they had been allowing for our speed they were ludicrously
+out of it, the shot striking the water half a mile ahead. We then lay
+off Cape Helles whilst a very careful survey of the whole of that
+section was being made. The Turks, disgusted by their own bad aim, did
+not fire again. On our way back we passed three fakes, old liners
+painted up, funnelled and armed with dummy guns to take off the _Tiger_,
+the _Inflexible_ and the _Indomitable_. Riding at anchor there, they had
+quite the man-o'-war air and if they draw the teeth of enemy submarines
+(their torpedoes), as they are meant to do, the artists should be given
+decorations. At 6 p.m. dropped anchor and I transhipped myself to the
+_Arcadian_. Birdwood and Hunter-Weston had turned up during the day; the
+latter dined and is now more sanguine than myself. He has been getting
+to know his new command better and he says that he did not appreciate
+the 29th Division when he wrote his appreciation!
+
+_13th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."_ Heavy squalls of rain and wind last
+night. _Band-o-bast_ badly upset; boats also bottoms upwards and at
+dawn--here in harbour--we found ourselves clean cut off from the shore.
+What a ticklish affair the great landing is going to be! How much at the
+mercy of the winds and waves! Aeolus and Neptune have hardly lost power
+since Greeks and Trojans made history out yonder!
+
+Have sent K. an electrical pick-me-up saying that the height of the
+_Queen Elizabeth_ fire control station had enabled me to see the lie of
+the land better than on my previous reconnaissance, and that, given good
+luck, we hope to get ashore without too great a loss.
+
+In the afternoon the wind moderated and I spent an hour or two watching
+practice landings by Senegalese. Our delay is loss, but yet not clear
+loss; that's a sure thing. These niggy-wigs were as awkward as
+golly-wogs in the boats. Every extra hour's practice will save some
+lives by teaching them how to make short work of the ugliest bit of
+their job.
+
+_14th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian," Lemnos._ A day so exquisitely lovely
+that it should be chronicled in deathless verse. But we gaze at the
+glassy sea and turn to the deep blue cloudless sky, victory our only
+thought.
+
+Colonel Dick, King's Messenger, has arrived bringing letters up to 3rd
+instant. Or rather, he was supposed to have brought them, and it was
+hoped the abundance of his intelligence would have borne some relation
+to the cost of his journey,--about £80 it has been reckoned. As a matter
+of fact, apart from some rubbish, he brings _one_ letter for me; none
+for any of the others. Not even a file of newspapers; not even a
+newspaper! In India many, many years ago, we used to call Dick _Burra
+dik haì_, Hindustani for, _it is a great worry_. So he is only playing
+up to his sobriquet. The little ewe lamb is an epistle from Fitz giving
+me a lively sketch of the rumpus at the War Office when its pontiffs
+grasped for the first time the true bearing of their own orders. There
+was a rush to saddle poor us with the delay as soon as the Cabinet began
+to show impatience. They seem to have expected the 29th Division to
+arrive at top speed in a united squadron to rush straightway ashore.
+They don't yet quite realise, I daresay, that not one of their lovely
+ships has yet put in an appearance. That the men who packed the
+transports and fixed their time tables should say we are too slow is
+hardly playing the game.
+
+Never lose your hair: that is a good soldier's motto. My cable of last
+night, wherein I tried to calm their minds by telling them the sea was
+rough and that, even if every one had been here with gaiter buttons
+complete, I must have waited for a change in the weather, has answered
+Fitz's letter by anticipation.
+
+Worked all day in my office like a nigger and by mid-day had got almost
+as black as my simile! We are coaling and life has grown dark and noisy.
+In the middle of it, Ashmead-Bartlett came aboard to see me. He has his
+quarters on the _Queen Elizabeth_ as one of the Admiralty authorised
+Press Correspondents, or rather, as the only authorised correspondent.
+In Manchuria he was known and his writing was well liked. When he had
+gone, de Robeck and I put through a good lot of business very smoothly.
+A little later on, Captain Ivanoff, commanding H.I.M.S. _Askold_, (a
+Russian cruiser well-known to fame in Manchurian days), did me the
+honour to call.
+
+After lunch went ashore and saw parties of Australians at embarking and
+disembarking drill. Colonel Paterson, the very man who bear-led me on
+tour during my Australian inspection, was keeping an eye on the "Boys."
+The work of the Australians and Senegalese gave us a good object lesson
+of the relative brain capacities of the two races. Next I went and
+inspected the Armoured Car Section of the Royal Naval Division under
+Lieutenant-Commander Wedgwood. He is a mighty queer chap. Took active
+part in the South African War. Afterwards became a pacifist M.P.; here
+he is again with war paint and tomahawk. Give me a Pacifist in peace and
+a Jingo in war. Too often it is the other way about.
+
+All this took me on to 5.30 p.m. and when I came back on board,
+Hunter-Weston was here. He has been out since last night on H.M.S.
+_Dartmouth_ to inspect the various landing places. His whole tone about
+the Expedition has been transformed. Now he has become the most sanguine
+of us all. He has great hopes that we shall have Achi Baba in our hands
+by sunset on the day of landing. If so he thinks we need have no fear
+for the future.
+
+All is worked out now and I do not quite see how we could improve upon
+our scheme with the means at our disposal. If these "means" included a
+larger number of boats and steam launches, then certainly, by
+strengthening our forces on either flank, viz., at Morto Bay (where we
+are sending only one Battalion) and at a landing under the cliffs a mile
+West of Krithia (where we are sending one Battalion), we should greatly
+better our chances. Also, a battery of field guns attached to the Morto
+Bay column, and a couple of mountain guns added to the Krithia column
+would add to our prospects of making a real big scoop. But we cannot
+spare the sea transport except by too much weakening and delaying the
+landing at the point of the Peninsula; nor dare I leave myself without
+any reserve under my own hand. I am inclined, all the same, to squeeze
+one Marine Battalion out of the Naval Division to strengthen our threat
+to Krithia. Hunter-Weston will be in executive command of everything
+South of Achi Baba; Birdwood of everything to the North.
+
+I went very closely with Hunter-Weston into the question of a day or
+night attack. My own leanings are in favour of the first boat-loads
+getting ashore before break of dawn, but Hunter-Weston is clear and
+strong for daylight. There is a very strong current running round the
+point; the exact lie of the beaches is unknown and he thinks the
+confusion inseparable from any landing will be so aggravated by
+attempting it in the dark that he had rather face the losses the men in
+boats must suffer from aimed fire. Executively he is responsible and he
+is backed by his naval associates.
+
+Birdwood, on the other hand, is of one mind with me and is going to get
+his first boat-loads ashore before it is light enough to aim. He has no
+current to trouble him, it is true, but he is not landing on any
+surveyed beach and the opposition he will meet with is even more unknown
+than in the case of Helles and Sedd-el-Bahr.
+
+When a sportsman goes shark fishing, he should beware lest he be
+mistaken for the bait. Gaily I cast my fly over K. and now he has
+snapped off my head. That story about a second French Division was
+false. K. merely quotes the number of my question and adds, "The rumour
+is baseless." Well, "_tant pis_," as Guépratte would say with a shrug of
+his shoulders. Our first step won't have the weight behind it we had
+permitted ourselves for some hours to hope. _Everywhere_ the first is
+the step that counts but _nowhere_ more so than in an Oriental War.
+
+Now that the French Division has been snuffed out, how about the Grand
+Duke Nicholas, General Istomine and their Russian Divisions? Are they
+also to prove phantoms? Certainly, in some form or another, they ought
+to be brought into our scheme and, even if only at a distance, bring
+some pressure to bear upon the Turks at the time of our opening move. I
+think my best way of getting into touch will be by wireless from de
+Robeck to the Russian Admiral in the Black Sea.
+
+Dick dines, also Birdwood.
+
+_15th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Boarded H.M.S. _Dublin_
+(Captain Kelly) at 9.30 this morning, where Admiral de Robeck met me.
+Sailed at once and dropped anchor off Tenedos at noon.
+
+Landed and made a close inspection of the Aerodrome where we were taken
+round by two young friends of mine, Commander Samson and Captain Davies,
+Naval Air Service. By a queer fluke these are the very two men with whom
+I did my very first flight! On that never to be forgotten day Samson
+took up Winston and Davies took me. Like mallards we shot over the
+Medway and saw the battleships as if they were little children's
+playthings far away down below us. Now the children are going to use
+their pretty toys and will make a nice noise with them in the world.
+
+After lunch spent the best part of two hours in a small cottage with
+Samson and Keyes trying to digest the honey brought back by our busy
+aeroplane bees from their various flights over Gallipoli. The Admiral
+went off on some other naval quest.
+
+Samson and Davies are fliers of the first water--and not only in the
+air. They carry the whole technique of their job at their finger tips.
+The result of K.'s washing his hands of the Air is that the Admiralty
+run that element entirely. Samson is Boss. He has brought with him two
+Maurice Farmans and three B.E.2s. The Maurice Farmans with 100 H.P.
+Renaults; the B.E.2s with 70 Renaults. These five machines are good
+although one of the B.E.2s is dead old.
+
+Also, he brought eight Henri Farmans with 80 Gnome engines. He took them
+because they were new and there was nothing else new; but they are no
+use for war.
+
+Two B.E.2C.s with 70 Renaults: these are absolutely useless as they
+won't take a passenger.
+
+One Broguet 200 H.P. Canton engine; won't fly.
+
+Two Sopwith Scouts: 80 Gnome engines; very old and can't be used owing
+to weakness of engine mounting.
+
+One very old but still useful Maurice Farman with 140 Canton engine.
+That is the demnition total and it pans out at five serviceable
+aeroplanes for the Army. There are also some seaplanes with us but they
+are not under Samson, and are purely for naval purposes. Amongst those
+are two good "Shorts," but the others are no use, they say, being wrong
+type and underpowered.
+
+The total nominal strength of Samson's Corps is eleven pilots and one
+hundred and twenty men. As everyone knows, no Corps or Service is ever
+up to its nominal strength; least of all an Air Corps. The dangerous
+shortage is that in two-seater aeroplanes as we want our Air Service now
+for spotting and reconnaissances. If, _after_ that requirement had been
+met, we had only a bombing force at our disposal, the Gallipoli
+Peninsula, being a very limited space with only one road and two or
+three harbours on it, could probably be made untenable.
+
+Commander Samson's estimate of a minimum force for this "stunt," as he
+calls our great enterprise, is 30 good two-seater machines; 24 fighters;
+40 pilots and 400 men. So equipped he reckons he could take the
+Peninsula by himself and save us all a vast lot of trouble.
+
+But, strange as it may seem, flying is not my "stunt." I dare not even
+mention the word "aeroplane" to K., and I have cut myself off from
+correspondence with Winston. I did this thing deliberately as
+Braithwaite reminds me every time I am tempted to sit down and unbosom
+myself to one who would sympathise and lend us a hand if he could: in
+truth, I am torn in two about this; but I still feel it is wiser and
+better so; not only from the K. point of view but also from de Robeck's.
+He (de Robeck) might be quite glad I should write once to Winston on one
+subject but he would never be sure afterwards I was not writing on
+others. On the way back I spoke to the Admiral, but I don't know whether
+he will write himself or not. Ventured also a little bit out of my own
+element in another direction, and begged him not to put off sending the
+submarine through the Straits until the day of our landing, but to let
+her go directly she was ready. He does not agree. He has an idea (I hope
+a premonition) that the submarine will catch Enver hurrying down to the
+scene of action if we wait till the day of the attack.
+
+Even more than in the Fleet I find in the Air Service the profound
+conviction that, if they could only get into direct touch with Winston
+Churchill, all would be well. Their faith in the First Lord is, in every
+sense, _touching_. But they can't get the contact and they are
+thoroughly imbued with the idea that the Sea Lords are at the best
+half-hearted; at the worst, actively antagonistic to us and to the whole
+of our enterprise. The photographs, etc., I have studied make it only
+too clear that the Turks have not let the grass grow under their feet
+since the first bombardment; the Peninsula, in fact, is better defended
+than it was. _Per contra_ the momentum, precision, swiftness and staying
+power of our actual attack will be at least twice as great now as it
+would have been at the end of March.
+
+Returned to Lemnos about 7.30 p.m.
+
+While we were away my Staff got aboard the destroyer _Colne_ and steamed
+in her to the mouth of the Dardanelles. There the whole precious load of
+red tabs transshipped to H.M.S. _Triumph_ (Captain Fitzmaurice), who
+forthwith took up her station opposite Morto Bay and began firing salvos
+with her 6-inch guns at the trenches on the face of the hill. At first
+the Staff watched the show with much enjoyment from the bridge, but
+when howitzers from the Asiatic side began to lob shell over the ship,
+the Captain hustled them all into the conning tower. The Turks seem to
+have shot pretty straight. The first three fell fifty yards short of the
+ship; the fourth shell about twenty yards over her. The next three got
+home. One cut plumb through the bridge (where all my brains had been
+playing about two minutes previously) and burst on the deck just outside
+the conning tower. Some cordite cartridges were lying outside of it and
+these went off with a great flare. Another struck the funnel and the
+third came in on the waterline. Fifteen more shells were then fired with
+just a little bit too much elevation and passed over. Only two men were
+wounded,--fractured legs. Captain Fitzmaurice now decided that honour
+and dignity were satisfied and so fell back slowly towards Cape Helles
+to try the effect of his guns on the barbed wire entanglements. A good
+deal of ammunition was expended but only one hit on the entanglement was
+registered, and that did not seem to do any harm. The fire was described
+to me as inaccurate. The fact is, as was agreed between the two services
+at Malta, the whole principle of naval gunnery is different from the
+principles of garrison or field artillery shooting. Before they will be
+much good at landmarks, the sailors will have to take lessons in the
+art.
+
+Passed a very interesting evening, every one excited, I with my
+aeroplane reports; the Staff with the powder they had smelt.
+
+Two of the Australian Commanding Officers dined and I showed them the
+aerial photographs of the enemy trenches, etc. The face of one of them
+grew very long; so long, in fact, that I feared he was afraid; for I own
+these photos are frightening. So I said, "You don't seem to like the
+look of that barbed wire, Colonel?" To which he replied, "I was worrying
+how and where I would feed and water the prisoners."
+
+_16th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Spent the forenoon in
+interviews beginning at 10 a.m. with de Robeck and Mr. Fitzmaurice, late
+dragoman at the Embassy at Constantinople. Mr. Fitzmaurice says the
+Turks will put up a great fight at the Dardanelles. They had believed in
+the British Navy, and, a month ago, they were shaking in their shoes.
+But they had not believed in the British Army or that a body so
+infinitely small would be so saucy as to attack them on their own chosen
+ground. Even now, he says, they can hardly credit their spies, or their
+eyes, and it ought to be easy enough to make them think all this is a
+blind, and that we are really going to Smyrna or Adramiti. They are fond
+of saying, "If the English are fools enough to enter our mouth we only
+have to close it." Enver especially brags he will make very short work
+with us if we set foot so near to the heart of his Empire, and gives it
+out that the whole of us will be marching through the streets of
+Constantinople, not as conquerors, but as prisoners, within a week from
+the date of our making the attempt. All the same, despite this bragging,
+the Turks realise that if we were to get the Fleet through the Narrows;
+or, if it were to force its own way through whilst we absorb the
+attention of their mobile guns, the game would be up. So they are
+straining every nerve to be ready for anything. The moral of all these
+rather contradictory remarks is just what I have said time and again
+since South Africa. The fact that war has become a highly scientific
+business should not blind us to the other fact that its roots still draw
+their nutriment from primitive feelings and methods; the feelings and
+methods of boy scouts and Red Indians. It is a huge handicap to us here
+that our great men keep all their tricks for their political friends and
+have none to spare for their natural enemies. There has been very little
+attempt to disguise our aims in England, and Maxwell and McMahon in
+Egypt have allowed their Press to report every arrival of French and
+British troops, and to announce openly that we are about to attack at
+Gallipoli. I have protested and reported the matter to K. but nothing in
+the strategic sphere can be done now although, in the tactical sphere,
+we have several deceptions ready for them.
+
+Colonel Napier, Military Attaché at Sofia, and Braithwaite came in after
+these pseudo-secrets had been discussed and joined in the conversation.
+I doubt whether either Fitzmaurice or Napier have solid information as
+to what is in front of us, and their yarns about Balkan politics are
+neither here nor there. John Bull is quite out of his depth in the
+defiles of the Balkans. With just so much pull over the bulk of my
+compatriots as has been given me by my having spent a little time with
+their Armies, I may say that the Balkan nations loathe and mistrust one
+another to so great a degree that it is sheer waste of time to think of
+roping them all in on our side, as Fitzmaurice and Napier seem to
+propose. We may get Greece to join us, and Russia may get Roumania to
+join her--_if we win here_--but then we make an enemy of Bulgaria, and
+_vice versa_. If they will unearth my 1909 report at the War Office they
+will see that, at that time, one Bulgarian Battalion of Infantry was
+worth two Battalions of Roumanian Infantry--which may be a help to them
+in making their choice. The Balkan problem is so intricate that it must
+be simply handled. The simple thing is to pay your money and pick the
+best card, knowing you can't have a full hand. So let us have no more
+beating about the bush and may we be inspired to make use of the big
+boom this Expedition has given to Great Britain in the Balkans to pick
+out a partner straightway.
+
+Birdie came later and we took stock together of ways and means. We see
+eye to eye now on every point. Just before lunch we heard the transport
+_Manitou_ had been attacked by a Turkish torpedo boat from Smyrna. The
+first wireless came in saying the enemy had made a bad shot and only a
+few men had been drowned lowering the boats. Admiral Rosy Wemyss and
+Hope, the Flag-Captain, of the Q.E. were my guests and naturally they
+were greatly perturbed. Late in the evening we heard that the Turkish
+T.B. had been chased by our destroyers and had run ashore on a Greek
+Island where she was destroyed (international laws notwithstanding) by
+our landing parties.
+
+At 7.30 p.m. Hunter-Weston came along and I had the best part of an hour
+with him.
+
+_17th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Hunter-Weston came over
+early to finish off business left undone last night. Admiral Wemyss also
+took part in our discussions over the landing. Picture puzzles are
+child's play compared with this game of working an unheard of number of
+craft to and fro, in and out, of little bits of beaches. At mid-day the
+_Manitou_ steamed into harbour and Colonel Peel, Commander of the
+troops, came on board and reported fully to me about the attack by the
+Turkish torpedo boat. The Turks seem to have behaved quite decently
+giving our men time to get into their boats and steaming some distance
+off whilst they did so. During the interval the Turks must have got wind
+of British warships, for they rushed back in a great hurry and fired
+torpedoes at so short a range that they passed under the ship. Very
+exciting, we were told, watching them dart beneath the keel through the
+crystal clear water. I can well believe it.
+
+Went ashore in the afternoon to watch the Australian Artillery embark.
+Spoke to a lot of the men, some of whom had met me during my tour
+through Australia last year.
+
+General Paris came to see me this evening.
+
+_18th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Working all morning in
+office. In the afternoon inspected embarkation of some howitzers.
+D'Amade turned up later from the _Southland_. We went over the landing
+at Kum Kale. He is in full sympathy and understands. Winter, Woodward
+and their administrative Staffs also arrived in the _Southland_ and have
+taken up their quarters on this ship. They report everything fixed up at
+Alexandria before they sailed. We are all together now and their coming
+will be a great relief to the General Staff.
+
+Quite hot to-day. Sea dead smooth. The usual ebb and flow of visitors.
+Saw the three Corps Commanders and many Staff Officers. We are rather on
+wires now that the time is drawing near; Woodward, though he has only
+been here one night, is on barbed wires. His cabin is next the
+signallers and he could not get to sleep. He wants some medical
+detachments sent up post haste from Alexandria. I have agreed to cable
+for them and now he is more calm. A big pow-wow on the "Q.E." (d'Amade,
+Birdie, Hunter-Weston, Godley, Bridges, Guépratte, Thursby, Wemyss,
+Phillimore, Vyvian, Dent, Loring), whereat the 23rd was fixed for our
+attack and the naval landing orders were read and fully threshed out. I
+did not attend as the meeting was rather for the purpose of going point
+by point into orders already approved in principle than of starting any
+fresh hares. Staff Officers who have only had to do with land operations
+would be surprised, I am sure, at the amount of original thinking and
+improvisation demanded by a landing operation. The Naval and Military
+Beach Personnel is in itself a very big and intricate business which
+has no place in ordinary soldier tactics. The diagrams of the ships and
+transports; the lists of tows; the action of the Destroyers; tugs;
+lighters; signal arrangements for combined operations: these are
+unfamiliar subjects and need very careful fitting in. Braithwaite came
+back and reported all serene; everyone keen and cooperating very
+loyally. D'Amade has now received the formal letter I wrote him
+yesterday after my interview and sees his way clear about Kum Kale.
+
+Went ashore in the afternoon and saw big landing by Australians, who
+took mules and donkeys with them and got them in and out of lighters.
+These Australians are shaping into Marines in double quick time and
+Cairo high jinks are wild oats sown and buried. Where everyone wants to
+do well and to do it in the same way, discipline goes down as slick as
+Mother's milk. Action is a discipline in itself.
+
+The three Officers forming the French Mission to my Headquarters made
+salaams, viz., Captain Bertier de Sauvigny, Lieutenant Pelliot and
+Lieutenant de la Borde. The first is a man of the world, with manners
+suave and distinguished; the second is a savant and knows the habits of
+obscure and out of the way people. What de la Borde's points may be, I
+do not know: he is a frank, good looking young fellow and spoke perfect
+English.
+
+_20th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ A big wind rose in the
+night.
+
+A clerk from my central office at the Horse Guards developed small pox
+this morning. No doubt he has been in some rotten hole in Alexandria and
+this is the result,--a disgusting one to all of us as we have had to be
+vaccinated.
+
+Ready now, but so long as the wind blows, we have to twiddle our thumbs.
+
+Got the full text of d'Amades' orders for his Kum Kale landing as well
+as for the Besika Bay make-believe.
+
+_21st April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Blowing big guns. The event
+with which old mother time is in labour is so big that her pains are
+prodigious and prolonged out of all nature. So near are we now to our
+opening that the storm means a twenty four hours' delay.
+
+Have issued my orders to the troops. Yesterday our plans were but plans.
+To-day the irrevocable steps out on to the stage.
+
+                                                General Headquarters,
+                                                   _21st April, 1915._
+
+    _Soldiers of France and of the King._
+
+Before us lies an adventure unprecedented in modern war. Together with
+our comrades of the Fleet, we are about to force a landing upon an open
+beach in face of positions which have been vaunted by our enemies as
+impregnable.
+
+The landing will be made good, by the help of God and the Navy; the
+positions will be stormed, and the War brought one step nearer to a
+glorious close.
+
+"Remember," said Lord Kitchener when bidding adieu to your Commander,
+"Remember, once you set foot upon the Gallipoli Peninsula, you must
+fight the thing through to a finish."
+
+The whole world will be watching your progress. Let us prove our selves
+worthy of the great feat of arms entrusted to us.
+                                              IAN HAMILTON, _General_.
+
+_22nd April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Wind worse than ever, but
+weather brighter. Another twenty four hours' delay. Russian Military
+Attaché from Athens (Makalinsky) came to see me at 2.30 p.m. He cannot
+give me much idea of how the minds of the Athenians are working. He says
+our Russian troops are of the very best. Delay is the worst
+nerve-cracker.
+
+Charley Burn, King's Messenger, came; with him a Captain Coddan, to be
+liaison between me and Istomine's Russians.
+
+The King sends his blessing.
+
+                       SPECIAL ORDER,
+
+                                  General Headquarters,
+                                         _22nd April, 1915._
+
+The following gracious message has been received to-day by the General
+Commanding:--
+
+"The King wishes you and your Army every success, and you are
+constantly in His Majesty's thoughts and prayers."
+
+_23rd April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ A gorgeous day at last;
+fitting frame to the most brilliant and yet touching of pageants.
+
+All afternoon transports were very, very slowly coming out of harbour
+winding their way in and out through the other painted ships lying thick
+on the wonderful blue of the bay. The troops wild with enthusiasm and
+tremendously cheering especially as they passed the warships of our
+Allies.
+
+_Nunc Dimittis_, O Lord of Hosts! Not a man but knows he is making for
+the jaws of death. They know, these men do, they are being asked to
+prove their enemies to have lied when they swore a landing on
+Gallipoli's shore could never make good. They know that lie must pass
+for truth until they have become targets to guns, machine guns and
+rifles--huddled together in boats, helpless, plain to the enemy's sight.
+And they are wild with joy; uplifted! Life spins superbly through their
+veins at the very moment they seek to sacrifice it for a cause. O death,
+where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
+
+A shadow has been cast over the wonders of the day by a wireless to say
+that Rupert Brooke is very dangerously ill--from the wording we fear
+there can be no hope.
+
+Dent, principal Naval Transport Officer, left to-day to get ready.
+Wemyss said good-bye on going to take up command of his Squadron.
+
+Have got d'Amade's revised orders for the landing at Kum Kale and also
+for the feint at Besika Bay. Very clear and good.
+
+At 7.15 p.m. we got this message from K.:--
+
+"Please communicate the following messages at a propitious moment to
+each of those concerned.
+
+"(1) My best wishes to you and all your force in carrying to a
+successful conclusion the operations you have before you, which will
+undoubtedly have a momentous effect on the war. The task they have to
+perform will need all the grit Britishers have never failed to show, and
+I am confident your troops will victoriously clear the way for the Fleet
+to advance on Constantinople.
+
+"(2) Convey to the Admiral my best wishes that all success may attend
+the Fleet. The Army knows they can rely on their energy and effective
+co-operation while dealing with the land forces of the enemy.
+
+"(3) Assure General d'Amade and the French troops of our entire
+confidence that their courage and skill will result in the triumph of
+their arms.
+
+"(End of message)--" Personal:
+
+"All my thoughts will be with you when operations begin."
+
+We, here, think of Lord K. too. May his shadow fall dark upon the
+Germans and strike the fear of death into their hearts.
+
+Just got following from the Admiral:--
+
+                                            "H.M.S. _Queen Elizabeth_,
+                                                 "_23rd April, 1915._
+
+  "My dear General,
+
+"I have sent orders to all Admirals that operations are to proceed and
+they are to take the necessary measures to have their commands in their
+assigned positions by Sunday morning, April 25th!
+
+"I pray that the weather may be favourable and nothing will prevent our
+proceeding with the scheme. 'May heaven's light be our guide' and God
+give us the victory.
+
+"Think everything is ready and in some ways the delay has been useful,
+as we have now a few more lighters and tugs available.
+
+                        "Yours sincerely,
+                            (_Sd._) "J. M. de Robeck."
+
+I have sent a reply:--
+
+                                      "S.S. _Arcadian_,
+                                    _23rd April, 1915._
+
+  "My dear Admiral,
+
+"Your note just received gives expression to my own sentiments. The
+sooner we get to work now the better and may the best cause win.
+
+                        "Yours sincerely,
+                              (_Sd._) "Ian Hamilton."
+
+Rupert Brooke is dead. Straightaway he will be buried. The rest is
+silence.
+
+Twice was "the sight" vouchsafed me:--in London when I told Eddie I
+would bespeak the boy's services; at Port Said when I bespoke them.
+
+Death on the eve of battle, death on a wedding day--nothing so tragic
+save that most black mishap, death in action after peace has been
+signed. Death grins at my elbow. I cannot get him out of my thoughts. He
+is fed up with the old and sick--only the flower of the flock will serve
+him now, for God has started a celestial spring cleaning, and our star
+is to be scrubbed bright with the blood of our bravest and our best.
+
+Youth and poetry are the links binding the children of the world to come
+to the grandsires of the world that was. War will smash, pulverise,
+sweep into the dustbins of eternity the whole fabric of the old world:
+therefore, the firstborn in intellect must die. Is _that_ the reading of
+the riddle?
+
+Almighty God, Watchman of the Milky Way, Shepherd of the Golden Stars,
+have mercy upon us, smallest of the heavenly Shiners. Our star burns dim
+as a corpse light: the huge black chasm of space closes in: if only by
+blood ...? Thy Will be done. _En avant_--at all costs--_en avant_!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+THE LANDING
+
+
+_24th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth." Tenedos._ Boarded the Queen
+Lizzie at 1.30 p.m. Anchored off Tenedos just before 4 p.m. Lay outside
+the roadstead; close by us is the British Fleet with an Armada of
+transports,--all at anchor. As we were closing up to them we spotted a
+floating mine which must have been passed touch-and-go during the night
+by all those warships and troopships. A good omen surely that not one of
+them fell foul of the death that lurks in that ugly, horned devil--not
+dead itself, but very much alive, for it answered a shot from one of our
+three pounders with the dull roar and spitting of fire and smoke bred
+for our benefit by the kindly German Kultur.
+
+I hope I may sleep to-night. I think so. If not, my wakefulness will
+wish the clock's hand forward.
+
+_25th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth."_ Our _Queen_ chose the cold
+grey hour of 4 a.m. to make her war toilette. By 4.15 she had sunk the
+lady and put on the man of war. Gone were the gay companions; closed the
+tight compartments and stowed away under armour were all her furbelows
+and frills. In plain English, our mighty battleship was cleared for
+action, and--my mind--that also has now been cleared of its everyday
+lumber: and I am ready.
+
+If this is a queer start for me, so it is also for de Robeck. In sea
+warfare, the Fleet lies in the grip of its Admiral like a platoon in the
+hands of a Subaltern. The Admiral sees; speaks the executive word and
+the whole Fleet moves; not, as with us, each Commander carrying out the
+order in his own way, but each Captain steaming, firing, retiring to the
+letter of the signal. In the Navy the man at the gun, the man at the
+helm, the man sending up shells in the hoist has no discretion unless
+indeed the gear goes wrong, and he has to use his wits to put it right
+again. With us the infantry scout, a boy in his teens perhaps, may have
+to decide whether to open fire, to lie low or to fall back; whether to
+bring on a battle or avoid it. But the Fleet to-day is working like an
+army; the ships are widely scattered each one on its own, except in so
+far as wireless may serve, and that is why I say de Robeck is working
+under conditions just as unusual to him as mine are to me.
+
+My station is up in the conning tower with de Robeck. The conning tower
+is a circular metal chamber, like a big cooking pot. Here we are, all
+eyes, like potatoes in the cooking pot aforesaid, trying to peep through
+a slit where the lid is raised a few inches, _ad hoc_, as these blasted
+politicians like to say. My Staff are not with me in this holy of
+holies, but are stowed away in steel towers or jammed into 6-inch
+batteries.
+
+So we kept moving along and at 4.30 a.m. were off Sedd-el-Bahr. All
+quiet and grey. Thence we steamed for Gaba Tepe and midway, about 5
+o'clock, heard a very heavy fire from Helles behind us. The Turks are
+putting up some fight. Now we are off Gaba Tepe!
+
+The day was just breaking over the jagged hills; the sea was glassy
+smooth; the landing of the lads from the South was in full swing; the
+shrapnel was bursting over the water; the patter of musketry came
+creeping out to sea; we are in for it now; the machine guns muttered as
+through chattering teeth--up to our necks in it now. But would we be out
+of it? No; not one of us; not for five hundred years stuffed full of
+dullness and routine.
+
+By 5.35 the rattle of small arms quieted down; we heard that about 4,000
+fighting men had been landed; we could see boat-loads making for the
+land; swarms trying to straighten themselves out along the shore; other
+groups digging and hacking down the brushwood. Even with our glasses
+they did not look much bigger than ants. God, one would think, cannot
+see them at all or He would put a stop to this sort of panorama
+altogether. And yet, it would be a pity if He missed it; for these
+fellows have been worth the making. They are not charging up into this
+Sari Bair range for money or by compulsion. They fight for love--all the
+way from the Southern Cross for love of the old country and of liberty.
+Wave after wave of the little ants press up and disappear. We lose sight
+of them the moment they lie down. Bravo! every man on our great ship
+longs to be with them. But the main battle called. The Admiral was keen
+to take me when and where the need might most arise. So we turned South
+and steamed slowly back along the coast to Cape Helles.
+
+Opposite Krithia came another great moment. We have made good the
+landing--sure--it is a fact. I have to repeat the word to myself several
+times, "fact," "fact," "fact," so as to be sure I am awake and standing
+here looking at live men through a long telescope. The thing seems
+unreal; as though I were in a dream, instead of on a battleship. To see
+words working themselves out upon the ground; to watch thoughts move
+over the ground as fighting men....!
+
+Both Battalions, the Plymouth and the K.O.S.B.s, had climbed the high
+cliff without loss; so it was signalled; there is no firing; the Turks
+have made themselves scarce; nothing to show danger or stress; only
+parties of our men struggling up the sandy precipice by zigzags,
+carrying munitions and large glittering kerosine tins of water. Through
+the telescope we can now make out a number of our fellows in groups
+along the crest of the cliff, quite peacefully reposing--probably
+smoking. This promises great results to our arms--not the repose or the
+smoking, for I hope that won't last long--but the enemy's surprise. In
+spite of Egypt and the _Egyptian Gazette_; in spite of the spy system of
+Constantinople, we have brought off our tactical _coup_ and surprised
+the enemy Chief. The bulk of the Turks are not at Gaba Tepe; here, at
+"Y," there are none at all!
+
+In a sense, and no mean sense either, I am as much relieved, and as
+sanguine too, at the _coup_ we have brought off here as I was just now
+to see Birdie's four thousand driving the Turks before them into the
+mountains. The schemes are not on the same scale. If the Australians get
+through to Mal Tepe the whole Turkish Army on the Peninsula will be done
+in. If the "Y" Beach lot press their advantage they may cut off the
+enemy troops on the toe of the Peninsula. With any luck, the K.O.S.B.s
+and Plymouths at "Y" should get right on the line of retreat of the
+Turks who are now fighting to the South.
+
+The point at issue as we sailed down to "X" Beach was whether that
+little force at "Y" should not be reinforced by the Naval Division who
+were making a feint against the Bulair Lines and had, by now, probably
+finished their work. Braithwaite has been speaking to me about it. The
+idea appealed to me very strongly because I have been all along most
+keen on the "Y" Beach plan which is my own special child; and this would
+be to make the most of it and press it for all it was worth. But, until
+the main battle develops more clearly at Gaba Tepe and at Sedd-el-Bahr
+I must not commit the only troops I have in hand as my
+Commander-in-Chief's reserve.
+
+When we got to "X" Beach the foreshore and cliffs had been made good
+without much loss in the first instance, we were told, though there is a
+hot fight going on just south of it. But fresh troops will soon be
+landing:--so far so good. Further round, at "W" Beach, another lodgment
+had been effected; very desperate and bloody, we are told by the Naval
+Beachmaster: and indeed we can see some of the dead, but the Lancashire
+Fusiliers hold the beach though we don't seem yet to have penetrated
+inland. By Sedd-el-Bahr, where we hove to about 6.45, the light was very
+baffling; land wrapped in haze, sun full in our eyes. Here we watched as
+best we could over the fight being put up by the Turks against our
+forlorn hope on the _River Clyde_. Very soon it became clear that we
+were being held. Through our glasses we could quite clearly watch the
+sea being whipped up all along the beach and about the _River Clyde_ by
+a pelting storm of rifle bullets. We could see also how a number of our
+dare-devils were up to their necks in this tormented water trying to
+struggle on to land from the barges linking the River Clyde to the
+shore. There was a line of men lying flat down under cover of a little
+sandbank in the centre of the beach. They were so held under by fire
+they dared not, evidently, stir. Watching these gallant souls from the
+safety of a battleship gave me a hateful feeling: Roger Keyes said to me
+he simply could not bear it. Often a Commander may have to watch
+tragedies from a post of safety. That is all right. I have had my share
+of the hair's breadth business and now it becomes the turn of the
+youngsters. But, from the battleship, you are outside the frame of the
+picture. The thing becomes monstrous; too cold-blooded; like looking on
+at gladiators from the dress circle. The moment we became satisfied that
+none of our men had made their way further than a few feet above sea
+level, the _Queen_ opened a heavy fire from her 6-inch batteries upon
+the Castle, the village and the high steep ground ringing round the
+beach in a semi-circle. The enemy lay very low somewhere underground. At
+times the _River Clyde_ signalled that the worst fire came from the old
+Fort and Sedd-el-Bahr; at times that these bullets were pouring out from
+about the second highest rung of seats on the West of that amphitheatre
+in which we were striving to take our places. Ashore the machine guns
+and rifles never ceased--tic tac, tic tac, brrrr--tic tac, tic tac,
+brrrrrr...... Drowned every few seconds by our tremendous salvoes, this
+more nervous noise crept back insistently into our ears in the interval.
+As men fixed in the grip of nightmare, we were powerless--unable to do
+anything but wait.
+
+[Illustration: S.S. "River Clyde" "Central News" photo.]
+
+When we saw our covering party fairly hung up under the fire from the
+Castle and its outworks, it became a question of issuing fresh orders to
+the main body who had not yet been committed to that attack. There was
+no use throwing them ashore to increase the number of targets on the
+beach. Roger Keyes started the notion that these troops might well be
+diverted to "Y" where they could land unopposed and whence they might be
+able to help their advance guard at "V" more effectively than by direct
+reinforcement if they threatened to cut the Turkish line of retreat from
+Sedd-el-Bahr. Braithwaite was rather dubious from the orthodox General
+Staff point of view as to whether it was sound for G.H.Q. to barge into
+Hunter-Weston's plans, seeing he was executive Commander of the whole
+of this southern invasion. But to me the idea seemed simple common
+sense. If it did not suit Hunter-Weston's book, he had only to say so.
+Certainly Hunter-Weston was in closer touch with all these landings than
+we were; it was not for me to force his hands: there was no question of
+that: so at 9.15 I wirelessed as follows:
+
+"G.O.C. in C. to G.O.C. _Euryalus_."
+
+"Would you like to get some more men ashore on 'Y' beach? If so,
+trawlers are available."
+
+Three quarters of an hour passed; the state of affairs at Sedd-el-Bahr
+was no better, and in an attack if you don't get better you get worse;
+the supports were not being landed; no answer had come to hand. So
+repeated my signal to Hunter-Weston, making it this time personal from
+me to him and ordering him to acknowledge receipt. (Lord Bobs'
+wrinkle):--
+
+"General Hamilton to General Hunter-Weston, _Euryalus_.
+
+"Do you want any more men landed at 'Y'? There are trawlers available.
+Acknowledge the signal."
+
+At 11 a.m. I got this answer:--
+
+"From General Hunter-Weston to G.O.C. _Queen Elizabeth_.
+
+"Admiral Wemyss and Principal Naval Transport Officer state that to
+interfere with present arrangements and try to land men at 'Y' Beach
+would delay disembarkation."
+
+There was some fuss about the _Cornwallis_. She ought to have been back
+from Morto Bay and lending a hand here, but she had not turned up. All
+sorts of surmises. Now we hear she has landed our right flank attack
+very dashingly and that we have stormed de Tott's Battery! I fear the
+South Wales Borderers are hardly strong enough alone to move across and
+threaten Sedd-el-Bahr from the North. But the news is fine. How I wish
+we had left "V" Beach severely alone. Big flanking attacks at "Y" and
+"S" might have converged on Sedd-el-Bahr and carried it from the rear
+when none of the garrison could have escaped. But then, until we tried,
+we were afraid fire from Asia might defeat the de Tott's Battery attack
+and that the "Y" party might not scale the cliffs. The Turks are
+stronger down here than at Gaba Tepe. Still, I should doubt if they are
+in any great force; quite clearly the bulk of them have been led astray
+by our feints, and false rumours. Otherwise, had they even a regiment in
+close reserve, they must have eaten up the S.W.B. as they stormed the
+Battery.
+
+About noon, a Naval Officer (Lieutenant Smith), a fine fellow, came off
+to get some more small arm ammunition for the machine guns on the _River
+Clyde_. He said the state of things on and around that ship was "awful,"
+a word which carried twentyfold weight owing to the fact that it was
+spoken by a youth never very emotional, I am sure, and now on his mettle
+to make his report with indifference and calm. The whole landing place
+at "V" Beach is ringed round with fire. The shots from our naval guns,
+smashing as their impact appears, might as well be confetti for all the
+effect they have upon the Turkish trenches. The _River Clyde_ is
+commanded and swept not only by rifles at 100 yards' range, but by
+pom-poms and field guns. Her own double battery of machine guns mounted
+in a sandbag revetment in her bows are to some extent forcing the enemy
+to keep their heads down and preventing them from actually rushing the
+little party of our men who are crouching behind the sand bank. But
+these same men of ours cannot raise head or hand one inch beyond that
+lucky ledge of sand by the water's brink. And the bay at Sedd-el-Bahr,
+so the last messengers have told us, had turned red. The _River Clyde_
+so far saves the situation. She was only ready two days before we
+plunged.
+
+At 1.30 heard that d'Amade had taken Kum Kale. De Robeck had already
+heard independently by wireless that the French (the 6th Colonials under
+Nogués) had carried the village by a bayonet charge at 9.35 a.m. On the
+Asiatic side, then, things are going as we had hoped. The Russian
+_Askold_ and the _Jeanne d'Arc_ are supporting our Allies in their
+attack. Being so hung up at "V," I have told d'Amade that he will not be
+able to disembark there as arranged, but that he will have to take his
+troops round to "W" and march them across.
+
+At two o'clock a large number of our wounded who had taken refuge under
+the base of the arches of the old Fort at Sedd-el-Bahr began to signal
+for help. The _Queen Elizabeth_ sent away a picket boat which passed
+through the bullet storm and most gallantly brought off the best part of
+them.
+
+Soon after 2 o'clock we were cheered by sighting our own brave fellows
+making a push from the direction of "W." We reckon they must be
+Worcesters and Essex men moving up to support the Royal Fusiliers and
+the Lancashire Fusiliers, who have been struggling unaided against the
+bulk of the Turkish troops. The new lot came along by rushes from the
+Westwards, across from "X" to "W" towards Sedd-el-Bahr, and we prayed
+God very fervently they might be able to press on so as to strike the
+right rear of the enemy troops encircling "V" Beach. At 3.10 the leading
+heroes--we were amazed at their daring--actually stood up in order the
+better to cut through a broad belt of wire entanglement. One by one the
+men passed through and fought their way to within a few yards of a
+redoubt dominating the hill between Beaches "W" and "V." This belt of
+wire ran perpendicularly, not parallel, to the coastline and had
+evidently been fixed up precisely to prevent what we were now about to
+attempt. To watch V.C.s being won by wire cutting; to see the very
+figure and attitude of the hero; to be safe oneself except from the off
+chance of a shell,--was like being stretched upon the rack! All day we
+hung _vis-à-vis_ this inferno. With so great loss and with so desperate
+a situation the white flag would have gone up in the South African War
+but there was no idea of it to-day and I don't feel afraid of it even
+now, in the dark of a moonless night, where evil thoughts are given most
+power over the mind.
+
+Nor does Hunter-Weston. We had a hurried dinner, de Robeck, Keyes,
+Braithwaite, Godfrey, Hope and I, in the signal office under the bridge.
+As we were finishing Hunter-Weston came on board. After he had told us
+his story, breathlessly and listened to with breathless interest, I
+asked him what about our troops at "Y"? He thought they were now in
+touch with our troops at "X" but that they had been through some hard
+fighting to get there. His last message had been that they were being
+hard pressed but as he had heard nothing more since then he assumed they
+were all right--! Anyway, he was cheery, stout-hearted, quite a good
+tonic and--on the whole--his news is good.
+
+To sum up the doings of the day; the French have dealt a brilliant
+stroke at Kum Kale; we have fixed a grip on the hills to the North of
+Gaba Tepe; also, we have broken through the enemy's defences at "X" and
+"W," two out of the three beaches at the South point of the Peninsula.
+The "hold-up" at the third, "V" (or Sedd-el-Bahr) causes me the keenest
+anxiety--it would never do if we were forced to re-embark at night as
+has been suggested--we must stick it until our advance from "X" and "W"
+opens that sally port from the sea. There is always in the background of
+my mind dread lest help should reach the enemy _before_ we have done
+with Sedd-el-Bahr. The enveloping attacks on both enemy flanks have come
+off brilliantly, but have not cut the enemy's line of retreat, or so
+threatened it that they have to make haste to get back. At "S" (Eski
+Hissarlick or Morto Bay) the 2nd South Wales Borderers have landed in
+very dashing style though under fire from big fortress artillery as well
+as field guns and musketry. On shore they deployed and, helped by
+sailors from the _Cornwallis_, have carried the Turkish trenches in
+front of them at the bayonet's point. They are now dug in on a
+commanding spur but are anxious at finding themselves all alone and say
+they do not feel able, owing to their weakness, to manoeuvre or to
+advance. From "Y," opposite Krithia, there is no further news. But two
+good battalions at large and on the war path some four or five miles in
+rear of the enemy should do something during the next few hours. I was
+right, so it seems, about getting ashore before the enemy could see to
+shoot out to sea. At Gaba Tepe; opposite Krithia and by Morto Bay we
+landed without too much loss. Where we waited to bombard, as at Helles
+and Sedd-el-Bahr, we have got it in the neck.
+
+This "V" Beach business is the blot. Sedd-el-Bahr was supposed to be the
+softest landing of the lot, as it was the best harbour and seemed to lie
+specially at the mercy of the big guns of the Fleet. Would that we had
+left it severely alone and had landed a big force at Morto Bay whence we
+could have forced the Sedd-el-Bahr Turks to fall back.
+
+One thing is sure. Whatever happens to us here we are bound to win
+glory. There are no other soldiers quite of the calibre of our chaps in
+the world; they have _esprit de corps_; they are _volunteers_ every one
+of them; they are _for it_; our Officers--our rank and file--have been
+so _entered_ to this attack that they will all die--that we will all
+die--sooner than give way before the Turk. The men are not fighting
+blindly as in South Africa: they are not fighting against forces with
+whose motives they half sympathise. They have been told, and told again,
+exactly what we are after. They understand. Their eyes are wide open:
+they _know_ that the war can only be brought to an end by our joining
+hands quickly with the Russians: they _know_ that the fate of the Empire
+depends on the courage they display. Should the Fates so decree, the
+whole brave Army may disappear during the night more dreadfully than
+that of Sennacherib; but assuredly they will not surrender: where so
+much is dark, where many are discouraged, in this knowledge I feel both
+light and joy.
+
+Here I write--think--have my being. To-morrow night where shall we be?
+Well; what then; what of the worst? At least we shall have lived, acted,
+dared. We are half way through--we shall not look back.
+
+As night began to settle down over the land, the _Queen Elizabeth_
+seemed to feel the time had come to give full vent to her wrath. An
+order from the bridge, and, in the twinkling of an eye, she shook from
+stem to stern with the recoil from her own efforts. The great ship was
+fighting all out, all in action. Every gun spouted flame and a roar
+went up fit to shiver the stars of Heaven. Ears stopped with wax; eyes
+half blinded by the scorching yellow blasts; still, in some chance
+seconds interval, we could hear the hive-like b rr rr rr rr rr r r r r
+of the small arms plying on the shore; still see, through some break in
+the acrid smoke, the profile of the castle and houses; nay, of the very
+earth itself and the rocky cliff; see them all, change, break, dissolve
+into dust; crumble as if by enchantment into strange new outlines, under
+the enormous explosions of our 15-in. lyddite shells. Buildings gutted:
+walls and trenches turned inside out and upside down: friend and foe
+surely must be wiped out together under such a fire: at least they are
+stupefied--must cease taking a hand with their puny rifles and machine
+guns? Not so. Amidst falling ruins; under smoke clouds of yellow, black,
+green and white; the beach, the cliffs and the ramparts of the Castle
+began, in the oncoming dusk, to sparkle all over with hundreds of tiny
+flecks of rifle fire.
+
+Just before the shadows of night hid everything from sight, we could see
+that many of our men, who had been crouching all day under the sandy
+bank in the centre of the arena, were taking advantage of the pillars of
+smoke raised between them and their enemy to edge away to their right
+and scale the rampart leading to the Fort of Sedd-el-Bahr. Other small
+clusters lay still--they have made their last attack.
+
+Now try to sleep. What of those men fighting for their lives in the
+darkness. I put them there. Might they not, all of them, be sailing
+back to safe England, but for me? And I sleep! To sleep whilst thousands
+are killing one another close by! Well, why not; I _must_ sleep whilst I
+may. The legend whereby a Commander-in-Chief works wonders during a
+battle dies hard. He may still lose the battle in a moment by losing
+heart. He may still help to win the battle by putting a brave face upon
+the game when it seems to be up. By his character, he may still stop the
+rot and inspire his men to advance once more to the assault. The old
+Bible idea of the Commander:--when his hands grew heavy Amalek
+advanced; when he raised them and willed victory Israel prevailed
+over the heathen! As regards directions, modifications, orders,
+counter-orders,--in precise proportion as his preparations and operation
+orders have been thoroughly conceived and carried out, so will the
+actual conflict find him leaving the actual handling of the troops to
+Hunter-Weston as I am bound to do. Old Oyama cooled his brain during the
+battle of the Shaho by shooting pigeons sitting on Chinese chimneys.
+King Richard before Bosworth saw ghosts. My own dark hours pass more
+easily as I make my cryptic jottings in pedlar's French. The detachment
+of the writer comes over me; calms down the tumult of the mind and paves
+a path towards the refuge of sleep. No order is to be issued until I get
+reports and requests. I can't think now of anything left undone that I
+ought to have done; I have no more troops to lay my hands
+on--Hunter-Weston has more than he can land to-night; I won't mend
+matters much by prowling up and down the gangways. Braithwaite calls me
+if he must. No word yet about the losses except that they have been
+heavy. If the Turks get hold of a lot of fresh men and throw them upon
+us during the night,--perhaps they may knock us off into the sea. No
+General knows his luck. That's the beauty of the business. But I feel
+sanguine in the spirit of the men; sanguine in my own spirit; sanguine
+in the soundness of my scheme. What with the landing at Gaba Tepe and at
+Kum Kale, and the feints at Bulair and Besika Bay, the Turkish troops
+here will get no help to-night. And our fellows are steadily pouring
+ashore.
+
+_26th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth."_ At 12.5 a.m. I was dragged
+out of a dead sleep by Braithwaite who kept shaking me by the shoulder
+and saying, "Sir Ian! Sir Ian!!" I had been having a good time for an
+hour far away somewhere, far from bloody turmoil, and before I quite
+knew where I was, my Chief of Staff repeated what he had, I think, said
+several times already, "Sir Ian, you've got to come right along--a
+question of life and death--you must settle it!" Braithwaite is a cool
+hand, but his tone made me wide awake in a second. I sprang from bed;
+flung on my "British Warm" and crossed to the Admiral's cabin--not his
+own cabin but the dining saloon--where I found de Robeck himself,
+Rear-Admiral Thursby (in charge of the landing of the Australian and New
+Zealand Army Corps), Roger Keyes, Braithwaite, Brigadier-General
+Carruthers (Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster-General of the Australian
+and New Zealand Army Corps) and Brigadier-General Cunliffe Owen
+(Commanding Royal Artillery of the Australian and New Zealand Army
+Corps). A cold hand clutched my heart as I scanned their faces.
+Carruthers gave me a message from Birdwood written in Godley's writing.
+I read it aloud:--
+
+"Both my Divisional Generals and Brigadiers have represented to me that
+they fear their men are thoroughly demoralised by shrapnel fire to which
+they have been subjected all day after exhaustion and gallant work in
+morning. Numbers have dribbled back from firing line and cannot be
+collected in this difficult country. Even New Zealand Brigade which has
+been only recently engaged lost heavily and is to some extent
+demoralised. If troops are subjected to shell fire again to-morrow
+morning there is likely to be a fiasco as I have no fresh troops with
+which to replace those in firing line. I know my representation is most
+serious but if we are to re-embark it must be at once.
+                                                   (_Sd._) "BIRDWOOD."
+
+The faces round that table took on a look--when I close my eyes there
+they sit,--a look like nothing on earth unless it be the guests when
+their host flings salt upon the burning raisins. To gain time I asked
+one or two questions about the tactical position on shore, but
+Carruthers and Cunliffe Owen seemed unable to add any detail to
+Birdwood's general statement.
+
+I turned to Thursby and said, "Admiral, what do you think?" He said, "It
+will take the best part of three days to get that crowd off the
+beaches." "And where are the Turks?" I asked. "On the top of 'em!"
+"Well, then," I persisted, "tell me, Admiral, what do _you_ think?"
+"What do I think: well, I think myself they will stick it out if only it
+is put to them that they must." Without another word, all keeping
+silence, I wrote Birdwood as follows:--
+
+"Your news is indeed serious. But there is nothing for it but to dig
+yourselves right in and stick it out. It would take at least two days to
+re-embark you as Admiral Thursby will explain to you. Meanwhile, the
+Australian submarine has got up through the Narrows and has torpedoed a
+gunboat at Chunuk. Hunter-Weston despite his heavy losses will be
+advancing to-morrow which should divert pressure from you. Make a
+personal appeal to your men and Godley's to make a supreme effort to
+hold their ground.
+                                               (_Sd._) "IAN HAMILTON."
+
+"P.S. You have got through the difficult business, now you have only to
+dig, dig, dig, until you are safe. Ian H."
+
+The men from Gaba Tepe made off with this letter; not the men who came
+down here at all, but new men carrying a clear order. Be the upshot what
+it may, I shall never repent that order. Better to die like heroes on
+the enemy's ground than be butchered like sheep on the beaches like the
+runaway Persians at Marathon.
+
+De Robeck and Keyes were aghast; they pat me on the back; I hope they
+will go on doing so if things go horribly wrong. Midnight decisions take
+it out of one. Turned in and slept for three solid hours like a top till
+I was set spinning once more at 4 a.m.
+
+At dawn we were off Gaba Tepe. Thank God the idea of retreat had already
+made itself scarce. The old _Queen_ let fly her first shot at 5.30 a.m.
+Her shrapnel is a knockout. The explosion of the monstrous shell darkens
+the rising sun; the bullets cover an acre; the enemy seems stunned for a
+while after each discharge. One after the other she took on the Turkish
+guns along Sari Bair and swept the skyline with them.
+
+A message of relief and thankfulness came out to us from the shore.
+Seeing how much they loved us--or rather our Long Toms--we hung around
+until about half-past eight smothering the enemy's guns whenever they
+dared show their snouts. By that hour our troops had regained their grip
+of themselves and also of the enemy, and the firing of the Turks was
+growing feeble. An organised counter-attack on the grand scale at dawn
+was the one thing I dreaded, and that has not come off; only a bit of a
+push over the downland by Gaba Tepe which was steadied by one of our
+enormous shrapnel. About this time we heard from Hunter-Weston that
+there was no material change in the situation at Helles and
+Sedd-el-Bahr. I wirelessed, therefore, to d'Amade telling him he would
+not be able to land his men at "V" under Sedd-el-Bahr as arranged but
+that he should bring all the rest of the French troops up from Tenedos
+and disembark them at "W" by Cape Helles. About this time, also, i.e.,
+somewhere about 9 a.m., we picked up a wireless from the O.C. "Y" Beach
+which caused us some uneasiness. "We are holding the ridge," it said,
+"till the wounded are embarked." Why "till"? So I told the Admiral that
+as Birdwood seemed fairly comfortable, I thought we ought to lose no
+time getting back to Sedd-el-Bahr, taking "Y" Beach on our way. At once
+we steamed South and hove to off "Y" Beach at 9.30 a.m. There the
+_Sapphire_, _Dublin_ and _Goliath_ were lying close inshore and we could
+see a trickle of our men coming down the steep cliff and parties being
+ferried off to the _Goliath_: the wounded no doubt, but we did not see a
+single soul going _up_ the cliff whereas there were many loose groups
+hanging about on the beach. I disliked and mistrusted the looks of these
+aimless dawdlers by the sea. There was no fighting; a rifle shot now and
+then from the crests where we saw our fellows clearly. The little crowd
+and the boats on the beach were right under them and no one paid any
+attention or seemed to be in a hurry. Our naval and military signallers
+were at sixes and sevens. The _Goliath_ wouldn't answer; the _Dublin_
+said the force was coming off, and we could not get into touch with the
+soldiers at all. At about a quarter to ten the _Sapphire_ asked us to
+fire over the cliffs into the country some hundreds of yards further in,
+and so the _Queen E._ gave Krithia and the South of it a taste of her
+metal. Not much use as the high crests hid the intervening hinterland
+from view, even from the crow's nests. A couple of shrapnel were also
+fired at the crestline of the cliff about half a mile further North
+where there appeared to be some snipers. But the trickling down the
+cliffs continued. No one liked the look of things ashore. Our chaps can
+hardly be making off in this deliberate way without orders; and yet, if
+they _are_ making off "by order," Hunter-Weston ought to have consulted
+me first as Birdwood consulted me in the case of the Australians and New
+Zealanders last night. My inclination was to take a hand myself in this
+affair but the Staff are clear against interference when I have no
+knowledge of the facts--and I suppose they are right. To see a part of
+my scheme, from which I had hoped so much, go wrong before my eyes is
+maddening! I imagined it: I pressed it through: a second Battalion was
+added to it and then the South Wales Borderers' Company. Many sailors
+and soldiers, good men, had doubts as to whether the boats could get in,
+or whether, having done so, men armed and accoutred would be able to
+scale the yellow cliffs; or whether, having by some miracle climbed,
+they would not be knocked off into the sea with bayonets as they got to
+the top. I admitted every one of these possibilities but said, every
+time, that taken together, they destroyed one another. If the venture
+seemed so desperate even to ourselves, who are desperadoes, then the
+enemy Chief would be of the same opinion only more so; so that,
+supposing we _did_ get up, at least we would not find resistance
+organised against us. Whether this was agreed to, or not, I cannot say.
+The logic of a C.-in-C. has a convincing way of its own. But in all our
+discussions one thing was taken for granted--no one doubted that once
+our troops had got ashore, scaled the heights and dug themselves in,
+they would be able to hold on: no one doubted that, with the British
+Fleet at their backs, they would at least maintain their bridge-head
+into the enemy's vitals until we could decide what to do with it.
+
+At a quarter past ten we steamed, with anxious minds, for Cape Helles,
+and on the way there, Braithwaite and I finished off our first cable to
+K.:--
+
+"Thanks to God who calmed the seas and to the Royal Navy who rowed our
+fellows ashore as coolly as if at a regatta; thanks also to the
+dauntless spirit shown by all ranks of both Services, we have landed
+29,000 upon six beaches in the face of desperate resistance from strong
+Turkish Infantry forces well backed by Artillery. Enemy are entrenched,
+line upon line, behind wire entanglements spread to catch us wherever we
+might try to concentrate for an advance. Worst danger zone, the open
+sea, now traversed, but on land not yet out of the wood. Our main
+covering detachment held up on water's edge, at foot of amphitheatre of
+low cliffs round the little bay West of Sedd-el-Bahr. At sunset last
+night a dashing attack was made by the 29th Division South-west along
+the heights from Tekke Burnu to set free the Dublins, Munsters and
+Hants, but at the hour of writing they are still pinned down to the
+beach.
+
+"The Australians have done wonderfully at Gaba Tepe. They got 8,000
+ashore to one beach between 3.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m.: due to their
+courage; organisation; sea discipline and steady course of boat
+practice. Navy report not one word spoken or movement made by any of
+these thousands of untried troops either during the transit over the
+water in the darkness or nearing the land when the bullets took their
+toll. But, as the keel of the boats touched bottom, each boat-load
+dashed into the water and then into the enemy's fire. At first it seemed
+that nothing could stop them, but by degrees wire, scrub and cliffs;
+thirst, sheer exhaustion broke the back of their impetus. Then the
+enemy's howitzers and field guns had it all their own way, forcing
+attack to yield a lot of ground. Things looked anxious for a bit, but by
+this morning's dawn all are dug in, cool, confident.
+
+"But for the number and good shooting of Turkish field guns and
+howitzers, Birdwood would surely have carried the whole main ridge of
+Sari Bair. As it is, his troops are holding a long curve upon the crests
+of the lower ridges, identical, to a hundred yards, with the line
+planned by my General Staff in their instructions and pencilled by them
+upon the map.
+
+"The French have stormed Kum Kale and are attacking Yeni Shahr. Although
+you excluded Asia from my operations, have been forced by tactical needs
+to ask d'Amade to do this and so relieve us from Artillery fire from the
+Asiatic shore.
+
+"Deeply regret to report the death of Brigadier-General Napier and to
+say that our losses, though not yet estimated, are sure to be very
+heavy.
+
+"If only this night passes without misadventures, I propose to attack
+Achi Baba to-morrow with whatever Hunter-Weston can scrape together of
+the 29th Division. Such an attack should force the enemy to relax their
+grip on Sedd-el-Bahr. I can look now to the Australians to keep any
+enemy reinforcements from crossing the waist of the Peninsula."[12]
+
+Relief about Gaba Tepe is almost swallowed up by the "Y" Beach
+fiasco--as we must, I suppose, take it to be. No word yet from
+Hunter-Weston.
+
+At Helles things are much the same as last night; only, the South Wales
+Borderers are now well dug in on a spur above Morto Bay and are
+confident.
+
+At 1.45 d'Amade came aboard in a torpedo boat to see me. He has been
+ashore at Kum Kale and reports violent fighting and, for the time being,
+victory. A very dashing landing, the village stormed; house to house
+struggles; failure to carry the cemetery; last evening defensive
+measures, loopholed walls, barbed wire fastened to corpses; at night
+savage counter attacks led by Germans; their repulse; a wall some
+hundred yards long and several feet high of Turkish corpses; our own
+losses also very heavy and some good Officers among them. All this
+partly from d'Amade to me; partly his Staff to my Staff. Nogués and his
+brave lads have done their bit indeed for the glory of the Army of
+France. Meanwhile, d'Amade is anxious to get his men off soon: he cannot
+well stay where he is unless he carries the village of Yeni Shahr. Yeni
+Shahr is perched on the height a mile to the South of him, but it has
+been reinforced from the Besika Bay direction and to take it would be a
+major operation needing a disembarkation of at least the whole of his
+Division. He is keen to clear out: I agreed, and at 12.5 he went to make
+his preparations.
+
+Ten minutes later, when we were on our way back to Gaba Tepe, the
+Admiral and Braithwaite both tackled me, and urged that the French
+should be ordered to hold on for another twenty-four hours--even if for
+no longer. Had they only raised their point before d'Amade left the
+_Queen Elizabeth_! As it is, to change my mind and my orders would upset
+the French very much and--on the whole--I do not think we have enough to
+go upon to warrant me in doing so. The Admiral has always been keen on
+Kum Kale and I quite understand that Naval aspect of the case. But it is
+all I can do, as far as things have gone, to hang on by my eyelids to
+the Peninsula, and let alone K.'s strong, clear order, I can hardly
+consent, as a soldier, to entangle myself further in Asia, before I have
+made good Achi Baba. We dare not lose another moment in getting a firm
+footing on the Peninsula and that was why I had signalled d'Amade from
+Gaba Tepe to bring up all the rest of his troops from Tenedos and to
+disembark them at "W" (seeing we were still held up at "V") and why I
+cannot now perceive any other issue. We are not strong enough to attack
+on both sides of the Straits. Given one more Division we might try: as
+things are, my troops won't cover the mileage. On a small scale map, in
+an office, you may make mole-hills of mountains; on the ground there's
+no escaping from its features.
+
+As soon as the French Commander took his leave, we steamed back for Gaba
+Tepe, passing Cape Helles at 12.20 p.m. Weather now much brighter and
+warmer. Passing "Y" Beach the re-embarkation of troops was still going
+on. All quiet, the _Goliath_ says: the enemy was so roughly handled in
+an attack they made last night that they do not trouble our
+withdrawal--too pleased to see us go, it seems! So this part of our plan
+has gone clean off the rails. Keyes, Braithwaite, Aspinall, Dawnay,
+Godfrey are sick--but their disappointment is nothing to mine. De Robeck
+agrees that we don't know enough yet to warrant us in fault-finding or
+intervention. My orders ought to have been taken before a single
+unwounded Officer or man was ferried back aboard ship. Never, since
+modern battles were invented by the Devil, has a Commander-in-Chief been
+so accessible to a message or an appeal from any part of the force. Each
+theatre has its outfit of signallers, wireless, etc., and I can either
+answer within five minutes, or send help, or rush myself upon the scene
+at 25 miles an hour with the _Q.E.'s_ fifteen inchers in my pocket. Here
+there is no question of emergency, or enemy pressure, or of haste; so
+much we see plain enough with our own eyes.
+
+Whilst having a hurried meal, Jack Churchill rushed down from the crow's
+nest to say that he thought we had carried the Fort above Sedd-el-Bahr.
+He had seen through a powerful naval glass some figures standing erect
+and silhouetted against the sky on the parapet. Only, he argued, British
+soldiers would stand against the skyline during a general action. That
+is so, and we were encouraged to be hopeful.
+
+On to Gaba Tepe just in time to see the opening, the climax and the end
+of the dreaded Turkish counter attack. The Turks have been fighting us
+off and on all the time, but this is--or rather I can happily now say
+"was"--an organised effort to burst in through our centre. Whether
+burglars or battles are in question, give me sunshine. What had been a
+terror when Braithwaite woke me out of my sleep at midnight to meet the
+Gaba Tepe deputation was but a heightened, tightened sensation thirteen
+hours later.
+
+No doubt the panorama was alarming, but we all of us somehow--we on the
+_Q.E._--felt sure that Australia and New Zealand had pulled themselves
+together and were going to give Enver and his Army a very disagreeable
+surprise.
+
+The contrast of the actual with the might-have-been is the secret of our
+confidence. Imagine, had these brave lads entrusted to us by the
+Commonwealth and Dominion now been crowding on the beaches--crowding
+into their boats--whilst some desperate rearguard was trying to hold off
+the onrush of the triumphant Turks. Never would any of us have got over
+so shocking a disaster; now they are about to win their spurs (D.V.).
+
+Here come the Turks! First a shower of shells dropping all along the
+lower ridges and out over the surface of the Bay. Very pretty the
+shells--at half a mile! Prince of Wales's feathers springing suddenly
+out of the blue to a loud hammer stroke; high explosives: or else the
+shrapnel; pure white, twisting a moment and pirouetting as children in
+their nightgowns pirouette, then gliding off the field two or three
+together, an aerial ladies' chain. Next our projectiles, Thursby's from
+the _Queen_, _Triumph_, _Majestic_, _Bacchante_, _London_, and _Prince
+of Wales_; over the sea they flew; over the heads of our fighters;
+covered the higher hillsides and skyline with smudges of black, yellow
+and green. Smoky fellows these--with a fiery spark at their core, and
+wherever they touch the earth, rocks leap upwards in columns of dust to
+the sky. Under so many savage blows, the labouring mountains brought
+forth Turks. Here and there advancing lines; dots moving over green
+patches; dots following one another across a broad red scar on the flank
+of Sari Bair: others following--and yet others--and others--and others,
+closing in, disappearing, reappearing in close waves converging on the
+central and highest part of our position. The tic tac of the machine
+guns and the rattle of the rifles accompanied the roar of the big guns
+as hail, pouring down on a greenhouse, plays fast and loose amidst the
+peals of God's artillery: we have got some guns right up the precipitous
+cliff: the noise doubled; redoubled; quadrupled, expanded into one
+immense tiger-like growl--a solid mass of the enemy showed itself
+crossing the green patch--and then the good _Queen Lizzie_ picked up her
+targets--crash!!! Stop your ears with wax.
+
+The fire slackened. The attack had ebbed away; our fellows were holding
+their ground. A few, very few, little dots had run back over that green
+patch--the others had passed down into the world of darkness.
+
+A signaller was flag-wagging from a peak about the left centre of our
+line:--"The boys will never forget the _Queen Elizabeth's_ help" was
+what he said.
+
+Jack Churchill was right. At 1.50 a wireless came in to say that the
+Irish and Hants from the _River Clyde_ had forced their way through
+Sedd-el-Bahr village and had driven the enemy clean out of all his
+trenches and castles. Ah, well; _that_ load is off our minds: every one
+smiling.
+
+Passed on the news to Birdwood: I doubt the Turks coming on again--but,
+in case, the 29th Division's feat of arms will be a tonic.
+
+I was wrong. At 3 p.m. the enemy made another effort, this time on the
+left of our line. We shook them badly and were rewarded by seeing a New
+Zealand charge. Two Battalions racing due North along the coast and
+foothills with levelled bayonets. Then again the tumult died away.
+
+At 4.30 we left Gaba Tepe and sailed for Helles. At 4.50 we were
+opposite Krithia passing "Y" Beach. The whole of the troops, plus
+wounded, plus gear, have vanished. Only the petrol tins they took for
+water right and left of their pathway up the cliff; huge diamonds in the
+evening sun. The enemy let us slip off without shot fired. The last
+boat-load got aboard the _Goliath_ at 4 p.m., but they had forgotten
+some of their kit, so the Bluejackets rowed ashore as they might to
+Southsea pier and brought it off for them--and again no shot fired!
+
+Hove to off Cape Helles at quarter past five. Joyous confirmation of
+Sedd-el-Bahr capture and our lines run straight across from "X" to Morto
+Bay, but a very sad postscript now to that message: Doughty Wylie has
+been killed leading the sally from the beach.
+
+The death of a hero strips victory of her wings. Alas, for Doughty
+Wylie! Alas, for that faithful disciple of Charles Gordon; protector of
+the poor and of the helpless; noblest of those knights ever ready to lay
+down their lives to uphold the fair fame of England. Braver soldier
+never drew sword. He had no hatred of the enemy. His spirit did not need
+that ugly stimulant. Tenderness and pity filled his heart and yet he had
+the overflowing enthusiasm and contempt of death which alone can give
+troops the volition to attack when they have been crouching so long
+under a pitiless fire. Doughty Wylie was no flash-in-the-pan V.C.
+winner. He was a steadfast hero. Years ago, at Aleppo, the mingled
+chivalry and daring with which he placed his own body as a shield
+between the Turkish soldiery and their victims during a time of massacre
+made him admired even by the Moslems. Now; as he would have wished to
+die, so has he died.
+
+For myself, in the secret mind that lies beneath the conscious, I think
+I had given up hope that the covering detachment at "V" would work out
+their own salvation. My thought was to keep pushing in troops from "W"
+Beach until the enemy had fallen back to save themselves from being cut
+off. The Hampshires, Dublins and Munsters have turned their own tight
+corner, but I hope these fine Regiments will never forget what they owe
+to one Doughty Wylie, the Mr. Greatheart of our war.
+
+The Admiral and Braithwaite have been at me again to urge that the
+French should hang on another day at Kum Kale. They point out that the
+crisis seems over for the time being both at Helles and Gaba Tepe and
+argue that this puts a different aspect on the whole question. That is
+so, and on the whole, I think "yes" and have asked d'Amade to comply.
+
+At 6.20 p.m. started back intending to see all snug at Gaba Tepe, but,
+picking up some Turkish guns as targets in Krithia and on the slopes of
+Achi Baba, we hove to off Cape Tekke and opened fire. We soon silenced
+these guns, though others, unseen, kept popping. At 6.50 we ceased fire.
+At 7, Admiral Guépratte came on board and tells us splendid news about
+Kum Kale. At 2 o'clock the artillery fire from shore and ships became
+too hot for the Turks entrenched in the cemetery and they put up the
+white flag and came in as prisoners, 500 of them. A hundred more had
+been taken during the night fighting, but there was treachery and some
+of those were killed. Kum Kale has been a brilliant bit of work, though
+I fear we have lost nearly a quarter of our effectives. Guépratte agrees
+we would do well to hold on for another 24 hours. At a quarter past
+seven he took his leave and we let drop our anchor where we were, off
+Cape Tekke.
+
+So now we stand on Turkish _terra firma_. The price has been paid for
+the first step and that is the step that counts. Blood, sweat, fire;
+with these we have forged our master key and forced it into the lock of
+the Hellespont, rusty and dusty with centuries of disuse. Grant us, O
+Lord, tenacity to turn it; determination to turn it, till through that
+open door _Queen Elizabeth_ of England sails East for the Golden Horn!
+When in far off ages men discuss over vintages ripened in Mars the black
+superstitions and bloody mindedness of the Georgian savages, still they
+will have to drain a glass to the memory of the soldiers and sailormen
+who fought here.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+MAKING GOOD
+
+
+_27th April, 1915. Getting on for midnight. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth."_
+All sorts of questions and answers. At 2 a.m. got a signal from Admiral
+Guépratte, "Situation at Kum Kale excellent, but d'Amade gave orders to
+re-embark. It has begun. Much regret it is not in my power to stop it."
+
+Well, so do I regret it. With just one more Brigade at our backs we
+would have taken Yeni Shahr and kept our grip on Kum Kale; helping along
+the Fleet; countering the big guns from Asia. But, there it is; as
+things are I was right, and beggars can't be choosers. The French are
+now free to land direct at Sedd-el-Bahr, or "V," instead of round by
+"W."
+
+During the small hours I wrote a second cable to K. telling him
+Hunter-Weston could not attack Achi Baba yesterday as his troops were
+worn out and some of his Battalions had lost a quarter of their
+effectives: also that we were already short of ammunition. Also that
+"Sedd-el-Bahr was a dreadful place to carry by open assault, being a
+labyrinth of rocks, galleries, ruins and entanglements." "With all the
+devoted help of the Navy, it has taken us a day's hard fighting to make
+good our footing. Achi Baba Hill, only a cannon shot distant, will be
+attacked to-morrow, the 28th."
+
+After shipping ammunition for her big guns the _Q.E._ sailed at 7 a.m.
+for Gaba Tepe where we found Birdwood's base, the beach, being very
+severely shelled. The fire seemed to drop from half the points of the
+compass towards that one small strip of sand, so marvellously well
+defiladed by nature that nine-tenths of the shot fell harmlessly into
+the sea. The Turkish gunners had to chance hitting something by lobbing
+shrapnel over the main cliff or one of the two arm-like promontories
+which embraced the little cove,--and usually they didn't! Yet even so
+the beach was hardly a seaside health resort and it was a comfort to see
+squads of these young soldiers marching to and fro and handling packing
+cases with no more sign of emotion than railway porters collecting
+luggage at Margate.
+
+At 7.55 we presented the Turks with some remarkable specimens of sea
+shells to recompense them for their trouble in so narrowly searching our
+beaches. They accepted our 6 inchers with a very good grace. Often one
+of our H.E. hundred pounders seemed to burst just where a field gun had
+been spotted:--and before our triumphant smiles had time to disentangle
+themselves from our faces, the beggars would open again. But the 15-inch
+shrapnel, with its 10,000 bullets, was a much more serious projectile.
+The Turks were not taking more than they could help. Several times we
+silenced a whole battery by one of these monsters. No doubt these very
+batteries are now getting back into concealed positions where our
+ships' guns will not be able to find them. Still, even so, to-day and
+to-morrow are the two most ticklish days; after that, let the storm
+come--our troops will have rooted themselves firmly into the soil.
+
+Have been speaking to the sailors about getting man-killing H.E. shell
+for the Mediterranean Squadron instead of the present armour piercers
+which break into only two or three pieces and are, therefore, in the
+open field, more alarming than deadly. They don't seem to think there
+would be much good gained by begging for special favours through routine
+channels. Officialdom at the Admiralty is none too keen on our show. If
+we can get at Winston himself, then we can rely on his kicking red tape
+into the waste-paper basket; otherwise we won't be met half way. As for
+me, I am helpless. I cannot write Winston--not on military business;
+least of all on Naval business. I am fixed, I won't write to any public
+personage re my wants and troubles excepting only K. Braithwaite agrees
+that, especially in war time, no man can serve two masters. There has
+been so much stiletto work about this war, and I have so often blamed
+others for their backstairs politics, that I must chance hurt feelings
+and shall not write letters although several of the Powers that Be have
+told me to keep them fully posted. The worst loss is that of Winston's
+ear; high principles won't obtain high explosives. As to writing to the
+Army Council--apart from K., the War Office is an oubliette.
+
+The foregoing sage reflections were jotted down between 10 and 10.30
+a.m., when I was clapped into solitary confinement under armour. An
+aeroplane had reported that the _Goeben_ had come into the Narrows,
+presumably to fire over the Peninsula with her big guns. There was no
+use arguing with the sailors; they treat me as if I were a mascot. So I
+was duly shut up out of harm's way and out of their way whilst they made
+ready to take on the ship, which is just as much the cause of our Iliad
+as was Helen that of Homer's. Up went our captive balloon; in ten
+minutes it was ready to spot and at 10.15 we got off the first shot
+which missed the _Goeben_ by just a few feet to the right. The enemy
+then quickly took cover behind the high cliffs and I was let out of my
+prison. Some Turkish transports remained, landing troops. Off flew the
+shell, seven miles it flew; over the Turkish Army from one sea into
+another. A miss! Again she let fly. This time from the balloon came down
+that magic formula "O.K." (plumb centre). We danced for joy though
+hardly able really to credit ourselves with so magnificent a shot: but
+it was so: in two minutes came another message saying the transport was
+sinking by the stern! O.K. for us; U.P. with the Turks. Simple letters
+to describe a pretty ghastly affair. Fancy that enormous shell dropping
+suddenly out of the blue on to a ship's deck swarming with troops!
+
+A wireless from Wemyss to say that the whole of Hunter-Weston's force
+has advanced two miles on a broad front and that the enemy made no
+resistance.
+
+At 6 p.m. a heavy squall came down from the North and the Aegean was no
+place for flyers whether heavier or lighter than air. All the Turkish
+guns we could spot from the ship had been knocked out or silenced, so
+Birdwood and his men were able to get along with their digging. We cast
+anchor off Cape Helles at about 6.30 p.m.
+
+At 7 Hunter-Weston came on board and dined. He is full of confidence and
+good cheer. _He never gave any order to evacuate "Y"; he never was
+consulted; he does not know who gave the order._ He does well to be
+proud of his men and of the way they played up to-day when he called
+upon them to press back the enemy. He has had no losses to speak of and
+we are now on a fairly broad three-mile front right across the toe of
+the Peninsula; about two miles from the tip at Helles. Had our men not
+been so deadly weary, there was no reason we should not have taken Achi
+Baba from the Turks, who put up hardly any fight at all. But we have not
+got our mules or horses ashore yet in any numbers, and the digging, and
+carriage of stores, water and munitions to the firing line had to go on
+all night, so the men are still as tired as they were on the 26th, or
+more so. The Intelligence hear that enemy reinforcements are crossing
+the Narrows. So it is a pity we could not make more ground whilst we
+were about it, but we had no fresh men to put in and the used Battalions
+were simply done to a turn.
+
+We did not talk much about the past at dinner, except--ah me, how
+bitterly we regretted our 10 per cent. margin to replace casualties,--a
+margin allowed by regulation and afforded to the B.E.F. Just think of
+it. To-day each Battalion of the 29th Division would have been joined by
+two keen Officers and one hundred keen men--fresh--all of them fresh!
+The fillip given would have been far, far greater than that which the
+mere numbers (1,200 for the Division) would seem to imply. Hunter-Weston
+says that he would sooner have a pick-me-up in that form than two fresh
+Battalions, and I think, in saying so, he says too little.
+
+Tired or not tired, we attack again to-morrow. We must make more--much
+more--elbow room before the Turks get help from Asia or Constantinople.
+
+Are we to strike before or after daylight? Hunter-Weston is clear for
+day and we have made it so. The hour is to be 8 a.m.
+
+Showed H.W. the cable we got at tea time from K., quoting some message
+de Robeck has apparently sent home and saying, "Maxwell will give you
+any support from the garrison of Egypt you may require." I am puzzled
+how to act on this. Maxwell won't give me "any support" I "may require";
+otherwise, naturally, I'd have had the Gurkhas with me now: he has his
+own show to run: I have my own show to run: it is for K. to split the
+differences. K. gave me fair warning before I started I must not embroil
+him with French, France, or British politicians by squeezing him for
+more troops. It was up to me to take the job on those terms or leave
+it--and I took it on. I did think Egypt might be held to be outside
+this tacit covenant, but when I asked first, directly, for the Indian
+Brigade; secondly, for the Brigade or even for one Gurkha Battalion, I
+only got that chilliest of refusals--silence. Since then, there has been
+some change in his attitude. I do wish K. would take me more into his
+confidence. Never a word to me about the Indian Brigade, yet now it is
+on its way! Also, here comes this offer of more troops. Hunter-Weston's
+reading of the riddle is that troops ear-marked for the Western front
+are still taboo but that K. finds himself, since our successful landing,
+in a more favourable political atmosphere and is willing, therefore, to
+let us draw on Egypt. He thinks, in a word, that as far as Egypt goes,
+we should try and get what we can get.
+
+Said good-night with mutual good wishes, and have worked till now (1
+a.m.) answering wireless and interviewing Winter and Woodward, who had
+come across from the _Arcadian_ to do urgent administrative work. Each
+seems satisfied with the way his own branch is getting on: Winter is the
+quicker worker. Wrote out also a second long cable to K. (the first was
+operations) formally asking leave to call upon Maxwell to send me the
+East Lancs. Division and showing that Maxwell can have my second Mounted
+Division in exchange.
+
+Have thought it fair to cable Maxwell also, asking him to hold the East
+Lancs. handy. K.'s cable covers me so far. No Commander enjoys parting
+with his troops and Maxwell may play on one of the tenderest spots in
+K.'s adamantine heart by telling him his darling Egypt will be
+endangered; still it is only right to give him fair warning.
+
+Lord Hindlip, King's Messenger, has brought us our mails.
+
+_28th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth." Off Gallipoli._ At 9 a.m.
+General d'Amade came aboard and gave me the full account of the Kum Kale
+landing, a brilliant piece of work which will add lustre even to the
+illustrious deeds of France. I hope the French Government will recognize
+this dashing stroke of d'Amade's by something more solid than a thank
+you.
+
+At 9.40 General Paris and the Staff of the Naval Division also came
+aboard, and were telling me their doings and their plans when the noise
+of the battle cut short the pow-wow. The fire along the three miles
+front is like the rumble of an express train running over fog signals.
+Clearly we are not going to gain ground so cheaply as yesterday.
+
+At 10 o'clock the _Q.E._ was steaming slowly Northwards and had reached
+a point close to the old "Y" landing place (well marked out by the
+glittering kerosine tins). Suddenly, inland, a large mass of men,
+perhaps two thousand, were seen doubling down a depression of the ground
+heading towards the coast. We had two 15-inch guns loaded with 10,000
+shrapnel bullets each, but there was an agony as to whether these were
+our fellows falling back or Turks advancing. The Admiral and Keyes asked
+me. The Flag Captain was with us. The thing hung on a hair but the
+horror of wiping out one of my own Brigades was too much for me: 20 to
+1 they were Turkish reinforcements which had just passed through
+Krithia--50 to 1 they were Turks--and then--the ground seemed to swallow
+them from view. Ten minutes later, they broke cover half a mile lower
+down the Peninsula and left us no doubt as to what they were, advancing
+as they did in a most determined manner against some of our men who had
+their left flank on the cliffs above the sea.
+
+The Turks were no longer in mass but extended in several lines, less
+than a pace between each man. Before this resolute attack our men, who
+were much weaker, began to fall back. One Turkish Company, about a
+hundred strong, was making an ugly push within rifle shot of our ship.
+Its flank rested on the very edge of the cliff, and the men worked
+forward like German Infantry in a regular line, making a rush of about
+fifty yards with sloped arms and lying down and firing. They all had
+their bayonets fixed. Through a glass every move, every signal, could be
+seen. From where we were our guns exactly enfiladed them. Again they
+rose and at a heavy sling trot came on with their rifles at the slope;
+their bayonets glittering and their Officer ten yards ahead of them
+waving his sword. Some one said they were cheering. Crash! and the
+_Q.E._ let fly a shrapnel; range 1,200 yards; a lovely shot; we followed
+it through the air with our eyes. Range and fuse--perfect. The huge
+projectile exploded fifty yards from the right of the Turkish line, and
+vomited its contents of 10,000 bullets clean across the stretch whereon
+the Turkish Company was making its last effort. When the smoke and dust
+cleared away nothing stirred on the whole of that piece of ground. We
+looked for a long time, nothing stirred.
+
+One hundred to the right barrel--nothing left for the second barrel! The
+tailor of the fairy tale with his "seven at a blow" is not in it with
+the gunnery Lieutenant of a battleship. Our beloved _Queen_ had drawn
+the teeth of the Turkish counter-attack on our extreme left. The enemy
+no longer dared show themselves over the open downs by the sea, but
+worked over broken ground some hundreds of yards inland where we were
+unable to see them. The _Q.E._ hung about here shelling the enemy and
+trying to help our fellows on for the whole day.
+
+As was signalled to us from the shore by an Officer of the Border
+Regiment, the Turks were in great strength somewhere not easy to spot a
+few hundred yards inland from "Y" Beach. Some were in a redoubt, others
+working down a ravine. A party of our men had actually got into the
+trench dug by the "Y" Beach covering party on the day of the landing,
+but had been knocked out again, a few minutes before the _Queen
+Elizabeth_ came to the rescue, and, in falling back, had been (so the
+Officer signaller told us) "badly cut up." Asked again who were being
+badly cut up, he replied, "All of us!" No doubt the _Q.E._ turned up in
+the very nick of time, at a moment when we were being forced to retire
+too rapidly. A certain number of stragglers were slipping quietly back
+towards Cape Helles along the narrow sandy strip at the foot of the
+high cliffs, so, as it was flat calm, I sent Aspinall off in a small
+boat with orders to rally them. He rowed to the South so as to head them
+off and as the dinghy drew in to the shore we saw one of them strip and
+swim out to sea to meet it half way. By the time the young fellow
+reached the boat the cool salt water had given him back his presence of
+mind and he explained, as if it was the most natural thing in the world,
+that he had swum off to get help for the wounded! After landing, a show
+of force was needed to pull the fugitives up but once they did pull up
+they were splendid, and volunteered to a man to follow Aspinall back
+into the firing line. Many of them were wounded and the worst of these
+were put into a picket boat which had just that moment come along. One
+of the men seemed pretty bad, being hit in the head and in the body. He
+wanted to join in but, naturally, was forbidden to do so. Aspinall then
+led his little party back and climbed the cliff. When he got to the top
+and looked round he found this severely wounded man had not only
+disobeyed orders and followed him, but had found strength to lug up a
+box of ammunition with him. "I ordered you not to come," said Aspinall:
+"I can still pull a trigger, Sir," replied the man.[13]
+
+To-day's experiences have been of the strangest. As armies have grown
+and as the range of firearms has increased, the Commander-in-Chief of
+any considerable force has been withdrawn further and further from the
+fighting. To-day I have stood in the main battery which has fired a shot
+establishing, in its way, a record in the annals of destruction.
+
+On our left we had gained three miles and had been driven back a mile or
+rather more after doing so, apparently by fresh enemy forces. What would
+have been a promenade if our original covering party had stuck to "Y"
+Beach, had become too difficult for that wearied and greatly weakened
+Brigade. On the British right the 88th Brigade pushed back the Turks
+easily enough at first, but afterwards they too came up against stiffer
+resistance from what seemed to be fresh enemy formations until at last,
+i.e., about mid-day, they were held up. The Reserve were then ordered to
+pass through and attack. Small parties are reported to have got into
+Krithia and one complete Battalion gained a position commanding
+Krithia--so Wemyss has been credibly informed; but things went wrong;
+they seem to have been _just_ too weak.
+
+Hunter-Weston is confident as ever and says once his men have dug
+themselves in, even a few inches, they will hold what they have gained
+against any number of Turks.
+
+We have been handicapped by the trouble that is bred in the bone of any
+landing on enemy soil. The General wants to strike quick and hard from
+the outset. To do so he must rush his men ashore and by very careful
+plans he may succeed; but even then, unless he can lay hands upon
+wharves, cranes, and all the mechanical appliances to be found in an
+up-to-date harbour, he cannot keep up the supply of ammunition, stores,
+food, water, on a like scale. He cannot do this because, just in
+proportion as he is successful in getting a large number of men on shore
+and in quickly pushing them forward some distance inland, so will it
+become too much for his small craft and his beach frontage to cope with
+the mule transport and carts. Hence, shortage of ammunition and shortage
+of water, which last was the worse felt to-day. But the heavy fighting
+at the landings was what delayed us most.
+
+An enemy aeroplane (a Taube) has been dropping bombs on and about the
+_River Clyde_.
+
+There is little of the "joy of the contest" in fighting battles with
+worn-out troops. Even when the men respond by doing wonders, the
+Commander is bound to feel his heart torn in two by their trials, in
+addition to having his brain tortured on anxiety's rack as to the
+result. The number of Officers we have lost is terrible.
+
+Seen from the Flagship, the sun set exactly behind the purple island of
+Imbros, and as it disappeared sent out long flame-coloured streamers
+into the sky. The effect was that of a bird of Paradise bringing balm to
+our overwrought nerves.
+
+Have published the following order:--
+
+"I rely on all Officers and men to stand firm and steadfast to resist
+the attempt of the enemy to drive us back from our present position
+which has been so gallantly won.
+
+"The enemy is evidently trying to obtain a local success before
+reinforcements can reach us; but the first portion of these arrive
+to-morrow and will be followed by a fresh Division from Egypt.
+
+"It behoves us all, French and British, to stand fast, hold what we have
+gained, wear down the enemy and thus be prepared for a decisive victory.
+
+"Our comrades in Flanders have had the same experience of fatigue after
+hard won fights. We shall, I know, emulate their steadfastness and
+achieve a result which will confer added laurels to French and British
+arms.
+                                                        "IAN HAMILTON,
+                                                             "General."
+
+Two cables from K.:--
+
+The first repeats a cable he has sent Maxwell. He begins by saying, "In
+a cable just in from the Dardanelles French Admiral, I see he thinks
+reinforcements are needed for the troops landed on Gallipoli. Hamilton
+has not made any mention of this to me. All the same yesterday I cabled
+him as follows:--"
+
+(Here he quotes the cable already entered in by me yesterday.)
+
+K. goes on, "I hope all your troops are being kept ready to embark, and
+I would suggest you should send the Territorial Division if Hamilton
+wants them. Peyton's transports, etc., etc., etc."
+
+The second cable quotes mine of last night wherein I ask leave to call
+for the East Lancs. and says, "I feel sure you had better have the
+Territorial Division, and I have instructed Maxwell to embark them. My
+No. 4239 addressed to Maxwell and repeated to you was sent before
+receiving your telegram under reply. You had better tell him to send off
+the Division to you. I am very glad the troops have done so well. Give
+them a message of hearty congratulations on their successful achievement
+to buck them up."
+
+Bravo K.! but kind as is your message the best buck up for the Army will
+be the news that the lads from Manchester are on their way to help us.
+
+The cable people have pinned a minute to these two messages saying that
+the two hours' pull we have over Greenwich time ought to have let K. get
+my message _before_ he wired to Maxwell. He may think Maxwell will take
+it better that way.
+
+Before going to bed, I sent him (K.) two cables:--
+
+(1) "Last night the Turks attacked the Australians and New Zealanders in
+great force, charging right up to the trenches, bugles blowing and
+shouting 'Allah Hu!' They were bayoneted. The French are landing to lend
+a hand to the 29th Division. Birdwood's men are very weary and I am
+supporting them with the Naval Division." These, I may say, are my very
+last reserves.
+
+(2) Telling K. how "I shall now be able to cheer up my troops by the
+prospect of speedy reinforcements, whilst informing them of your
+congratulations, and appealing to them to continue as they have
+commenced," I go on to say that we have used up the French and the Naval
+Division "so that at present I have no reserve except Cox when he
+arrives and the remainder of the French." I also say, simply, and
+without any reference to the War Office previous denial that there _was_
+any second French Division, "D'Amade informs me that the other French
+Division is ready to embark if required, so I hope you will urge that it
+be despatched." As to the delay in letting me have the Indian Brigade; a
+delay which has to-day, so say the 29th Division, cost us Krithia and
+Achi Baba, I say "Unluckily Cox's Brigade is a day late, but I still
+trust it will arrive to-morrow during the day."
+
+_Bis dot qui cito dat_. O truest proverb! One fresh man on Gallipoli
+to-day was worth five afloat on the Mediterranean or fifty loafing
+around London in the Central Force. At home they are carefully totting
+up figures--I know them--and explaining to the P.M. and the Senior
+Wranglers with some complacency that the sixty thousand effective
+bayonets left me are enough--seeing they are British--to overthrow the
+Turkish Empire. So they would be if I had that number, or anything like
+it, for my line of battle. But what are the facts? Exactly one half of
+my "bayonets" spend the whole night carrying water, ammunition and
+supplies between the beach and the firing line. The other half of my
+"bayonets," those left in the firing line, are up the whole night armed
+mostly with spades digging desperately into the earth. Now and then
+there is a hell of a fight, but that is incidental and a relief. A
+single Division of my old "Central Force," so easily to be spared, so
+wasted where they are, could take this pick and spade work off the
+fighters. But the civilians think, I am certain, we are in France, with
+a service of trains and motor transport at our backs so that our
+"bayonets" are really free to devote their best energies to fighting. My
+troops are becoming thoroughly worn out. And when I think of the three
+huge armies of the Central Force I commanded a few weeks ago in
+England--!
+
+_29th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Q.E." Off the Peninsula._ A biggish sea
+running, subsiding as the day went on--and my mind grew calmer with the
+waves. For we are living hand-to-mouth now in every sense. Two days'
+storm would go very near starving us. Until we work up some weeks'
+reserve of water, food and cartridges, I shan't sleep sound. Have lent
+Birdwood four Battalions of the Royal Naval Division and two more
+Battalions are landing at Helles to form my own reserve. Two weak
+Battalions; that is the exact measure of my executive power to shape the
+course of events; all the power I have to help either d'Amade or
+Hunter-Weston.
+
+Water is a worry; weather is a worry; the shelling from Asia is a thorn
+in my side. The sailors had hoped they would be able to shield the
+Southern point of the Peninsula by interposing their ships but they
+can't. Their gunnery won't run to it--was never meant to run to it--and
+with five going aeroplanes we can't do the spotting. Our Regiments, too,
+will not be their superb selves again--won't be anything like
+themselves--not until they get their terrible losses made good. There is
+no other way but fresh blood for it is sheer human nature to feel flat
+after an effort. Any violent struggle for life always lowers the will to
+fight even of the most cut-and-come-again:--don't I remember well when
+Sir George asked me if the Elandslaagte Brigade had it in them to storm
+Pepworth? I had to tell him they were still the same Brigade but not the
+same men. No use smashing in the impregnable sea front if we don't get a
+fresh dose of energy to help us to push into the, as yet, very pregnable
+hinterland. Since yesterday morning, when I saw our men scatter right
+and left before an enemy they would have gone for with a cheer on the
+25th or 26th,--ever since then I have cursed with special bitterness the
+lack of vision which leaves us without that 10 per cent. margin above
+strength which we could, and should, have had with us. The most fatal
+heresy in war, and, with us, the most rank, is the heresy that battles
+can be won without heavy loss--I don't care whether it is in men or in
+ships. The next most fatal heresy is to think that, having won the
+battle, decimated troops can go on defeating fresh enemies without
+getting their 10 per cent. renewed.
+
+[Illustration: "W" BEACH]
+
+At 9 o'clock I boarded H.M.S. _Kennett_, a destroyer, and went ashore.
+Commodore Roger Keyes came along with me, and we set foot on Turkish
+soil for the first time at 9.45 a.m. at "W" Beach. What a scene! An
+ants' nest in revolution. Five hundred of our fighting men are running
+to and fro between cliffs and sea carrying stones wherewith to improve
+our pier. On to this pier, picket boats, launches, dinghies, barges, all
+converge through the heavy swell with shouts and curses, bumps and
+hair's-breadth escapes. Other swarms of half-naked soldiers are
+sweating, hauling, unloading, loading, road-making; dragging mules up
+the cliff, pushing mules down the cliff: hundreds more are bathing, and
+through this pandemonium pass the quiet stretchers bearing pale,
+blood-stained, smiling burdens. First we spent some time speaking to
+groups of Officers and men and hearing what the Beachmasters and
+Engineers had to say; next we saw as many of the wounded as we could and
+then I walked across to the Headquarters of the 29th Division (half a
+mile) to see Hunter-Weston. A strange abode for a Boss; some holes
+burrowed into a hillock. In South Africa, this feature which looks like,
+and actually is, a good observing post, would have been thoroughly
+searched by fire. The Turks seem, so far, to have left it pretty well
+alone.
+
+After a long talk during which we fixed up a good many moot points, went
+on to see General d'Amade. Unluckily he had just left to go on to the
+Flagship to see me. I did not like to visit the French front in his
+absence, so took notes of the Turkish defences on "V" and had a second
+and a more thorough inspection of the beach, transport and storage
+arrangements on "W."
+
+Roper, Phillimore (R.N.) and Fuller stood by and showed me round.
+
+At 1.30 p.m. re-embarked on the _Q.E._ and sailed towards Gaba Tepe.
+
+After watching our big guns shooting at the enemy's field pieces for
+some time I could stand it no longer--the sight seeing I mean--and
+boarded the destroyer _Colne_ which took me towards the beach. Commodore
+Keyes came along, also Pollen, Dawnay and Jack Churchill. Our destroyer
+got within a hundred yards or so of the shore when we had to tranship
+into a picquet boat owing to the shallow water. Quite a good lot of
+bullets were plopping into the water, so the Commodore ordered the
+_Colne_ to lie further out. At this distance from the beach, withdrawn a
+little from the combat, (there was a hottish scrimmage going on), and
+yet so close that friends could be recognised, the picture we saw was
+astonishing. No one has ever seen so strange a spectacle and I very much
+doubt if any one will ever see it again. The Australians and New
+Zealanders had fixed themselves into the crests of a series of high
+sandy cliffs, covered, wherever they were not quite sheer, with box
+scrub. These cliffs were not in the least like what they had seemed to
+be through our glasses when we reconnoitred them at a distance of a mile
+or more from the shore. Still less were they like what I had originally
+imagined them to be from the map. Their features were tumbled, twisted,
+scarred--unclimbable, one would have said, were it not that their faces
+were now pock-marked with caves like large sand-martin holes, wherein
+the men were resting or taking refuge from the sniping. From the
+trenches that ran along the crest a hot fire was being kept up, and
+swarms of bullets sang through the air, far overhead for the most part,
+to drop into the sea that lay around us. Yet all the time there were
+full five hundred men fooling about stark naked on the water's edge or
+swimming, shouting and enjoying themselves as it might be at Margate.
+Not a sign to show that they possess the things called nerves. While we
+were looking, there was an alarm, and long, lean figures darted out of
+the caves on the face of the cliffs and scooted into the firing line,
+stooping low as they ran along the crest. The clatter of the musketry
+was redoubled by the echoing cliffs, and I thought we had dropped in for
+a scrap of some dimensions as we disembarked upon a fragile little
+floating pier and were met by Birdie and Admiral Thursby. A full General
+landing to inspect overseas is entitled to a salute of 17 guns--well, I
+got my dues. But there is no crisis; things are quieter than they have
+been since the landing, Birdie says, and the Turks for the time being
+have been beat. He tells me several men have already been shot whilst
+bathing but there is no use trying to stop it: they take the off chance.
+So together we made our way up a steep spur, and in two hours had
+traversed the first line trenches and taken in the lie of the land. Half
+way we met Generals Bridges and Godley, and had a talk with them, my
+first, with Bridges, since Duntroon days in Australia. From the heights
+we could look down on to the strip of sand running Northwards from Ari
+Burnu towards Suvla Bay. There were machine guns here which wiped out
+the landing parties whenever they tried to get ashore North of the
+present line. The New Zealanders took these with the bayonet, and we
+held five or six hundred yards more coast line until we were forced back
+by Turkish counter-attacks in the afternoon and evening of the 25th. The
+whole stretch is now dominated by Turkish fire from the ridges, and
+along it lie the bodies of those killed at the first onset, and
+afterwards in the New Zealand bayonet charge. Several boats are stranded
+along this no man's land; so far all attempts to get out at night and
+bury the dead have only led to fresh losses. No one ever landed out of
+these boats--so they say.
+
+Towards evening we re-embarked on the _Colne_ and at the very moment of
+transhipment from the picquet boat the enemy opened a real hot shrapnel
+fire, plastering with impartiality and liberality our trenches, our
+beaches and the sea. The _Colne_ was in strangely troubled water, but,
+although the shot fell all about her, neither she nor the picquet boat
+was touched. Five minutes later we should have caught it properly! The
+Turkish guns are very well hidden now, and the _Q.E._ can do nothing
+against them without the balloon to spot; we can't often spare one of
+our five aeroplanes for Gaba Tepe. Going back we had some long range
+shots with the 15-inch guns at batteries in rear of Achi Baba.
+
+Anchored off Cape Helles at dark. A reply in from Maxwell about the East
+Lancs. They are coming!
+
+The worst enemy a Chief has to face in war is an alarmist. The Turks are
+indeed stout and terrifying fellows when seen, not in a poetry book but
+in a long line running at you in a heavy jogtrot way with fixed bayonets
+gleaming. But they don't frighten me as much as one or two of my own
+friends. No matter. We are here to stay; in so far as my fixed
+determination can make it so; alive or dead, we stay.
+
+_30th April, 1915. H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth._ From dawn to breakfast time
+all hands busy slinging shells--modern war sinews--piles of
+them--aboard. The Turks are making hay while the sun shines and are
+letting "V" Beach have it from their 6-inch howitzers on the plains of
+Troy. So, once upon a time, did Paris shoot forth his arrows over that
+selfsame ground and plug proud Achilles in the heel--and never surely
+was any fabulous tendon more vulnerable than are our Southern beaches
+from Asia. The audacious Commander Samson cheers us up. He came aboard
+at 9.15 a.m. and stakes his repute as an airman that his fellows will
+duly spot these guns and that once they do so the ships will knock them
+out. I was so pleased to hear him say so that I took him ashore with me
+to "W" Beach, where he was going to fix up a flight over the Asiatic
+shore, as well as select a flat piece of ground near the tip of the
+Peninsula's toe to alight upon.
+
+Saw Hunter-Weston: he is quite happy. Touched on "Y" Beach; concluded
+least said soonest mended. The issues of the day before yesterday's
+battle seem certainly to have hung on a hair. Apart from "Y" beach
+might-have-beens, it seems that, further inland, detachments of our men
+got into a position dominating Krithia; a position from which--could
+they have held it--Turkish troops in or South of Krithia could have been
+cut off from their supplies. These men saw the Turks clear out of
+Krithia taking machine guns with them. But after half an hour, as we did
+not come on, they began to come back. We were too weak and only one
+Battalion was left of our reserves--otherwise the day was ours. Street,
+the G.S.O.I. of the Division, was in the thick of the battle--too far in
+for his rank, I am told, and he is most emphatic that with one more
+Brigade Achi Baba would now be in our hands. He said this to me in
+presence of his own Chief and I believe him, although I had rather
+disbelieve. To my mind "a miss is as good as a mile" should run a "miss
+is far worse than a mile." He is a sober-spoken, most gallant Officer.
+But it can't be helped. This is not the first time in history when the
+lack of a ha'porth of tar has spoilt the ship of State. I would bear my
+ills without a groan were it not that from the very moment when I set
+eyes on the Narrows I was sent to prize open, I had set my heart upon
+just this very identical ha'porth of tar--_videlicet_, the Indian
+Brigade.
+
+Our men are now busy digging themselves into the ground they gained on
+the 28th. The Turks have done a good lot of gunnery but no real
+counter-attack. Hunter-Weston's states show that during the past
+twenty-four hours well over half of his total strength are getting
+their artillery ashore, building piers, making roads, or bringing up
+food, water and ammunition into the trenches. This does not take into
+account men locally struck off fighting duty as cooks, orderlies,
+sentries over water, etc., etc. Altogether, it seems that not more than
+one-third of our fast diminishing total are available for actual
+fighting purposes. Had we even a Brigade of those backward Territorial
+reserve Battalions with whom the South of England is congested, they
+would be worth I don't know what, for they would release their
+equivalent of first-class fighting men to attend to their own
+business--the fighting.
+
+There are quite a little budget of knotty points to settle between
+Hunter-Weston and d'Amade, so I made a careful note of them and went
+along to French Headquarters. By bad luck d'Amade was away, up in the
+front trenches, and I could not well deliver myself to des Coigns. So I
+said I would come again sometime to-morrow and once more wended my way
+along the busy beaches, and in doing so revisited the Turkish defences
+of "V" and "W." The more I look, the more do I marvel at the invincible
+spirit of the British soldier. Nothing is impossible to him; no General
+knows what he can do till he tries. Therefore, he, the British General,
+must always try! must never listen to the rule-of-thumb advisers who
+seek to chain down adventure to precedent. But our wounds make us weaker
+and weaker. Oh that we could fill up the gaps in the thinned ranks of
+those famous Regiments....!
+
+Had ten minutes' talk with the French Captain commanding the battery of
+75's now dug in close to the old Fort, where General d'Amade sleeps, or
+rather, is supposed to sleep. Here is the noisiest spot on God's earth.
+Not only do the 75's blaze away merrily from morn till dewy eve, and
+again from dewy eve till morn, to a tune that turns our gunners green
+with envy, but the enemy are not slow in replying, and although they
+have not yet exactly found the little beggars (most cunningly concealed
+with green boughs and brushwood), yet they go precious near them with
+big shell and small shell, shrapnel and H.E. As I was standing here I
+was greeted by an old Manchurian friend, le capitaine Reginald Kahn. He
+fought with the Boers against us and has taken his immense bulk into one
+campaign after another. A very clever writer, he has been entrusted by
+the French Government with the compilation of their official history of
+these operations.
+
+On my way back to the _Arcadian_ (we are leaving the _Queen Elizabeth_
+for a time)--I met a big batch of wounded, knocked out, all of them, in
+the battle of the 28th. I spoke to as many of them as I could, and
+although some were terribly mutilated and disfigured, and although a few
+others were clearly dying, one and all kept a stiff upper lip--one and
+all were, or managed to appear--more than content--happy! This scene
+brought tears into my eyes. The courage of our soldiers goes far beyond
+belief. Were it not so war would be unbearable. How strongly God keeps
+the balance even. In fullest splendour the soul shines out amidst the
+dark shadows of adversity; as a fire goes out when the sunlight strikes
+it, so the burning, essential quality in men is stifled by prosperity
+and success.
+
+_Later_. Our battleships have been bombarding Chunuk--chucking shells
+into it from the Aegean side of the Peninsula--and a huge column of
+smoke is rising up into the evening sky. A proper bonfire on the very
+altar of Mars.
+
+_1st May, 1915. H.M.S. "Arcadian."_ Went ashore first thing. Odd shells
+on the wing. Visited French Headquarters. Again d'Amade was away. Had a
+long talk with des Coigns, the Chief of Staff, and told him I had just
+heard from Lord K. that the 1st Brigade of the new French Division would
+sail for the Dardanelles on the 3rd inst. Des Coigns is overjoyed but a
+tiny bit hurt, too, that French Headquarters should get the news first
+from me and not from their own War Ministry. He insists on my going
+round the French trenches and sent a capitaine de la Fontaine along with
+me. Until to-day I had quite failed to grasp the extent of the ground we
+had gained. But we want a lot more before we can begin to feel safe. The
+French trenches are not as good as ours by a long chalk, and bullets
+keep coming through the joints of the badly built sandbag revetment. But
+they say, "_Un peu de repos, après, vous verrez, mon général._" During
+my peregrinations I struck the Headquarters of the Mediterranean Brigade
+under General Vandenberg, who came round his own men with me. A sturdy,
+thickset fair man with lots of go and very cheery. He is of Dutch
+descent. Later on I came to the Colonial Brigade Headquarters and made
+the acquaintance of Colonel Ruef, a fine man--every inch a soldier. The
+French have suffered severely but are in fine fighting form. They are
+enchanted to hear about their second Division. For some reason or
+another they have made up their minds that France is not so keen as we
+are to make a present of Constantinople to Russia. Their intelligence on
+European questions seems much better than ours and they depress me by
+expressing doubts as to whether the Grand Duke Nicholas has munitions
+enough to make further headway against the Turks in the Caucasus: also,
+as to whether he has even stuff enough to equip Istomine and my rather
+visionary Army Corps.
+
+By the time we had passed along the whole of the French second line and
+part of their front line trenches, I had had about enough. So took leave
+of these valiant Frenchmen and cheery Senegalese and pushed on to the
+advanced observation post of the Artillery where I met General
+Stockdale, commanding the 15th Brigade, R.F.A., and not only saw how the
+land lay but heard some interesting opinions. Also, some ominous
+comments on what armies spend and what Governments scrimp:--that is
+ammunition.
+
+At 3 p.m., got back having had a real good sweat. Must have walked at
+least a dozen miles. Soon afterwards Cox, commanding the 29th Indian
+Brigade, came on board to make his salaam. Better late than never is all
+I could say to him: he and his Brigade are sick at not having been on
+the spot to give the staggering Turks a knock-out on the 28th, but he's
+going to lose no more chances; his men are landing now and he hopes to
+get them all ashore in the course of the day.
+
+The Intelligence have just translated an order for the 25th April found
+upon the dead body of a Turkish Staff Officer. "Be sure," so it runs,
+"that no matter how many troops the enemy may try to land, or how heavy
+the fire of his artillery, it is absolutely impossible for him to make
+good his footing. Supposing he does succeed in landing at one spot, no
+time should be left him to co-ordinate and concentrate his forces, but
+our own troops must instantly press in to the attack and with the help
+of our reserves in rear he will forthwith be flung back into the sea."
+
+_2nd May, 1915. H.M.S. "Arcadian."_ Had a sleepless night and strain was
+too great to write or do anything but stand on bridge and listen to the
+firing or go down to the General Staff and see if any messages had come
+to hand.
+
+About 10 p.m. I was on the bridge thinking how dark it was and how
+preternaturally still; I felt all alone in the world; nothing stirred;
+even the French 75's had ceased their nerve-racking bark, and then,
+suddenly, in one instant, hell was let loose upon earth. Like a hundred
+peals of thunder the Turkish artillery from both Continents let fly
+their salvoes right, left and centre, and the French and ourselves did
+not lose many seconds in reply. The shells came from Asia and Achi
+Baba:--in a fiery shower, they fell upon the lines of our front
+trenches. Half an hour the bombardment and counter-bombardment, and then
+there arose the deadly crepitation of small arms--no messages--ten times
+I went back and forward to the signal room--no messages--until a new and
+dreadful sound was carried on the night wind out to sea--the sound of
+the shock of whole regiments--the Turkish Allah Din!--our answering loud
+Hurrahs. The moments to me were moments of unrelieved agony. I tried to
+think of some possible source of help I had overlooked and could not. To
+hear the battle cries of the fighting men and be tied to this
+_Arcadian_--what torture!
+
+Soon, amidst the dazzling yellow flashes of the bursting shells and star
+bombs, there rose in beautiful parabolas all along our front coloured
+balls of fire, green, red or white; signals to their own artillery from
+the pistols of the Officers of the enemy. An ugly feature, these lights
+so beautiful, because, presumably, in response to their appeal, the
+Turkish shell were falling further down the Peninsula than at first, as
+if they had lengthened their range and fuse, i.e., as if we were falling
+back.
+
+By now several disquietening messages had come in, especially from the
+right, and although bad news was better than no news, or seemed so in
+that darkness and confusion, yet my anxious mind was stretched on the
+rack by inability to get contact with the Headquarters of the 29th
+Division and the French. Bullets or shell had cut some of the wires, and
+the telephone only worked intermittently. At 2 in the morning I had to
+send a battalion of my reserve from the Royal Naval Division to
+strengthen the French right. At 3 a.m. we heard--not from the
+British--that the British had been broken and were falling back upon the
+beaches. At 4 we heard from Hunter-Weston that, although the enemy had
+pierced our line at one or two points, they had now been bloodily
+repulsed. Thereupon, I gave the word for a general counter-attack and
+our line began to advance. The whole country-side was covered with
+retreating Turks and, as soon as it was light enough to see, our
+shrapnel mowed them down by the score. We gained quite a lot of ground
+at first, but afterwards came under enfilade fire from machine guns
+cunningly hidden in folds of the ground. There was no forcing of these
+by any _coup de main_ especially with worn out troops and guns which had
+to husband their shell, and so we had to fall back on our starting
+point. We have made several hundreds prisoners, and have killed a
+multitude of the enemy.
+
+I took Braithwaite and others of the G.S. with me and went ashore. At
+the pier at "W" were several big lighters filled with wounded who
+were about to be towed out to Hospital ships. Spent the best part
+of an hour on the lighters. The cheeriness of the gallant lads is
+amazing--superhuman!
+
+Went on to see Hunter-Weston at his Headquarters,--a queer Headquarters
+it would seem to our brethren in France! Braithwaite, Street,
+Hunter-Weston and myself.
+
+Some of our units are shaken, no doubt, by loss of Officers (complete);
+by heavy losses of men (not replaced, or replaceable, under a month) and
+by sheer physical exertion. Small wonder then that one weak spot in our
+barrier gave way before the solid mass of the attacking Turks, who came
+on with the bayonet like true Ghazis. The first part of the rifle fire
+last night was entirely from our own men. The break by one battalion
+gave a grand chance to the only Territorial unit in the 29th Division,
+the 5th Royal Scots, who have a first-class commanding Officer and are
+inspired not only by the indomitable spirit of their regular comrades,
+but by the special fighting traditions of Auld Reekie. They formed to a
+flank as if on a peace parade and fell on to the triumphant Turkish
+stormers with the cold steel, completely restoring the fortunes of the
+night. It would have melted a heart of stone, Hunter-Weston said, to see
+how tired our men looked in the grey of morning when my order came to
+hand urging them to counter-attack and pursue. Not the spirit but the
+flesh failed them. With a fresh Division on the ground nothing would
+have prevented us from making several thousand prisoners; whether they
+would have been able to rush the machine guns and so gain a great
+victory was more problematical. Anyway, our advance at dawn was half
+heroic, half lamentable. The men were so beat that if they tripped and
+fell, they lay like dead things. The enemy were almost in worse plight
+and so we took prisoners, but as soon as we came up against nerveless,
+tireless machine guns we had to stagger back to our trenches.
+
+As I write dead quiet reigns on the Peninsula, literally dead quiet. Not
+a shot from gun or rifle and the enemy are out in swarms over the plain!
+but they carry no arms; only stretchers and red crescent flags, for they
+are bearing away their wounded and are burying their piles of dead. It
+is by my order that the Turks are being left a free hand to carry out
+this pious duty.
+
+The stretcher-bearers carry their burdens over a carpet of flowers. Life
+is here around us in its most exquisite forms. Those flowers! Poppies,
+cornflowers, lilies, tulips whose colours are those of the rainbow. The
+coast line curving down and far away to meet the extravagant blueness of
+the Aegean where the battleships lie silent--still--smoke rising up
+lazily--and behind them, through the sea haze, dim outlines of Imbros
+and Samothrace.
+
+Going back, found that the lighter loads of wounded already taken off
+have by no means cleared the beach. More wounded and yet more. Here,
+too, are a big drove of Turkish prisoners; fine-looking men; well
+clothed; well nourished; more of them coming in every minute and mixing
+up in the strangest and friendliest way with our wounded with whom they
+talk in some dumb-crambo lingo. The Turks are doing yeoman service for
+Germany. If only India were pulling her weight for us on the same scale,
+we should by now be before the gates of Vienna.
+
+In the afternoon d'Amade paid me a long visit. He was at first rather
+chilly and I soon found out it was on account of my having gone round
+his lines during his absence. He is quite right, and I was quite wrong,
+and I told him so frankly which made "all's well" in a moment. My only
+excuse, namely, that I had been invited--nay pressed--to do so by his
+own Chief of Staff, I thought it wiser to keep to myself. Yesterday
+evening he got a cable from his own War Ministry confirming K.'s cable
+to me about the new French Division; Numbered the 156th, it is to be
+commanded by Bailloud, a distinguished General who has held high office
+in Africa--seventy years old, but sharp as a needle. D'Amade is most
+grateful for the battalion of the Naval Division; most complimentary
+about the Officers and men and is dying to have another which is,
+_évidemment_, a real compliment. He promises if I will do so to ration
+them on the best of French conserves and wine. The fact is, that the
+proportion of white men in the French Division is low; there are too
+many Senegalese. The battalion from the Naval Division gives, therefore,
+greater value to the whole force by being placed on the French right
+than by any other use I can put it to although it does seem strange to
+separate a small British unit by the entire French front from its own
+comrades.
+
+When d'Amade had done, de Robeck came along. No one on the _Q.E._ slept
+much last night: to them, as to us, the dark hours had passed like one
+nightmare after another. Were we miles back from the trenches as in
+France, and frankly dependent on our telephones, the strain would be
+softened by distance. Here we see the flashes; we hear the shots; we
+stand in our main battery and are yet quite cut off from sharing the
+efforts of our comrades. Too near for reflection; too far for
+intervention: on tenter hooks, in fact; a sort of mental crucifixion.
+
+Cox is not going to take his Punjabi Mahommedans into the fighting area
+but will leave them on "W" Beach. He says if we were sweeping on
+victoriously he would take them on but that, as things are, it would not
+be fair to them to do so. That is exactly why I asked K. and Fitz for a
+Brigade of Gurkhas; not a mixed Brigade.
+
+_3rd May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ At 9 p.m. last night there was
+another furious outburst of fire; mainly from the French. 75's and
+rifles vied against one another in making the most infernal _fracas_. I
+thought we were in for an _encore_ performance, but gradually the uproar
+died away, and by midnight all was quiet. The Turks had made another
+effort against our right, but they could not penetrate the rampart of
+living fire built up against them and none got within charging distance
+of our trenches, so d'Amade 'phones. He also says that a mass of Turkish
+reserves were suddenly picked up by the French searchlights and the 75's
+were into them like a knife, slicing and slashing the serried ranks to
+pieces before they had time to scatter.
+
+Birdie boarded us at 9 a.m. and told us his troubles. He has
+straightened out his line on the left; after a fierce fight which has
+cost him no less than 700 fresh casualties. But he feels safer now and
+is pretty happy! he is sure he can hold his own against anything except
+thirst. His _band-o-bast_ for taking water up to the higher trenches is
+not working well, and the springs he has struck along the beach and in
+the lower gullies are brakish. We are going to try and fix this up for
+him.
+
+At 10 o'clock went ashore with Braithwaite and paid visits to
+Hunter-Weston and to d'Amade. We had a conference with each of them,
+Generals and Staff who could be spared from the fighting being present.
+The feeling is hopeful if only we had more men and especially drafts to
+fill up our weakened battalions. The shell question is serious although,
+in this respect, thank Heavens, the French are quite well found. When we
+got back to the ship, heard a Taube had just been over and dropped a
+bomb, which fell exactly between the _Arcadian_ and the ammunition ship,
+anchored only about 60 or 70 yards off us!
+
+_4th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Last night again there was all sorts
+of firing and fighting going on, throughout those hours peaceful
+citizens ear-mark for sleep. I had one or two absolutely hair-raising
+messages. Not only were the French troops broken but the 29th Division
+were falling back into the sea. Though frightened to death, I refused to
+part with my reserve and made ready to go and take command of it at
+break of dawn. In the end the French and Hunter-Weston beat off the
+enemy by themselves. But there is no doubt that some of the French, and
+two Battalions of our own, are badly shaken,--no wonder! Both
+Hunter-Weston and d'Amade came on board in the forenoon, Hunter-Weston
+quite fixed that _his_ men are strained to breaking point and d'Amade
+emphatic that _his_ men will not carry on through another night unless
+they get relief. To me fell the unenviable duty of reconciling two
+contrary persuasions. Much argument as to where the enemy was making his
+main push; as to the numbers of our own rifles (French and English) and
+the yards of trenches each (French and English) have to hold. I decided
+after anxious searching of heart to help the French by taking over some
+portion of their line with the Naval Brigade. There was no help for it.
+Hunter-Weston agreed in the end with a very good grace.
+
+In writing K. I try to convey the truth in terms which will neither give
+him needless anxiety or undue confidence. The facts have been stated
+very simply, plus one brief general comment. I tell him that the Turks
+would be playing our game by these assaults were it not that in the
+French section they break through the Senegalese and penetrate into the
+position. I add a word of special praise for the Naval Division, they
+have done so well, but I know there are people in the War Office who
+won't like to hear it. I say, "I hope the new French Division will not
+steam at economic, but full, speed"; and I sum up by the sentence, "The
+times are anxious, but I believe the enemy's cohesion should suffer more
+than ours by these repeated night attacks."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+SHELLS
+
+
+To-day, the 4th, shells were falling from Asia on both "V" and "W"
+Beaches. We have landed aeroplanes on the Peninsula. The Taube has been
+bothering us again, but wound up its manoeuvres very decently by
+killing some fish for our dinner. Approved an out-spoken cable from my
+Ordnance to the War Office. Heaven knows we have been close-fisted with
+our meagre stocks, but when the Turks are coming right on to the assault
+it is not possible to prevent a spurt of rapid fire from men who feel
+the knife at their throat. "Ammunition is becoming a very serious
+matter, owing to the ceaseless fighting since April 25th. The _Junia_
+has not turned up and has but a small supply when she does. 18 pr. shell
+is vital necessity."
+
+_5th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ A wearing, nerve-racking, night-long
+fire by the Turks and the French 75's. They, at least, both of them,
+seem to have a good supply of shell. To the Jews, God showed Himself
+once as a pillar of fire by night; to the French soldier whose God is
+the 75 He reveals Himself in just the same way, safeguarding his flimsy
+trenches from the impact of the infidel horde. The curse of the method
+is its noise--let alone its cost. But last night it came off: no Turks
+got through anywhere on the French front and the men had not to stand to
+their arms or use their rifles. We British, worse luck, can't dream of
+these orgies of explosives. Our batteries last night did not fire a shot
+and the men had to drive back the enemy by rifle fire. They did it
+easily enough but the process is wearing.
+
+An answer has come to my prayer for 18 pr. stuff: not the answer that
+turns away wrath, but the answer that provokes a plaster saint.
+
+"We have under consideration your telegram of yesterday. The ammunition
+supply for your force, however, was never calculated on the basis of a
+prolonged occupation of the Gallipoli Peninsula, we will have to
+reconsider the position if, after the arrival of the reinforcements now
+on their way out to you, the enemy cannot be driven back and, in
+conjunction with the Fleet, the Forts barring the passage of the
+Dardanelles cannot be reduced. It is important to push on."
+
+Now von Donop is a kindly man despite that overbearing "von": yet, he
+speaks to us like this! The survivors of our half dead force are to
+"push on"; for, "it is important to push on" although Whitehall seems to
+have time and to spare to "consider" my cable and to "reconsider the
+position." Death first, diagnosis afterwards. Wherever is the use of
+reconsidering the position now? The position has taken charge. When a
+man has jumped off Westminster Bridge to save a drowning Russian his
+position has got beyond reconsideration: there is only one thing to
+do--as quickly as you can, as much help as you can--and if it comes to a
+choice between the _quick_ and the _much_: hark to your swimmer and hear
+him cry "Quick! Quick!! Quick!!!"
+
+The War Office urge me to throw my brave troops yet once more against
+machine guns in redoubts; to do it on the cheap; to do it without asking
+for the shell that gives the attack a sporting chance. I don't say they
+are wrong in so saying; there may be no other way out of it; but I do
+say the War Office stand convicted of having gone hopelessly wrong in
+their estimates and preparations. For we must have been held up
+somewhere, surely; we must have fought _somewhere_. I suppose, even if
+we had forced the Straits--even if we had taken Constantinople without
+firing a shot, we must have fought somewhere! Otherwise, a child's box
+of tin soldiers sent by post would have been just the thing for the
+Dardanelles landing! No; it's not the advice that riles me: it's the
+fact that people who have made a mistake, and should be sorry, slur over
+my appeal for the stuff advances are made of and yet continue to urge us
+on as if we were hanging back.
+
+A strong wind blows and Helles is smothered in dust. Hunter-Weston spent
+an hour with me this morning and an hour with the G.S. putting the final
+touches to the plan of attack discussed by us yesterday. The Lancashire
+Brigade of the 42nd Division has landed.
+
+Hunter-Bunter stayed to lunch.
+
+_Later_. In the afternoon went ashore and inspected the Lancashire
+Brigade of the East Lancs. Division just landed; and a very fine lot of
+Officers and men they are. They are keen and ready for to-morrow. Yes,
+to-morrow we attack again: I have men enough now but very, very little
+shell. The Turks have given us three bad nights and they ought to be
+worn out. With our sea power we can shift a couple of Brigades from Gaba
+Tepe to Helles or vice versa quicker than the Turks can march from the
+one theatre to the other. So the first question has been whether to
+reinforce Gaba Tepe from Helles or vice versa. For reasons too long to
+write here I have decided to attack in the South especially as I had a
+cable from K. himself yesterday in which he makes the suggestion:--
+
+"I hope," he says, "the 5th" (that's to-day) "will see you strong enough
+to press on to Achi Baba anyway, as delay will allow the Turks to bring
+up more reinforcements and to make unpleasant preparations for your
+reception. The Australians and New Zealanders will have had
+reinforcements from Egypt by then, and, if they hold on to their
+trenches with the help of the Naval Division, could spare you a good
+many men for the advance."
+
+Old K. is as right as rain here but a little bit after the shower. Had
+he and Maxwell tumbled to the real situation when I first saw with my
+own eyes the lie of the land instead of the lies on their maps; and had
+they let me have the Brigade of Gurkhas I asked for by my letters and by
+my cable of 24th March, and by word of mouth and telephone up to the
+last moment of my leaving Egypt, these homilies about the urgency of
+seizing Achi Baba would be beside the mark, seeing we should be sitting
+on the top of it.
+
+In the matter of giving K. is built on the model of Pharaoh: nothing
+less than the firstborn of the nation will make him suffer his subjects
+to depart from Egypt; and Maxwell sees eye to eye with him--that is
+natural. No word of the bombs and trench mortars I asked for six weeks
+ago, but the "bayonets" are coming in liberally now.
+
+Two of Birdwood's Brigades sail down to-night and join up with a Brigade
+from the Naval Division, thus making a new composite Division for the
+Southern theatre. The 29th, who have lost so very heavily, are being
+strengthened by the new Lancashire Fusilier Brigade, and Cox's Indian
+Brigade. By no manner the same thing, this, as getting drafts to fill up
+the ranks of the 29th. Always in war there is three times better value
+in filling up an old formation than in making up the total by bringing
+in a new formation. I have given the French the Naval Brigade; the new,
+Naval-Australian Division is to form my general reserve.
+
+So there! To-morrow morning. We have men enough, and good men too, but
+we are short of pebbles for Goliath of Achi Baba. These three nights
+have made a big hole in our stocks. Hunter-Weston feels that all is in
+our favour but the artillery. In Flanders, he says, they would never
+attack with empty limbers behind them; they would wait till they were
+full up. But the West is not in its essence a time problem; there, they
+can wait--next week--next month. If we wait one week the Turks will
+have become twice as strong in their numbers, and twice as deep in their
+trenches, as they are to-day. Hunter-Weston and d'Amade see that
+perfectly. I hold the idea myself that it would be good tactics, seeing
+shell shortage is our weakness, to make use of the half hour before dawn
+to close with the enemy and then fight it out on their ground. To cross
+the danger zone, in fact, by night and overthrow the enemy in the grey
+dawn. But Hunter-Weston says that so many regimental officers have been
+lost he fears for the Company leading at night:--for that, most
+searching of military tests, nothing but the best will do.
+
+Hard up as we are for shell he thinks it best to blaze it away freely
+before closing and to trust our bayonets when we get in. He and d'Amade
+have both of them their Western experience to guide them. I have agreed,
+subject only to the condition that we must keep some munitions in
+reserve until we hear for certain that more is on its way.
+
+The enemy had trusted to their shore defences. There was no second line
+behind them--not this side of Achi Baba, at least. Now, i.e., ever since
+the failure of their grand attempt on the night of the 2nd-3rd May, they
+have been hard at work. Already their lines cover quite half the ground
+between the Aegean and the Straits; whilst, in rear again, we can see
+wired patches which we guess to be enfilading machine gun redoubts. We
+must resolutely and at all cost make progress and smash up these new
+spiders' webs of steel before they connect into elastic but unbreakable
+patterns.
+
+_9th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Three days on the rack! Since the
+morning of the 6th not a word have I written barring one or two letters
+and one or two hasty scraps of cables. Now, D.V., there is the best part
+of a day at my disposal and it is worth an effort to put that story
+down.
+
+First I had better fix the sequence of the munition cables, for upon
+them the whole attack has hung--or rather, hung fire.
+
+On the 6th, the evening of the opening day, we received a postscript to
+the refusal already chronicled:--
+
+"Until you can submit a return of the amount you have in hand to enable
+us to work out the rates of expenditure, it is difficult to decide about
+further supplies of ammunition."
+
+When I read this I fell on my knees and prayed God to grant me patience.
+Am I to check the number of rounds in the limbers; on the beaches and in
+transit during a battle? Two days after my S.O.S. the War Office begin
+to think about tables of averages!
+
+I directed my answer to Lord K. himself:--
+
+"With reference to your No. 4432 of 5th inst., please turn to my letter
+to you of 30th March,[14] wherein I have laid stress on the essential
+difference in the matter of ammunition supply between the Dardanelles
+and France. In France, where the factories are within 24 hours' distance
+from the firing line, it may be feasible to consider and reconsider
+situations, including ammunition supply. Here we are distant a
+fortnight. I consider that 4.5 inch, 18 pr. and other ammunition,
+especially Mark VII rifle ammunition, should instantly be despatched
+here _via_ Marseilles.
+
+"Battle in progress. Advance being held up by stubborn opposition."
+
+Within a few hours K.'s reply came in; he says:--
+
+"It is difficult for me to judge the situation unless you can send me
+your expenditure of ammunition for which we have repeatedly asked. The
+question is not affected by the other considerations you mention." If
+space and time have no bearing on strategy and tactics, then K. is
+right. If ships sail over the sea as fast as railways run across the
+land; if Helles is nearer Woolwich than Calais; then he is right. I use
+the capital K. here impersonally, for I am sure the great man did not
+indite the message himself even though it may be headed from him to me.
+
+Late that night came another cable from the Master General of the
+Ordnance saying he was sending out "in the next relief ship 10,000
+rounds of 18 pr. shrapnel, and 1,000 rounds of 4.5 inch high explosive."
+
+But why the next relief ship? It won't get here for another three weeks
+and by that time we should be, by all the laws of nature and of war, in
+Davy Jones's locker. True, we don't mean to be, whatever the Ordnance
+may do or leave undone but, so far as I can see, that won't be their
+fault. Neither I nor my Staff can make head or tail of these cables.
+They seem so unlike K.; so unlike all the people. Here we are:--The
+Turks in front of us--too close: the deep sea behind us--too close. We
+beg them "instantly" to send us 4.5 inch and other ammunition;
+"instantly, _via_ Marseilles":--they tell us in reply that they will
+send 1,000 rounds of the vital stuff, the 4.5 high explosive, "_in the
+next relief ship_"!
+
+Why, even in the South African War, before the siege of Ladysmith, one
+battery would fire five hundred rounds in a day. And this 1,000 rounds
+in the next relief ship (_via_ Alexandria) will take three weeks to get
+to us whereas stress was laid by me upon the Marseilles route.
+
+Now, to-day, (the 9th), I have at last been able to send the Ordnance a
+statement (made under extreme difficulty) of our ammunition expenditure;
+up to the 5th May; i.e., before the three days' battle began. We were
+then nine million small arm still to the good having spent eleven
+million. We had shot away 23,000 shrapnel, 18 pr., and had 48,000 in
+hand. We had fired off 5,000 of that (most vital) 4.5 howitzer and had
+1,800 remaining. A.P.S. has been added saying the amounts shown had been
+greatly reduced by the last two days' battle. Actually, they have fallen
+to less than half and, as I have said, we had, on the evening of the
+7th, only 17,000 rounds of 18 pr. on hand for the whole Peninsula. Out
+of this we have fought the battle of the 8th and I believe we have run
+down now to under 10,000, some fear as low as 5,000.
+
+Very well. Now for my last night's cable which, in the opinion of my
+Officers, summarises general result of lack of shell:--
+
+"For the past three days we have fought our hardest for Achi Baba
+winding up with a bayonet charge by the whole force along the entire
+front, from sea to sea. Faced by a heavy artillery, machine gun and
+rifle fire our troops, French and British alike, made a fine effort; the
+French especially got well into the Turks with the bayonet, and all
+along, excepting on our extreme left, our line gained ground. I might
+represent the battle as a victory, as the enemy's advanced positions
+were driven in, but essentially the result has been failure, as the main
+object remains unachieved. The fortifications and their machine guns
+were too scientific and too strongly held to be rushed, although I had
+every available man in to-day. Our troops have done all that flesh and
+blood can do against semi-permanent works, and they are not able to
+carry them. More and more munitions will be needed to do so. I fear this
+is a very unpalatable conclusion, but I see no way out of it.
+
+"I estimate that the Turks had about 40,000 opposed to our 25,000
+rifles. There are 20,000 more in front of Australian-New Zealand Army
+Corps' 12,000 rifles at Gaba Tepe. By bringing men over from the Asiatic
+side and from Adrianople the Turks seem to be able to keep up their
+strength. I have only one more brigade of the Lancashire Territorial
+Division to come; not enough to make any real effect upon the situation
+as regards breaking through."
+
+Hard must be the heart that is not wrung to think of all these brave
+boys making their effort; giving their lives; all that they had; it is
+too much; almost more than can be borne.
+
+Now to go back and make my notes, day by day, of the battle:--
+
+On the 6th instant we began at 11.30 after half an hour's
+bombardment,--we dared not run to more. A strong wind was blowing and it
+was hard to land or come aboard. Till 2 p.m. I remained glued to the
+telephone on board and then went ashore and saw both Hunter-Weston and
+d'Amade in their posts of command. The live long day there were furious
+semi-detached fights by Battalions and Brigades, and we butted back the
+enemy for some 200 or 300 yards. So far so good. But we did not capture
+any of the main Turkish trenches. I still think we might have done as
+well at much less cost by creeping up these 200 or 300 yards by night.
+
+However!
+
+At 4.30 we dropped our high-vaulting Achi Baba aspirations and took to
+our spades.
+
+The Hood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division had been roughly handled.
+In the hospital clearing tent by the beach I saw and spoke to (amongst
+many others) young Asquith, shot through the knee, and Commander
+Wedgwood, who had been horribly hurt by shrapnel. Each in his own way
+was a calm hero; wrapped in the mantle bequeathed to English soldiers by
+Sir Philip Sidney. Coming back in the evening to the ship we watched
+the Manchester Brigade disembarking. I have never seen a better looking
+lot. The 6th Battalion would serve very well as picked specimens of our
+race; not so much in height or physique, but in the impression they gave
+of purity of race and distinction. Here are the best the old country can
+produce; the hope of the progress of the British ideal in the world; and
+half of them are going to swap lives with Turks whose relative value to
+the well-being of humanity is to theirs as is a locust to a honey-bee.
+
+That night Bailloud, Commander of the new French Division, came to make
+his salaam. He is small, alert, brimful of jokes and of years; seventy
+they say, but he neither looks it nor acts it.
+
+The 7th was stormy and the sea dangerously rough. At 10 a.m. the
+Lancashire Fusilier Brigade were to lead off on our left. They could not
+get a move on, it seemed, although we had hoped that the shelling from
+the ships would have swept a clear lane for them.
+
+The thought that "Y" Beach, which was holding up this brigade, was once
+in our hands, adds its sting to other reports coming from that part of
+the field. In France these reports would have been impersonal messages
+arriving from afar. In Asia or Africa I would have been letting off the
+steam by galloping to d'Amade or Hunter-Weston. Here I was neither one
+thing nor the other:--neither a new fangled Commander sitting cool and
+semi-detached in an office; nor an old fashioned Commander taking
+personal direction of the show. During so long drawn out a suspense I
+tried to ease the tension by dictation. From the carbons I select these
+two paragraphs: they occur in a letter fired off to Colonel Clive Wigram
+at "11.25 a.m., 7th May, 1915."
+
+"I broke off there because I got a telephone message in from
+Hunter-Weston to say his centre was advancing, and that by a pretty
+piece of co-operation between Infantry and Artillery, he had driven the
+Turks out of one very troublesome trench. He cannot see what is on his
+left, or get any message from them. On his left are the Lancashire
+Fusiliers (Territorials). They are faced by a horrid redoubt held by
+machine guns, and they are to rush it with the bayonet.[15] It is a high
+thing to ask of Territorials but against an enemy who is fighting for
+his life, and for the existence of his country, we have to call upon
+every one for efforts which, under any other conditions, might be
+considered beyond their strength.
+
+"Were we still faced by the Divisions which originally held the
+Gallipoli Peninsula we would by now, I firmly believe, be in possession
+of the Kilid Bahr plateau. But every day a regiment or two dribble into
+Gallipoli, either from Asia or from Constantinople, and in the last two
+days an entire fresh Division has (we have heard) arrived from
+Adrianople, and is fighting against us this morning. The smallest
+demonstration on the part of Bulgaria would, I presume, have prevented
+this big reinforcement of fresh troops reaching the enemy, but it seems
+beyond the resources of diplomacy to get anyone to create a diversion."
+
+At 4.30 I ordered a general assault; the 88th Brigade to be thrown in on
+the top of the 87th; the New Zealand Brigade in support; the French to
+conform. Our gunners had put more than they could afford into the
+bombardment and had very little wherewith to pave the way.
+
+By the 4th instant I had seen danger-point drawing near and now it was
+on us. Five hundred more rounds of howitzer 4.5 and aeroplanes to spot
+whilst we wiped out the machine guns; that was the burden of my prayer.
+Still, we did what we could and for a quarter of an hour the whole of
+the Turkish front was wreathed in smoke, but these were naval shells or
+18 pr shrapnel; we have no 18 pr high explosive and neither naval shells
+nor shrapnel are very much good once the targets have got underground.
+On our left no move forward.[16] Elsewhere our wonderful Infantry fought
+like fresh formations. In face of a tempest of shot and shell and of a
+desperate resistance by the Turks, who stuck it out very bravely to the
+last, they carried and held the first line enemy trenches. At night
+several counter-attacks were delivered, in every case repulsed with
+heavy loss.
+
+We are now on our last legs. The beautiful Battalions of the 25th April
+are wasted skeletons now; shadows of what they had been. The thought of
+the river of blood, against which I painfully made my way when I met
+these multitudes of wounded coming down to the shore, was unnerving. But
+every soldier has to fight down these pitiful sensations: the enemy may
+be harder hit than he: if we do not push them further back the beaches
+will become untenable. To overdrive the willingest troops any General
+ever had under his command is a sin--but we must go on fighting
+to-morrow!
+
+On Saturday, the 8th, I went ashore and by 9.30 had taken up my quarters
+in a little gully between "W" and "X" Beaches within 60 yards of the
+Headquarters of the Royal Naval Division. There I was in direct
+telephonic touch with both Hunter-Weston and d'Amade. The storm had
+abated and the day was fine. Our troops had now been fighting for two
+days and two nights but there were messages in from the front telling us
+they were keen as ever to get something solid for their efforts. The
+Lancashire Fusiliers Brigade had been withdrawn into reserve, and under
+my orders the New Zealand Brigade was to advance through the line taken
+up during the night by the 88th Brigade and attack Krithia. The 87th
+Brigade were to try and gain ground over that wicked piece of moorland
+to the West of the great ravine which--since the days when it was in the
+hands of the troops who landed at "Y"--has hopelessly held up our left.
+Every gun-shot fired gives me a pain in my heart and adds to the deadly
+anxiety I feel about our ammunition. We have only one thousand rounds of
+4.5 H.E. left and we dare not use any more. The 18 pr shrapnel is
+running down, down, down to its terminus, for we _must_ try and keep
+10,000 rounds in hand for defence. The French have still got enough to
+cover their own attacks. The ships began to fire at 10.15 and after a
+quarter of an hour the flower of New Zealand advanced in open order to
+the attack. After the most desperate hand to hand fighting, often by
+sections or sometimes by groups of half a dozen men, we gained slowly,
+very slowly, perhaps a couple of hundred yards. There was an opinion in
+some quarters that we had done all we could, but I resolved firmly to
+make one more attempt. At 4 o'clock I issued orders that the whole line,
+reinforced by the Australians, should on the stroke of 5.30 fix bayonets
+and storm Krithia and Achi Baba. At 5.15 the men-of-war went at it hot
+and strong with their big guns and fifteen minutes later the hour glass
+of eternity dropped a tiny grain labelled 5.30 p.m. 8.5.1915 into the
+lap of time.
+
+As that moment befell, the wide plain before us became alive. Bayonets
+sparkled all over the wide plain. Under our glasses this vague movement
+took form and human shape: men rose, fell, ran, rushed on in waves,
+broke, recoiled, crumbled away and disappeared.
+
+At the speed of the minute hand of a watch the left of our line crept
+forward.
+
+On the right, at first nothing. Then suddenly, in the twinkling of an
+eye, the whole of the Northern slopes of the Kereves Dere Ravine was
+covered by bright coloured irregular surging crowds, moving in quite
+another way to the khaki-clad figures on their left:--one moment pouring
+over the debatable ground like a torrent, anon twisted and turning and
+flying like multitudes of dead leaves before the pestilent breath of
+the howitzers. No living man has ever seen so strange a vision as this:
+in its disarray; in its rushing to and fro; in the martial music, shouts
+and evolutions!
+
+My glasses shook as I looked, though I _believe_ I seemed very calm. It
+seemed; it truly seemed as if the tide of blue, grey, scarlet specks was
+submerging the enemy's strongholds. A thousand of them converged and
+rushed the redoubt at the head of the Kereves Dere. A few seconds later
+into it--one! two!! three!!! fell from the clouds the Turkish six
+inchers. Where the redoubt had been a huge column of smoke arose as from
+the crater of a volcano. Then fast and furious the enemy guns opened on
+us. For the first time they showed their full force of fire. Again, the
+big howitzers led the infernal orchestra pitting the face of no man's
+land with jet black blotches. The puppet figures we watched began to
+waver; the Senegalese were torn and scattered. Once more these huge
+explosions unloading their cargoes of midnight on to the evening gloom.
+All along the Zouaves and Senegalese gave way. Another surge forward and
+bayonets crossed with the Turks: yet a few moments of tension and back
+they fell to their trenches followed by salvo upon salvo of shell
+bursts. Night slid down into the smoke. The last thing--against the
+skyline--a little column of French soldiers of the line charging back
+upwards towards the lost redoubt. After that--darkness!
+
+The battle is over. Both sides have fought with every atom of energy
+they possessed. The heat is oppressive. A heavy mail from England. On
+shore all quiet. A young wounded Officer of the 29th Division said it
+was worth ten years of tennis to see the Australians and New Zealanders
+go in. Began writing at daylight and now it is midnight. No word yet of
+the naval offer to go through.
+
+Issued a special order to the troops. They deserve everything that
+anyone can give them in this world and the next.
+
+                                                 GENERAL HEADQUARTERS,
+                                                       _9th May, 1915._
+
+"Sir Ian Hamilton wishes the troops of the Mediterranean Expeditionary
+Force to be informed that in all his past experiences, which include the
+hard struggles of the Russo-Japanese campaign, he has never seen more
+devoted gallantry displayed than that which has characterised their
+efforts during the past three days. He has informed Lord Kitchener by
+cable of the bravery and endurance displayed by all ranks here and has
+asked that the necessary reinforcements be forthwith dispatched.
+Meanwhile, the remainder of the East Lancashire Division is disembarking
+and will henceforth be available to help us to make good and improve
+upon the positions we have so hardly won."
+
+_10th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Fell asleep last night thinking of
+Admirals, Commodores and men-o'-war and of how they _might_, within the
+next forty-eight hours, put another complexion upon our prospects. So it
+seemed quite natural when, the first thing in the morning, a cable came
+in with the tea asking me whether I have been consulting de Robeck as to
+"the future operations that will be necessary." K. adds, "I hope you and
+the Admiral will be able to devise some means of clearing a passage."
+
+Have just cabled back "Every day I have consultations with the Admiral":
+I cannot say more than this as I am not supposed to know anything about
+de Robeck's cable as to the "means of clearing a passage" which went, I
+believe, yesterday. No doubt it lay before K. when he wired me. I have
+not been shown the cable; I have not been consulted about it, nor, I
+believe, has Braithwaite, but I do happen to be aware of its drift.
+
+Without embarking on another endless yarn let me note the fact that
+there are two schools amongst our brethren afloat. Roger Keyes and those
+of the younger school who sport the executive curl upon their sleeves
+are convinced that now, when we have replaced the ramshackle old
+trawlers of 18th March by an unprecedented mine-sweeping service of
+20-knot destroyers under disciplined crews, the forcing of the Straits
+has become as easy ... well; anyway; easier than what we soldiers tried
+to do on Saturday. Upon these fire-eaters de Robeck has hitherto thrown
+cold water. He thought, as we thought, that the Army would save his
+ships. But our last battle has shown him that the Army would only open
+the Straits at a cost greater than the loss of ships, and that the time
+has come to strike home with the tremendous mechanism of the Fleet. On
+that basis he quickly came to terms with the views of his thrusting
+lieutenants.
+
+On two reservations, he still insisted: (1) he was not going to deprive
+me of the close tactical support of his battleships if there was the
+least apprehension we might be "done in" in his absence. (2) He was not
+going to risk his ships amongst the mines unless we were sure, if he did
+get through, we could follow on after him by land.
+
+On both issues there was, to my thinking, no question:--(1) Although we
+cannot push through "under present conditions without more and more
+ammunition," _vide_ my cable of yesterday, all the Turks in Asia will
+not shift us from where we stand even if we have not one battleship to
+back us.
+
+(2) If the ships force the Straits, beyond doubt, we can starve out the
+Turks; scupper the Forts and hold the Bulair lines.
+
+We know enough now about the communications and reserves of food and
+munitions of the Turks to be positively certain they cannot stick it on
+the Peninsula if they are cut off from sea communication with Asia and
+with Constantinople. Within a fortnight they will begin to run short; we
+are all agreed there.
+
+So now, (i.e., yesterday) the Admiral has cabled offering to go through,
+and "now" is the moment of all others to let Lord K. clearly face the
+alternative to that proposal. So I have said (in the same cable in which
+I answer his question about consultations with the Admiral) "If you
+could only spare me two fresh Divisions organized as a Corps I could
+push on with great hopes of success both from Helles and Gaba Tepe;
+otherwise I am afraid we shall degenerate into trench warfare with its
+resultant slowness."
+
+Birdie ran down from Anzac and breakfasted. He brings news of an A.1
+affair. Two of his Battalions, the 15th and 16th Australians, stormed
+three rows of Turkish trenches with the bayonet, and then sat down in
+them. At dawn to-day the enemy counter-attacked in overwhelming
+strength. The healthy part of the story lies herein, that our field guns
+were standing by in action, and as the enemy came on they let them have
+it hot with shrapnel over a space of 300 yards. Terrible as this fire
+was, it failed to beat off the Turks. They retook the trenches, but they
+have paid far more than their price, for Birdwood assures me that their
+corpses lie piled up so thick one on top of the other that our snipers
+can take cover behind them.
+
+A curious incident: during the night a Fleet-sweeper tied up alongside,
+full of wounded, chiefly Australians. They had been sent off from the
+beach; had been hawked about from ship to ship and every ship they
+hailed had the same reply--"full up"--until, in the end, they received
+orders to return to the shore and disembark their wounded to wait there
+until next day. The Officers, amongst them an Australian Brigadier of my
+acquaintance, protested; and so, the Fleet-sweeper crew, not knowing
+what to do, came and lashed on to us.[17] No one told me anything of
+this last night, but the ship's Captain and his Officers and my own
+Staff Officers have been up on watches serving out soup, etc., and
+tending these wounded to the best of their power. As soon as I heard
+what had happened I first signalled the hospital ship _Guildford Castle_
+to prepare to take the men in (she had just cast anchor); then I went on
+board the Fleet-sweeper myself and told the wounded how sorry I was for
+the delay in getting them to bed. They declared one and all they had
+been very well done but "the boys" never complain; my A.G. is the
+responsible official; I have told him the _band-o-bast_ has been bad;
+also that a Court of Enquiry must be called to adjudicate on the whole
+matter.
+
+Were an example to be sought of the almighty influence of "Time" none
+better could be found than in the fact that, to-day, I have almost
+forgotten to chronicle a passage in K.'s cable aforesaid that might well
+have been worth the world and the glories thereof only forty-eight short
+hours ago. K. says, "More ammunition is being pushed out to you _via_
+Marseilles." I am glad. I am deeply grateful. Our anxieties will be
+lessened, but _that same message, had it only reached us on Saturday
+morning, would have enabled us to fire 5,000 more shrapnel and 500 more
+4.5 howitzer H.E. to cover our last assault!_
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+TWO CORPS OR AN ALLY?
+
+
+_11th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Day dull and overcast. Vice-Admiral
+came over to see me in the morning. Neither of us has had a reply to his
+cable; instead, he has been told two enemy submarines are on their way
+to pay us a visit. The approach of these mechanical monsters opens up
+vistas thronged with shadowy forebodings. De Robeck begs me to set his
+mind at ease by landing with my Staff forthwith. Have sent Officers to
+survey the ground between Helles and Sedd-el-Bahr and to see if they can
+find room for us. We would all rather be on shore than board ship, but
+Helles and "V" Beaches are already overcrowded, and we should be
+squeezed in cheek by jowl, within a few hundred yards of the two
+Divisional Headquarters Staffs.
+
+_12th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Raining hard. Busy all morning. A
+cable from Lord K. to say he is sending out the Lowland Division. We are
+all as pleased as Punch! especially (so Braithwaite tells me) Roger
+Keyes who looks on this as a good omen for the naval attack proposals.
+Had he not meant the Fleet to shove in K. must have made some reference
+to the second Division, surely. Have cabled back at once to K. giving
+him warmest thanks and begging him to look, personally, into the
+question of the command of the coming Division. Have begged him to take
+Leslie Rundle's opinion on the point and have pressed it by saying,
+"Imperturbable calm in the Commander is essential above all things in
+these operations." Most of the troop transports have left their
+anchorage and gone back to Mudros for fear of submarines.
+
+Went ashore at 3 o'clock. Saw Hunter-Weston and then inspected the 29th
+Division just in from the firing line. The ground was heavy and sloppy
+after the rain. I walked as far as the trenches of the 86th Brigade and
+saw amongst other Corps the Essex, Hants, Lancashire Fusiliers and 5th
+Royal Scots. Spent over an hour chatting to groups of Officers and men
+who looked like earth to earth, caked as they were with mud, haggard
+with lack of sleep, pale as the dead, many of them slightly wounded and
+bandaged, hand or head, their clothes blood-stained, their eyes
+blood-shot. Who could have believed that only a fortnight ago these same
+figures were clean as new pins; smart and well-liking! Two-thirds of
+each Battalion were sound asleep in pools of mud and water--like corpses
+half buried! This sounds horrible but the hearty welcome extended to us
+by all ranks and the pride they took in their achievements was a sublime
+triumph of mind over matter. Our voluntary service regulars are the last
+descendants of those rulers of the ancient world, the Roman
+Legionaries. Oh that their ranks could be kept filled and that a mould
+so unique was being used to its fullest in forming new regulars.
+
+On my way back to the beach I saw the Plymouth Battalion as it marched
+in from the front line. They were quite different excepting only in the
+fact that they also had done marvels of fighting and endurance. They
+were done: they had come to the end of their tether. Not only physical
+exhaustion but moral exhaustion. They could not raise a smile in the
+whole battalion. The faces of Officers and men had a crushed, utterly
+finished expression: some of the younger Officers especially had that
+true funeral set about their lips which spreads the contagion of gloom
+through the hearts of the bravest soldiers. As each company front formed
+the knees of the rank and file seemed to give way. Down they fell and
+motionless remained. An hour or two of rest, their Colonel says, will
+make all the difference in what the French call their _allure_, but not
+quite so soon I think. These are the New Armies. They are not
+specialised types like the Old Army. They have nerves, the defects of
+their good qualities. They are more susceptible to the horrors and
+discomforts of what they were never brought up to undergo. The
+philosophy of the battlefield is not part of their panoply. No one
+fights better than they do--for a spell--and a good long spell too. But
+they have not the invincible carelessness or temperamental springiness
+of the old lot--and how should they?
+
+In the evening I received General d'Amade who had come over to pay his
+farewell visit. He is permitted to let me see his order of recall.
+"Important modifications having come about in the general political
+situation" his Government have urgent need for his services on a
+"military mission." D'Amade is a most charming, chivalrous and loyal
+soldier. He has lost his son fighting in France and he has had his
+headquarters right down in the middle of his 75's where the infernal din
+night and day must indeed murder sleep. He is a delightful person and,
+in the combat, too brave. We all wish him luck. For Kum Kale and for
+what he has done, suffered and lost he deserves great Kudos in his
+country.
+
+By order of the Vice-Admiral this ship is to anchor at Tenedos. My
+informal confab with the heroes of the 29th Division, and their utter
+unconsciousness of their own glorious conduct have moved me to write
+these few words in their honour:--
+
+                                                 GENERAL HEADQUARTERS,
+                                                      _12th May, 1915._
+
+For the first time for 18 days and nights it has been found possible to
+withdraw the 29th Division from the fire fight. During the whole of that
+long period of unprecedented strain the Division has held ground or
+gained it, against the bullets and bayonets of the constantly renewed
+forces of the foe. During the whole of that long period they have been
+illuminating the pages of military history with their blood. The losses
+have been terrible, but mingling with the deep sorrow for fallen
+comrades arises a feeling of pride in the invincible spirit which has
+enabled the survivors to triumph where ordinary troops must inevitably
+have failed. I tender to Major-General Hunter-Weston and to his Division
+at the same time my profoundest sympathy with their losses and my
+warmest congratulations on their achievement.
+
+                                                         IAN HAMILTON,
+                                                             _General._
+
+[Illustration: GENERAL D'AMADE]
+
+Also I have penned a farewell line to d'Amade:
+
+                        GENERAL HEADQUARTERS,
+                              MEDN. EXPED. FORCE,
+                                     _12th May, 1915._
+
+  MON GÉNÉRAL,
+
+With deep personal sadness I learn that your country has urgent need of
+your great experience elsewhere.
+
+From the very first you and your brave troops have done all, and more
+than all, that mortal man could do to further the cause we have at
+heart. By day and by night, for many days and nights in succession, you
+and your gallant troops have ceaselessly struggled against the enemy's
+fresh reinforcements and have won from him ground at the bayonet point.
+
+The military records of France are most glorious, but you, Mon Général,
+have added fresh brilliancy, if I may say so, even to those dazzling
+records.
+
+The losses have been cruel: such losses are almost unprecedented, but it
+may be some consolation hereafter to think that only by so fierce a
+trial could thus have been fully disclosed the flame of patriotism which
+burns in the hearts of yourself and your men.
+
+With sincere regrets at your coming departure but with the full
+assurance that in your new sphere of activity, you will continue to
+render the same valuable service you have already given to France.
+
+                    I remain,
+                        Mon Général,
+                            Your sincere friend,
+                                      IAN HAMILTON,
+                                             _General._
+
+_13th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Hot and bright. Dead calm sea. Last
+night a dense fog during which a Turkish Torpedo boat sneaked down the
+Straits and torpedoed the _Goliath_. David and his sling on the grand
+scale. No details yet to hand. The enemy deserve decorations--confound
+them!
+
+Got hold of a Fleet-sweeper and went off to Cape Helles. Again visited
+Headquarters 29th Division, and afterwards walked through the trenches
+of the 87th Brigade. Saw that fine soldier, Brigadier-General Marshall,
+in command. Chatted to no end of his men--Inniskillings, Dublin
+Fusiliers, etc. They have recovered their exhaustion; have cleaned up,
+and look full of themselves, twice the size in fact. As I stepped on to
+the little pier at Cape Helles an enemy's six-incher burst about 50
+yards back, a lump of metal just clearing my right shoulder strap and
+shooting into the sea with an ugly hiss. Not a big fragment but enough!
+
+The Staff have made up their minds that we should be very much in the
+wrong box if we dossed down on the toe of the Peninsula. First,--unless
+we get between the Divisional Generals and the enemy, there is literally
+no room! Secondly,--I should be further, in point of time, from Birdwood
+and his men than if I was still on board ship. Thirdly,--the several
+Headquarters of Divisions, whether French or British, would all equally
+hate to have Braithwaite and myself sitting in their pockets from
+morning to night. Have sent out another party, therefore, to explore
+Tenedos and see if we can find a place there which will serve us till we
+can make more elbow room on Gallipoli.
+
+The Gurkhas have stalked the Bluff Redoubt and have carried it with a
+rush! They are absolutely the boys for this class of country and for
+this class of enemy.
+
+Cabled Lord K. about the weakness of the 29th Division. At the very
+moment when we are hoping so much from a fresh push made in conjunction
+with a naval attack, the Division, the backbone of my force, are short
+by over 11,000 men and 400 Officers! As a fighting unit they are on
+their last legs and when they will be set upon their feet again Lord K.
+knows. Were we in France we'd get the men to-morrow. If I had my own
+depots in Egypt still I could see my way, but, as things are, there
+seems no chance of getting a move on for another fortnight. Have cabled
+K. saying, "I hope the 29th Division is soon to be made up to strength.
+I had no idea when I left England that the customary 10 per cent.
+reinforcement was not being taken with it by the Division although it
+was to operate at so great a distance from its base." If K. gets into a
+bad temper over the opening of my cable, its tail end should lift him
+out again. For the enemy's extremely tenacious right has been shifted at
+last. Under cover of a hooroosh by the Manchesters, the Gurkhas have
+rushed a bluff 600 yards ahead of our line and are sticking to their
+winnings.
+
+_14th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Hot day, smooth sea. Disembarking
+to bivouac on shore. What a contrast we must present to the Headquarters
+in France! There the stately _Château_; sheets, table-cloths and motor
+cars. Here the red tab patricians have to haul their own kits over the
+sand.
+
+In the afternoon d'Amade came back with General Gouraud, his successor,
+the new Chief of the French. A resolute, solid looking _gaillard_ is
+Gouraud. He brings a great reputation with him from the Western Front.
+
+Quite late the Admiral came over to see me. He brings bad news. Roger
+Keyes and the forwards will be cut to the heart. The Admiralty have
+turned down the proposal to force the Straits simultaneously by land and
+sea. We are to go on attacking; the warships are to go on supporting.
+
+From the earliest days great commanders have rubbed in the maxim, "If
+you attack, attack with all your force." Our people know better; we are
+to go on attacking with half our force. First we attack with the naval
+half and are held up--next we attack with the army half and are held up.
+
+The Admiral has changed his mind about our landing and thinks it would
+be best not to fix G.H.Q. at Tenedos; first, because there might be
+delay in getting quickly to Anzac; secondly, because Tenedos is so close
+to Asia that we might all be scuppered in our beds by a cutting-out
+party of Besika Bay ruffians, unless we had a guard. But we can't run to
+the pomp and circumstance of a Commander-in-Chief's guard here.
+
+_15th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Till 3 p.m. the perspiring Staff
+were re-embarking their gear. Sailed then for Helles when I saw
+Hunter-Weston who gave me a full account of the attacks made on the
+newly gained bluff upon our left. Shells busy bursting on "W" Beach.
+Some French aeroplanes have arrived--God be praised! Shocked to hear
+Birdie has been hit, but another message to say nothing serious, came
+close on the heels of the first. Anchored at Imbros when I got a cable
+asking me what forces I shall need to carry right through to a finish.
+A crucial question, very much affected by what the Admiral told me last
+night. Nothing easier than to ask for 150,000 men and then, if I fail
+say I didn't get what I wanted, but the boldest leaders, Bobs, White,
+Gordon, K., have always "asked for more" with a most queasy conscience.
+On the face of it I need many more men if the Fleet is not to attack,
+and yet I am not even supposed to have knowledge, much less an opinion,
+as to what passes between the Fleet and the Admiralty!
+
+_16th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ De Robeck came off the _Lord
+Nelson_, his new Flagship, in the morning. The submarines are shadowing
+him already, and there seems little doubt they are on their way.
+
+Bridges has been badly wounded. The news upset me so got hold of H.M.S.
+_Rattlesnake_ (Commander Wedgwood), and started off for Anzac. Went
+ashore and saw Birdie. Doing so, I received a different sort of salute
+from that to which a Commander-in-Chief landing on duty is entitled by
+regulation. Quite a shower of shell fell all about us, the Turks having
+spotted there was some sort of "bloke" on the _Rattlesnake_. We went
+round a bit of the line, and found all well, the men in great heart and,
+amidst a constant crackle of musketry, looking as if they liked it.
+Birdie himself is still a little shaken by his wound of yesterday. He
+had a close shave indeed. A bullet came through the chinks of a sandbag
+and scalped him. He fell to the ground senseless and pouring with
+blood, but when he had been picked up and washed he wanted to finish his
+round of the trenches.
+
+Embarked again under brisk shell fire and proceeded to the hospital ship
+_Gascon_ where I saw General Bridges. He looked languid and pale. But
+his spirit was high as ever and he smiled at a little joke I managed to
+make about the way someone had taken the shelling we had just gone
+through. The doctors, alas, give a bad, if not desperate, account of
+him. Were he a young man, they could save him by cutting off his leg
+high up, but as it is he would not stand the shock. On the other hand,
+his feet are so cold from the artery being severed that they anticipate
+mortification. I should have thought better have a try at cutting off
+the leg, but they are not for it. Bridges will be a real loss. He was a
+single-minded, upright, politics-despising soldier. With all her
+magnificent rank and file, Australia cannot afford to lose Bridges. But
+perhaps I am too previous. May it be so!
+
+Spent a good long time talking to wounded men--Australians, New
+Zealanders and native Indians. Both the former like to meet someone who
+knows their native country, and the natives brighten up when they are
+greeted in Hindustani. On returning to Imbros, got good news about the
+Lancashire Territorials who have gained 180 yards of ground without
+incurring any loss to speak of. They are real good chaps. They suffer
+only from the regular soldiers' fault; there are too few of them here.
+
+_17th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian." 10 p.m._ Too much work to move. In
+the evening the Admiral came to see me and read my rough draft for an
+answer to Lord K.'s cable. We show the Navy all our important operations
+cables; they have their own ways of doing things and don't open out so
+freely. On the face of it, we are invited to say what we want. Well, to
+steer a middle course between my duty to my force and my loyalty to K.
+is not so simple as it might seem. That middle course is (if I can only
+hit it) my duty to my country. The chief puzzle of the problem is that
+nothing turns out as we were told it would turn out. The landing has
+been made but the Balkans fold their arms, the Italians show no
+interest, the Russians do not move an inch to get across the Black Sea
+(the Grand Duke Nicholas has no munitions, we hear); our submarines have
+got through but they can only annoy, they cannot cut the sea
+communications, and so the Turks have not fled to Bulair. Instead, enemy
+submarines are actually about to get at us and our ships are being
+warned they may have to make themselves scarce: last--in point of
+time--but not least, not by a long way, the central idea of the original
+plan, an attack by the Fleet on the Forts appears to have been entirely
+shelved. At first the Fleet was to force its way through; we were to
+look on; next, the Fleet and the Army were to go for the Straits side by
+side; to-day, the whole problem may fairly be restated on a clean sheet
+of paper, so different is it from the problem originally put to me by K.
+when it was understood I would put him in an impossible position if I
+pressed for reinforcements. We should be on velvet if we asked for so
+many troops that we must win if we got them; whereas, if we did not get
+them we could say victory was impossible. But we are not the only
+fighters for the Empire. The Admiral, Braithwaite, Roger Keyes agree
+with me that the fair and square thing under the circumstances is to ask
+for _what is right_; not a man more than we, in our consciences, believe
+we will really need,--not a man less.
+
+Actually, after much heart searching and head scratching, my mind has
+made itself up and has gone home by cable to-day. The statement is
+entirely frank and covers all the ground except as regards the Fleet, a
+pidgin which flies out of range:--
+
+"(M.F. 234).
+
+"Your No. 4644 cipher, of the 14th instant. The following is my
+appreciation of the situation:
+
+"On the one hand, there are at present on the Peninsula as many troops
+as the available space and water supply can accommodate.
+
+"On the other hand, to break through the strong opposition on my front
+will require more troops. I am, therefore, in a quandary, because
+although more troops are wanted there is, at present, no room for
+them.[18] Moreover, the difficulty in answering your question is
+accentuated by the fact that my answer must depend on whether Turkey
+will continue to be left undisturbed in other parts and therefore free
+to make good the undoubtedly heavy losses incurred here by sending
+troops from Adrianople, Keshan, Constantinople and Asia; we now have
+direct evidence that the latter has been the case.
+
+"If the present condition of affairs in this respect were changed by the
+entry into the struggle of Bulgaria or Greece or by the landing of the
+Russians, my present force, kept up to strength by the necessary drafts,
+plus the Army Corps asked for in my No. M.F. 216 of the 10th May, would
+probably suffice to finish my task. If, however, the present situation
+remains unchanged and the Turks are still able to devote so much
+exclusive attention to us, I shall want an additional army corps, that
+is, two army corps additional in all.
+
+"I could not land these reinforcements on the Peninsula until I can
+advance another 1,000 yards and so free the beaches from the shelling to
+which they are subjected from the Western side and gain more space; but
+I could land them on the adjacent islands of Tenedos, Imbros and Lemnos
+and take them over later to the Peninsula for battle. This plan would
+surmount the difficulties of water and space on the Peninsula and would,
+perhaps, enable me to effect a surprise with the fresh divisions.
+
+"I believe I could advance with half the loss of life that is now being
+reckoned upon, if I had a liberal supply of gun ammunition, especially
+of high explosive."
+
+Only bitterest experience has forced me to insert the two stipulations
+which should go without saving, (1) that my force is kept up to
+strength, (2) that I have a decent allowance of gun ammunition,
+especially of high explosives.
+
+Will Lord K. meet us half way, I wonder? He is the idol of England, and
+take him all in all, the biggest figure in the world. He believes, he
+has an instinct, that here is the heel of the German Colossus, otherwise
+immune to our arrows. Let him but put his foot down, and who dare say
+him nay?
+
+The most vital of my demands is that my formations should be kept full.
+An extra 50,000 men in the shape of a new army corps is one thing. An
+extra 50,000 men to feed war-trained units already in the field is
+another, and very different, and very much better thing. The value of
+keeping the veteran corps up to strength and the value of the same
+number of rifles organized into raw battalions commanded by
+inexperienced leaders is as the value of the sun to the moon. But K. and
+I have never seen eye to eye here, and never will. The spirit of man is
+like a precious stone: the greater it is the more room in it for a flaw.
+Who in the world but K. would have swept up all the odds and ends of
+detachments from about twenty different regiments of mine sent from
+Pretoria to Elandsfontein to bring up remounts and clothing to their
+units; who but K. could have conceived the idea of forming them into a
+new corps and expecting them to fight as well as ever--instead of
+legging it like the wind as they did at the first whistle of a bullet?
+On the other hand, who but K., at that time, could have run the war at
+all?
+
+The 29th Division have managed to snatch another 150 yards from the
+enemy, greatly strengthening the bluff upon which the Gurkhas dug
+themselves in.
+
+_18th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Villiers Stuart, Birdie's Staff
+Officer, has been killed on Anzac by a shell. The submarine E.14 sailed
+into harbour after a series of hair-raising adventures in the Sea of
+Marmora. She is none the worse, bar the loss of one periscope from a
+Turkish lucky shot. Her Commander, Boyle, comes only after Nasmith as a
+pet of Roger Keyes! She got a tremendous ovation from the Fleet. The
+exploits of the submarine give a flat knock-out to Norman Angell's
+contention that excitement and romance have now gone out of war.
+
+Have asked that the Maoris may be sent from Malta to join the New
+Zealanders at Anzac. I hope and believe that they will do well. Their
+white comrades from the Northern Island are very keen to have them.
+
+_19th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian"._ Compton Mackenzie has come on
+board. He is to be attached to the Intelligence. General Gouraud and his
+Chief of Staff, Girodon, lunched. I do not know many French Officers,
+but Girodon happens to be an old acquaintance. I met him six years ago
+on the Austrian manoeuvres. He is a delightful personality; a very
+sound soldier and a plucky one also. I reminded him how, in 1906, he had
+told me that the Germans would end by binding together all the other
+peoples of Europe against the common danger of their dominance. This was
+at Teschen on the borderland between Austrian and Prussian Silesia
+during the Austrian Manoeuvres. He remembered the occasion and the
+remark. Well, he has proved a true prophet!
+
+A cable from K. in answer to mine giving two more Army Corps as my
+minimum unless some neutral or Allied Power is going to help us against
+the Turks. I knew he would be greatly upset:--
+
+"(4726, cipher).
+
+"Private and personal. With reference to your telegram No. M.F. 234, I
+am quite certain that you fully realize what a serious disappointment it
+has been to me to discover that my preconceived views as to the conquest
+of positions necessary to dominate the forts on the Straits, with naval
+artillery to support our troops on land, and with the active help of
+naval bombardment, were miscalculated.
+
+"A serious situation is created by the present check, and the calls for
+large reinforcements and an additional amount of ammunition that we can
+ill spare from France.
+
+"From the stand-point of an early solution of our difficulties, your
+views, as stated, are not encouraging. The question whether we can long
+support two fields of operation draining on our resources requires
+grave consideration. I know that I can rely upon you to do your utmost
+to bring the present unfortunate state of affairs in the Dardanelles to
+as early a conclusion as possible, so that any consideration of a
+withdrawal, with all its dangers in the East, may be prevented from
+entering the field of possible solutions.
+
+"When all the above is taken into consideration, I am somewhat surprised
+to see that the 4,500 which Maxwell can send you are apparently not
+required by you. With the aid of these I had hoped that you would have
+been in a position to press forward.
+
+"The Lowland Division is leaving for you."
+
+This is a queer cable. Seems as if K. was beginning to come up against
+those political forces which have ever been a British Commander's bane.
+The words in which he begs me to try and prevent "a withdrawal with all
+its dangers in the East ... from entering the field of possible
+solutions," sounds uncommonly like a cry for help. He means that I
+should help him by remembering, and by making smaller calls upon him.
+But the only way I can _really_ help him is by winning a battle: to
+pretend I could win that battle without drafts, munitions and the Army
+Corps asked for would be a very short-lived bluff both for him and for
+me. We have had it from other sources that this strange notion of
+running away from the Turk, after singeing his beard, has arisen in
+London and in France. So now that the murder has peeped out, I am glad
+to know where we are and to feel that K. stands solid and sound behind
+us. He need have no fear; all that man can do I will do by pressing on
+here and by asking for not one man or round more than is absolutely
+essential for the job.
+
+As to that passage about the 4,500 Australians, a refusal of Australians
+would indeed be good cause for surprise--only--it has never taken place,
+and never will take place. I can only surmise that my request made to
+Maxwell that these 4,500 men should come to me as drafts for my skeleton
+units, instead of as a raw brigade, has twisted itself, going down some
+office corridor, into a story that I don't want the men! K. tells me
+Egypt is mine and the fatness thereof; yet, no sooner do I make the most
+modest suggestion concerning anything or anyone Egyptian than K. is got
+at and I find he is the Barmecide and I Schac'abac. "How do you like
+your lentil soup?" says K. "Excellently well," say I, "but devil a drop
+is in the plate!" I have got to enter into the joke; that's the long and
+the short of it. But it is being pushed just a trifle too far when I am
+told I _apparently do not require_ 4,500 Australians!
+
+The whole of K.'s cable calls for close thinking. How to try and help
+him to pump courage into faint-hearted fellows? How to do so without
+toning down my demands for reinforcements?--for evidently these demands
+are what are making them shake in their shoes. Here is my draft for an
+answer: I can't change my estimate: it was the least I could safely ask
+for: but I can make it clear I do not want to ask for more than he can
+give:--
+
+"(M.F. 243).
+
+"With reference to your No. 4726, cipher. Private and personal. You need
+not be despondent at anything in the situation. Remember that you asked
+me to answer on the assumption that you had adequate forces at your
+disposal, and I did so.
+
+"Maxwell must have misinformed you. I want the Australian reinforcements
+to fill existing cadres. Maxwell, possibly not to disappoint senior
+officers, has sent them as weak brigades, which complicates command and
+organization exceedingly.
+
+"We gain ground surely if slowly every day, and now at 11 p.m. the
+French and Naval Divisions are fighting their way forward."
+
+Tidings of great joy from Anzac. The whole of the enemy's
+freshly-arrived contingent have made a grand assault and have been
+shattered in the attempt. Samson dropped bombs on them as they were
+standing on the shore after their disembarkation. Next, they were moved
+up into the fight where a tremendous fire action was in progress. Last,
+they stormed forward in the densest masses yet seen on the Peninsula.
+Then, they were mown down and driven back headlong. So they have had a
+dreadnought reception. This has not been a local trench attack but a
+real battle and a fiery one. I have lost no time in cabling the glorious
+news to K. The cloud of these coming enemy reinforcements has cast its
+shadow over us for awhile and now the sun shines again.
+
+_20th May, 1919. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Aubrey Herbert saw me before
+dinner. He brings a message from Birdie to say that there has been some
+sort of parley with the enemy who wish to fix up an armistice for the
+burial of their dead. Herbert is keen on meeting the Turks half way and
+I am quite with him, _provided_ Birdie clearly understands that no Corps
+Commander can fix up an armistice off his own bat, and _provided_ it is
+clear we do not ask for the armistice but grant it to them--the
+suppliants. Herbert brings amazing fine detail about the night and day
+battle on the high ridges. Birdie has fairly taken the fighting edge off
+Liman von Sanders' two new Divisions: he has knocked them to bits. A few
+more shells and they would have been swept off the face of the earth. As
+it is we have slaughtered a multitude. Since the 18th we are down to two
+rounds per gun per diem, but the Turks who have been short of stuff
+since the 8th instant are now once more well found. Admiral Thursby
+tells me he himself counted 240 shells falling on one of Birdwood's
+trenches in the space of ten minutes. I asked him if that amounted to
+one shell per yard and he said the whole length of the trench was less
+than 100 yards. On the 18th fifty heavy shells, including 12-inch and
+14-inch, dropped out of the blue vault of heaven on to the Anzacs.
+Everyone sorry to say good-bye to Thursby who goes to Italy.
+
+Rumours that Winston is leaving the Admiralty. This would be an awful
+blow to us out here, would be a sign that Providence had some grudge
+against the Dardanelles. Private feelings do not count in war, but alas,
+how grievous is this set-back to one who has it in him to revive the
+part of Pitt, had he but Pitt's place. Haldane, too. Are the benefits of
+his organization of our army to be discounted because they had a German
+origin? _Fas est et ab hoste doceri_. Half the guns on the Peninsula
+would have been scrap-iron had it not been for Haldane! But if this
+turns out true about Winston, there will be a colder spirit (let them
+appoint whom they will) at the back of our battleships here.
+
+_21st May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian." Imbros._ De Robeck came on board
+with Lieutenant-Commander Boyle of E. 4 fame. I was proud indeed to meet
+the young and modest hero. He gets the V.C.; his other two officers the
+D.S.O.; his crew the D.C.M.
+
+Also he brought with him the Reuter giving us the Cabinet changes and
+the resignations of Fisher and Winston and this, in its interest, has
+eclipsed even V.C.s for the moment. De Robeck reminded me that Lord K.'s
+cable (begging me to help him to combat any idea of withdrawal) must
+have been written that very day. A significant straw disclosing the
+veering of the winds of high politics! Evidently K. felt ill at ease;
+evidently he must now be sitting at a round table surrounded by masked
+figures. Have just finished writing him to sympathize; to say he is not
+to worry about me as "I know that as long as you remain at the War
+Office no one will be allowed to harm us out here." Nor could they if he
+were the K. of old; the K. who downed Milner and Chamberlain by making a
+peace by agreement with the Boers and then swallowed a Viceroy and his
+Military Member of Council as an appetiser to his more serious digest of
+India. But is he? Where are the instruments?--gone to France or gone to
+glory. Callwell is the exception.
+
+I would give a great deal for one good talk with K.--I would indeed. But
+this is not France. Time and space forbid my quitting the helm and so I
+must try and induce the mountain to come to Mahomet. My letter goes on
+to say, "Could you not take a run out here and see us? If once you
+realize with your own eyes what the troops are doing I would never need
+to praise them again. Travelling in the _Phaeton_ you would be here in
+three days; you would see some wonderful things and the men would be
+tremendously bucked up. The spirit of all ranks rises above trials and
+losses and is confident of the present and cheery about the future."
+
+Quite apart from any high politics, or from my coming to a fresh, clear,
+close understanding with K. on subjects neither of us understood when
+last we spoke together, I wish, on the grounds of ordinary tactics, he
+could make up his mind to come out. The man who has _seen_ gains
+self-confidence and the prestige of his subject when he encounters
+others who have only _heard_ and _read_. K. might snap his fingers at
+the new hands in the Cabinet once he had been out and got the real
+Gallipoli at their tips.
+
+I can't keep my thoughts from dwelling on the fate of Winston. How will
+he feel now he realizes he is shorn of his direct power to help us
+through these dark and dreadful Straits? Since I started nothing has
+handicapped me more than the embargo which a double loyalty to K. and to
+de Robeck has imposed upon my communications to Winston. What a tragedy
+that his nerve and military vision have been side-tracked: his eclipse
+projects a black shadow over the Dardanelles.
+
+Very likely the next great war will have begun before we realize that
+the three days' delay in the fall of Antwerp saved Calais. No more
+brilliant effort of unaided genius in history than that recorded in the
+scene when Winston burst into the Council Chamber and bucked up the
+Burgomeisters to hold on a little bit longer. Any comfort our people may
+enjoy from being out of cannon shot of the Germans--they owe it to the
+imagination, bluff and persuasiveness of Winston and to this gallant
+Naval Division now destined to be starved to death!
+
+Sent my first despatch home to-day by King's Messenger. Never has story
+been penned amidst so infernal a racket.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+SUBMARINES
+
+
+_22nd May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ News in to say that yesterday,
+whilst Herbert was here to take orders about an armistice, some sort of
+an informal parley actually took place. Both sides suddenly got panic
+stricken, thinking the others were treacherous, and fire was opened,
+some stretcher bearers being killed. Nothing else was to be expected
+when things are done in this casual and unauthorized way. I felt very
+much annoyed, but Aubrey Herbert was still on board and I saw him before
+breakfast and told him Walker seemed to have taken too much upon himself
+parleying with the Turks and that Birdwood must now make this clear to
+everyone for future guidance. Although Aubrey Herbert is excessively
+unorthodox he quite sees that confabs with enemies must be carried out
+according to Cocker.
+
+After breakfast landed at Cape Helles. Inspected the detachment of the
+Works Department of the Egyptian Army as it was on its way to the French
+Headquarters. Colonel Micklem was in charge. At Sedd-el-Bahr lunched
+with Gouraud and his Staff. General Bailloud rode up just as I was about
+to enter the porch of the old Fort. He was in two minds whether or not
+to embrace me, being in very high feather, his men having this morning
+carried the Haricot redoubt overlooking the Kereves Dere. At lunch he
+was the greatest possible fun, bubbling over with jokes and witty
+sallies. Just as we were finishing, news came through the telephone that
+Bailloud's Brigade had been driven in by a big Turkish counter-attack,
+with a loss of 400 men and some first class officers. Most of us showed
+signs, I will not say of being rattled, but of having stumbled against a
+rattlesnake. Gouraud remained unaffectedly in possession of himself as
+host of a lunch party. He said, "We will not take the trenches by not
+taking the coffee. Let us drink it first, and then we will consider." So
+we drank our coffee; lit our smokes, and afterwards Gouraud, through
+Girodon, issued his orders in the most calm and matter-of-fact way. He
+declares the redoubt will be in our hands again to-morrow.
+
+Our lunch was to furnish us with yet another landmark for bad luck. As
+we were leaving, a message came in to say that an enemy submarine had
+been sighted off Gaba Tepe. The fresh imprint of a tiger's paw upon the
+pathway gives the same sort of feel to the Indian herdsman. Tall stories
+from neighbouring villages have been going the round for weeks, only
+half-believed, but here is the very mark of the beast; the horror has
+suddenly taken shape. He mutters the name of God, wondering what eyes
+may even now be watching his every movement; he wonders whose turn will
+come first--and when--and where. This was the sort of effect of the
+wireless and in a twinkling every transport round the coast was steering
+full steam to Imbros. In less than no time we saw a regatta of
+skedaddling ships. So dies the invasion of England bogey which, from
+first to last, has wrought us an infinity of harm. Born and bred of
+mistrust of our own magnificent Navy, it has led soldiers into heresy
+after fallacy and fallacy after heresy until now it is the cause of my
+Divisions here being hardly larger than Brigades, whilst the men who
+might have filled them are "busy" guarding London! If one rumoured
+submarine can put the fear of the Lord into British transports how are
+German or any other transports going to face up to a hundred British
+submarines? The theory of the War Office has struggled with the theory
+of the Admiralty for the past five years: now there is nothing left of
+the War Office theory; no more than is left of a soap bubble when you
+strike it with a battleaxe. Some other stimulus to our Territorial
+recruiting than the fear of invasion will have to be invented in future.
+
+After lunch went to the Headquarters of the 29th Division where all the
+British Divisional Generals had assembled together to meet me. The same
+story everywhere--lack of men, meaning extra work--which again means
+sickness and still greater lack of men. On my return found a letter from
+the Turkish Commander-in-Chief giving his "full consent" to the
+armistice he himself had asked me for! A save-face document, no doubt:
+the wounded are all Turks as our men did not leave their trenches on
+the 19th; the dead, also, I am glad to say, almost entirely Turks; but
+anyway, one need not be too punctilious where it is a matter of giving
+decent burial to so many men.
+
+                                GRAND QUARTIER GÉNÉRAL DE LA 5me ARMÉE
+                                                         OTTOMANE.
+                                                      _le 22 mai 1915._
+
+    "EXCELLENCE!
+
+     "J'ai l'honneur d'informer Votre Excellence que les propositions
+     concernant la conclusion d'un armistice pour enterrer les morts et
+     secourir les blessés des deux parties adverses, ont trouvé mon
+     plein consentement--et que seule nos sentiments d'humanité nous y
+     ont déterminés.
+
+     "J'ai investi le lieutenant-colonel Fahreddin du pouvoir de signer
+     en mon nom.
+
+     "J'ai l'honneur d'être avec l'assurance de ma plus haute
+     considération.
+
+                                           (_Sd._) "LIMAN VON SANDERS,
+
+                                       "Commandant en chef de la 5me
+                                                      Armée Ottomane.
+
+  "Commandant en chef des Forces Britanniques,
+      Sir John Hamilton, Excellence."
+
+_23rd May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Blazing hot. Wrote all day. Had an
+hour and a half's talk with de Robeck--high politics as well as our own
+rather anxious affairs. No one knows how the new First Lord will play
+up, but Asquith, for sure, chucks away his mainspring if he parts with
+Winston: as to Fisher, he too has energy but none of it came our way so
+he will have no tears from us, though he has friends here too. The
+submarine scare is full on; the beastly things have frightened us more
+than all the Turks and all their German guns.
+
+_24th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Vice-Admiral Nicol, French Naval
+Commander-in-Chief, came aboard to pay me a visit.
+
+Armistice from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. for burial of Turkish dead. All
+went off quite smoothly.... This moment, 12.40 p.m. the Captain has
+rushed in to say that H.M.S. _Triumph_ is sinking! He caught the bad
+news on his wireless as it flew. Beyond doubt the German submarine. What
+exactly is about to happen, God knows. The fleet cannot see itself wiped
+out by degrees; and yet, without the fleet, how are we soldiers to
+exist? One more awful conundrum set to us, but the Navy will solve it,
+for sure.
+
+_25th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Bad news confirmed. The Admiral
+came aboard and between us we tried to size up the new situation and to
+readjust ourselves thereto. Our nicely worked out system for supplying
+the troops has in a moment been tangled up into a hundred knotty
+problems. Instead of our small craft working to and fro in half mile
+runs, henceforth they will have to cover 60 miles per trip. Until now
+the big ocean going ships have anchored close up to Helles or Anzac; in
+future Mudros will be the only possible harbour for these priceless
+floating depots. Imbros, here, lies quite open to submarine attacks, and
+in a northerly gale, becomes a mere roadstead. The Admiral, who regards
+soldiers as wayward water babes, has insisted on lashing a merchantman
+to each side of the _Arcadian_ to serve as torpedo buffers. There are,
+it seems, at least two German submarines prowling about at the present
+moment between Gaba Tepe and Cape Helles. After torpedoing the _Triumph_
+the same submarine fired at and missed the _Vengeance_. The _Lord
+Nelson_ with the Admiral, as well as three French battleships,
+zig-zagged out of harbour and made tracks for Mudros in the afternoon.
+We are left all alone in our glory with our two captive merchantmen. The
+attitude is heroic but not, I think, so dangerous as it is
+uncomfortable. The big ocean liners lashed to port and starboard cut us
+off from air as well as light and one of them is loaded with Cheddar.
+When Mr. Jorrocks awoke James Pigg and asked him to open the window and
+see what sort of a hunting morning it was, it will be remembered that
+the huntsman opened the cupboard by mistake and made the reply, "Hellish
+dark and smells of cheese." Well, that immortal remark hits us off to a
+T. Never mind. Light will be vouchsafed. Amen.
+
+The burial of 3,000 Turks by armistice at Anzac seems to have been
+carried out without a hitch. All these 3,000 Turks were killed between
+the 18th and 20th instant. By the usual averages this figure implies
+over 12,000 wounded so the Lord has vouchsafed us a signal victory
+indeed. Birdwood's men were all out and his reserves, or rather the lack
+of them, would not permit him to counter-attack the moment the enemy's
+assault was repulsed. When we read of battles in histories we feel, we
+see, so clearly the value of counter-attack and the folly of passive
+defence; but, in the field, the struggle has sometimes been so close
+that the victorious defence are left gasping. The enemy were very polite
+during the armistice, and by way of being highly solemn and correct, but
+they could not refrain from bursting into laughter when the Australians
+held up cigarettes and called out "baksheesh."
+
+Last night the French and the Naval Brigade made a good advance with
+slight loss. The East Lancs also pushed on a little bit.
+
+_26th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Entertained a small party of
+Australian officers as my private guests for 48 hours, my idea being to
+give them a bit of a rest. Colonel Monash, commanding 4th Australian
+Infantry Brigade, was the senior. He is a very competent officer. I have
+a clear memory of him standing under a gum tree at Lilydale, near
+Melbourne, holding a conference after a manoeuvre, when it had been
+even hotter than it is here now. I was prepared for intelligent
+criticisms but I thought they would be so wrapped up in the cotton wool
+of politeness that no one would be very much impressed. On the contrary,
+he stated his opinions in the most direct, blunt, telling way. The fact
+was noted in my report and now his conduct out here has been fully up to
+sample.
+
+A horrid mishap. Landing some New Zealand Mounted Rifles at Anzac, the
+destroyer anchored within range of the Turkish guns instead of slowly
+steaming about out of range until the picket boats came off to bring the
+men ashore. The Turks were watching and, as soon as she let go her
+anchor, opened fire from their guns by the olive, and before the
+destroyer could get under weigh six of these fine New Zealand lads were
+killed and forty-five wounded. A hundred fair fighting casualties would
+affect me less. To be knocked out before having taken part in a battle,
+or even having set foot upon the Promised Land--nothing could be more
+cruel.
+
+A special order to the troops:--
+
+                                                 GENERAL HEADQUARTERS,
+                                                      _25th May, 1915._
+
+1. Now that a clear month has passed since the Mediterranean
+Expeditionary Force began its night and day fighting with the enemy, the
+General Commanding desires me to explain to officers, non-commissioned
+officers and men the real significance of the calls made upon them to
+risk their lives apparently for nothing better than to gain a few yards
+of uncultivated land.
+
+2. A comparatively small body of the finest troops in the world, French
+and British, have effected a lodgment close to the heart of a great
+continental empire, still formidable even in its decadence. Here they
+stand firm, or slowly advance, and in the efforts made by successive
+Turkish armies to dislodge them the rotten Government at Constantinople
+is gradually wearing itself out. The facts and figures upon which this
+conclusion is based have been checked and verified from a variety of
+sources. Agents of neutral powers possessing good sources of information
+have placed both the numbers and the losses of the enemy much higher
+than they are set forth here, but the General Commanding prefers to be
+on the safe side and to give his troops a strictly conservative
+estimate.
+
+Before operations began the strength of the defenders of the Dardanelles
+was:--
+
+  Gallipoli Peninsula          34,000 and about 100 guns.
+  Asiatic side of Straits      41,000
+
+All the troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula and fifty per cent. of the
+troops on the Asiatic side were Nizam, that is to say, regular first
+line troops. They were transferable, and were actually transferred to
+this side upon which the invaders disembarked. Our Expeditionary Force
+effected its landing it will be seen, in the face of an enemy superior,
+not only to the covering parties which got ashore the first day, but
+superior actually to the total strength at our disposal. By the 12th
+May, the Turkish Army of occupation had been defeated in several
+engagements, and would have been at the end of their resources had they
+not meanwhile received reinforcements of 20,000 infantry and 21
+batteries of Field Artillery.
+
+Still the Expeditionary Force held its own, and more than its own,
+inflicting fresh bloody defeats upon the newcomers and again the Turks
+must certainly have given way had not a second reinforcement reached the
+Peninsula from Constantinople and Smyrna amounting at the lowest
+estimate to 24,000 men.
+
+3. From what has been said it will be understood that the Mediterranean
+Expeditionary Force, supported by its gallant comrades the Fleet, but
+with constantly diminishing effectives, has held in check or wrested
+ground from some 120,000 Turkish troops elaborately entrenched and
+supported by a powerful artillery.
+
+The enemy has now few more Nizam troops at his disposal and not many
+Redif or second class troops. Up to date his casualties are 55,000, and
+again, in giving this figure, the General Commanding has preferred to
+err on the side of low estimates.
+
+Daily we make progress, and whenever the reinforcements close at hand
+begin to put in an appearance, the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
+will press forward with a fresh impulse to accomplish the greatest
+Imperial task ever entrusted to an army.
+
+_27th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ The _Majestic_ has been torpedoed
+and has sunk off Cape Helles. Got the news at mid-day. Fuller, my
+Artillery Commander, and Ashmead-Bartlett, the correspondent, were both
+on board, and both were saved--minus kit! About 40 men have gone under.
+Bad luck. A Naval Officer who has seen her says she is lying in shallow
+water--6 fathoms--bottom upwards looking like a stranded whale. He says
+the German submarine made a most lovely shot at her through a crowd of
+cargo ships and transports. Like picking a royal stag out of his harem
+of does. To my Staff, they tell me, he delivered himself further but, as
+I said to the Officer who repeated these criticisms to me, "judge not
+that ye be not judged."
+
+_28th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Went for a walk with the Admiral.
+He refuses any longer to accept the responsibility of keeping us afloat.
+As Helles, Anzac and Tenedos have each been ruled out, we are going to
+doss down on this sandbank opposite us. One thing, it will be central to
+both my theatres of work.
+
+_29th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ The Commodore, Roger Keyes, arrived
+mid-day and invited me to come over to Helles with him on a destroyer,
+H.M.S. _Scorpion._ He was crossing in hopes--_in hopes,_ if you
+please--of hitting off the submarine. The idea that it might hit him had
+not seemed to occur to him. On the way we were greatly excited to see
+the bladder of an indicator net smoking. So we rushed about the place
+and bombs were got ready to drop. But the net remained motionless and,
+as the water was too deep for the submarine to be lying at the bottom,
+it seemed (although no one dared to say so) that a porpoise had been
+poking fun at the Commodore.
+
+Landing at Helles inspected the various roads, which were in the making.
+Next saw Hunter-Weston. Canvassed plans with him and felt myself
+refreshed. Then went on to Gouraud's Headquarters, taking the Commodore
+with me. My Commanders are an asset which cancels many a debit. Gouraud
+is in excellent form and gave us tea. Walked down to "V" Beach at 6 p.m.
+
+When we got on to the pier, which ends in the _River Clyde_, we found
+another destroyer, the _Wolverine_, under Lieutenant-Commander Keyes,
+the brother of the Commodore. She was to take us across, and (of all
+places in the world to select for a berth!) she had run herself
+alongside the _River Clyde_ which was, at that moment, busy playing
+target to the heavy guns of Asia. I imagined that taking aboard a boss
+like the Commander-in-Chief, as well as that much bigger boss (in naval
+estimates) his own big brother, the Commodore, our Lieutenant-Commander
+would nip away presto. Not a bit of it! No sooner had he got us aboard
+than he came out boldly and very, very slowly, stern first, from the lee
+of the _River Clyde_ and began a duel against Asia with 4-inch lyddite
+from the _Wolverine's_ after gun. The fight seems quite funny to me now
+but, at the time, serio-comic would have better described my
+impressions. Shells ashore are part of the common lot; they come in the
+day's work: on the water; in a cockleshell--well, you can't go to
+ground, anyway!
+
+[Illustration: VIEW OF "V" BEACH, TAKEN FROM S.S. "RIVER CLYDE"
+_"Central News" photo._]
+
+Heavy fighting at Anzac. The Turks fired a mine under Quinn's Post and
+then rushed a section of the defence isolated by the explosion. At 6 in
+the morning the crater was, Birdie says, most gallantly retaken with the
+bayonet. There are excursions and alarms; attacks and counter-attacks;
+bomb-showers to which the bayonet charge is our only retort--but we hold
+fast the crater!
+
+When I tell them at home that if they will give me munitions enough to
+let me advance two miles I will give them Constantinople, that is the
+truth. On paper, the Turks no doubt might assert with equal force that
+if they got forces enough together to drive the Australians back a short
+two hundred yards they could give the Sultan the resounding prestige of
+a Peninsula freed from the Giaour. But that would require more Turks
+than the Turks could feed, whereas we know we could do it now, as we
+are--given the wherewithal--trench mortars, hand grenades and bombs, for
+example.
+
+A message from Hanbury Williams, who is with the Grand Duke Nicholas, to
+say that all idea of sending me a Russian Army Corps to land at the
+Bosphorus has been abandoned!!!
+
+_30th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Went to Anzac in a destroyer. The
+Cove was being heavily shelled, and the troops near the beach together
+with the fatigue parties handling stores and ammunition, had dashed
+into their dugouts like marmots at the shadow of an eagle. Birdwood came
+out to meet me on this very unhealthy spot; indeed, in spite of my
+waving him back, he walked right on to the end of the deserted pier.
+Just as we were getting near his quarters, a couple of shrapnel burst at
+an angle and height which, by the laws of gravity, momentum and velocity
+ought to have put a fullstop to this chronicle. Actually, we walked
+on--through the "Valley of Death"--past the spot where the brave Bridges
+bit the dust, to the Headquarters of the 4th Australian Infantry
+Brigade. Thence I could see the enemy trenches in front of Quinn's Post,
+and also a very brisk bomb combat in full flame where the New Zealand
+Mounted Rifles were making good the Turkish communicating post they had
+seized earlier in the day. Nothing more strange than this inspection.
+Along the path at the bottom of the valley warning notices were stuck
+up. The wayfarer has to be as punctilious about each footstep as
+Christian in the "Pilgrim's Progress." Should he disregard the placards
+directing him to keep to the right or to the left of the track, he is
+almost certainly shot. Half of the pathway may be as safe as Piccadilly,
+whilst he who treads the other had far better be up yonder at hand grips
+with the Turks. Presumably some feature of the ground defilades one
+part, for the enemy cannot see into the valley, although, were they only
+20 yards nearer the edge of the cliff, they would command its whole
+extent. The spirit of the men is invincible. Only lately have we been
+able to give them blankets: as to square meals and soft sleeps, these
+are dreams of the past, they belonged to another state of being. Yet I
+never struck a more jovial crew. Men staggering under huge sides of
+frozen beef; men struggling up cliffs with kerosine tins full of water;
+men digging; men cooking; men card-playing in small dens scooped out
+from the banks of yellow clay--everyone wore a Bank Holiday
+air;--evidently the ranklings and worry of mankind--miseries and
+concerns of the spirit--had fled the precincts of this valley. The
+Boss--the bill--the girl--envy, malice, hunger, hatred--had scooted far
+away to the Antipodes. All the time, overhead, the shell and rifle
+bullets groaned and whined, touching just the same note of violent
+energy as was in evidence everywhere else. To understand that awful din,
+raise the eyes 25 degrees to the top of the cliff which closes in the
+tail end of the valley and you can see the Turkish hand grenades
+bursting along the crest, just where an occasional bayonet flashes and
+figures hardly distinguishable from Mother earth crouch in an irregular
+line. Or else they rise to fire and are silhouetted a moment against the
+sky and then you recognize the naked athletes from the Antipodes and
+your heart goes into your mouth as a whole bunch of them dart forward
+suddenly, and as suddenly disappear. And the bomb shower stops dead--for
+the moment; but, all the time, from that fiery crest line which is
+Quinn's, there comes a slow constant trickle of wounded--some dragging
+themselves painfully along; others being carried along on stretchers.
+Bomb wounds all; a ceaseless, silent stream of bandages and blood. Yet
+three out of four of "the boys" have grit left for a gay smile or a
+cheery little nod to their comrades waiting for their turn as they pass,
+pass, pass, down on their way to the sea.
+
+There are poets and writers who see naught in war but carrion, filth,
+savagery and horror. The heroism of the rank and file makes no appeal.
+They refuse war the credit of being the only exercise in devotion on the
+large scale existing in this world. The superb moral victory over death
+leaves them cold. Each one to his taste. To me this is no valley of
+death--it is a valley brim full of life at its highest power. Men live
+through more in five minutes on that crest than they do in five years of
+Bendigo or Ballarat. Ask the brothers of these very fighters--Calgoorlie
+or Coolgardie miners--to do one quarter the work and to run one
+hundredth the risk on a wages basis--instanter there would be a riot.
+But here,--not a murmur, not a question; only a radiant force of
+camaraderie in action.
+
+The Turks have heaps of cartridges and more shells, anyway, than we
+have. They have as many grenades as they can throw; we have--a dozen per
+Company. There is a very bitter feeling amongst all the troops, but
+especially the Australians, at this lack of elementary weapons like
+grenades. Our overseas men are very intelligent. They are prepared to
+make allowances for lack of shell; lack of guns; lack of high
+explosives. But they know there must be something wrong when the Turks
+carry ten good bombs to our one bad one; and they think, some of them,
+that this must be my fault. Far from it. _Directly_ after the naval
+battle of the 18th March--i.e., over two months ago, I wrote out a cable
+asking for bombs. I sent this on my own happy thought, and I had hoped
+for a million by the date of landing five weeks later. But I got,
+practically, none; nor any promise for the future. In default of help
+from home, we have tried to manufacture these primitive but very
+effective projectiles for ourselves with jam pots, meat tins and any old
+rubbish we can scrape together. De Lothbinière has shown ingenuity in
+thus making bricks without straw. The Fleet, too, has played up and de
+Robeck has guaranteed me two thousand to be made by the artificers on
+the battleships. Maxwell in Egypt has been improvising a few; Methuen at
+Malta says they can't make them there. But what a shame that the sons of
+a manufacturing country like Great Britain should be in straits for
+engines so simple.
+
+Yesterday and to-day we have fired, for us, a terrible lot of shells
+(1,800 shrapnel) but never was shot better spent. We reckon the enemy's
+casualties between 1,000 and 2,000 mainly caused by our guns playing on
+the columns which came up trying to improve upon their lodgment in
+Quinn's Post. Add this to the 3,000 killed, and, say, 12,000 wounded on
+the 18th instant, and it is clear no troops in the world can stand it
+very long. But we are literally at the end of our shrapnel; and as to
+high explosive, according to the standards of the gunners, we have never
+had any!
+
+Left on a picket boat with Birdie to board my destroyer to an
+accompaniment of various denominations of projectiles. One or two shells
+burst hard by just as we were scrambling up her side.
+
+Vice-Admiral Nicholls called after my return. Courtauld Thomson, the Red
+Cross man, dined; very helpful; very well stocked with comforts and
+everyone likes him, even the R.A.M.C.
+
+_31st May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Worked in the forenoon. Gouraud,
+Girodon and Hunter-Weston lunched and we spent the afternoon at the
+scheme for our next fight. Each of us agreed that Fortune had not been
+over kind. By one month's hard, close hammering we had at last made the
+tough _moral_ of the Turks more pliant, when lo and behold, in broad
+daylight, thousands of their common soldiery see with their own eyes two
+great battleships sink beneath the waves and all the others make an exit
+more dramatic than dignified. Most of the Armada of store ships had
+already cleared out and now the last of the battleships has offed it
+over the offing; a move which the whole of the German Grand Fleet could
+not have forced them to make! What better pick-me-up could Providence
+have provided for the badly-shaken Turks? No more inquisitive cruisers
+ready to let fly a salvo at anything that stirs. No more searchlights by
+night; no more big explosives flying from the Aegean into the
+Dardanelles!
+
+_1st June, 1915. Imbros._ Came ashore and stuck up my 80-lb. tent in the
+middle of a sandbank whereon some sanguine Greek agriculturalist has
+been trying to plant wheat.
+
+We shall live the simple life; the same life, in fact, as the men, but
+are glad to be off the ship and able to stretch our legs.
+
+Hard fighting in the North zone and the South. Both outposts captured by
+us on the 29th May at Anzac and on the French right at Helles heavily
+attacked. In the North we had to give ground, but not before we had made
+the enemy pay ten times its value in killed and wounded. Had we only had
+a few spare rounds of shrapnel we need never have gone back. The War
+Office have called for a return of my 4.5 howitzer ammunition during the
+past fortnight, and I find that, since the 14th May, we have expended
+477 shell altogether at Anzac and Helles combined. In the South the
+enemy twice recaptured the redoubt taken by the French on the 29th, but
+Gouraud, having a nice little parcel of high explosive on hand, was able
+to drive them out definitely and to keep them out.
+
+_2nd June, 1915. Imbros._ Working all day in camp. Blazing hot, tempered
+by a cool breeze towards evening. De Robeck came ashore and we had an
+hour together in the afternoon. Everything is fixed up for our big
+attack on the 4th. From aeroplane photographs it would appear that the
+front line Turkish trenches are meant more as traps for rash forlorn
+hopes than as strongholds. In fact, the true tug only begins when we try
+to carry the second line and the flanking machine guns. Gouraud has
+generously lent us two groups of 75s with H.E. shell, and I am cabling
+the fact to the War Office as it means a great deal to us. When I say
+they are lent to us, I do not mean that they put the guns at our
+disposal. They are only ours for defensive purposes; that is to say,
+they remain in their own gun positions in the French lines and are to
+help by thickening the barrage in front of the Naval Division.
+
+De Robeck and Keyes are quite as much at sea as Braithwaite and myself
+about this original scheme of the British Government for treating a
+tearing, raging crisis; i.e., by taking no notice of it. I guess that
+never before in the history of war has a Commander asked urgently that
+his force might be doubled and then got no orders; no answer of any sort
+or kind!
+
+When I sent K. my M.F. 234 of the 17th May asking for two Corps, or for
+Allies, one or the other, I got a reply by return expressing his
+disappointment; since then, nothing. During that fortnight of silence
+the whole of the Turkish Empire has been moving--closing in--on the
+Dardanelles. Then, by a side-wind I happen to hear of the abstraction of
+a Russian Army Corps from my supposed command; an Army Corps, who by the
+mere fact of "being," held off a large force of Turks from Gallipoli.
+
+So I have put down a few hard truths. Unpalatable they may be but some
+day they've got to be faced and the sooner the better. Time has slipped
+away, but to-day is still better than to-morrow.
+
+What a change since the War Office sent us packing with a bagful of
+hallucinations. Naval guns sweeping the Turks off the Peninsula; the
+Ottoman Army legging it from a British submarine waving the Union Jack;
+Russian help in hand; Greek help on the _tapis_. Now it is our Fleet
+which has to leg it from the German submarine; there is no ammunition
+for the guns; no drafts to keep my Divisions up to strength; my Russians
+have gone to Galicia and the Greeks are lying lower than ever.
+
+"No. M.F. 288. From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. With
+reference to my telegrams No. M.F. 274 of 29th May, and No. M.F. 234 of
+17th May. If the information sent by Hanbury-Williams, to which I
+referred in my No. M.F. 274, is correct it is advisable that I should
+send you a fresh appreciation of the situation.
+
+"I assumed in my No. M.F. 234 that you had adequate forces at your
+disposal, but on the other hand I assumed that some 100,000 Turks would
+be kept occupied by the Russians. By the defection of Russia, 100,000
+Turks are set free in the Caucasus and European Turkey. After deduction
+of casualties there are at least 80,000 Turks now against us in the
+Peninsula. There are 20,000 Turks on the Bulgarian frontier which,
+assuming that Bulgaria remains neutral, are able to reinforce Gallipoli;
+some, in fact, have already arrived showing the restoration of Turkish
+confidence in King Ferdinand. Close by on the Asiatic side there remain
+10,000 Turks, making a total of 210,000, to which must be added 65,000
+who are under training in Europe.
+
+"The movement of the Turkish troops has already begun. There are
+practically no troops left in Smyrna district, and there are already in
+the field numbers of troops from European garrisons, while recently it
+was reported that more are coming.
+
+"The movement of a quarter of a million men against us seems to be well
+under way, and although many of these are ill-trained still with
+well-run supply and ammunition columns and in trenches designed by
+Germans the Turk is always formidable.
+
+"As regards ammunition, the enemy appears to have an unlimited supply of
+small-arm ammunition and as many hand-grenades as they can fling. Though
+there is some indication that gun ammunition is being husbanded, it was
+reported as late as 27th May, that supplies of shells were being
+received _via_ Roumania, and yesterday it was suggested that artillery
+ammunition can be manufactured at Constantinople where it is reported
+that over two hundred engineers have arrived from Krupp's.
+
+"At the same time, the temporary withdrawal of our battleships owing to
+enemy submarines has altered the position to our disadvantage; while not
+of the highest importance materially this factor carries considerable
+moral weight.
+
+"Taking all these factors into consideration, it would seem that for an
+early success some equivalent to the suspended Russian co-operation is
+vitally necessary. The ground gained and the positions which we hold are
+not such as to enable me to envisage with soldierly equanimity the
+probability of the large forces adumbrated above being massed against my
+troops without let or hindrance from elsewhere. Fresh light may be shed
+on the matter by the battle now imminent, but I am cabling on reasoned
+existing facts. Time is an object, but if Greece came in, preferably
+_via_ Enos, the problem would be simplified. It is broadly my view that
+we must obtain the support of a fresh ally in this theatre, or else
+there should be got ready British reinforcements to the full extent
+mentioned in my No. M.F. 234, though as stated above the disappearance
+of Russian co-operation was not contemplated in my estimate."
+
+_3rd June, 1915. Imbros._ Meant to go to Anzac; sea too rough; in the
+afternoon saw de Robeck and Roger Keyes. Braithwaite came over and we
+went through my cable of yesterday. The sailors would just as soon I had
+left out that remark about the enemy being bucked up by the retreat of
+our battleships. But the passage implied also that their mere visible
+presence was shown to be most valuable. Both of them agree that I am
+well within the mark in saying what I did about the loss of my Russian
+Army Corps. Roger Keyes next launched a dry land criticism. He rightly
+thinks that the weakness of our _present_ units is _the_ real weakness:
+he thinks we are far more in need of drafts than of fresh units; he
+suggests that a rider be sent now to insist that the estimates in
+yesterday's cable were only made on the assumption that my present force
+is kept up to strength. I did press that very point in my first cable of
+17th May, which is referred to in the opening of this cable; further, we
+keep on saying it every week in our War Office cable giving strengths.
+After all, K. is 65. He still believes "A man's a man and a rifle's a
+rifle"; I still believe that half the value of every human being depends
+upon his environment:--we are not going to convert one another now.
+
+As we were actually talking, Williams brought over an answer:--
+
+"No. 5104, cipher. From Earl Kitchener to General Sir Ian Hamilton. With
+reference to your No. M.F. 288. Owing to the restricted nature of the
+ground you occupy and the experience we have had in Flanders of
+increased forces acting in trench positions, I own I have some doubts of
+an early decisive result being obtained by at once increasing the forces
+at your disposal, but I should like your views as soon as you
+can--to-day if possible. Are you convinced that with immediate
+reinforcements to the extent you mention you could force the Kilid Bahr
+position and thus finish the Dardanelles operations?
+
+"You mentioned in a previous telegram that you intended to keep
+reinforcements on islands, is this your intention with regard to the
+Lowland Division, now on its way to you, and the other troops when
+sent?"
+
+K.'s brief cable is _intensely_ characteristic. I have taken down
+hundreds of his wires. We are face to face here with his very self at
+_first hand_. How curiously it reveals the man's instinct, or
+genius--call it what you will.
+
+K. sees in a flash what the rest of the world does not seem to see so
+clearly; viz., that the piling up of increased forces opposite
+entrenched positions is a spendthrift, unscientific proceeding. He
+wishes to know if I mean to do this. To draw me out he assumes if I get
+the troops, I _would_ at once commit them to trench warfare by crowding
+them in behind the lines of Helles or Anzac. Actually I intend to keep
+the bulk of them on the islands, so as to throw them unexpectedly
+against some key position which is _not_ prepared for defence. But I
+have to be very careful what I say, seeing that the Turks got wind of
+the date of our first landing from London _via_ Vienna. Least said to a
+Cabinet, least leakage.
+
+That is not all. Curt as is the cable it has yet scope to show up a
+little more of our great K.'s outfit. His infernal hurry. "To-day":--I
+am to reply, to-day! He has taken some two and a half weeks to answer my
+request for two Army Corps and I am to answer a far more obscure
+question in two and a half minutes. Why, since my appeal of 17th May the
+situation has not stood still. A Commander in the field is like a cannon
+ball. If he stops going ahead, he falls dead. You can't stop moving for
+a fortnight and then expect to carry on where you left off; I think the
+Duke of Wellington said this; if he didn't he should have. To err is to
+be human and the troops, if sent at once, may or may not, fulfil our
+hopes. All we here can say is this:--
+
+(1) If the Army Corps had been sent at once (i.e., two weeks ago) the
+results should have been decisive.
+
+(2) If the Army Corps are not sent at once, there can be no early
+decision.
+
+Braithwaite, De Robeck and Keyes agree to (1) and (2) but the cabled
+answer will not be so simple and, in spite of K.'s sudden impatience, I
+must sleep over it first.
+
+Written whilst Williams waits:--
+
+"No. M.F. 292. From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. Secret.
+To-morrow, 4th June, I am fighting a general action. Therefore I feel
+sure that you will wish me to defer my answer to your telegram No. 5104,
+cipher, until I see the result."
+
+These lofty strategical questions must not make me forget an equally
+vital munitions message just to hand. I have cabled K. twice in the past
+day or two about shells. On the 1st instant I had said, "I still await
+the information promised in your x. 4773, A. 5, of 19th instant. In my
+opinion the supply of gun ammunition can hardly be considered adequate
+or safe until the following conditions can be filled:--(1) That the
+amounts with units and on the Lines of Communication should be made up
+to the number of rounds per gun which is allowed in War Establishment
+figures of 29th Division. (2) That these full amounts should be
+maintained and despatched automatically without any further application
+from us, beyond a weekly statement of the expenditure which will be
+cabled to you every Saturday. (3) In view of the number and the extent
+of the entrenchments to be dealt with it is necessary that a high
+proportion of high explosive shell for 18 pounder and howitzers be
+included in accordance with the report of my military advisers."
+
+We now have his reply:--
+
+"No. 5088, cipher. From Earl Kitchener to Sir Ian Hamilton. With
+reference to your telegrams No. M.F. 281 and No. M.F.G.T. 967. We cannot
+supply ammunition to maintain a 1,000 rounds a gun owing to the demands
+from France, but consignments are being sent which amount to 17 rounds
+per gun per day for the 18 pounder and 4.5.-inch howitzer; this is
+considered by General Joffre and Sir John French as necessary. As much
+as possible of other natures will be sent. As regards quantities, you
+will be informed as early as possible. As available, H.E. shells will be
+sent for 18 pounder guns and howitzers."
+
+If we get 17 rounds per gun per day for the 18 pounders and 4.5
+howitzers we shall indeed be on velvet. To be given what satisfies
+Joffre and French--that sounds too good to be true. So ran my thoughts
+and Braithwaite's on a first reading. Then came the C.R.A. who puts
+another light on the proposal and points out that the implied comparison
+with France is fallacious. We are undergunned here as compared with
+France in the proportion of 1 to 3. I mean to say that, in proportion to
+"bayonets" we have rather less than one third of the "guns."
+_Therefore_, if we were really to have munitions on the scale
+"considered necessary by General Joffre and Sir John French," we ought
+to have three times 17 rounds per day per gun; i.e. 51 rounds per day
+per gun. But never mind. _If we do get_ the 17 rounds we shall be
+infinitely better off than we have been: "and so say all of us!" Putting
+this cable together with yesterday's we all of us feel that the home
+folk are beginning to yawn and rub their eyes and that ere long they may
+really be awake.
+
+_4th June, 1915. Imbros._ Left camp after breakfast and boarded the
+redoubtable _Wolverine_ under that desperado Lieutenant-Commander Keyes.
+The General Staff came alongside and we made our way to Cape Helles
+through a blinding dust storm--at least, the dust came right out to sea,
+but it was on shore that it became literally blinding.
+
+On the pier I met Gouraud who walked up with me. Gouraud was very grave
+but confident. My post of command had been "dug out" for me well forward
+on the left flank by Hunter-Weston. In that hole two enormous tarantulas
+and I passed a day that seems to me ten years. The torture of suspense;
+the extremes of exaltation and of depression; the Red Indian necessity
+of showing no sign: all this varied only by the vicious scream of shell
+sailing some 30 feet over our heads on their way towards the 60 pounders
+near the point. A Commander feels desperately lonely at such moments. On
+him, and on him alone, falls the crushing onus of responsibility: to be
+a Corps Commander is child's play in _that_ comparison. The Staff are
+gnawed with anxiety too--are saying their prayers as fast as they can,
+no doubt, as they follow the ebb and flow of the long khaki line through
+their glasses. Yes, I have done that myself in the old days from
+Charasia onwards. Yet how faintly is my anguish reflected in the mere
+anxiety of their minds.
+
+Chapters could be written about this furious battle fought in a
+whirlwind of dust and smoke; some day I hope somebody may write them.
+After the first short spell of shelling our men fixed bayonets and
+lifted them high above the parapet. The Turks thinking we were going to
+make the assault, rushed troops into their trenches, until then lightly
+held. No sooner were our targets fully manned than we shelled them in
+earnest and went on at it until--on the stroke of mid-day--out dashed
+our fellows into the open. For the best part of an hour it seemed that
+we had won a decisive victory. On the left all the front line Turkish
+trenches were taken. On the right the French rushed the _"Haricot"_--so
+long a thorn in their flesh; next to them the Anson lads stormed another
+big Turkish redoubt in a slap-dash style reminding me of the best work
+of the old Regular Army; but the boldest and most brilliant exploit of
+the lot was the charge made by the Manchester Brigade[19] in the centre
+who wrested two lines of trenches from the Turks; and then, carrying
+right on; on to the lower slopes of Achi Baba, had _nothing_ between
+them and its summit but the clear, unentrenched hillside. They lay
+there--the line of our brave lads, plainly visible to a pair of good
+glasses--there they actually lay! We wanted, so it seemed, but a reserve
+to advance in their support and carry them right up to the top. We
+said--and yet could hardly believe our own words--"We are through!"
+
+Alas, too previous that remark. Everything began to go wrong. First the
+French were shelled and bombed out of the _"Haricot"_; next the right of
+the Naval Division became uncovered and they had to give way, losing
+many times more men in the yielding than in the capture of their ground.
+Then came the turn of the Manchesters, left in the lurch, with their
+right flank hanging in the air. By all the laws of war they ought to
+have tumbled back anyhow, but by the laws of the Manchesters they hung
+on and declared they could do so for ever. How to help? Men! Men, not so
+much now to sustain the Manchesters as to force back the Turks who were
+enfilading them from the _"Haricot"_ and from that redoubt held for
+awhile by the R.N.D. on their right. I implored Gouraud to try and make
+a push and promised that the Naval Division would retake their redoubt
+if he could retake the _"Haricot"_. Gouraud said he would go in at 3
+p.m. The hour came; nothing happened. He then said he could not call
+upon his men again till 4 o'clock, and at 4 o'clock he said definitely
+that he would not be able to make another assault. The moment that last
+message came in I first telephoned and then, to make doubly sure, ran
+myself to Hunter-Weston's Headquarters so as not to let another moment
+be lost in pulling out the Manchester Brigade. I had 500 yards to go,
+and, rising the knoll, I would have been astonished, had I had any
+faculty of astonishment left in me, to meet Beetleheim, the Turk, who
+was with French in South Africa. I suppose he is here as an interpreter,
+or something, but I didn't ask. Seeing me alone for the moment he came
+along. He had quite a grip of the battle and seemed to hope I might let
+the Manchesters try and stick it out through the night, as he thought
+the Turks were too much done to do much more. But it was not good
+enough. To fall back was agony; not to do it would have been folly.
+Hunter-Weston felt the same. When Fate has first granted just a sip of
+the wine of success the slip between the cup and lip comes hardest. The
+upshot of the whole affair is that the enemy still hold a strong line of
+trenches between us and Achi Baba. Our four hundred prisoners, almost
+all made by the Manchester Brigade, amongst whom a good number of
+officers, do not console me. Having to make the Manchesters yield up
+their hard won gains is what breaks my heart. Had I known the result of
+our fight before the event, I should have been happy enough. Three or
+four hundred yards of ground plus four hundred prisoners are distances
+and numbers which may mean little in Russia or France, but here, where
+we only have a mile or two to go, land has a value all its own. Yes, I
+should have been happy enough. But, to have to yield up the best
+half--the vital half--of our gains--to have had our losses trebled on
+the top of a cheaply won victory--these are the reverse side of our
+medal for the 4th June.
+
+Going back we fell in with a blood-stained crowd from the Hood, Howe and
+Anson Battalions. Down the little gully to the beach we could only walk
+very slowly. At my elbow was Colonel Crauford Stuart, commanding the
+Hood Battalion. He had had his jaw smashed but I have seen men pull
+longer faces at breaking a collar stud. He told me that the losses of
+the Naval Division has been very heavy, the bulk of them during their
+retreat. From the moment the Turks drove the French out of the
+_"Haricot"_ the enfilade fire became murderous.
+
+On the beach was General de Lisle, fresh from France. He is taking over
+the 29th Division from Hunter-Weston who ascends to the command of the
+newly formed 8th Army Corps. De Lisle seemed in very good form although
+it must have been rather an eye-opener landing in the thick of this huge
+stream of wounded. How well I remember seeing him galloping at the head
+of his Mounted Infantry straight for Pretoria; and my rage when, under
+orders from Headquarters, I had to send swift messengers to tell him he
+must rein back for some reason never made clear.
+
+_5th June, 1915. Imbros._ Best part of the day occupied in a hundred and
+one sequels of the battle. The enemy have been quiet; they have had a
+belly-full. De Robeck came off to see me at 5.30, to have a final talk
+(amongst other things) as to the Enos and Bulair ideas before I send my
+final answer to K. If we dare not advertise the detail of our proposed
+tactics, we may take the lesser risk of saying what we are _not_ going
+to attempt. The Admiral is perfectly clear against Bulair. There is no
+protection there for the ships against submarines except Enos harbour
+and Enos is only one fathom deep. After all, the main thing they want is
+that I should commit myself to a statement that if I get the drafts and
+troops asked for in my various cables, I will make good. That, I find
+quite reasonable.
+
+_6th June, 1915. Imbros._ A very hot and dusty day. Still sweeping up
+the _débris_ of the battle. Besides my big cable have been studying
+strengths with my A.G. The Battalions are dwindling to Companies and the
+Divisions to Brigades.
+
+The cable is being ciphered: not a very luminous document: how could it
+be? The great men at home seem to forget that they cannot draw wise
+counsels from their servants unless they confide in them and give them
+_all_ the factors of the problem. If a client goes to a lawyer for
+advice the first thing the lawyer asks him to do is to make a clean
+breast of it. Before K. asks me to specify what I can do if he sends me
+these unknown and--in Great Britain--most variable quantities,
+Territorial or New Army Divisions, he ought to make a clean breast of it
+by telling me:--
+
+  (1) What he has.
+  (2) What Sir John French wants.
+  (3) Whether Italy will move--or Greece.
+  (4) What is happening in the Balkans,--in the
+        Caucasus,--in Mesopotamia.
+
+After all, the Armies of the Caucasus and of Mesopotamia are not
+campaigning in the moon. They are two Allied Armies working with me (or
+supposed to be working with me) against a common enemy.
+
+The first part of my cable I discuss the cause which led to the
+disappointing end to the battle of the 4th already described and then go
+on to say, "I am convinced by this action that with my present force my
+progress will be very slow, but in the absence of any further important
+alteration in the situation such as a definite understanding between
+Turkey and Bulgaria, I believe the reinforcements asked for in my No.
+234 will eventually enable me to take Kilid Bahr and will assuredly
+expedite the decision. I entirely agree that the restricted nature of
+the ground I occupy militates against me in success, however much I am
+reinforced; that was why in my Nos. M.F. 214 and M.F. 234 I emphasized
+the desirability of securing co-operation of new Allied Forces acting on
+a second line of operations. I have been very closely considering the
+possibility of opening a new line of operations myself, _via_ Enos, if
+sufficient reinforcements should be available. The Vice-Admiral,
+however, is at present strongly averse to the selection of Enos owing to
+the open and unprotected nature of anchorage and to the presence of
+enemy submarines. Otherwise Enos offers very favourable prospects, both
+strategically and tactically, and is so direct a threat to
+Constantinople as to necessitate withdrawal of Turkish troops from the
+Peninsula to meet it. Smyrna or even Adramyti which are not open to the
+same objections are too far from me, but the effect of entry of a fresh
+Ally at either place would inevitably make itself felt before very long
+in preventing further massing of the Turkish army against me, and
+perhaps even in drawing off troops; a considerable moral and political
+effect might also be produced, and all information points to those
+districts being denuded of troops.
+
+"With regard to the employment of the reinforcements asked for in my No.
+M.F. 234, General Birdwood estimates that four Brigades are necessary to
+clear and extend his front sufficiently to prepare a serious move
+towards Maidos. I should therefore allocate a corps to the
+Australian-New Zealand Army Corps as the other two brigades would be
+required to give weight to his advance. The French Force as at present
+constituted, and the Naval Division which has been roughly handled,
+would be replaced in front of the line by the other corps. This
+reinforcement to be exclusive of any help we may receive from Allied
+troops operating on a second line of operations so distant as Smyrna.
+
+"With reference to your last paragraph I have no alternative, until Achi
+Baba is in my possession, but to keep reinforcements on islands or
+elsewhere handy. I have made arrangements at present, however, for one
+Infantry Brigade and Engineers of the Lowland Division on the Peninsula,
+one Infantry Brigade at Imbros and the remaining Infantry Brigade at
+Alexandria to be ready to start at 12 hours' notice whenever I telegraph
+for it. Besides all the reasons given above, no troops in existence can
+continue fighting night and day without respite."
+
+Three weeks have passed now since I asked for two British Corps or for
+Allies and still no reply or notice of any sort except that message of
+the 3rd instant expressing doubts as to whether any good purpose will be
+served by sending us help "at once." Well; there hasn't been much "at
+once" about it but I have not played the Sybilline book trick or doubled
+my demand with each delay as I ought perhaps to have done. Now I think
+we are bound to hear something but I can't make out what has come over
+K. of K. In the old days his prime force lay in his faculty of focusing
+every iota of his energy upon the pivotal project, regardless (so it
+used to appear) of the other planks of the platform. A "side show" to
+him meant the non-vital part of the business, _at that moment_: it was
+not a question of troops or of ranks of Generals. For the time being the
+interests of an enterprise of five thousand would obliterate those of
+fifty. No man ever went the whole hog better. He would turn the whole
+current of his energy to help the man of the hour. The rest were bled
+white to help him. If they howled they found that K. and his Staff were
+deaf, and for the same reason, as the crew of Ulysses to the Sirens.
+Several times in South Africa K., so doing, carried the Imperial
+Standard to victory through a series of hair's breadth escapes. But
+to-day, though he sees, the power of believing in his own vision and of
+hanging on to it like a bulldog, seems paralysed. He hesitates. Ten
+short years ago, if K.'s heart had been set on Constantinople, why, to
+Constantinople he would have gone. Paris might have screamed; he would
+not have swerved a hair's breadth till he had gripped the Golden Horn.
+
+_7th June, 1915. Imbros._ Left camp early and went to Cape Helles on a
+destroyer. On our little sandbag pier, built by Egyptians and Turkish
+prisoners, I met General Wallace and his A.D.C. (a son of Walter
+Long's). Wallace has come here to take up his duty as Inspector-General
+of Communications. About ten days ago he was forced upon us. He is
+reputed a good executive Brigadier of the Indian Army, but we want him,
+not to train Sepoys but to create one of the biggest organizing and
+administrative jobs in the world. His work will comprise the whole of
+the transhipment of stores from the ships to small craft; their dispatch
+over 60 miles of sea to the Peninsula, and the maintenance of all the
+necessary machinery in good running order. The task is tremendous, and
+here is a simple soldier, without any experience of naval men or
+matters, or the British soldier, or of Administration on a large scale,
+or even of superior Staff duties, sent me for the purpose. We want a
+competent business man at Mudros, ready to grapple with millions of
+public money; ready to cable on his own for goods or gear by the ten
+thousand pounds worth. We want a man of tried business courage; a man
+who can tackle contractors. We are sent an Indian Brigadier who has
+never, so far as I can make out, in his longish life had undivided
+responsibility for one hundred pounds of public belongings. I cabled to
+K. my objection as strongly as seemed suitable, but he tells me to carry
+on. He tells me to carry on and, in doing so, throws an amusing
+sidelight upon himself. Into his cable he sticks the words, "Ellison
+cannot be spared." K. believes that my protest _re_ Wallace has, at the
+back of it, a wish to put in the Staff Officer he took from me when I
+started. He doesn't believe in my zeal for efficiency at Mudros; he
+thinks my little plan is to work General Ellison into the billet.
+Certainly, I'd like an organizer of Ellison's calibre, but he had not,
+it so happens, entered my mind till K. put him there!
+
+Landing at "W" Beach, I walked over to the 9th Division and met Generals
+Hunter-Weston, de Lisle and Doran. As we were having our confab, the
+Turkish guns from Asia were steadily pounding the ridge just South of
+Headquarters. One or two big fellows fell within 100 yards of the Mess.
+After an A.1 lunch (for which much glory to Carter, A.D.C.) visited
+Gouraud at French Headquarters. Going along the coast we were treated
+to an exciting spectacle. The Turkish guns in Asia stopped firing at
+Headquarters and turned on to a solitary French transport containing
+forage, which had braved the submarines and instead of transhipping (as
+is now the order) at Mudros, had anchored close to "V" Beach. After
+several overs and unders they hit her three times running and set her on
+fire. Destroyers and trawlers rushed to her help. Bluejackets boarded
+her; got her fire under control; got her under steam and moved out. The
+amazing part of the affair lay in the conduct of the Turks. Having made
+their three hits, then was the moment to sink the bally ship. But no;
+they switched back once more onto the Peninsula, and left their helpless
+prize to make a leisurely and unmolested escape. Anyone but a Turk would
+have opened rapid fire on seeking his target smoking like a factory
+chimney, ringed round by a crowd of small craft. But these old Turks are
+real freaks. Their fierce courage on the defensive is the only cert
+about them. On all other points it becomes a fair war risk to presume
+upon their happy-go-lucky behaviour. If this crippled ship had been full
+of troops instead of hay they would equally have let her slip through
+their fingers.
+
+I stayed the best part of an hour with Gouraud. He can throw no light
+from the French side upon the reason for the strange hesitations of our
+Governments. As he says, after reporting an entirely unexpected and
+unprepared for situation and asking for the wherewithal to cope with
+it, a Commander should get fresh orders. Either: we cannot give you what
+you ask, so fall back onto the defensive; or, go ahead, we will give you
+the means. Taking leave we came back again by the 29th Headquarters
+where I saw Douglas, commanding the 42nd Division. Got home latish. As I
+was on my way to our destroyer took in a wireless saying that submarine
+E.11 had returned safely after three fruitful weeks in the Marmora.
+
+A most singular message is in:--
+
+"(No. 5199).
+
+"From Earl Kitchener to General Sir Ian Hamilton.
+
+"With reference to your telegram No. M.F. 301, instead of sending such
+telegrams reporting operations, privately to Earl Kitchener, will you
+please send them to the Secretary of State. A separate telegram might
+have been sent dealing with the latter part about Doran."
+
+May the devil fly away with me if I know what that means! Braithwaite is
+as much at a loss as myself. No one knows better than we do how much
+store K. sets on having all these messages addressed to him personally.
+There's more in this than meets the common or garden optic!
+
+Very heavy firing on the Peninsula at 8 o'clock; a ceaseless tremor of
+the air which--faint here--denotes tremendous musketry there.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+A DECISION AND THE PLAN
+
+
+_8th June, 1915. Imbros._ We are getting "three Divisions of the New
+Army"! The Cabinet "are determined to support" us! And why wouldn't they
+be? Thus runs the cable:--
+
+"(No. 5217, cipher). Your difficulties are fully recognized by the
+Cabinet who are determined to support you. We are sending you three
+divisions of the New Army. The first of these will leave about the end
+of this week, and the other two will be sent as transport is available.
+
+"The last of the three divisions ought to reach you not later than the
+first fortnight in July. By that time the Fleet will have been
+reinforced by a good many units which are much less vulnerable to
+submarine attack than those now at the Dardanelles, and you can then
+count on the Fleet to give you continuous support.
+
+"While steadily pressing the enemy, there seems no reason for running
+any premature risks in the meantime."
+
+In face of K.'s hang-fire cable of the 3rd, and in face of this long
+three weeks of stupefaction, thank God our rulers have got out of the
+right side of their beds and are not going to run away.
+
+The first thing to be done was to signal to the Admiral to come over. At
+2 p.m. he and Roger Keyes turned up. The great news was read out and
+yet, such is the contrariness of human nature that neither the hornpipe
+nor the Highland Fling was danced. Three weeks ago--two weeks ago--we
+should have been beside ourselves, but irritation now takes the fine
+edge off our rejoicings. Why not three weeks ago? That was the tone of
+the meeting. At first:--but why be captious in the very embrace of
+Fortune? So we set to and worked off the broad general scheme in the
+course of an hour and a half.
+
+Just as the Admiral was going, Ward (of the Intelligence) crossed over
+with a nasty little damper. The Turks keep just one lap ahead of us. Two
+new Divisions have arrived and have been launched straightway at our
+trenches. At the moment we get promises that troops asked for in the
+middle of May will arrive by the middle of July the Turks get their
+divisions in the flesh:--so much so that they have gained a footing in
+the lines of the East Lanes: but there is no danger; they will be driven
+out. We have taken some prisoners.
+
+Dined on board the _Triad_. Sat up later than usual. Not only had we
+news from home and the news from the Peninsula to thresh out, but there
+was much to say and hear about E.11 and that apple of Roger Keyes' eye,
+the gallant Nasmith. Their adventures in the sea of Marmora take the
+shine out of those of the Argonauts.
+
+Coming back along the well-beaten sandy track, my heart sank to see our
+mess tent still lit up at midnight. It might be good news but also it
+might not. Fortunately, it was pleasant news; i.e., Colonel Chauvel,
+commanding 1st Australian Light Horse Brigade, waiting to see me. I had
+known him well in Melbourne where he helped me more than anyone else to
+get the hang of the Australian system. He stays the night.
+
+_9th June, 1915. Imbros._ A cable saying the new Divisions will form the
+9th Corps and asking me my opinion of Mahon as Corps Commander. I shall
+reply at once he is good up to a point and brave, but not up to running
+a Corps out here.
+
+Have been sent a gas-mask and a mosquito-net. Quite likely the mask is
+good bizz and may prolong my poor life a little bit, but this is
+problematical whereas there's no blooming error about the net. This
+morning instead of being awakened at 4.30 a.m. by a cluster of
+house-flies having a garden party on my nose I just opened one eye and
+looked at them running about outside my entrenchments, then closed it
+and fell asleep again for an hour.
+
+_10th June, 1915. Imbros._ Nothing doing but sheer hard work. The
+sailors the same. Sent one pretty stiff cable as we all agreed that we
+must make ourselves quite clear upon the question of guns and shell.
+After all, any outsider would think it a plain sailing matter enough--a
+demand, that is to say, from Simpson-Baikie at Helles that he should be
+gunned and shell supplied on the same scale as the formations he quitted
+on the Western Front only a few weeks ago. Simpson-Baikie has been
+specially sent to us by Lord K., who has a high opinion of his merits. A
+deep-thinking, studious and scientific officer. Well, Baikie says that
+to put him on anything like the Western Front footing he wants another
+forty-eight 18-pounders; eight 5-inch hows.; eight 4.5. hows.; eight
+6-inch; four 9.2 hows.; four anti-aircraft guns and a thousand rounds a
+month per field gun; these "wants" he puts down as an absolute minimum.
+He also wishes me at once to cable for an aeroplane squadron of three
+flights of four machines each, one flight for patrol work; the other two
+for spotting.
+
+There is no use enraging people for nothing and "nothing" I am sure
+would be the result of this demand were it shot in quite nakedly. But I
+have pressed Baikie's vital points home all the same, _vide_ attached:--
+
+"(No. M.F. 316).
+
+"Your No. 5088. After a further consideration of the ammunition question
+in light of the expenditure on the 4th and 5th June, I would like to
+point out that I have only the normal artillery complement of two
+divisions, although actually I have five divisions here. Consequently,
+each of my guns has to do the work which two and a half guns are doing
+in Flanders. Any comparison based on expenditure per gun must therefore
+be misleading. Also a comparison based on numbers of troops would prove
+to be beside the point, for conditions cannot be identical. Therefore,
+as I know you will do your best for me and thus leave me contented with
+the decision you arrive at, I prefer to state frankly what amount I
+consider necessary. This amount is at least 30 rounds a day for 18-pr.
+and 4.5 howitzer already ashore, and I hope that a supply on this scale
+may be possible. The number of guns already ashore is beginning to prove
+insufficient for their task, for the enemy have apparently no lack of
+ammunition and their artillery is constantly increasing. Therefore I
+hope that the new divisions may be sent out with the full complement of
+artillery, but, if this is done, the ammunition supply for the artillery
+of the fresh divisions need only be on the normal scale.
+
+"Since the above was written, I have received a report that the enemy
+has been reinforced by 1,300 Germans for fortress artillery; perhaps
+their recent shooting is accounted for by this fact."
+
+As to our Air Service, the way this feud between Admiralty and War
+Office has worked itself out in the field is simply heart-breaking. The
+War Office wash their hands of the air entirely (at the Dardanelles). I
+cannot put my own case to the Admiralty although the machines are wanted
+for overland tactics--a fatal blind alley. All I could do I did this
+afternoon when the Admiral came to tea and took me for a good stiff walk
+afterwards.
+
+_11th June, 1915. Imbros._ Sailed over to Anzac with Braithwaite. Took
+Birdwood's views upon the outline of our plan (which originated between
+him and Skeen) for entering the New Army against the Turks. To do his
+share, _durch und durch_ (God forgive me), he wants three new Brigades;
+with them he engages to go through from bottom to top of Sari Bair.
+Well, I will give him four; perhaps five! Our whole scheme hinges on
+these crests of Sari Bair which dominate Anzac and Maidos; the
+Dardanelles and the Aegean. The destroyers next took us to Cape Helles
+where I held a pow wow at Army Headquarters, Generals Hunter-Weston and
+Gouraud being present as well as Birdwood and Braithwaite. Everyone keen
+and sanguine. Many minor suggestions; warm approval of the broad lines
+of the scheme. Afterwards I brought Birdie back to Anzac and then
+returned to Imbros. A good day's work. Half the battle to find that my
+Corps Commanders are so keen. They are all sworn to the closest secrecy;
+have been told that our lives depend upon their discretion. I have shown
+them my M.F. 300 of the 7th June so as to let them understand they are
+being trusted with a plan which is too much under the seal to be sent
+over the cables even to the highest.
+
+Every General I met to-day spoke of the shortage of bombs and grenades.
+The Anzacs are very much depressed to hear they are to get no more bombs
+for their six Japanese trench mortars. We told the Ordnance some days
+ago to put this very strongly to the War Office. After all, bombs and
+grenades are easy things to make if the tails of the manufacturers are
+well twisted.
+
+_12th June, 1915. Imbros._ Stayed in camp where de Robeck came to see
+me. I wonder what K. is likely to do about Mahon and about ammunition.
+When he told me Joffre and French thought 17 rounds per gun per day good
+enough, and that he was going to give me as much, there were several
+qualifications to our pleasure, but we _were_ pleased, because apart
+from all invidious comparisons, we were anyway going to get more stuff.
+But we have not yet tasted this new French ration of 17 rounds per gun.
+
+Are we too insistent? I think not. One dozen small field howitzer
+shells, of 4.5. calibre, save one British life by taking two Turkish
+lives. And although the 4.5. are what we want the old 5-inch are none so
+bad. Where would we be now, I wonder, had not Haldane against Press,
+Public and four soldiers out of five stuck to his guns and insisted on
+creating those 145 batteries of Territorial Field Artillery?
+
+A depressing wire in from the War Office expressing doubt as to whether
+they will be able to meet our wishes by embarking units complete and
+ready for landing; gear, supplies, munitions all in due proportion, in
+the transports coming out here from England. Should we be forced to
+redistribute men and material on arrival, we are in for another spell of
+delay.
+
+Altogether I have been very busy on cables to-day. The War Office having
+jogged my elbow again about the Bulair scheme, I have once more been
+through the whole series of pros and cons with the Admiral who has
+agreed in the reply I have sent:--clear negative. Three quarters of the
+objections are naval; either directly--want of harbours, etc.; or
+indirectly--as involving three lines of small craft to supply three
+separate military forces. The number of small craft required are not in
+existence.
+
+_13th June, 1915. Imbros._ The War Office forget every now and then
+other things about the coastline above the Narrows. I have replied:
+
+"Your first question as to the fortification of the coast towards
+Gallipoli can be satisfactorily answered only by the Navy as naval
+aeroplane observation is the only means by which I can find out about
+the coast fortifications. From time to time it has been reported that
+torpedo tubes have been placed at the mouth of Soghan Dere and at Nagara
+Point. These are matters on which I presume Admiral has reported to
+Admiralty, but I am telegraphing to him to make sure as he is away
+to-day at Mudros. I will ask him to have aeroplane reconnaissance made
+regarding the coast fortifications you mention, to see if it can be
+ascertained whether your informant's report is correct, but there are
+but few aeroplanes and the few we have are constantly required for
+spotting for artillery, photographing trenches, and for reconnaissances
+of the troops immediately engaged with us."
+
+I am being forced by War Office questions to say rather more than I had
+intended about plans. The following cable took me the best part of the
+morning. I hope it is too technical to effect a lodgment in the memories
+of the gossips:--
+
+"(No. M.F. 328). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. With
+reference to your No. 5441, cipher. From the outset I have fully
+realized that the question of cutting off forces defending the Peninsula
+lay at the heart of my problem. See my No. M.F. 173, last paragraph, and
+paragraphs 2 and 7 of my instructions to General Officer Commanding
+Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, of 13th April, before landing. I
+still consider, as indicated therein, that the best and most practicable
+method of stopping enemy's communications is to push forward to the
+south-east from Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
+
+"The attempt to stop Bulair communications further North than the
+Australian and New Zealand Army Corps position would give the Turks too
+much room to pass our guns. An advance of little more than two miles in
+a south-eastern direction would enable us to command the land
+communications between Bulair and Kilid Bahr. This, in turn, would
+render Ak Bashi Liman useless to the enemy as a port of disembarkation
+for either Chanak or Constantinople. It would enable us, moreover, to
+co-operate effectively with the Navy in stopping communication with the
+Asiatic shore, since Kilia Liman and Maidos would be under fire from our
+land guns.
+
+"It was these considerations which decided me originally to land at
+Australian and New Zealand Army Corps position, and in spite of the
+difficulties of advancing thence, I see no reason to expect that a new
+point of departure would make the task any easier. I have recently been
+obliged by circumstances to concentrate my main efforts on pushing
+forward towards Achi Baba so as to clear my main port of disembarkation
+of shell fire. I only await the promised reinforcements, however, to
+enable me to take the next step in the prosecution of my main plan from
+the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
+
+"I cannot extend the present Australian position until they arrive. See
+my No. M.F. 300, as to estimate of troops required, and my No. 304, 7th
+June, as to state of siege at Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. If
+I succeed the enemy's communications _via_ Bulair and, with the Navy's
+help, _via_ Asiatic coast should both be closed, as far as possible, by
+the one operation. If, in addition, submarines can stop sea
+communications with Constantinople the problem will be solved.
+
+"With regard to supplies and ammunition which can be obtained by the
+enemy across the Dardanelles, since Panderma and Karabingha are normally
+important centres of collection of food supplies, both cereals and meat,
+and since the Panderma-Chanak road is adequate, it would be possible to
+provision the peninsula from a great supply depot at Chanak where there
+are steam mills, steam bakeries and ample shallow draught craft. If
+land communications were blocked near Bulair, ammunition could only be
+brought by sea to Panderma, and thence by road to Chanak or by sea
+direct to Kilid Bahr.
+
+"Either for supplies or ammunition, however, the difficulty of
+effectively stopping supply by sea may be increased by the large number
+of shallow craft available at Rodosto, Chanak, Constantinople and
+Panderma. But as soon as I can make good advance south-east from
+Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, my guns, plus the submarines,
+should be able to make all traffic from the Asiatic shore very difficult
+for the enemy.
+
+"It is vitally important that future developments should be kept
+absolutely secret. I mention this because, although the date of our
+original landing was known to hardly anyone here before the ships
+sailed, yet the date was cabled to the Turks from Vienna."
+
+The message took some doing and could not, therefore, get clear of camp
+till 11 o'clock when I boarded the destroyer _Grampus_, and sailed for
+Helles. Lunched with Hunter-Weston at his Headquarters, and then walked
+out along the new road being built under the cliffs from "W" Beach to
+Gurkha Gully. On the way I stopped at the 29th Divisional Headquarters
+where I met de Lisle. Thence along the coast where the 88th Brigade were
+bathing. In the beautiful hot afternoon weather the men were happy as
+sandboys. Their own mothers would hardly know them--burnt black with the
+sun, in rags or else stark naked, with pipes in their mouths. But they
+like it! After passing the time of day to a lot of these boys, I climbed
+the cliff and came back along the crests, stopping to inspect some of
+the East Lancashire Division in their rest trenches.
+
+Got back to Hunter-Weston's about 6 and had a cup of tea. There Cox of
+the Indian Brigade joined me, and I took him with me to Imbros where he
+is going to stay a day or two with Braithwaite.
+
+_14th June, 1915. Imbros._ K. sends me this brisk little pick-me-up:--
+
+"Report here states that your position could be made untenable by
+Turkish guns from the Asiatic shore. Please report on this."
+
+No doubt--no doubt! Yet I was once his own Chief of Staff into whose
+hands he unreservedly placed the conduct of one of the most crucial, as
+it was the last, of the old South African enterprises: I was once the
+man into whose hands he placed the defence of his heavily criticized
+action at the Battle of Paardeburg. There it is: he used to have great
+faith in me, and now he makes me much the sort of remark which might be
+made by a young lady to a Marine. The answer, as K. well knows, depends
+upon too many imponderabilia to be worth the cost of a cable. The size
+and number of the Turkish guns; their supplies of shell; the power of
+our submarines to restrict those supplies; the worth of our own ship and
+shore guns; the depth of our trenches; the _moral_ of our men, and so on
+_ad infinitum_. The point of the whole matter is this:--the Turks
+haven't got the guns--and we know it:--if ever they do get the guns it
+will take them weeks, months, before they can get them mounted and
+shells in proportion amassed.
+
+K. should know better than any other man in England--Lord Bobs, alas, is
+gone--that if there was any real fear of guns from Asia being able to
+make us loosen our grip on the Peninsula, I would cable him quickly.
+Then why does he ask? Well--and why shouldn't he ask? I must not be so
+captious. Much better turn the tables on him by asking him to enable us
+to knock out the danger he fears:--
+
+"(No. M.F. 331). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. With
+reference to your telegram No. 5460. As already reported in my telegram,
+fire from the Asiatic shore is at times troublesome, but I am taking
+steps to deal with it. Of course another battery of 6-inch howitzers
+would greatly help in this."
+
+By coincidence a letter has come in to me this very night, on the very
+subject; a letter written by a famous soldier--Gouraud--the lion of the
+Ardennes, who is, it so happens, much better posted as to the Asiatic
+guns than the Jeremiah who has made K. anxious. The French bear the
+brunt of this fire and Gouraud's cool decision to ignore it in favour of
+bigger issues marks the contrast between the fighter who makes little of
+the enemy and the writer who makes much of him. I look upon Gouraud more
+as a coadjutor than as a subordinate, so it is worth anything to me to
+find that we see eye to eye at present. For, there is much more in the
+letter than his feelings about the guns of Asia: there is an outline
+sketch, drawn with slight but masterly touches, covering the past,
+present and future of our show:--
+
+                                               _Q.G. le 13 juin 1915._
+
+    Corps Expéditionnaire d'Orient.
+
+     CABINE DU GÉNÉRAL.
+
+       N. Cab.
+       SECRET.
+
+  Le Général de Division Gouraud, Commandant le
+  Corps Expéditionnaire d'Orient, à Sir Ian
+  Hamilton, G.C.B., D.S.O., Commandant le
+  Corps Expéditionnaire Méditerranéen.
+                                     QUARTIER GÉNÉRAL.
+
+       MON GÉNÉRAL,
+
+     Vous avez bien voulu me communiquer une dépêche de Lord Kitchener
+     faisant connaître que le Gouvernement anglais allait envoyer
+     incessamment aux Dardanelles trois nouvelles divisions et des
+     vaisseaux moins vulnérables aux sous-marins. D'après les
+     renseignements qui m'ont été donnés, on annonce 14 de ces monitors;
+     4 seraient armés de pièces de 35 à 38 m/ 4 de pièces de 24, les
+     autres de 15.
+
+     C'est donc sur terre et sur mer un important renfort.
+
+     J'ai l'honneur de vous soumettre ci-dessous mes idées sur son
+     emploi.
+
+     Jetons d'abord un coup d'oeil sur la situation. Il s'en dégage, ce
+     me semble, deux faits.
+
+     D'une part, le combat du 4 juin, qui, malgré une préparation
+     sérieuse n'a pas donné de résultat en balance avec le vigoureux et
+     couteux effort fourni par les troupes alliées, a montré que, guidés
+     par les Allemands, les Turcs ont donné à leur ligne une très grande
+     force. La presqu'île est barrée devant notre front de plusieurs
+     lignes de tranchées fortement établies, précédées en plusieurs
+     points de fil de fer barbelés, flanquées de mitrailleuses,
+     communiquant avec l'arrière par des boyaux, formant un système de
+     fortification comparable à celui du grand Front.
+
+     Dans ces tranchées les Turcs se montrent bons soldats, braves,
+     tenaces. Leur artillerie a constamment et très sensiblement
+     augmenté en nombres et en puissance depuis trois semaines.
+
+     Dans ces conditions, et étant donné que les Turcs ont toute liberté
+     d'amener sur ce front étroite toute leur armée, on ne peut se
+     dissimuler que les progrès seront lents et que chaque progrès sera
+     couteux.
+
+     Les Allemands appliqueront certainement dans les montagnes et les
+     ravins de la presqu'île le système qui leur a réussi jusqu'ici en
+     France.
+
+     D'autre part l'ennemi parait avoir changé de tactique. Il a voulu
+     au début nous rejeter à la mer; après les pertes énormes qu'il a
+     subi dans les combats d'avril et de mai, il semble y avoir renoncé
+     du moins pour le moment.
+
+     Son plan actuel consiste à chercher à nous bloquer de front, pour
+     nous maintenir sur l'étroit terrain que nous avons conquis, et à
+     nous y rendre la vie intenable en bombardant les camps et surtout
+     les plages de débarquement. C'est ainsi que les quatre batteries de
+     grosses pièces récemment installées entre Erenkeui et Yenishahr ont
+     apporté au ravitaillement des troupes une gêne qu'on peut dire
+     dangereuse, puisque la consommation dans dernières journées a
+     légèrement dépassé le ravitaillement.
+
+     Au résumé nous sommes bloqués de front et pris par derrière. Et
+     cette situation ira en empirant du fait des maladies, résultant du
+     climat, de la chaleur, du bivouac continuel, peut être des
+     épidémies, et du fait que la mer rendra très difficile tout
+     débarquement dès la mauvaise saison, fin août.
+
+     Ceci posé, comment employer les gros renforts attendus. Plusieurs
+     solutions se présentent à l'esprit.
+
+     Primo, en Asie.
+
+     C'est la première idée qui se présente; étant donné l'intérêt de se
+     rendre maître de la région Yenishahr-Erenkeui, qui prend nos plages
+     de débarquement à revers.
+
+     Mais c'est là une mesure d'un intérêt défensif, qui ne fera pas
+     faire un pas en avant. Il est permis d'autre part de penser que les
+     canons des monitors anglais, qui sont sans doute destinés à
+     détruire les défenses du détroit, commenceront par nous débarrasser
+     des batteries de l'entrée. Enfin nous disposerons d'ici peu d'un
+     front de mer Seddul-Bahr Eski Hissarlick, dont les pièces
+     puissantes contrebattront efficacement les canons d'Asie.
+
+     Secundo, vers Gaba-Tépé.
+
+     Au Sud de Gaba Tépé s'étend une plaine que les cartes disent
+     accessible au débarquement. Des troupes débarquées là se trouvent à
+     8 kilomètres environ de Maidos, c'est à dire au point où la
+     presqu'île est la plus étroite.
+
+     Sans nul doute, trouveront elles devant elles les mêmes difficultés
+     qu'ici et il sera nécessaire notemment de se rendre maître des
+     montagnes qui dominent la plaine au Nord. Mais alors que la prise
+     d'Achi Baba ne sera qu'un grand succès militaire, qui nous mettra
+     le lendemain devant les escarpements de Kilid-Bahr, l'occupation de
+     la région Gaba Tépé-Maidos nous placerait au delà des détroits,
+     nous permettrait d'y constituer une base où les sous-marins de la
+     mer de Marmara pourraient indéfiniment s'approvisionner.
+
+     Si le barrage des Dardanelles n'était pas brisé, il serait tourné.
+
+     Tertio, vers Boulair.
+
+     Cette solution apparait comme le plus radicale, celui qui
+     déjouerait le plan de l'ennemi. Constantinople serait directement
+     menacé par ce coup retentissant.
+
+     Toute la question est de savoir si, avec leurs moyens nouveaux, les
+     monitors, les Amiraux sont en mesure de protéger un débarquement,
+     qui comme celui du 25 avril nécessiterait de nombreux bateaux.
+
+     En résumé, j'ai l'honneur d'émettre l'avis de poser nettement aux
+     Amiraux la question du débarquement à Boulair, d'y faire
+     reconnaître l'état actuel des défenses par bateaux, avions et si
+     possible agents, sans faire d'acte de guerre pour ne pas donner
+     l'éveil.
+
+     Au cas où le débarquement serait jugé impossible, j'émet l'avis
+     d'employer les renforts dans la région Gaba-Tépé, où les
+     Australiens ont déjà implanté un solide jalon.
+
+     Concurremment, je pense qu'il serait du plus vif intérêt pour hâter
+     la décision, de créer au Gouvernement Turc des inquiétudes dans
+     d'autres parties de l'Empire, pour l'empêcher d'amener ici toutes
+     ses forces.
+
+     Dans cet ordre d'idées on peut envisager deux moyens. L'un, le plus
+     efficace, est l'action russe ou bulgare. La Grêce est mal placée
+     géographiquement pour exercer une action sur la guerre. Seule la
+     Bulgarie, par sa position géographique, prend les Turcs à revers.
+     Sans doute, à voir la façon dont les Turcs amènent devant nous les
+     troupes et les canons d'Adrianople, ont ils un accord avec la
+     Bulgarie, mais la guerre des Balkans prouve que la Bulgarie n'est
+     pas embarrassée d'un accord si elle voit ailleurs son intérêt. La
+     question est donc d'offrir un prix fort à la Bulgarie.
+
+     L'autre est de provoquer des agitations dans différentes parties de
+     l'Empire, d'y faire opérer des destructions par des bandes,
+     d'obliger les Turcs à y envoyer du monde. Cela encore vaut la peine
+     d'y mettre le prix.
+
+     Je suis, avec un profond respect, mon Général,
+
+                                 Votre très dévoué,
+                                      (_Sd._) GOURAUD.
+
+Boarded a destroyer at 11.15 a.m. and sailed straight for Gully Beach.
+Then into dinghy and paddled to shore where I lunched with de Lisle at
+the 29th Divisional Headquarters. Hunter-Weston had come up to meet me
+from Corps Headquarters.
+
+With both Generals I rode a couple of miles up the Gully seeing the 87th
+Brigade as we went. When we got to the mouth of the communication trench
+leading to the front of the Indian Brigade, Bruce of the Gurkhas was
+waiting for us, and led me along through endless sunken ways until we
+reached his firing line.
+
+Every hundred yards or so I had a close peep at the ground in front
+through de Lisle's periscope. The enemy trenches were sometimes not more
+than 7 yards away and the rifles of the Turks moving showed there was a
+man behind the loophole. Many corpses, almost all Turks, lay between the
+two lines of trenches. There was no shelling at the moment, but rifle
+bullets kept flopping into the parapet especially when the periscope was
+moved.
+
+At the end of the Gurkha line I was met by Colonel Wolley Dod, who took
+me round the fire trenches of the 86th Brigade. The Dublin Fusiliers
+looked particularly fit and jolly.
+
+Getting back to the head of the Gully I rode with Hunter-Weston to his
+Corps Headquarters where I had tea before sailing.
+
+When I got to Imbros the Fleet were firing at a Taube. She was only
+having a look; flying around the shipping and Headquarters camp at a
+great height, but dropping no bombs. After a bit she scooted off to the
+South-east. Cox dined.
+
+_15th June, 1915. Imbros._ Yesterday I learned some detail about the
+conduct of affairs the other day--enough to make me very anxious indeed
+that no tired or nervy leaders should be sent out with the new troops.
+So I have sent K. a cable!--
+
+"(No. M.F. 334). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener.
+
+"With reference to the last paragraph of your telegram No. 5250, cipher,
+and my No. M.F. 313. I should like to submit for your consideration the
+following views of the qualities necessary in an Army Corps Commander on
+the Gallipoli Peninsula. In that position only men of good stiff
+constitution and nerve will be able to do any good. Everything is at
+such close quarters that many men would be useless in the somewhat
+exposed headquarters they would have to occupy on this limited terrain,
+though they would do quite good work if moderately comfortable and away
+from constant shell fire. I can think of two men, Byng and Rawlinson.
+Both possess the requisite qualities and seniority; the latter does not
+seem very happy where he is, and the former would have more scope than a
+cavalry Corps can give him in France."
+
+Left camp the moment I got this weight off my chest; boarded the
+_Savage_, or rather jumped on her ladder like a chamois and scrambled on
+deck like a monkey. It was blowing big guns and our launch was very
+nearly swamped. Crossing to Helles big seas were making a clean sweep of
+the decks. Jolly to look at from the bridge.
+
+After a dusty walk round piers and beaches lunched with Hunter-Weston
+before inspecting the 155th and 156th Brigades. On our road we were met
+by Brigadier-Generals Erskine and Scott-Moncrieff. Walked the trenches
+where I chatted with the regimental officers and men, and found my
+compatriots in very good form.
+
+Went on to the Royal Naval Division Headquarters where Paris met me.
+Together we went round the 3rd Marine Brigade Section under
+Brigadier-General Trotman. These old comrades of the first landing gave
+me the kindliest greetings.
+
+Got back to 8th Corps Headquarters intending to enjoy a cup of tea _al
+fresco_, but we were reckoning without our host (the Turkish one) who
+threw so many big shell from Asia all about the mound that, (only to
+save the tea cups), we retired with dignified slowness into our dugouts.
+Whilst sitting in these funk-holes, as we used to call them at
+Ladysmith, General Gouraud ran the gauntlet and made also a slow and
+dignified entry. He was coming back with me to Imbros. As it was getting
+late we hardened our hearts to walk across the open country between
+Headquarters and the beach, where every twenty seconds or so a big
+fellow was raising Cain. Fortune favouring we both reached the sea with
+our heads upon our shoulders.
+
+An answer is in to our plea for a Western scale of ammunition, guns and
+howitzers. They cable sympathetically but say simply they can't. Soft
+answers, etc., but it would be well if they could make up their minds
+whether they wish to score the next trick in the East or in the West. If
+they can't do that they will be doubly done.
+
+A purely passive defence is not possible for us; it implies losing
+ground by degrees--and we have not a yard to lose. If we are to remain
+we must keep on attacking here and there to maintain ourselves! But; to
+expect us to attack without giving us our fair share--on Western
+standards--of high explosive and howitzers shows lack of military
+imagination. A man's a man for a' that whether at Helles or Ypres. Let
+me bring my lads face to face with Turks in the open field, we _must_
+beat them every time because British volunteer soldiers are superior
+individuals to Anatolians, Syrians or Arabs and are animated with a
+superior ideal and an equal joy in battle. Wire and machine guns prevent
+this hand to hand, or rifle to rifle, style of contest. Well, then the
+decent thing to do is to give us shells enough to clear a fair field.
+To attempt to solve the problem by letting a single dirty Turk at the
+Maxim kill ten--twenty--fifty--of our fellows on the barbed
+wire,--ten--twenty--fifty--_each of whom is worth several dozen Turks_,
+is a sin of the Holy Ghost category unless it can be justified by dire
+necessity. But there is no necessity. The supreme command has only to
+decide categorically that the Allies stand on the defensive on the West
+for a few weeks and then Von Donop can find us enough to bring us
+through. Joffre and French, as a matter of fact, would hardly feel the
+difference. If the supreme command can't do that; and can't even send us
+trench mortars as substitutes, let them harden their hearts and wind up
+this great enterprise for which they simply haven't got the nerve.
+
+If only K. would come and see for himself! Failing that--if only it were
+possible for me to run home and put my own case.
+
+_16th June, 1915. Imbros._ Gouraud, a sympathetic guest, left for French
+Headquarters in one of our destroyers at 3.30 p.m. He is a real Sahib; a
+tower of strength. The Asiatic guns have upset his men a good deal. He
+hopes soon to clap on an extinguisher to their fire by planting down two
+fine big fellows of his own Morto Bay way: we mean to add a couple of
+old naval six-inchers to this battery. During his stay we have very
+thoroughly threshed out our hopes and fears and went into the plan which
+Gouraud thinks offers chances of a record-breaking victory. If the
+character of the new Commanders and the spirit of their troops are of
+the calibre of those on his left flank at Helles he feels pretty
+confident.
+
+Talking of Commanders, my appeal for a young Corps Commander of a "good
+stiff constitution" has drawn a startling reply:--
+
+"(No. 5501, cipher). From Earl Kitchener to Sir Ian Hamilton. Your No.
+M.F. 334. I am afraid that Sir John French would not spare the services
+of the two Generals you mention, and they are, moreover, both junior to
+Mahon, who commands the 10th Division which is going out to you. Ewart,
+who is very fit and well, would I think do. I am going to see him the
+day after to-morrow.
+
+"Mahon raised the 10th Division and has produced an excellent unit. He
+is quite fit and well, and I do not think that he could now be left
+behind."
+
+So the field of selection for the new Corps is to be restricted to some
+Lieutenant-General senior to Mahon--himself the only man of his rank
+commanding a Division and almost at the top of the Lieutenant-Generals!
+Oh God, if I could have a Corps Commander like Gouraud! But this block
+by "Mahon" makes a record for the seniority fetish. I have just been
+studying the Army List with Pollen. Excluding Indians, Marines and
+employed men like Douglas Haig and Maxwell, there _are_ only about one
+dozen British service Lieutenant-Generals senior to Mahon, and, of that
+dozen only two are _possible_--Ewart and Stopford! There _are_ no
+others. Ewart is a fine fellow, with a character which commands respect
+and affection. He is also a Cameron Highlander whose father commanded
+the Gordons. As a presence nothing could be better; as a man no one in
+the Army would be more welcome. But he would not, with his build and
+constitutional habit, last out here for one fortnight. Despite his
+soldier heart and his wise brain we can't risk it. We are unanimous on
+that point. Stopford remains. I have cabled expressing my deep
+disappointment that Mahon should be the factor which restricts all
+choice and saying,
+
+"However, my No. M.F. 334[20] gave you what I considered to be the
+qualities necessary in a Commander, so I will do my best with what you
+send me.
+
+"With regard to Ewart. I greatly admire his character, but he positively
+could not have made his way along the fire trenches I inspected
+yesterday. He has never approached troops for fifteen years although I
+have often implored him, as a friend, to do so. Would not Stopford be
+preferable to Ewart, even though he does not possess the latter's calm?"
+
+I begin to think I shall be recalled for my importunity. But, in for a
+penny in for a pound, and I have fired off the following protest to a
+really disastrous cable from the War Office saying that the New Army is
+to bring _no_ 4.5-inch howitzers with it; no howitzers at all, indeed,
+except sixteen of the old, inaccurate 5-inch Territorial howitzers, some
+of which "came out" at Omdurman and were afterwards--the whole
+category--found so much fault with in South Africa. Unless they are
+going to have an August push in France they might at least have lent us
+forty-eight 4.5 hows. from France to see the New Army through their
+first encounter with the enemy. They could all be run back in a fast
+cruiser and would only be loaned to us for three weeks or a month. If
+the G.S. at Whitehall can't do those things, they have handed over the
+running of a world war to one section of the Army. I attach my
+ultimatum: I cannot make it more emphatic; instead of death or victory
+we moderns say howitzers or defeat:--
+
+"(No. 5489, cipher, M.G.O.) From War Office to General Officer
+Commanding-in-Chief, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Your No. M.F.
+316. It is impossible to send more ammunition than we are sending you.
+528 rounds per 18-pr will be brought out by each Division. Instead of
+4.5-inch howitzers we are sending 16 5-inch howitzers with the 13th
+Division, as there is more 5-inch ammunition available. By the time that
+the last of the three Divisions arrive we hope to have supplied a good
+percentage of high explosive shells, but you should try to save as much
+as you can in the meantime. Until more ammunition is available for them,
+we cannot send you any 4.5-inch howitzers with the other two Divisions,
+and even if more 5-inch were sent the fortnightly supply of ammunition
+for them would be very small."
+
+"(No. M.F. 337). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. With
+reference to your No. 5489, cipher. I am very sorry that you cannot
+send the proper howitzers, and still more sorry for the reason, that of
+ammunition. The Turkish trenches are deep and narrow, and only effective
+weapon for dealing with them is the howitzer. I realize your
+difficulties, and I am sure that you will supply me with both howitzers
+and ammunition as soon as you are able to do so. I shall be glad in the
+meantime of as many more trench mortars and bombs as you can possibly
+spare. We realize for our part that in the matter of guns and ammunition
+it is no good crying for the moon, and for your part you must recognize
+that until howitzers and ammunition arrive it is no good crying for the
+Crescent."
+
+The Admiral and Godley paid me a visit; discussed tea and sea transport,
+then a walk.
+
+There is quite a break in the weather. Very cold and windy with a little
+rain in the forenoon.
+
+_17th June, 1915. Imbros._ Smoother sea, but rough weather in office. A
+cable from the Master General of the Ordnance in reply to my petition
+for another battery of 6-inch howitzers:--
+
+"(No. 5537, cipher, M.G.O.) From War Office to the General Officer
+Commanding-in-Chief, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Your telegram
+No. M.F. 331. We can send out another battery of 6-inch howitzers, but
+cannot send ammunition with it. Moreover, we cannot increase the present
+periodical supply, so that if we send the additional howitzers you must
+not complain of the small number of rounds per gun sent to you, as
+experience has shown is sometimes done in similar cases. It is possible
+that the Navy may help you with 6-inch ammunition. Please say after
+consideration of the above if you want the howitzers sent."
+
+My mind plays agreeably with the idea of chaining the M.G.O. on to a
+rock on the Peninsula whilst the Asiatic batteries are pounding it. That
+would learn him to be an M.G.O.; singing us Departmental ditties whilst
+we are trying to hold our Asiatic wolf by the ears. I feel very
+depressed; we are too far away; so far away that we lie beyond the
+grasp of an M.G.O.'s imagination. That's the whole truth. Were the
+Army in France to receive such a message, within 24 hours the
+Commander-in-Chief, or at the least his Chief of the Staff, would walk
+into the M.G.O.'s office and then proceed to walk into the M.G.O. I
+can't do that; a bad tempered cable is useless; I have no weapon at my
+disposal but very mild sarcasm:--
+
+"(No. M.F. 343). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. Your No.
+5537, cipher, M.G.O. Please send the battery of 6-inch howitzers. Your
+admonition will be borne in mind. Extra howitzers will be most useful to
+replace pieces damaged by enemy batteries on the Asiatic side of the
+Dardanelles. No doubt in time the ammunition question will improve. Only
+yesterday prisoners reported that 14 more Turkish heavy guns were coming
+to the Peninsula."
+
+Have written another screed to French. As it gives a sort of summing up
+of the state of affairs to-day I spatchcock (as Buller used to say) the
+carbon:--
+
+         "GENERAL HEADQUARTERS,
+    "MEDITERRANEAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE,
+                      _17th June, 1915._
+
+  "MY DEAR FRENCH,
+
+"It must be fully a month since I wrote you but no one understands
+better than you must do, how time flies under the constant strain of
+these night and day excursions and alarms. Between the two letters there
+has been a desperate lot of fighting, mostly bomb and bayonet work, and,
+except for a good many Turks gone to glory, there is only a few hundred
+yards of ground to show for it all at Anzac, and about a mile perhaps in
+the southern part of the Peninsula. But taking a wider point of view, I
+hope our losses and efforts have gained a good deal for our cause
+although they may not be so measurable in yards. First, the Turks are
+defending themselves instead of attacking Egypt and over-running Basra;
+secondly, we are told on high authority, that the action of the Italians
+in coming in was precipitated by our entry into this part of the
+theatre; thirdly, if we can only hold on and continue to enfeeble the
+Turks, I think myself it will not be very long before some of the Balkan
+States take the bloody plunge.
+
+"However all that may be, we must be prepared at the worst to win
+through by ourselves, and it is, I assure you, a tough proposition. In
+a manoeuvre battle of old style our fellows here would beat twice
+their number of Turks in less than no time, but, actually, the
+restricted Peninsula suits the Turkish tactics to a 'T.' They have
+always been good at trench work where their stupid men have only simple,
+straightforward duties to perform, namely, in sticking on and shooting
+anything that comes up to them. They do this to perfection; I never saw
+braver soldiers, in fact, than some of the best of them. When we
+advance, no matter the shelling we give them, they stand right up firing
+coolly and straight over their parapets. Also they have unlimited
+supplies of bombs, each soldier carrying them, and they are not half bad
+at throwing them. Meanwhile they are piling up a lot of heavy artillery
+of very long range on the Asiatic shore, and shell us like the devil
+with 4.5, 6-inch, 8, 9.2 and 10-inch guns--not pleasant. This
+necessitates a very tough type of man for senior billets. X--Y--, for
+instance, did not last 24 hours. Everyone here is under fire, and really
+and truly the front trenches are safer, or at least fully as safe, as
+the Corps Commander's dugout. For, if the former are nearer the
+Infantry, the latter is nearer the big guns firing into our rear.
+
+"Another reason why we advance so slowly and lose so much is that the
+enemy get constant reinforcements. We have overcome three successive
+armies of Turks, and a new lot of 20,000 from Syria are arriving here
+now, with 14 more heavy guns, so prisoners say, but I hope not.
+
+"I have fine Corps Commanders in Birdwood, Hunter-Weston and Gouraud.
+This is very fortunate. Who is to be Commander of the new corps I cannot
+say, but we have one or two terrifying suggestions from home.
+
+"Last night a brisk attack headed by a senior Turkish Officer and a
+German Officer was made on the 86th Brigade. Both these Officers were
+killed and 20 or 30 of their men, the attack being repulsed. Against the
+South Wales Borderers a much heavier attack was launched. Our fellows
+were bombed clean out of their trenches, but only fell back 30 yards and
+dug in. This morning early we got maxims on to each end of the place
+they had stormed, and then the Dublins retook it with the bayonet. Two
+hundred of their dead were left in the trench, and we only had 50
+casualties--not so bad! A little later on in the day a d----d submarine
+appeared and had some shots at our transports and store ships. Luckily
+she missed, but all our landing operations of supplies were suspended.
+These are the sort of daily anxieties. All one can do is to carry on
+with determination and trust in providence.
+
+"I hope you are feeling fit and that things are going on well generally.
+Give my salaams to the great Robertson, also to Barry. Otherwise please
+treat this letter as private. With all kind remembrance.
+
+                       "Believe me,
+                           "Yours very sincerely,
+                               "(_Sd._) IAN HAMILTON."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+BOMBS AND JOURNALISTS
+
+
+Our beautiful East Lancs. Division is in a very bad way. One more month
+of neglect and it will be ruined: if quickly filled up with fresh drafts
+it will be better than ever. Have cabled:--
+
+"(M.F.A. 871). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. The
+following is the shortage of officers and rank and file in each Brigade
+of the XLIInd East Lancashire Division including the reinforcements
+reported as arriving:--
+
+  125th Brigade    50 Officers, 1,852 rank and file.
+  126th Brigade    31 Officers, 1,714 rank and file.
+  127th Brigade    50 Officers, 2,297 rank and file.
+
+"A stage of wastage has now been reached in this Division, especially in
+the 127th Manchester Brigade, when filling up with drafts will make it
+as good or better than ever. If, however, they have to go on fighting in
+their present condition and suffer further losses, the remnants will not
+offer sufficiently wide foundation for reconstituting cadres.
+
+"Lord Kitchener might also like to know this, that a satisfactory
+proportion of the officers recently sent out to fill casualties are
+shaping very well indeed."
+
+An amalgam of veterans and fresh keen recruits, cemented by a common
+county feeling as well as by war tradition, makes the best fighting
+formation in the world. The veterans give experience and
+steadiness;--when the battle is joined the old hands feel bound to make
+good their camp-fire boastings to the recruits. The recruits bring
+freshness and the spirit of competition;--they are determined to show
+that they are as brave as the old fighters. But, if the East Lancs. go
+on dwindling, the cadre will not retain strength enough to absorb and
+shape the recruits who will, we must suppose, some day be poured into
+it. A perishing formation loses moral force in more rapid progression
+than the mere loss of members would seem to warrant. When a battalion
+which entered upon a campaign a thousand strong,--all keen and
+hopeful,--gets down to five hundred, comrades begin to look round at one
+another and wonder if any will be left. When it falls to three hundred,
+or less, the unit, in my experience, is better drawn out of the line.
+The bravest men lose heart when, on parade, they see with their own eyes
+that their Company--the finest Company in the Army--has become a
+platoon,--and the famous battalion a Company. A mould for shaping young
+enthusiasms into heroisms has been scrapped and it takes a desperate
+long time to recreate it.
+
+I want to be sure K. himself takes notice and that is why I refer to him
+at the tail end of the cable. We have also cabled saying that the idea
+of sending so many rounds per gun per day was excellent, but that "we
+have received no notice of any despatch later than the S.S. _Arabian_,
+which consignment" (whenever it might arrive?) "was only due to last
+until the day before yesterday"! So this is what our famous agreement to
+have munitions on the scale deemed necessary by Joffre and French pans
+out at in practice. Two-fifths of their amount and that not delivered!
+
+Dined with the Admiral on board the _Triad_. A glorious dinner. The
+sailormen have a real pull over us soldiers in all matters of messing.
+Linen, plate, glass, bread, meat, wine; of the best, are on the spot,
+always: even after the enemy is sighted, if they happen to feel a sense
+of emptiness they have only to go to the cold sideboard.
+
+Coming back found mess tent brilliantly lit up and my staff entertaining
+their friends. So I put on my life-saving waistcoat and blew it out;
+clapped my new gas-mask on my head and entered. They were really
+startled, thinking the devil had come for them before their time.
+
+Just got a telegram saying that M. Venezelos has gained a big majority
+in the Greek Election. Also, that the King of Greece is dying, and that,
+therefore, the Greek Army can't join us until he has come round or gone
+under.
+
+_18th June, 1915. Imbros._ Went over to Kephalos Camp to inspect
+Rochdale's 127th (Manchester) Brigade. The Howe Battalion of the 2nd
+Naval Brigade were there (Lieutenant-Colonel Collins), also, the 3rd
+Field Ambulance R.N.D. All these were enjoying an easy out of the
+trenches and, though only at about half strength, had already quite
+forgotten the tragic struggles they had passed through. In fattest peace
+times, I never saw a keener, happier looking lot. I drew courage from
+the ranks. Surely these are the faces of men turned to victory!
+
+Some twenty unattached officers fresh from England were there: a likely
+looking lot. One of the brightest a Socialist M.P.
+
+The inspection took me all forenoon so I had to sweat double shifts
+after lunch. Hunter-Weston came over from Helles at 7.15 p.m. and we
+dined off crayfish. He was in great form.
+
+The War Office can get no more bombs for our Japanese trench mortars! A
+catastrophe this! Putting the French on one side, we here, in this great
+force, possess only half a dozen good trench mortars--the Japanese.
+These six are worth their weight in gold to Anzac. Often those fellows
+have said to me that if they had twenty-five of them, with lots of
+bombs, they could render the Turkish trenches untenable. Twice, whilst
+their six precious mortars have been firing, I have stood for half an
+hour with Birdie, watching and drinking in encouragement. About one bomb
+a minute was the rate of fire and as it buzzed over our own trenches
+like a monstrous humming bird all the naked Anzacs laughed. Then, _such_
+an explosion and a sort of long drawn out ei-ei-ei-ei cry of horror from
+the Turks. It was fine,--a real corpse-reviving performance and now the
+W.O. have let the stock run out, because some ass has forgotten to order
+them in advance. Have cabled a very elementary question: "Could not the
+Japanese bombs be copied in England?"
+
+Being the Centenary of Waterloo, the thoughts and converse of
+Hunter-Weston and myself turned naturally towards the lives of the
+heroes of a hundred years ago whose monument had given us our education,
+and from that topic, equally naturally, to the boys of the coming
+generation. Then wrote out greetings to be sent by wire on my own behalf
+and on behalf of all Wellingtonians serving under my command here: this
+to the accompaniment of unusually heavy shell fire on the Peninsula.
+
+_Later._--Have just heard that after a heavy bombardment the Turks made
+an attack and that fighting is going on now.
+
+_19th June, 1915. Imbros._ The Turks expended last night some 500 H.E.
+shells; 250 heavy stuff from Asia and some thousands of shrapnel. They
+then attacked; we counter-attacked and there was some confused
+in-and-out Infantry fighting. We hear that the South Wales Borderers,
+the Worcesters, the 5th Royal Scots and the Naval Division all won
+distinction. Wiring home I say, "If Lord Kitchener could tell the Lord
+Provost of Edinburgh how well the 5th Bn. Royal Scots have done, the
+whole of this force would be pleased." The Turks have left 1,000 dead
+behind them. Prisoners say they thought so much high explosive would
+knock a hole in our line: the bombardment was all concentrated on the
+South Wales Borderers' trench.
+
+Writing most of the day. Lord K. has asked the French Government to send
+out extra quantities of H.E. shell to their force here; also, he has
+begged them to order Gouraud to lend me his guns. In so far as the
+French may get more H.E. this is A.1. But if K. thinks the British will
+_directly_ benefit--I fear he is out of his reckoning: it would be fatal
+to my relations with Gouraud, now so happy, were he even to suspect that
+I had any sort of lien on his guns. Unless I want to stir up jealous
+feelings, now entirely quiescent, I cannot use this cable as a lever to
+get French guns across into our area. Gouraud's plans for his big attack
+are now quite complete. A million pities we cannot attack
+simultaneously. That we should attack one week and the French another
+week is rotten tactically; but, practically, we have no option. We
+British want to go in side by side with the French--are burning to do
+so--but we cannot think of it until we can borrow shell from Gouraud;
+and, naturally, he wants every round he has for his own great push on
+the 21st. Walked down in the evening to see what progress was being made
+with the new pier. Colonel Skeen, Birdwood's Chief of Staff, dined and
+seems clever, as well as a very pleasant fellow.
+
+_20th June, 1915. Imbros._ Rose early. Did a lot of business. The King's
+Messenger's bag closed at 8 a.m. Told K. about the arrival of fresh
+Turkish troops and our fighting on the 18th. The trenches remain as
+before, but the Turks, having failed, are worse off.
+
+I have also written him about war correspondents. He had doubted whether
+my experiences would encourage me to increase the number to two or
+three. But, after trial, I prefer that the public should have a
+multitude of councillors. "When a single individual," I say, "has the
+whole of the London Press at his back he becomes an unduly important
+personage. When, in addition to this, it so happens, that he is inclined
+to see the black side of every proposition, then it becomes difficult to
+prevent him from encouraging the enemy, and from discouraging all our
+own people, as well as the Balkan States. If I have several others to
+counterbalance, then I do not care so much."
+
+Fired off a second barrel through Fitz from whom I have just heard that
+my Despatch cannot be published as it stands but must be bowdlerized
+first, all the names of battalions being cut out. Instead of saying,
+"The landing at 'W' had been entrusted to the 1st Bn. Lancashire
+Fusiliers (Major Bishop) and it was to the complete lack of the sense of
+danger or of fear of this daring battalion that we owed our astonishing
+success," I am to say, "The landing, etc., had been entrusted to a
+certain battalion."
+
+The whole of this press correspondence; press censorship; despatch
+writing and operations cables hang together and will end by hanging the
+Government.
+
+My operations cables are written primarily for K., it is true, but they
+are meant also to let our own people know what their brothers and sons
+are up against and how they are bearing up under unheard of trials.
+There is not a word in those cables which would help or encourage the
+enemy. I am best judge of that and I see to it myself.
+
+What is the result of my efforts to throw light upon our proceedings? A
+War Office extinguisher from under which only a few evil-smelling
+phrases escape. As I say to Fitz:--
+
+"You seem to see nothing beyond the mischief that may happen if the
+enemy gets to know too much about us; you do not see that this danger
+can be kept within bounds and is of small consequence when compared with
+the keenness or dullness of our own Nation."
+
+The news that the War Office were going to send us no more Japanese
+bombs spread so great a consternation at Anzac that I have followed up
+my first remonstrance with a second and a stronger cable:--
+
+"(No. M.F. 348). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. Your No.
+5272, A.2.[21] I particularly request that you may reconsider your
+proposal not to order more Japanese bombs. These bombs are most
+effective and in high favour with our troops whose locally-made weapons,
+on which they have frequently to rely, are far inferior to the bombs
+used by the Turks. Our great difficulty in holding captured trenches is
+that the Turks always counter-attack with a large number of powerful
+bombs. Apparently their supply of these is limitless. Unless the delay
+in arrival is likely to extend over several months, therefore, I would
+suggest that a large order be sent to Japan. We cannot have too many of
+these weapons, and this should not cancel my No. M.F.Q.T. 1321, which
+should be treated as additional."
+
+Drafted also a long cable discussing a diversion on the Asiatic shore of
+the Dardanelles. So some work had been done by the time we left camp at
+9.15 a.m., and got on board the _Triad_. After a jolly sail reached
+Mudros at 2 p.m., landing on the Australian pier at 3 p.m. Mudros is a
+dusty hole; _ein trauriges Nest_, as our German friends would say.
+
+Worked like a nigger going right through Nos. 15 and 16 Stationary
+Hospitals. Colonel Maher, P.M.O., came round, also Colonel Jones,
+R.A.M.C., and Captain Stanley, R.A.M.C. Talked with hundreds of men:
+these are the true philosophers.
+
+_21st June, 1915. Mudros._ Went at it again and overhauled No. 2
+Stationary Hospital under Lieutenant-Colonel White, as well as No. 1
+Stationary Hospital commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Bryant. The doctors
+praised me for inventing something new to say to each man. But all the
+time in my mind was the thought of Gouraud. I have wanted him to do it
+absolutely on his own, and I could not emphasize this better than by
+coming right away to Mudros. Back to the _Triad_ by 1 p.m. No news.
+Weighed anchor at once, steaming for Imbros, where we cast anchor at
+about 6 p.m. Freddie Maitland has arrived here, like a breath of air
+from home, to be once more my A.D.C.; his features wreathed in the
+well-known, friendly smile. The French duly attacked at dawn and the 2nd
+Division have carried a series of redoubts and trenches. The 1st
+Division did equally well but have been driven back again by
+counter-attacks. Fighting is still going on.
+
+While I have been away Braithwaite has cabled home in my name asking
+which of the new Divisions is the best, as we shall have to use them
+before we can get to know them.
+
+_22nd June, 1915. Imbros._ An anxious night. Gouraud has done
+splendidly; so have his troops. This has been a serious defeat for the
+Turks; a real bad defeat, showing, as it does, that given a modicum of
+ammunition we can seize the strongest entrenchments of the enemy and
+stick to them.
+
+"(No. M.F. 357). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Secretary of State for
+War. After 24 hours' heavy and continuous fighting a substantial
+success has been achieved. As already reported, the battle of 4th-5th
+June resulted in a good advance of my centre to which neither my right
+nor my left were able to conform, the reason being that the Turkish
+positions in front of the flanks are naturally strong and exceedingly
+well fortified. At 4.30 a.m. yesterday, General Gouraud began an attack
+upon the line of formidable works which run along the Kereves Dere. By
+noon the second French Division had stormed and captured all the Turkish
+first and second line trenches opposite their front, including the
+famous Haricot Redoubt, with its subsidiary maze of entanglements and
+communication trenches. On their right, the first French Division, after
+fierce fighting, also took the Turkish trenches opposite their front,
+but were counter-attacked so heavily that they were forced to fall back.
+Again, this Division attacked, again it stormed the position, and again
+it was driven out. General Gouraud then, at 2.55 p.m., issued the
+following order:"
+
+'From Colonel Viont's report it is evident that the preparation for the
+attack at 2.15 p.m. was not sufficient.
+
+'It is indispensable that the Turkish first line of trenches in front of
+you should be taken, otherwise the gains of the 2nd Division may be
+rendered useless. You have five hours of daylight, take your time, let
+me know your orders and time fixed for preparation, and arrange for
+Infantry assault to be simultaneous after preparation.'
+
+"As a result of this order, the bombardment of the Turkish left was
+resumed, the British guns and howitzers lending their aid to the French
+Artillery as in the previous attacks. At about 6 p.m., a fine attack was
+launched, 600 yards of Turkish first line trenches were taken, and
+despite heavy counter-attacks during the night, especially at 3.20 a.m.,
+all captured positions are still in our hands. Am afraid casualties are
+considerable, but details are lacking. The enemy lost very heavily. One
+Turkish battalion coming up to reinforce, was spotted by an aeroplane,
+and was practically wiped out by the seventy-fives before they could
+scatter.
+
+"Type of fighting did not lend itself to taking prisoners, and only some
+50, including one officer, are in our hands. The elan and contempt of
+danger shown by the young French drafts of the last contingent,
+averaging, perhaps, 20 years of age, was much admired by all. During the
+fighting, the French battleship _St. Louis_ did excellent service
+against the Asiatic batteries. All here especially regret that Colonel
+Girodon, one of the best staff officers existing, has been severely
+wounded whilst temporarily commanding a brigade. Colonel Nogués, also an
+officer of conspicuous courage, already twice wounded, at Kum Kale, has
+again been badly hit."
+
+Girodon is one in ten thousand; serious, brave and far sighted. The
+bullet went through his lung. We are said to have suffered nearly 3,000
+casualties.
+
+They say that the uproar of battle was tremendous, especially between
+midnight and 4 a.m. Some of our newly arrived troops stood to their arms
+all night thinking the end of the world had come.
+
+At 6 p.m. de Robeck, Keyes, Ormsby Johnson and Godfrey came over from
+the flagship to see me.
+
+Have got an answer about the Japanese trench mortars and bombs. In two
+months' time a thousand bombs will be ready at the Japanese Arsenal, and
+five hundred the following month. The trench mortars--bomb guns they
+call them--will be ready in Japan in two and a half months' time. Two
+and a half months, plus half a month for delay, plus another month for
+sea transit, makes four months! There are some things speak for
+themselves. Blood, they say, cries out to Heaven. Well, let it cry now.
+Over three months ago I asked--_my first request_--for these primitive
+engines and as for the bombs, had Birmingham been put to it, Birmingham
+could have turned them out as quick as shelling peas.
+
+Am doing what I can to fend for myself. This Dardanelles war is a war,
+if ever there was one, of the ingenuity and improvised efforts of man
+against nature plus machinery. We are in the desert and have to begin
+very often at the beginning of things. The Navy _now_ assure me that
+their Dockyard Superintendent at Malta could make us a fine lot of hand
+grenades in his workshops if Lord Methuen will give him the order.
+
+So I have directed a full technical specification of the Turkish hand
+grenades being used against us with effects so terrible, to be sent on
+to Methuen telling him it is simple, effective, that I hope he can make
+them and will be glad to take all he can turn out.
+
+_23rd June, 1915. Imbros._ Another day in camp. De Robeck and Keyes came
+over from the _Triad_ to unravel knotty points.
+
+Am enraged to recognize in Reuter one of my own cables which has been
+garbled in Egypt. The press censorship is a negative evil in London; in
+Cairo there is no doubt it is positive. After following my wording
+pretty closely, a phrase has been dovetailed in to say that the Turks
+have day and night to submit to the capture of trenches. These cables
+are repeated to London and when they get back here what will my own men
+think me? If, as most of us profess to believe, it is a mistake to tell
+lies, what a specially fatal description of falsehood to issue
+short-dated bulletins of victory with only one month to run. I have
+fired off a remonstrance as follows:--
+
+"(No M.F. 359). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. A Reuter
+telegram dated London, 16th June, has just been brought to my notice in
+which it is stated that the Press Bureau issues despatch in which the
+following sentence occurs: 'Day and night they (the Turks) have to
+submit to capture of trenches.' This information is incorrect, and as
+far as we are aware, has not been sent from here. This false news puts
+me in a false position with my troops, who know it to be untrue, and I
+should be glad if you would trace whence it emanates.
+
+"Repeated to General Officer Commanding, Egypt."
+
+_24th June, 1915. Imbros._ Three days ago we asked the War Office to let
+us know the merits of the three new Divisions. The War Office replied
+placing them in the order XIth; XIIth; Xth, and reminding me that the
+personality of the Commander would be the chief factor for deciding
+which were to be employed in any particular operation. K. now
+supplements this by a cable in which he sizes up the Commanders.
+Hammersley gets a good _chit_ but the phrase, "he will have to be
+watched to see that the strain of trench warfare is not too much for
+him" is ominous. I knew him in October, '99, and thought him a fine
+soldier. Mahon, "without being methodical," is praised. Shaw gets a
+moderate eulogy, but we out here are glad to have him for we know him.
+On these two War Office cables Hammersley and the 11th Division should
+be for it.
+
+After clearing my table, embarked with Braithwaite and Mitchell aboard
+the _Basilisk_ (Lieutenant Fallowfield) and made her stand in as close
+as we dared at Suvla Bay and the coast to the North of it. We have kept
+a destroyer on patrol along that line, and we were careful to follow the
+usual track and time, so as to rouse no suspicions.
+
+To spy out the land with a naval telescope over a mile of sea means
+taking a lot on trust as we learned to our cost on April 25th. We can't
+even be sure if the Salt Lake _is_ a lake, or whether the glister we see
+there is just dry sand. We shall have to pretend to do some gun
+practice, and drop a shell on to its surface to find out. No sign of
+life anywhere, not even a trickle of smoke. The whole of the Suvla Bay
+area looks peaceful and deserted. God grant that it may remain so until
+we come along and make it the other thing.
+
+On my return the Admiral came to hear what I thought about it all. Our
+plan is bold, but there never was a state of affairs less suited to half
+and half, keep-in-the-middle-of-the-road tactics than that with which
+the Empire is faced to-day. If we get through here, now, the war will,
+must be, over next year. My Manchurian Campaign and two Russian
+Manoeuvres have taught me that, from Grand Duke to Moujiks, our Allies
+need just that precise spice of initiative which we, only we in the
+world, can lend them. Advice, cash, munitions aren't enough; our
+palpable presence is the point. The arrival of Birdwood, Hunter-Weston
+and Gouraud at Odessa would electrify the whole of the Russian Army.
+
+As to the plan, I have had the G.S. working hard upon it for over a
+fortnight (ever since the Cabinet decided to support us). Secrecy is so
+ultra-vital that we are bound to keep the thing within a tiny circle. I
+am not the originator. Though I have entirely fathered it, the idea was
+born at Anzac. We have not yet got down to precise dates, units or
+commanders but, in those matters, the two cables already entered this
+morning should help. The plan is based upon Birdwood's confidence that,
+if only he can be strengthened by another Division, he can seize and
+hold the high crest line which dominates his own left, and in my own
+concurrence in that confidence. Sari Bair is the "keep" to the Narrows;
+Chunuk Bair and Hill 305 are its keys: i.e., from those points the
+Turkish trenches opposite Birdwood can be enfiladed: the land _and_ sea
+communications of the enemy holding Maidos, Kilid Bahr and Krithia can
+be seen and shelled and, in fact, any strong force of Turks guarding the
+European side of the Narrows can then be starved out, whilst a weak
+force will not long resist Gouraud and Hunter-Weston. As to our tactical
+scheme for producing these strategical results, it is simple in outline
+though infernally complicated in its amphibious and supply aspects. The
+French and British at Helles will attack so as to draw the attention of
+the Turks southwards. To add to this effect, we are thinking of asking
+the Anzacs to exert a preliminary pressure on the Gaba Tepe alarum to
+the southwards. We shall then give Birdwood what he wants, an extra
+division, and it will be a problem how to do so without letting the
+enemy smell a rat. Birdwood's Intelligence are certain that no trenches
+have been dug by the enemy along the high ridge from Chunuk Bair to Hill
+305. He is sure that with one more Division under his direct command,
+plus the help of a push from Helles to ease his southern flank, he can
+make good these dominating heights.
+
+[Illustration: THE NARROWS FROM CHUNUK BAIR]
+
+_But_,--here comes the second half of the plan: the balance of the
+reinforcements from home are also to be thrown into the scale so as at
+the same time to give further support to Birdwood on his _northern_
+flank and to occupy a good harbour (Suvla Bay) whence we can run a light
+railway line and more effectively feed the troops holding Sari Bair than
+they could be fed from the bad, cramped beaches of Anzac Cove. This will
+be the more necessary as the process of starving out the Turks to the
+south must take time. Suvla Bay should be an easy base to seize as it is
+weakly held and unentrenched whilst, tactically, any troops landed there
+will, by a very short advance, be able to make Birdwood's mind easy
+about his left. Altogether, the plan seems to me simple in outline, and
+sound in principle. The ground between Anzac and the Sari Bair crestline
+is worse than the Khyber Pass but both Birdwood and Godley say that
+their troops can tackle it. There are one or two in the know who think
+me "venturesome" but, after all, is not "nothing venture nothing win" an
+unanswerable retort?
+
+De Robeck is excited over some new anti-submarine nets. They are so
+strong and he can run them out so swiftly that they open, he seems to
+think, new possibilities of making landings,--not on open coasts like
+the North of the Aegean but at places like Yukeri Bay, where the nets
+could be spread from the North and South ends of Tenedos to shoals
+connecting with Asia so as to make a torpedo proof basin for transports.
+The Navy, in fact, suddenly seem rather bitten with the idea of landing
+opposite Tenedos. But whereas, this very afternoon, our own eyes
+confirmed the aeroplane reports that Suvla Bay is unentrenched, weakly
+held and quiescent, only yesterday a division of the enemy were reputed
+to be busy along the whole of the coastline to the South of Besika Bay.
+
+I have raised a hornet's nest by my objection to faked cables; but I
+will not have it done. They may suppress but they shall not invent.
+
+"(No. M.F. 366). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. Your No.
+12431. I do not object to General Officer Commanding, Egypt, publishing
+any telegram I send him, as I write them for that purpose. But I do
+object to the addition of news which is untrue, and which can surely be
+seen through by any reading public. If we can take trenches at our will,
+why are we still on this side of Achi Baba?
+
+"In compliance with Lord Kitchener's instructions I send a telegram to
+the Secretary of State for War and repeat it to Egypt; also to Australia
+and New Zealand if it affect these Dominions. Please see your No.
+10,475, code, and my No. M.F. 285, instructing me to do this. These
+telegrams are practically identical when they leave here, and are
+intended to be used as a communique and to be published. Instead of this
+I find a mutilated and misleading Cairo telegram reproduced in London
+Press in place of the true version I sent to the Secretary of State for
+War."
+
+General Paris crossed from Helles to dine and stay the night. After
+dinner, Commodore Backhouse came over to make his salaams to his
+Divisional Chief.
+
+Gouraud has sent me his reply to Lord K.'s congratulations on his
+victory of the 21st. He says,
+
+     "_Vous prie exprimer à Lord Kitchener mes respectueux remerciements
+     nous n'avons, eu qu'à prendre exemple sur les héroïques régiments
+     anglais qui ont débarqué dans les fils de fer sur la plage de
+     Seddulbahr_."
+
+_25th June, 1915. Imbros._ At 8 a.m. walked down with Paris to see him
+off. Worked till 11 a.m. and then crossed over to "K" Beach where
+Backhouse, commanding the 2nd Naval Brigade, met me. Inspected the Hood,
+Howe and Anson Battalions into which had been incorporated the
+Collingwood and Benbow units--too weak now to carry on as independent
+units. The Hood, Howe and Anson are suffering from an acute attack of
+indigestion, and Collingwoods and Benbows are sick at having been
+swallowed. But I had to do it seeing there is no word of the cruel
+losses of the battle of the 4th being made good by the Admiralty. The
+Howe, Hood and Anson attacked on our extreme right, next the French.
+They did most gloriously--most gloriously! As to the Collingwoods, they
+were simply cut to pieces, losing 25 officers out of 28 in a few
+minutes. Down at the roots of this unhappiness lie the neglect to give
+us our fair share of howitzers and trench mortars--in fact stupidity!
+The rank and file all round looked much better for their short rest, and
+seemed to like the few halting words of praise I was able to say to
+them. Lunched with Backhouse in a delicious garden under a spreading fig
+tree; then rode back.
+
+At 5 p.m. Ashmead-Bartlett had an appointment, K. himself took trouble
+to send me several cables about him a little time ago. Referring in one
+of them to the dangers of letting Jeremiah loose in London, K. said,
+"Ashmead-Bartlett has promised verbally to speak to no one but his
+Editor, who can be trusted." Verbally, or in writing, my astonishment at
+K.'s confidence can only find expression in verse:--
+
+  "Oft expectation fails, and most oft there
+  Where most it promises;"
+
+He, Ashmead-Bartlett, came to-day to beg me to deliver him out of the
+hands of the Censor. He wants certain changes made and I have agreed.
+
+Next, he fully explained to me the importance of the Bulair Lines and
+urged me to throw the new Divisions against them. He seems to think he
+is mooting to me a spick and span new idea--that he has invented
+something. Finally, he suggests ten shillings and a free pardon be
+offered to every Turk who deserts to our lines with his rifle and kit:
+he believes we should thus get rid of the whole of the enemy army very
+quickly.
+
+This makes one wonder what would Ashmead-Bartlett himself do if he were
+offered ten shillings and a good supper by a Mahommedan when he was
+feeling a bit hungry and hard up amongst the Christians. Anyway, there
+is no type of soldier man fighting in the war who is more faithful to
+his salt than the Osmanli Turk. Were we to offer fifty pounds per head,
+instead of ten shillings, the bid would rebound in shame upon ourselves.
+
+Colonel Sir Mark Sykes was my next visitor. He is fulfilling the promise
+of his 'teens when he was the shining light of the Militia; was as keen
+a Galloper as I have had on a list which includes Winston and F.E., and,
+generally, gained much glory, martial, equestrian, histrionic,
+terpsichorean at our Militia Training Camp on Salisbury Plain in '99.
+Now he has mysteriously made himself (heaven knows how) into our premier
+authority on the Middle East and is travelling on some ultra-mysterious
+mission, very likely, _en passant_, as a critic of our doings: never
+mind, he is thrice welcome as a large-hearted and generous person.
+
+Dined with de Robeck on board the _Triad_. He is _most_ hospitable and
+kind. I have not here the wherewithal to give back cutlet for cutlet,
+worse luck.
+
+_26th June, 1915._ Worked till past 11 o'clock, then started
+for Anzac with Braithwaite per destroyer _Pincher_ (Lieutenant-Commander
+Wyld). After going a short way was shifted to the _Mosquito_
+(Lieutenant-Commander Clarke). We had biscuits in our pockets, but the
+hospitable Navy stood us lunch.
+
+When the Turks saw a destroyer come bustling up at an unusual hour they
+said to themselves, "fee faw fum!" and began to raise pillars of water
+here and there over the surface of the cove. As we got within a few
+yards of the pier a shell hit it, knocking off some splinters. I jumped
+on to it--had to--then jumped off it nippier still and, turning to the
+right, began to walk towards Birdie's dugout. As I did so a big fellow
+pitched plunk into the soft shingle between land and water about five or
+six yards behind me and five or six yards in front of Freddie. The slush
+fairly smothered or blanketed the shell but I was wetted through and was
+stung up properly with small gravel. The hardened devils of Anzacs, who
+had taken cover betwixt the shell-proofs built of piles of stores,
+roared with laughter. Very funny--to look at!
+
+As the old Turks kept plugging it in fairly hot, I sat quiet in
+Birdwood's dugout for a quarter of an hour. Then they calmed down and we
+went the rounds of the right trenches. In those held by the Light Horse
+Brigade under Colonel G. de L. Ryrie, encountered Lieutenant Elliot,
+last seen a year ago at Duntroon.
+
+Next, met Colonel Sinclair Maclagan commanding 3rd (Australian) Infantry
+Brigade. After that saw the lines of Colonel Smith's Brigade, where
+Major Browne, R.A., showed me a fearful sort of bomb he had just
+patented.
+
+At last, rather tired by my long day, made my way back, stopping at
+Birdie's dugout en route. Boarded the _Mosquito_; sailed for and reached
+camp without further adventure. General Douglas of the East Lancs
+Division is here. He has dined and is staying the night. A melancholy
+man before whose eyes stands constantly the tragic melting away without
+replacement of the most beautiful of the Divisions of Northern England.
+
+_27th June, 1915. Imbros._ Blazing hot; wound up my mail letters; fought
+files, flies and irritability; tackled a lot of stuff from Q.M.G. and
+A.G.; won a clear table by tea time. In the evening hung about waiting
+for de Robeck who had signalled over to say he wanted to talk business.
+At the last he couldn't come.
+
+The sequel to the letter telling me I'd have to cut the names of
+battalions out of my Despatch has come in the shape of a War Office
+cable telling me that, if I agree, it is proposed "to have the despatch
+reviewed and a slightly different version prepared for publication." I
+hope my reply to Fitz may arrive in time to prevent too much titivation.
+
+An imaginative War Office (were such a thing imaginable) would try first
+of all to rouse public enthusiasm by letting them follow quite closely
+the brave doings of their own boys' units whatever these might be. Next,
+they would try and use the Press to teach the public that there are
+three kinds of war, (_a_) military war, (_b_) economic war and (_c_)
+social war. Lastly, they would explain to the Cabinet that this war of
+ours is a mixture of (_a_) and (_b_) with more of (_b_) than (_a_) in
+it.
+
+How can economic victory be won? (1) by enlisting the sympathy of
+America; (2) by taking Constantinople.
+
+The idea that we can hustle the Kaiser back over the Rhine and march on
+to Berlin at the double emanates from a school of thought who have
+devoted much study to the French Army, not so much to that of the
+Germans. But we _can_ (no one denies it) hustle the Turks out of
+Constantinople if we will make an effort, big, no doubt, in itself but
+not very big compared to that entailed by a few miles' advance in the
+West. Let us do that and, forthwith, we enlist economics on our side.
+
+None of these things can be carried through without the help of the
+Press. Second only to enthusiasm of our own folk comes the sweetening of
+the temper of the neutral. Hard to say at present whether our Censorship
+has done most harm in the U.K. or the U.S.A. Before leaving for the
+Dardanelles I begged hard for Hare and Frederick Palmer, the Americans,
+knowing they would help us with the Yanks just as much as aeroplanes
+would help us with the Turks, but I was turned down on the plea that the
+London Press would be jealous.
+
+These are the feelings which have prompted my pen to-day. Writing one of
+the few great men I know I put the matter like this:--
+
+"From my individual point of view a hideous mistake has been made on the
+correspondence side of the whole of this Dardanelles business. Had we
+had a dozen good newspaper correspondents here, the vital life-giving
+interest of these stupendous proceedings would have been brought right
+into the hearths and homes of the humblest people in Britain....
+
+"As for information to the enemy, this is too puerile altogether. The
+things these fellows produce are all read and checked by competent
+General Staff Officers. To think that it matters to the Turks whether a
+certain trench was taken by the 7th Royal Scots or the 3rd Warwicks is
+just really like children playing at secrets. The Censors who are by way
+of keeping everyone in England in darkness allow extremely accurate
+outline panoramas of the Australian position from the back; trenches,
+communication tracks, etc., all to scale; a true military sketch, to
+appear in the _Illustrated London News_ of 5th June. The wildest
+indiscretions in words could not equal this."
+
+Again I say the Press must win. On no subject is there more hypocrisy
+amongst big men in England. They pretend they do not care for the Press
+and _sub rosa_ they try all they are worth to work it. How well I
+remember my Chief of the General Staff coming up to me at a big
+conference on Salisbury Plain where I had spent five very useful minutes
+explaining the inwardness of things to old Bennett Burleigh, the War
+Correspondent. He (the C.G.S.) begged me to see Burleigh privately,
+afterwards, as it would "create a bad impression" were I seen by
+everyone to be on friendly terms with the old man! He meant it very
+kindly: from his point of view he was quite right. I lay no claim to be
+more candid than the rest of them: quite the contrary. Only, over that
+particular line of country, I am more candid. Whenever anyone
+ostentatiously washes his hands of the Press in my hearing I chuckle
+over the memory of the administrator who was admonishing me as to the
+unsuitability of a public servant having a journalistic acquaintance
+when, suddenly, the door opened; the parlour-maid entered and said,
+"Lord Northcliffe is on the 'phone."
+
+Have told Lord K. in my letter we have just enough shell for one more
+attack. After that, we fold our hands and wait the arrival of the new
+troops and the new outfit of ammunition:--not "wait and see" but "wait
+and suffer." A month is a desperate long halt to have in a battle. A
+month, at least, to let weariness and sickness spread whilst new armies
+of enemies replace those whose hearts we have broken,--at a cost of how
+many broken hearts, I wonder, in Australasia and England?
+
+This enforced pause in our operations is a desperate bad business: for
+to-day there is a feeling in the air--thrilling through the ranks--that
+_at last_ the upper hand is ours. Now is the moment to fall on with
+might and main,--to press unrelentingly and without break or pause until
+we wrest victory from Fortune. Morally, we are confident
+but,--materially? Alas, to-morrow, for our last "dart" before
+reinforcements arrive a month hence, my shell only runs to a forty
+minutes' bombardment of some half a mile of the enemy's trenches. We
+simply have not shell wherewith to cover more or keep it up any longer.
+
+A General laying down the law to a Field Marshal is as obnoxious to
+military "form" as a vacuum was once supposed to be to the sentiments of
+nature. The child, who teaches its grandmother to suck eggs, commits a
+venial fault in comparison. So I have had to convey my precepts
+insensibly to Milord K.--to convey them in homeopathic doses of parable.
+The brilliant French success of the 21st-22nd, I explain to him, was due
+to the showers of shell wherewith they deluged the Turkish lines until
+their defenders were sitting dazed with their dugouts in ruins about
+them. Also, in the same epistle, I have tried to explain Anzac.
+
+In the domain of tactics our landing at Helles speaks for itself. Since
+gunpowder was invented nothing finer than the 29th Division has been
+achieved. But it will be a long time yet before people grasp that the
+landing at Anzac is just as remarkable in the imaginative domain of
+strategy. The military student of the future will, I hope and believe,
+realize the significance of the stroke whereby we are hourly forcing a
+great Empire to commit _hari kiri_ upon these barren, worthless
+cliffs--whereby we keep pressing a dagger exactly over the black heart
+of the Ottoman Raj. Only skin deep--so far; only through the skin. Yet
+already how freely bleeds the wound. Daily the effort to escape this
+doom; to push away the threat of that painful point will increase. Even
+if we were never to make another yard's advance,--here--in the cove of
+Anzac--is the cup into which the life blood of the Caliphat shall be
+pressed. And on the whole Gallipoli Peninsula this little cove is the
+one and only spot whereon a base could have been established, which is
+sheltered (to a bearable extent) from the force of the enemy's fire.
+Dead ground; defiladed from inland batteries; deep water right close to
+the shore!
+
+Enver dares not leave Anzac alone. We are too near his neck; the
+Narrows!! So on this most precarious, God-forsaken spot he must maintain
+an Army of his best troops, mostly supplied by sea,--by sea whereon our
+submarines swallow 25 per cent. of their drafts, munitions and food,
+just as a pike takes down the duckling before the eyes of their mother
+on a pond. Hold fast's the word. We have only to keep our grip firm and
+fast; Turkey will die of exhaustion trying to do what she can't do;
+drive us into the sea!
+
+Braithwaite and Amery dined. Great fun seeing Amery again. _What_
+memories of his concealment in the Autocrat's "Special" going to the
+Vereeniging Conference; of our efforts to create a strategical training
+ground for British troops in South Africa; of our battles against one
+another over the great Voluntary Service issue.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+A VICTORY AND AFTER
+
+
+_28th June, 1915. Imbros._ The fateful day.
+
+Left camp with Braithwaite, Dawnay and Ward. Embarked on the destroyer
+_Colne_ (Commander Seymour) and sailed for Helles. The fire fight was
+raging. From the bridge we got a fine view as our guns were being
+focused on and about the north-west coast. The cliff line and half a
+mile inland is shrouded in a pall of yellow dust which, as it twirls,
+twists and eddies, blots out Achi Baba himself. Through this curtain
+appear, dozens at a time, little balls of white,--the shrapnel searching
+out the communication trenches and cutting the wire entanglements. At
+other times spouts of green or black vapour rise, mix and lose
+themselves in the yellow cloud. The noise is like the rumbling of an
+express train--continuous; no break at all. The Turks sitting there in
+their trenches--our men 100 yards away sitting in _their_ trenches! What
+a wonderful change in the art,--no not the art, in the mechanism--of
+war. Fifteen years ago armies would have stood aghast at our display of
+explosive energy; to-day we know that our shortage is pitiable and that
+we are very short of stuff; perilously short.--(Written in the cabin of
+the _Colne_.)
+
+Jimmy Watson met me on the pier. He is Commandant Advance Base. Deedes
+also met me and the whole band of us made our way inland to my battle
+dugout. This is probably our last onslaught before the new troops and
+new supplies of shell come to hand in about a month from now. We have
+just enough stuff to deal with one narrow strip by the coast. Had it not
+been for some help from the French, we could not have entered upon this
+engagement at all, but must have continued to sit still and be shot
+at--rather an expensive way of fighting if John Bull could only be told
+the truth. Now, although the area is limited the battle is a big one,
+fairly entitled to be called a general action. As I said, the French are
+helping Simpson-Baikie in his bombardment; the Fleet are helping us with
+the fire of the _Scorpion_, _Talbot_ and _Wolverine_, and Birdwood has
+been asked to try and help us from Anzac by making a push there to hold
+the enemy and prevent him sending reinforcements south. On their side
+the Turks are making a very feeble reply. Looks as if we had caught them
+with their ammunition parks empty.
+
+I went into the dugout indescribably slack; hardly energy to struggle
+against the heat and the myriads of flies. I came out of it radiant. The
+Turks are beat. Five lines of their best trenches carried (or, at least,
+four regular lines plus a bit extra); the Boomerang Redoubt rushed, and
+in two successive attacks we have advanced 1,000 yards. Our losses are
+said to be moderate. The dreaded Boomerang collapsed and was stormed
+with hardly a casualty. This was owing partly to the two trench mortars
+lent us by the French and partly to the extraordinary fine shooting of
+our own battery of 4.5 howitzers. The whole show went like
+clockwork--like a Field Day. First the 87th Brigade took three lines of
+trenches; then our guns lengthened their range and fuses and the 86th
+Brigade, with the gallant Royal Fusiliers at their head, scrambled over
+the trenches already taken by the 87th, and took the last two lines in
+splendid style. We could have gone right on but we had nothing to go on
+with. How I wish the whole world and his wife could have been here to
+see our lines advancing under fire quite steadily with intervals and
+dressing as on parade. A wonderful show!
+
+As the 87th Brigade left the trenches at 11 a.m., the enemy opened a hot
+shrapnel fire on them but although some men fell, none faltered as we
+could see very well owing to the following device. The 29th attackers
+had sewn on to their backs triangles cut out of kerosine tins. The idea
+was to let these bright bits of metal flash in the sunlight and act as
+helios. Thus our guns would be able to keep an eye on them. The
+spectacle was extraordinary. From my post I could follow the movements
+of every man. One moment after 11 a.m. the smoke pall lifted and moved
+slowly on with a thousand sparkles of light in its wake: as if someone
+had quite suddenly flung a big handful of diamonds on to the landscape.
+
+At 11.30 the 86th Brigade likewise advanced; passed through the 87th and
+took two more lines of trenches.
+
+At mid-day I signalled, "Well done 29th Division and 156th Brigade. Am
+watching your splendid attack with admiration. Stick to it and your
+names will become famous in your homes."
+
+At 1.50 I got a reply, "Thanks from all ranks 29th. We are here to
+stay."
+
+At 3.15 I ran across and warmly congratulated Hunter-Weston, staying
+with him reading the messages until about 4 p.m. when I went on to see
+Gouraud. Hunter-Weston, Gouraud and Braithwaite agree that:--_had we
+only shell to repeat our bombardment of this morning, now, we could go
+on another 1,000 yards before dark,--result, Achi Baba to-morrow, or, at
+the latest, the day after; Achi Baba_ and fifty guns perhaps with, say,
+10,000 prisoners.
+
+At 5 p.m. Gouraud and I walked back to Hunter-Weston's G.H.Q. A load was
+off our minds--we were wonderfully happy. At 5.30 a message from Birdie
+to say the Queenslanders had thrust out towards Gaba Tepe and had
+"drawn" the Turkish reserves who had been badly hammered by our guns.
+With this crowning mercy in my pocket, walked down and boarded the
+destroyer _Scourge_ (Lieutenant Tupper) and got back to camp before
+seven. What a day! May our glorious Infantry gain everlasting
+_Kudos_--and the Gunners, too, may the good use they made of their shell
+ration create a legend.
+
+The French official photographer has fixed a moment by snapping Gouraud
+and myself overlooking the Hellespont from the old battlements.
+
+[Illustration: GENERAL GOURAUD "Central News" photo.]
+
+_Midnight._--When I lay down in my little tent two hours ago the canvas
+seemed to make a sort of sounding board. No sooner did I try to sleep
+than I heard the musketry rolling up and dying away; then rolling up
+again in volume until I could stick it no longer and simply had to get
+up and pick a path, through the brush and over sandhills, across to the
+sea on the East coast of our island. There I could hear nothing. Was the
+firing then an hallucination--a sort of sequel to the battle in my
+brain? Not so; far away I could see faint corruscations of sparks; star
+shells; coloured fire balls from pistols; searchlights playing up and
+down the coast. Our fellows were being hard beset to hold on to what
+they had won; there, where the horizon stood out with spectral
+luminosity. What a contrast; the direct fear, joy, and excitement of the
+fighting men out there in the searchlights and the dull anguish of
+waiting here in the darkness; imagining horrors; praying the Almighty
+our men may be vouchsafed valour to stick it through the night;
+wondering, waiting until the wire brings its colourless message!
+
+One thought I have which is in the end a sure sleep-getter--the
+advancing death. Whether by hours or by years, by inches or by leagues,
+by bullets or bacilli, we struggle-for-lifers will very soon struggle no
+more. My last salaams are well-nigh due to my audience and to the stage.
+That rare and curious being called I is more fragile than any porcelain
+jar. How on earth it has preserved itself so long, heaven only knows.
+One pellet of lead, it falls in a heap of dust; the Peninsula
+disappears; the fighting men fall asleep; the world and its glories
+become a blank--not even a dream--nothing!
+
+_29th June, 1915. Imbros._ Sunlight has scattered the spectres of the
+night,--they have fled, leaving behind them only the matter-of-fact
+residuum of heavy Turkish counter-attacks against our fresh-won ground.
+The fighting took place along the coastline, and the stillness of the
+night seems to have helped the sounds of musketry across the twelve
+miles of sea. The attack was most determined: repulsed by bombs and with
+the bayonet: at daylight the enemy came under a cross-fire of machine
+guns and rifles and were shot to pieces.
+
+Very early approved the revise of my long cable (for the Cabinet)
+outlining my hopes and fears:--
+
+"(No. M.F. 381). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. With
+reference to your telegram No. 5770, cipher. As the Cabinet are anxious
+to consider my situation in all its bearings, it is necessary I should
+open to you all my mind. In my No. M.F. 328 of 13th June, I gave you an
+outline of my plan, based on the news that I was to be given new
+divisions, and I told you what I should do with a possible fourth
+division in my No. M.F. 364 of 23rd June. I am now asked whether I
+consider a fifth division advisable and necessary.
+
+"I have taken time to answer this question, as the addition of each new
+division necessitates, in such a theatre of war as this, a
+reconsideration of the whole strategical and tactical situation as well
+as of the power of the Fleet to work up to the increased demands that
+would be placed upon it. The scheme which might tempt me (Naval
+considerations permitting) of landing the 4th and 5th Divisions together
+with the three divisions and one or two divisions from Cape Helles and
+Anzac on flank of shore of Gulf of Saros to march on Rodosto and
+Constantinople I reject because the 4th and 5th Divisions cannot reach
+me simultaneously with all their transport.
+
+"But assuming that reinforcements can only reach me in echelon of
+divisions I have decided that the best policy would be to adhere to my
+original plan of endeavouring to turn the enemy's right at Anzac with
+the first three divisions and to gain a position from Gaba Tepe to
+Maidos. I should then use the 4th and 5th Divisions, in case of
+non-success at first to reinforce this wing, and in case of success
+possibly to effect a landing on the southern shore of the Dardanelles;
+and since the enemy's forces south of the Straits would probably have
+been reduced to a minimum in order to oppose my reinforced strength on
+the Peninsula I should in the latter case count upon these two divisions
+doing more than hold a bridge-head (see my M.F. 349 of 19th June), and
+should expect them, reinforced from the northern wing if necessary, to
+press forward to Chanak and thus to cut off this enemy's sole remaining
+line of supply.[22] By these means I should hope to compel the
+surrender of the whole Gallipoli Army. Meanwhile, with my force on the
+Asiatic side I would be enabled to establish in Morto Bay a base safe
+from the bad weather which must be expected later on.
+
+"With regard to ammunition, the more we can get the more easy will our
+task be, but I hope we may be able to achieve success at the end of July
+with the amount available. As we are so far from home, however, we
+cannot afford to run things too fine, and we shall always be obliged to
+keep up a large reserve until the arrival of further supply. I should,
+therefore, like as much as you can spare, particularly high explosive.
+So far as this question affects sending a 4th and 5th Division I would
+not refuse them on the score of ammunition alone, because with the
+Artillery of three new divisions complete I think we shall have as many
+guns as the terrain will allow us to use in the operations towards
+Maidos, and also sufficient to compete with any Artillery which the
+enemy could bring against the detachment operating on the Asiatic shore.
+
+"To summarize--I think I have reasonable prospects of eventual success
+with three divisions, with four the risks of miscalculation would be
+minimized, and with five, even if the fifth division had little or no
+gun ammunition, I think it would be a much simpler matter to clear the
+Asiatic shore subsequently of big guns, etc., Kilid Bahr would be
+captured at an earlier date and success would be generally assured."
+
+Next, I boiled down yesterday's battle into telegraphic dispatch form:
+
+"(No. M.F. 383). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Secretary of State for
+War. In continuation of my Nos. M.F. 379 and 382. Plan of operations
+yesterday was to throw forward left of my line south-east of Krithia,
+pivoting on point about one mile from the sea, and after advancing
+extreme left for about half a mile, to establish new line facing east on
+ground thus gained. This plan entailed the capture in succession of two
+lines of the Turkish trenches east of the Saghir Dere and five lines of
+trenches west of it. Australian Corps was ordered to co-operate by
+making vigorous demonstration. The action opened at 9 a.m. with
+bombardment by heavy artillery of the trenches to be captured.
+
+"Assistance rendered by French in this bombardment was most valuable. At
+10.20 our field artillery opened fire to cut wire in front of Turkish
+trenches and this was effectively done. Great effect on enemy's trench
+near sea and in keeping down his artillery fire from that quarter was
+produced by very accurate fire of H.M.S. _Talbot_, _Scorpion_, and
+_Wolverine_. At 10.45 a small Turkish advanced work in the Saghir Dere,
+known as the Boomerang Redoubt, was assaulted. This little fort was
+very strongly sited, protected by extra strong wire entanglements and
+has long been a source of trouble. After special bombardment by trench
+mortars and while bombardment of surrounding trenches was at its height
+part of Border Regiment, at the exact moment prescribed, leapt from
+their trenches like a pack of hounds pouring out of cover, raced across
+and took the work most brilliantly.
+
+"Artillery bombardment increased in intensity till 11 a.m. when range
+was lengthened and infantry advanced. Infantry attack was carried out
+with great dash along whole line. West of Saghir Dere 87th Brigade
+captured three lines of trenches with little opposition. Trenches full
+of dead Turks, many buried by bombardment, and 100 prisoners were taken
+in them. East of Ravine two battalions Royal Scots made fine attack,
+capturing the two lines of trenches assigned as their objective, but
+remainder of 156th Brigade on their right met severe opposition and were
+unable to get forward. At 11.30, 86th Brigade led by 2nd Bn. Royal
+Fusiliers started second phase of attack West of Ravine. They advanced
+with great steadiness and resolution through trenches already captured
+and on across the open, and taking two more lines of trenches reached
+objective allotted to them, Lancashire Fusiliers inclining half right
+and forming line to connect with our new position East of Ravine.
+
+"The northernmost objective I had set out to reach had now been
+attained, but the Gurkhas pressing on under the cliffs captured an
+important knoll still further forward, actually due west of Krithia.
+This they fortified and held during the night, making our total gain on
+the left precisely 1,000 yards. During afternoon 88th Brigade attacked
+trenches, small portion of which remained uncaptured on right, but enemy
+held on stubbornly, supported by machine guns and artillery, and attacks
+did not succeed. During night enemy counter-attacked furthest trenches
+gained but was repulsed with heavy loss. Party of Turks who penetrated
+from flank between two lines of captured trenches, subjected to
+machine-gun fire at daybreak, suffered very heavily and survivors
+surrendered.
+
+"Except for small portion of trench already mentioned which is still
+held by enemy, all, and more than we hoped for, from operations has been
+gained. On extreme left, line has been pushed forward to specially
+strong point well beyond limit of advance originally contemplated. Our
+casualties about 2,000, the greater proportion of which are slight cases
+of which 250 at Anzac, in the useful demonstration made simultaneously
+there. All engaged did well, but certainly the chief factor in the
+success was the splendid attack carried out by XXIXth Division, whose
+conduct in this as on previous occasions was beyond praise."
+
+Lastly, I wrote out a special Force Order thanking the incomparable
+29th.
+
+Winter brought me over a letter just received from Wallace. He is
+quarrelling with Elliot. For that I don't blame him. At the end of his
+letter Wallace says, "I feel that the organization of the Lines of
+Communication and making it work is such a task that I sometimes doubt
+myself whether I am equal to it." Wallace is a good fellow and a
+sensible man placed, by British methods, out of his element and out of
+his depth. Have told Winter to tell him I sympathize and will help him
+and support him all I know; that if it turns out his strong points lie
+in another direction than administering a huge business machine, I will
+try and find a handsome way out for him.
+
+Had been writing, writing, writing since cockcrow so when I heard a
+trawler was going over with two of the General Staff at mid-day, I could
+not resist the chance of another visit to the scene of yesterday's
+victorious advance. Went to see Hunter-Weston but he was up at the front
+where I had no time to follow him. His Chief of Staff says all goes
+well, but they have just had cables from my own Headquarters to tell
+them that heavy columns of Turks are massing behind Achi Baba for a
+fresh counter-attack. Thought, therefore, the wisest thing was to get
+back quickly. Reached camp again about 7 p.m., and found more news in
+office than I got on the spot. Last night's firing on the Peninsula
+meant close and desperate fighting. Several heavy columns of Turks
+attacked with bomb and bayonet, and in places some of their braves broke
+through into our new trenches where the defence had not yet been put on
+a stable footing. When daylight came we got them enfiladed by machine
+guns and every single mother's son of them was either killed or
+captured. So we still hold every yard we had gained.
+
+The attack by a part of the Lowland Division seems to have been
+mishandled. A Brigade made the assault East of the Ravine; the men
+advanced gallantly but there was lack of effective preparation. Two
+battalions of the Royal Scots carried a couple of the enemy's trenches
+in fine style and stuck to them, but the rest of the Brigade lost a
+number of good men to no useful purpose in their push against H.12. One
+thing is clear. If the bombardment was ineffective, from whatever cause,
+then the men should not have been allowed to break cover.[23]
+
+_30th June, 1915. Imbros._ Writing in camp.
+
+More good news. It never rains but it pours. The French have made a fine
+push and got the Quadrilateral by 8 a.m. with but little loss. The Turks
+seemed discouraged, they say, and did not offer their usual firm
+resistance.
+
+At 10.30 a.m. wired Gouraud:--"Warm congratulations on this morning's
+work which will compensate for the loss of your 2,000 quarts of wine.
+Your Government should now replace it with vintage claret. Please send
+me quickly a sketch of the ground you have gained."
+
+Gouraud now replies:--"Best thanks for congratulations. Sketch being
+made. If our Government is pleased to send a finer brand of wine to
+replace what was wasted by the guns of Asia, we Frenchmen will drink it
+to the very good health of our British comrades in arms."
+
+How lucky I signalled de Robeck 8 p.m. yesterday to let us keep the
+_Wolverine_ and _Scorpion_ "in case of a night attack!" Sure enough
+there was another onslaught made against our northernmost post. Two
+Turkish Regiments were discovered in mass creeping along the top of the
+cliffs by the searchlights of the _Scorpion_. They were so punished by
+her guns that they were completely broken up and the Infantry at
+daylight had not much to do except pick up the fragments. 300 Turks lay
+dead upon the ground. Also, hiding in furze, have gleaned 180 prisoners
+belonging to the 13th, 16th and 33rd Regiments. A Circassian prisoner
+carried in a wounded Royal Scot on his back under a heavy fire.
+
+Three wires from Helles; the first early this morning; the last just to
+hand (11 p.m.) saying that the lack of hand grenades is endangering all
+our gains. The Turks are much better armed in this respect. De Lisle
+says that where we have hand grenades we can advance still further;
+where we have not, we lose ground. At mid-day, we wired our reply saying
+we had no more hand grenades we feared but that we would do our best to
+scrape up a few; also that several trench mortars had just arrived from
+home and that they would be sent over forthwith.
+
+Have returned some interesting minutes on the Dardanelles, sent me from
+home, with this remark:--"Looking back I see now clearly that the one
+fallacy which crept into your plans was non-recognition of the pride and
+military _moral_ of the Turk. There was never any question of the Turk
+being demoralized or even flustered by ships sailing past him or by
+troops landing in his rear. _At last, I believe_, this _moral_ is
+beginning to crack up a little (not much) but nothing less than
+murderous losses would have done it. In their diaries their officers
+speak of this Peninsula as the Slaughterhouse."
+
+Brigadier-General de Lothbinière and Major Ruthven lunched and young
+Brodrick and I dined together on board the _Triad_ with the hospitable
+Vice-Admiral. We were all very cheery at the happy turn of our fortunes;
+outwardly, that is to say, for there was a skeleton at the feast who
+kept tap, tap, tapping on the mahogany with his bony knuckles; tap, tap,
+tap; the gunfire at Helles was insistent, warning us that the Turks had
+not yet "taken their licking." But when I get back, although there is
+nothing in from Hunter-Weston there is an officer from Anzac who has
+just given me the complete story of Birdwood's demonstration on the
+28th. The tide of war is indeed racing full flood in our favour.
+
+When we were working out our scheme for the attack of the 29th Division
+and 156th Brigade the day before yesterday, as well as Gouraud's attack
+of yesterday, we had reckoned that the Turkish High Command would get to
+realize by about 11 a.m. on the 28th that an uncommon stiff fight had
+been set afoot to the sou'-west of Krithia. L. von S. would then, it
+might be surmised, draw upon his reserves at Maidos and upon his forces
+opposite Anzac: they would get their orders about mid-day: they would be
+starting about 1 p.m.: they would reach Krithia about dusk: they would
+use their "pull" in the matter of hand grenades to counter-attack by
+moonlight. So we asked Birdie to make one of his most engaging gestures
+just to delay these reinforcements a little bit; and now it turns out
+that the Australians and New Zealanders in their handsome, antipodean
+style went some 50 per cent. better than their bargain:--
+
+(1) At 1 p.m. on the 28th the Queensland giants darted out of their
+caves and went for the low ridge covering Gaba Tepe, that tenderest spot
+of the Turks. They got on to the foot of it and, by their dashing
+onslaught, drew the fire of all the enemy guns; but, what was still
+better, heavy Turkish columns, on the march, evidently, from Maidos to
+the help of Krithia, turned back northwards and closed in for the
+defence of Gaba Tepe. As they drew near they came under fire of our
+destroyers and of the Anzac guns and were badly knocked about and broken
+up. So both Krithia and the French Quadrilateral have had to do without
+the help of these reinforcements from the reserves of Liman von Sanders.
+One of the neatest of strokes and the credit of it lies with the
+Queenslanders who were not content to flourish their fists in the
+enemy's face but ran out and attacked him at close quarters.
+
+(2) Now comes the sequel! Birdie has just sent in word of the best
+business done at Anzac since May 19th!! The success of his demonstration
+towards Gaba Tepe had given the Turks a bad attack of the jumps,
+followed by a thirst for vengeance. Yesterday, they got _very_ nervy
+during a dust storm and for two hours the whole of their Army kept up
+high pressure fire from every rifle and machine gun they could bring to
+bear. They simply poured out bullets by the million into the blinding
+dust. Things then gradually quieted down till 1.30 this morning when a
+very serious assault--very serious for the enemy--was suddenly launched
+against the Anzac left, the brunt of it falling on Russell's New Zealand
+Mounted Rifles and Chauvel's Australian Light Horse; a bad choice too!
+Our victory complete; bloodless for us. Their defeat complete; very
+bloody. Nine fresh enemy battalions smashed to bits: fighting went on
+until dawn: five hundred Turks laid out and counted: no more detail but
+that is good enough to go to sleep upon.
+
+_1st July, 1915. Imbros._ Good news from Helles continues. In the early
+hours of last night an attack was made on the Gurkhas in J trenches.
+When they ran out of bombs the Turks bombed them out. Headed by Bruce
+their Colonel, whom they adore, they retook the trench and, for the
+first time, got into the enemy with their _kukris_ and sliced off a
+number of their heads. At dawn half a battalion of Turks tried to make
+the attack along the top of the cliff and were entirely wiped out.
+
+Against this I must set down cruel bad news about Gouraud. An accursed
+misadventure. He has been severely wounded by a shell. Directly I heard
+I got the Navy to run me over. He was already in the Hospital ship; I
+saw him there. A pure toss up whether he pulls round or not; luckily he
+has a frame of iron. I was allowed to speak to him for half a minute and
+he is full of pluck. The shell, an 8-incher from Asia, landed only some
+half a dozen yards away from him as he was visiting his wounded and sick
+down by "V" Beach. By some miracle none of the metal fragments touched
+him, but the sheer force of the explosion shot him up into the air and
+over a wall said to be seven feet high. His thigh, ankle and arm are all
+badly smashed, simply by the fall. We could more easily spare a Brigade.
+His loss is irreparable. By personal magnetism he has raised the ardour
+of his troops to the highest power. Have cabled to Lord K. expressing my
+profound sorrow and assuring him that "the grave loss suffered by the
+French, and indirectly by my whole force," is really most serious, as I
+know, I say, "the French War Minister cannot send us another General
+Gouraud."
+
+_2nd July, 1915. Imbros._ Worked all day in camp. Birdie, with Onslow,
+his A.D.C--_such_ a nice boy--came over from Anzac in the morning and
+stayed with me the day, during which we worked together at our plan. At
+night we all went over together to H.M.S. _Triad_ to dine with the
+Vice-Admiral.
+
+Birdwood is quite confident that with a fresh Division and a decent
+supply of shell he can get hold of the heights of Sari Bair, whereby he
+will enfilade the whole network of Turkish trenches, now hedging him
+round. The only thing he bargains for is that G.H.Q. so work the whole
+affair from orders down to movements, that the enemy get no inkling of
+our intentions. The Turks so far suspect nothing, and Koja Chemen Tepe
+and Chunuk Bair, with all the intervening ridge, are still unentrenched
+and open to capture by a _coup-de-main_. Even if the naval objections to
+Bulair could be overcome, Sari Bair remains the better move of the two.
+With the high ridges of Sari Bair in our hands we could put a stop to
+the Turkish sea transport from Chanak which we could neither see nor
+touch from Bulair. The tugs with their strings of lighters could not run
+by day, and as soon as we could get searchlights fixed up, they would
+find it very awkward to show themselves in the Straits by night. As to
+the enemy land communications, as soon as we can haul up our big guns we
+should command, and be able to search, all the ground between the Aegean
+and the Dardanelles. Now is the moment. Birdwood says that he and his
+men have exactly the same feeling that we have down at Helles--the
+feeling, namely, that now at last, we have got a right moral pull over
+the Turks. All we want is enough material to turn that faith into a mile
+or two of mountains.
+
+Making full use of their advantage in hand grenades, the Turks again won
+their trench back from the Gurkhas last night; a trench which was the
+key to a whole system of earthworks. Bruce had been wounded and they had
+no officers left to lead them, so de Lisle had to call once more on the
+29th Division and the bold Inniskilling Fusiliers retook that trench at
+a cost of all their officers save two.
+
+There are some feats of arms best left to speak for themselves and this
+is one of them.
+
+Wrote Lord K. as follows:--
+
+                                                "GENERAL HEADQUARTERS,
+                                          "MEDTN. EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.
+
+                                                     "_2nd July, 1915._
+
+    "Dictated.
+
+  "MY DEAR LORD KITCHENER,
+
+"There seems to be a lull in this tooth-and-nail struggle which has kept
+me on tenterhooks during the past four days and nights. But we have on
+our maps little blue arrows showing the movements of at least a Division
+of troops in various little columns from above Kereves Dere, from Soghon
+Dere river, from Kilid Bahr and even from within gun-shot of Achi Baba,
+all converging on a point a mile or two north-west of Krithia. So it
+looks as if they were going to have one more desperate go at the Gurkha
+knoll due west of Krithia, and at the line of trench we call J.13
+immediately behind it which was also held by the Gurkhas.
+
+"Last night they bombed the Gurkhas out of the eastern half of J.13 and
+the Inniskilling Fusiliers had to take it again at the point of the
+bayonet just as day broke.
+
+"You can have small idea of what the troops are going through. The same
+old battalions being called on again and again to do the forlorn hope
+sort of business. However, each day that passes, these captured
+positions get better dug in, and make the Turks' counter-attack more
+costly.
+
+"The cause of the attack made the night before last on Anzac has been
+made quite clear to us by a highly intelligent Armenian prisoner we have
+taken. The strictest orders had been issued by His Excellency
+Commanding-in-Chief on the Peninsula that no further attacks against our
+works were to be made unless, of course, we took any ground from them
+when we must be vigorously countered. But it was explained to the men
+that the losses in attack had proved too heavy, whereas, if they had
+patience and waited a week or ten days in their trenches, then at last
+we would come out and try to attack them when they would kill us in
+great quantities. However, Enver Pasha appeared in person amongst the
+troops at Anzac, and ordered three regiments to attack whilst the whole
+of the rest of the line supported them by demonstrations and by fire. It
+was objected this was against the command of their local chief. He
+brushed this objection aside, and told them never to look him in the
+face again if they failed to drive the Australians into the sea. So off
+they went and they certainly did not drive the Australians into the sea
+(although they got into their support trenches at one time) and
+certainly most of them never looked Enver in the face again, or anyone
+else for that matter.
+
+"The old battle tactics have clean vanished. I have only quite lately
+realized the new conditions. Whether your entrenchments are on the top
+of a hill or at the bottom of a valley matters precious little: whether
+you are outflanked matters precious little--you may hold one half of a
+straight trench and the enemy may hold the other half, and this
+situation may endure for weeks. The only thing is by cunning or
+surprise, or skill, or tremendous expenditure of high explosives, or
+great expenditure of good troops, to win some small tactical position
+which the enemy may be bound, perhaps for military or perhaps for
+political reasons, to attack. Then you can begin to kill them pretty
+fast."
+
+_3rd July, 1915. Imbros._ Very hot; very limp with the prevalent disease
+but greatly cheered up by the news of yesterday evening's battle at
+Helles. The Turks must have got hold of a lot of fresh shell for, at
+5.30 p.m., they began as heavy a bombardment as any yet seen at Helles,
+concentrating on our extreme left. We could only send a feeble reply. At
+6 o'clock the enemy advanced in swarms, but before they had covered more
+than 100 yards they were driven back again into the Ravine some 800
+yards to our front. H.M.S. _Scorpion_ and our machine guns played the
+chief hand. At 7 p.m. the Turkish guns began again, blazing away as if
+shells were a drug in the market, whilst, under cover of this very
+intense fire, another two of their battalions had the nerve to emerge
+from the Ravine to the north-east of our forward trenches and to move in
+regular lines--shoulder to shoulder--right across the open. Hardly had
+they shown themselves when the 10th Battery R.F.A. sprayed them
+beautifully with shrapnel. The Gurkha supports were rushed up, and as
+there was no room for them in the fire trenches they crept into shell
+craters and any sort of hole they could find from which to rake the
+Turks as they made their advance. The enemy's officers greatly
+distinguished themselves, waving their swords and running well out into
+the open to get the men forward. The men also had screwed up their
+courage to the sticking point and made a big push for it, but, in the
+end, they could not face our fire, and fell back helter-skelter to their
+mullah. Along the spot where they had stood wavering awhile before they
+broke and ran, there are still two clearly marked lines of corpses.
+
+Wrote a letter to Sclater saying I cannot understand his request for
+fuller information about the drafts needed to make my units up to
+strength. We have regularly cabled strengths; the figures are correct
+and it is the A.G. himself who has ordered us to furnish the optimistic
+"ration" strengths instead of the customary "fighting" strengths. The
+ration strength are for the Q.M.G., but unless the A.G. wishes to go on
+living in a fool's paradise, why should he be afraid of knowing the
+numbers we cannot put into the line of battle!
+
+Have also written Cowans protesting once more that we should have
+business brains to run the most intricate business proposition at
+present on tap in the world--our communications. During the past month
+the confusion at Mudros, our advanced base, becomes daily worse
+confounded. Things meant for Anzac go to Helles, and _vice versa_: or,
+not infrequently, stores, supplies or luxuries arrive and are sent off
+on a little tour to Alexandria and Malta before delivery. The system
+would be perfect for the mellowing of port or madeira, but when it is
+applied to plum and apple jam or, when 18 pr. shell are sent to
+howitzers, the system needs overhauling. I know the job is out of the
+way difficult. There is work here for Lesseps, Goethals and Morgan
+rolled into one:--work that may change the face of the world far, far
+more than the Suez or Panama Canals and, to do it, they have put in a
+good fighting soldier, quite out of his setting, and merely because they
+did not know what to do with him in Egypt! In case Cowans shares K.'s
+suspicions about my sneaking desire for Ellison, I say, "I assure you;
+most solemnly I assure you, that the personal equation does not, even in
+the vaguest fashion, enter into my thoughts. Put the greatest enemy I
+possess in the world, and the person I most dislike, into that post, and
+I would thank God for his appointment, on my knees, provided he was a
+competent business man."
+
+Again:--
+
+"I am in despair myself over it. Perhaps that is putting it rather
+strong as I try never to despair, but seriously I worry just as much
+over things behind me as I do over the enemy in front of me. What I want
+is a really big man there, and I don't care one D. who he is. A man I
+mean who, if he saw the real necessity, would wire for a great English
+contractor and 300 navvies without bothering or referring the matter to
+anyone."
+
+A cable to say that the editing of my despatch is ended, and that the
+public will be let into its dreadful secrets in a day or two. But, I am
+informed there are passages in it whose "secret nature will be
+scrupulously observed." What passages? I cannot remember any secrets in
+my despatch.
+
+Have been defending myself desperately against the War Office who want
+to send out a Naval Doctor to take full charge and responsibility for
+the wounded (including destination) the moment they quit dry land. But
+we must have a complete scheme of evacuation _by land and sea_, not two
+badly jointed schemes. So I have asked, who is to be "Boss"? Who is to
+see to it that the two halves fit together? The answer is that the War
+Office are confident "there will be no friction" (bless them!); they
+say, "nothing could be simpler than this arrangement and no difficulty
+is anticipated. Neither is boss and the boundary between the different
+spheres of activity of the two officers might be laid down as the
+high-water mark." (Bless them again!). Have replied:--
+
+"I have struggled with your high-water mark silently for weeks and know
+something about it. Had I bothered you with all my troubles you would, I
+respectfully submit, realize that your proposal is not simple but
+extraordinarily complicated, even pre-supposing seraphic dispositions on
+either side. If you determine finally that these two officers are to be
+independent, I foresee that you will greatly widen the scope of dual
+control which is now only applicable to my great friend the Admiral and
+myself.
+
+"Either Babtie must order up the ships when and where he wants them, or
+Porter must order the wounded down when he is ready for them. This is
+my considered opinion."[24]
+
+Have also sent an earnest message to K.--just the old, old story--saying
+that what I want _first_ is drafts, and only _second_ fresh divisions.
+My old Chief has been his kind self again:--so very considerate has he
+been in his recent messages that I feel it almost brutal to press him or
+to seem to wish to take advantage of his goodness. But we are dealing
+with lives of men and I _must_ try and make myself clear:--
+
+"I am anxious with regard to the question of reinforcements for units.
+During the period 28th to 30th June, the Brigades of the XXIXth and
+Lowland Divisions dropped in strengths approximately as follows:--86th
+from 71 officers, 2,807 others to 36 and 1,994; 87th from 65 and 2,724
+to 48 and 2,075; 88th from 63 and 2,139 to 46 and 1,765; 156th from 102
+and 2,839 to 30 and 1,399. All Officers who have arrived from England to
+date are included in the above figures. Maxwell has agreed to let me
+have 80 young Officers from Egypt. Of the other ranks I have no
+appreciable reinforcements to put in. This is the situation after an
+operation carried out by the XXIXth and two brigades of LIInd Divisions,
+which was not only successful but even more successful than we
+anticipated; wherein the initial losses on 28th June were comparatively
+small, namely 2,000, but as the result of numerous counter-attacks day
+and night, have since swelled to some 3,500.
+
+"The drafts promised in your No. 5793, A.G.2a, would, provided there
+were no more casualties, bring the units of the XXIXth Division to
+approximately 75 per cent. of establishment, but would leave none
+available as further reinforcements.
+
+"In view of the operations on a larger scale, with increased forces, I
+feel I should draw your attention to the risk introduced by the theatre
+of operations being so far from England. I have no reserves in base
+depots now, while the operations we are engaged in are such that heavy
+casualties are to be expected. The want of drafts ready on the spot to
+fill up units which have suffered heavily might prevent me pressing to
+full advantage as the result of a local success. At a critical moment I
+might find myself compelled to suspend operations until the arrival of
+drafts from England. This might involve a month and in the meantime the
+enemy would have time to consolidate his position. The difficulty of the
+drafts question is fully realized, but I think you should know exactly
+how I am placed and that I should reflect and make clear the essential
+difference between the Dardanelles and France in so far as the necessity
+of mobilizing first reinforcements for each unit is concerned. Our real
+need is a system which will enable me to maintain drafts for the
+deficiencies in depots on my lines of communications with Egypt."
+
+If K. did not want brief spurts sandwiched between long waits, all he
+had to do was to tell his A.G. to see to it that the XXIXth Division was
+kept up to strength. A word and a frown would have done it. But he has
+not said the word, or scowled, and the troops have by extraordinary
+efforts and self-sacrifice carried through the work of strong battalions
+with weak ones--but only to some extent. That is the whole story.
+
+_4th July, 1915. Imbros._ Church Parade this morning. Made a close
+inspection of the Surrey Yeomanry under Major Bonsor. Even with as free
+a hand as the Lord Almighty, it would be hard to invent a better type of
+fighting man than the British Yeomanry; only, they have never been
+properly appreciated by the martinets who have ruled our roost, and
+chances have never been given to them to make the most of themselves as
+soldiers.
+
+The Escort was made up of men of the 29th Division under Lieutenant
+Burrell of the South Wales Borderers--that famous battalion which
+stormed so brilliantly de Tott's battery at the first landing,--also of
+a detachment of Australians under Lieutenant Edwards and a squad of New
+Zealanders under Lieutenant Sheppard, fine men all of them, but very
+different (despite the superficial resemblance imparted by their slouch
+hats) when thus seen shoulder to shoulder on parade. The Australians
+have the pull in height and width of chest; the New Zealanders are
+thicker all through, chests, waists, thighs.
+
+After Church Parade, boarded H.M.S. _Basilisk_ (Lieutenant Fallowfield)
+and steamed to Helles. The Turks, inconsiderate as usual, were shelling
+Lancashire Landing as we got ashore. Every living soul had gone to
+ground. Strolled up the deserted road with an air of careless
+indifference, hopped casually over a huge splosh of fresh blood, and
+crossed to Hunter-Weston's Headquarters. Had I only been my simple self,
+I would have out-stripped the hare for swiftness, as it was, I, as
+C.-in-C, had to play up to the dugouts. As Hunter-Weston and I were
+starting lunch, an orderly rushed in to say that a ship in harbour had
+been torpedoed. So we rushed out with our glasses and watched. She was a
+French transport, the _Carthage_, and she took exactly four minutes to
+sink. The destroyers and picket boats were round her as smart as flies
+settle on a lump of sugar, and there was no loss of life. Sad to see the
+old ship go down. I knew her well at Malta and Jean once came across in
+her from Tunis. She used to roll like the devil and was always said,
+with what justice I do not know, to be the sister ship to the _Waratah_
+which foundered so mysteriously somewhere off the Natal coast with a
+very good chap, a M.F.H., Percy Brown, on board. At 2.30 General
+Bailloud, now commanding the French, came over to see me. When he had
+finished his business which he handles in so original a manner as to
+make it a recreation, I went off with Hunter-Weston and Staffs to see
+General Egerton of the Lowland Division. Egerton introduced me to
+Colonel Mudge, A.A.G., Major Maclean, D.A.A.G. (an old friend), Captain
+Tollemashe, G.S.O.3, and to his A.D.C., Lieutenant Laverton. We then
+went on and saw the 156th Brigade. Passed the time of day to a lot of
+the Officers and men. Among those whose names I remember were Colonel
+Pallin, acting Brigadier; Captain Girdwood, Brigade Major; Captain Law,
+Staff Captain; Colonel Peebles, 7th Royal Scots; Captain Sinclair, 4th
+Royal Scots; Lieutenant McClay, 8th Scottish Rifles. The last Officer
+was one of the very few--I am not sure they did not say the only one--of
+his Battalion who went into the assault and returned untouched.
+
+The whole Brigade had attacked H. 12 on the 28th ult. and lost a number
+of good men. The rank and file seemed very nice lads but--there was no
+mistaking it--they have been given a bad shake and many of them were
+down on their luck. As we came to each Battalion Headquarters we were
+told, "These are the remnants of the----," whatever the unit was. Three
+times was this remark repeated but the fourth time I had to express my
+firm opinion that in no case was the use of the word "remnant," as
+applied to a fighting unit "in being," an expression which authority
+should employ in the presence of the men.
+
+Re-embarked in H.M.S. _Basilisk_ and got back to Imbros fairly late.
+
+A set of Turkish Divisional orders sent by the Turkish General to the
+Commander of their right zone at Helles has been taken from a wounded
+Turkish officer. They bear out our views of the blow that the 29th
+Division have struck at the enemy's _moral_ by their brilliant attack on
+the 28th inst.
+
+"There is nothing that causes us more sorrow, increases the courage of
+the enemy and encourages him to attack more freely, causing us great
+losses, than the losing of these trenches. Henceforth, commanders who
+surrender these trenches from whatever side the attack may come before
+the last man is killed will be punished in the same way as if they had
+run away. Especially will the commanders of units told off to guard a
+certain front be punished if, instead of thinking about their work
+supporting their units and giving information to the higher command,
+they only take action after a regrettable incident has taken place.
+
+"I hope that this will not occur again. I give notice that if it does, I
+shall carry out the punishment. I do not desire to see a blot made on
+the courage of our men by those who escape from the trenches to avoid
+the rifle and machine gun fire of the enemy. Henceforth, I shall hold
+responsible all Officers who do not shoot with their revolvers all the
+privates who try to escape from the trenches on any pretext. Commander
+of the 11th Division, Colonel Rifaat."
+
+In sending on this order to his battalions, the Colonel of the 127th
+Regiment adds:--
+
+"To Commander of the 1st Battalion. The contents will be communicated to
+the Officers and I promise to carry out the orders till the last drop of
+our blood has been shed."
+
+Then followed the signatures of the company commanders of the Battalion.
+There is a savage ring about these orders but they are, I am sure, more
+bracing to the recipients than laments and condolences over their
+losses.
+
+_5th July, 1915. Imbros._ Spent a long, hot day hanging at the end of
+the wire. Heavy firing on the Peninsula last night under cover of which
+the Turks at dawn made, or tried to make, a grand, concerted attack. Not
+a soul in England, outside the Ordnance, realizes, I believe, that
+barring the guns of the 29th Division and the few guns of the Anzacs,
+our field artillery consists of the old 15-prs., relics of South Africa,
+and of 5-inch hows., some of them Omdurman veterans. Quite a number of
+these guns are already unserviceable and, in the 42nd Division, to keep
+one and a half batteries fully gunned, we have had to use up every piece
+in the Brigade. The surplus personnel are thus wasted. To take on new
+Skoda or Krupp guns with these short-range veterans is rough on the
+gunners. Still, but for the Territorial Force we should have nothing at
+all, and but for those guns to-day some of the enemy might have got
+home.
+
+A sort of professional gossip turned up to-day from G.H.Q. France. We do
+not seem to be so popular as we deserve to be in _la belle France!_ But
+what I would plead were I only able to get at Joffre and French is that
+we are "such a little one." Were we all to be set down in the West
+to-morrow with our shattered, torn formations, they'd put us back into
+reserve for a month's rest and training. As for the guns, they'd scrap
+the lot. _They_ don't want ancient 15-prs. and 5-inch hows. out there.
+They picture us feasting upon their munitions, but half of what we use
+they would not touch with a barge pole and, of the good stuff, one
+Division in France will fire away in one day what would serve to take
+the Peninsula.
+
+Braithwaite has a letter from the D.M.I. telling him that 5,000 Russians
+sailed from Vladivostock on the 1st inst. to join us here. One Regiment
+of four Battalions plus one Sotnia of Cossacks. A reinforcement of 5,000
+stout soldiers tumbling out of the skies! Russians placed here are worth
+twice their number elsewhere, not only because we need rifles so badly,
+but because of the moral effect their presence should have in the
+Balkans.
+
+This little vodka pick-me-up has come in the nick of time to hearten me
+against the tenor of the news of to-day which is splendid indeed in one
+sense; ominous in another. The Turks are being heavily reinforced. All
+the enemy troops who made the big attack last night were fresh arrivals
+from Adrianople. I do not grumble at the attack (on the contrary we like
+it), but at the reason they had for making it, which is that two fresh
+Divisions, newly arrived, asked leave to show their muscle by driving us
+into the sea. Full details are only just in. The biggest bombardment
+took place at Anzac. A Turkish battleship joined in from the Hellespont,
+dropping about twenty 11.2-inch shells into our lines. At Helles, all
+night, the Turks blazed away from their trenches. At 4 a.m. they opened
+fire on our trenches and beaches with every gun they could bring to
+bear from Asia or Achi Baba. Their Asiatic Batteries alone fired 1,900
+rounds, of which 700 fell on Lancashire Landing. At least 5,000 shell
+were loosed off on to Helles. A lot of the stuff was 6-inch and over.
+The bombardment was very wild and seemed almost unaimed. Soon after 4
+a.m. very heavy columns of Turks tried to emerge from the Ravine against
+the left of the 29th Division. "It wanted to be the hell of a great
+attack," as one of the witnesses, a moderate spoken young gentleman,
+states. When the Commanders saw what was impending they sent messages to
+Simpson-Baikie begging him to send some 4.5 H.E. shell into the Ravine
+which was beginning to overflow. He was adamant. He had only a few
+rounds of H.E. and he would not spend them, feeling sure his 18 prs.
+with their shrapnel were masters of the field. At 6 a.m. out came the
+Turks, not in lines, but just like a swarm of bees. Our fellows never
+saw the like and began to wonder whenever they were going to stop, and
+what on earth _could_ stop them! Thousands of Turks in a bunch, so the
+boys say, swarmed out of their trenches and the Gully Ravine. Well, they
+were stopped _dead_. There they lie, _still_. The guns ate the life out
+of them.
+
+It was our central group of artillery who did it. As that big oblong
+crowd of Turks showed their left flank to Baikie's nine batteries they
+were swept in enfilade by shrapnel. The fall of the shell was corrected
+by the two young R.A. subalterns at the front, neither of whom would
+observe in the usual way through his periscope. They looked over the
+parapet because that method was more sure and quick, and the stress of
+the battle was great. There is a rumour that both were shot through the
+head: I pray it may be but a rumour. Out of all these Turks some thirty
+only reached our parapets. The sudden destruction which befell them was
+due in the main to the devotion of these two young heroes. At 7.30 a.m.
+the Turks tried to storm again. Some of them got in amongst the Royal
+Naval Division, who brought up their own supports and killed 300,
+driving out the rest. Ninety dead Turks are laid out on their parapet.
+Another, later, enemy effort against the right of the 29th Division was
+clean wiped out. 150 Turks are dead there. But it is on the far
+crestline they lie thick.
+
+Every one of these attacking Turks were _fresh_--from Adrianople! Full
+of fight as compared with their thrice beaten brethren. If the Turks are
+given time to swap troops in the middle of fighting, we can't really
+tell how we stand. Still; they are not now as fresh as they were. They
+have lost a terrible lot of men since the 28th. The big Ravine and all
+the small nullahs are chock-a-block with corpses. Their casualties in
+these past few days are put at very high figures by both Birdie and H.W.
+and it is probable that 5,000 are actually lying dead on the ground. I
+have on my table a statement made by de Lisle; endorsed by Hunter-Weston
+and dated 4th instant, saying that 1,200 Turkish dead can be counted
+corpse by corpse from the left front. The actual numbers de Lisle
+estimates as between 2,000 and 3,000. Now we have to-day's losses to
+throw in. The Turks are burning their candle fast at the Anzac as well
+as the Helles end. Ten days of this and they are finished.[25]
+
+Naturally, my mind dwells happily just now upon our incoming New Army
+formations. Yet every now and then I feel compelled to look back to
+regret the lack of systematic flow of drafts and munitions which have
+turned our fine victory of the 28th into a pyrrhic instead of a fruitful
+affair. When Pyrrhus gained his battle over the Romans and exclaimed,
+"One more such victory and I am done in," or words to that effect, he
+had no organized system of depots behind him from which the bloody gaps
+in his ranks could be filled. A couple of thousand years have now passed
+and we are still as unscientific as Pyrrhus. A splendid expeditionary
+force sails away; invades an Empire, storms the outworks and in doing so
+knocks itself to bits. Then a second expeditionary force is sent, but
+that would have been unnecessary had any sort of arrangement been
+thought out for promptly replacing first wastages in men and in shell.
+
+_6th July, 1915._ From early morning till 5 p.m. stuck as persistently
+to my desk as the flies stuck persistently to me. After tea went riding
+with Maitland. Then with Pollen to dine on board H.M.S. _Triad_. The two
+Territorial Divisions are coming. What with them and the Rooskies we
+ought to get a move on this time. Discoursed small craft with the
+Admiral. The French hate the overseas fire--small blame to them--and
+Bailloud agrees with his predecessor Gouraud in thinking that one man
+hit in the back from Asia affects the _moral_ of his comrades as badly
+as half a dozen bowled over by the enemy facing them. The Admiral's idea
+of landing from Tenedos would help us here, but it is admitted on all
+hands now that the Turks have pushed on with their Asiatic defences, and
+it is too much to ask of either the New Army or of the Territorials that
+they should start off with a terrible landing.
+
+_7th July, 1915._ No escape from the steadily rising flood of letters
+and files,--none from the swarms of filthy flies. General Bailloud and
+Colonel Piépape (Chief of Staff) came across with Major Bertier in a
+French torpedo boat to see me. They stayed about an hour. Bailloud's
+main object was to get me to put off the attack planned by General
+Gouraud for to-morrow. Gouraud has worked out everything, and I greatly
+hoped in the then state of the Turks the French would have done a very
+good advance on our right. The arrival of these fresh Turkish Divisions
+from Adrianople does make a difference. Still, I am sorry the attack is
+not to come off. Girodon is a heavy loss to Bailloud. Piépape has never
+been a General Staff Officer before; by training, bent of mind and
+experience he is an administrator. He is very much depressed by the loss
+of the 2,000 quarts of wine by the Asiatic shell. Since Gouraud and
+Girodon have left them the French seem to be less confident. When
+Bailloud entered our Mess he said, in the presence of four or five young
+Officers, "If the Asiatic side of the Straits is not held by us within
+fifteen days our whole force is _voué à la destruction_." He meant it as
+a jest, but when those who prophesy destruction are _gros bonnets_; big
+wigs; it needs no miracle to make them come off--I don't mean the wigs
+but the prophecies. Fortunately, Bailloud soon made a cheerier class of
+joke and wound up by inviting me to dine with him in an extra chic
+restaurant at Constantinople.
+
+Have told K. plainly that the employment of an ordinary executive
+soldier as Boss of so gigantic a business as Mudros is suicidal--no
+less. Heaven knows K. himself had his work cut out when he ran the
+communications during his advance upon Khartoum. Heaven knows I myself
+had a hard enough job when I became responsible for feeding our troops
+at Chitral, two hundred miles into the heart of the Himalayas from the
+base at Nowshera. Breaking bulk at every stage--it was heart-breaking.
+First the railway, then the bullock cart, the camel, the mules--till, at
+the Larram Pass we got down to the donkey. But here we have to break
+bulk from big ships to small craft; to send our stuff not to one but to
+several landings, to run the show with a mixed staff of Naval and
+Military Officers. No, give me deserts or precipices,--anything fixed
+and solid is better than this capricious, ever-changing sea. The problem
+is a real puzzler, demanding experience, energy, good temper as well as
+the power of entering into the point of view of sailors as well as
+soldiers, and of being (mentally) in at least three places at once:--
+
+"_From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. (No. M.F. 424)._
+
+"Private. I am becoming seriously apprehensive about my Lines of
+Communication and am forced to let you know the state of affairs.
+
+"Much of the time of General Headquarters has been taken up during the
+last few days considering matters relating to Mudros and Lines of
+Communication generally. The Inspector-General of Communications must be
+a man of energy and ideas. The new Divisions will find the Mudros
+littoral on arrival better prepared for their reception than it was a
+month ago. The present man is probably excellent in his own line, but he
+himself in writing doubts his own ability to cope with one of the most
+complicated situations imaginable. Please do not think for a moment that
+I am still hankering after Ellison, I only want a man of that type,
+someone, for instance, like Maxwell or Sir Edward Ward. Unless I can
+feel confident in the Commandant of my Lines of Communication I shall
+always be looking behind me. Wallace could remain as Deputy
+Inspector-General of Communications. Something, however, must be done
+meanwhile, and I am sending Brigadier-General Hon. H.A. Lawrence, a man
+of tried business capacity and great character, to Mudros to-day as
+dry-nurse."
+
+I have followed up this cable in my letter to Lord K. of date, where I
+say, "I have just seen Bertie Lawrence who I am sending to reinforce
+Wallace. He is bitterly disappointed at losing his Brigade, but there is
+no help for it. He is a business man of great competence, and I think he
+ought to be able to do much to get things on to a ship-shape footing.
+General Douglas is very sorry too and says that Lawrence was one of the
+best Brigadiers imaginable."
+
+The last sentence has been written, I confess, with a spice of malice.
+When, about a month ago, I had hurriedly to lay my hands on a Commander
+for the 127th Brigade, I bethought me of Bertie Lawrence, then G.S.O. to
+the Yeomanry in Egypt. The thrust of a Lancer and the circumspection of
+a Banker do not usually harbour in the same skull, but I believed I knew
+of one exception. So I put Lawrence in. By return King's Messenger came
+a rap over the knuckles. To promote a dugout to be a Brigadier of
+Infantry was risky, but to put in a Cavalry dugout as a Brigadier of
+Infantry was outrageous! Still, I stuck to Lorenzo, and lo and behold!
+Douglas, the Commander of the East Lancs. Division, is fighting tooth
+and nail for his paragon Brigadier![26]
+
+Since 19th March we have been asking for bombs--any kind of bombs--and
+we have not even got answers. Now they offer us some speciality bombs
+for which France, they say, has no use.
+
+I have replied:--
+
+"I shall be most grateful for as many bombs of this and any other kind
+as you can spare. Anything made of iron and containing high explosive
+and detonator will be welcome. I should be greatly relieved if a large
+supply could be sent overland via Marseilles, as the bomb question is
+growing increasingly urgent. The Turks have an unlimited supply of
+bombs, and our deficiencies place our troops at a disadvantage both
+physically and morally and increase our difficulties in holding captured
+trenches.
+
+"Could you arrange for a weekly consignment of 10,000 to be sent to us
+regularly?"
+
+De Lisle came over to dine and stay the night.
+
+_8th July, 1915. H.M.S. "Triad." Tenedos._ Started off in H.M.S. _Triad_
+with Freddie Maitland, Aspinall and our host, the Admiral.
+
+Had a lovely sail to Tenedos where Colonel Nuillion (acting Governor)
+and Commander Samson, now Commandant of the Flying Camp, came on board.
+After lunch, rowed ashore. There was some surf on and I jumped short,
+landing (if such an expression may pass) in the sea. Wet feet rather
+refreshing than otherwise on so hot a day. Tenedos is lovely. Each of
+these islands has its own type of coasts, vegetation and colouring: like
+rubies and diamonds they are connected yet hardly akin. Climbed Tenedos
+Hill, our ascent ending in a desperate race for the crest. My long legs
+and light body enabled me to win despite the weight of age. Very hot,
+though, and the weight of age has got even less now.
+
+From the top we had an hour's close prospecting of the opposite coasts,
+where the Turks have done too much digging to make landing anything but
+a very bloody business. Half a mile to the South looks healthier, but
+they are sure to have a lot of machine guns there now. The landing would
+be worse than on the 25th April. Anyway, _I am not going to do it_.
+
+On the ground we now have a fair showing of aeroplanes, but mostly of
+the wingless sort. At this precise moment only two are really fit. K.
+has stuck to his word and is not going to help us here, and I can't
+grumble as certainly I was forewarned. Had he only followed Neville
+Usborne's £10,000,000 suggestion, we might now be bombing the Turks'
+landing places and store depots, as well as spotting every day for our
+gunners. But these naval airmen, bold fellows, always on for an
+adventurous attack, are hardly in their element when carrying out the
+technical gunnery part of our work.
+
+Re-embarked, and during our sail back saw a trawler firing at a
+submarine, whilst other trawlers and picket boats were skurrying up from
+all points of the compass. Nets were run out in a jiffy, but I fear the
+big fish had already given them the slip. Cast anchor about 7 o'clock.
+
+Colonel Dick and Mr. Graives dined.
+
+_9th July, 1915._ Spent the morning writing for the King's Messenger. My
+letter to K. (an answer to that of Fitz to me) tells him:--
+
+(1) That we have passed through the most promising week since the first
+landing. The thousand yards' advance on the left and the rows of dead
+Turks left by the receding tide of their counter-attack are solid
+evidences to the results of the 28th ult., and of the six very heavy
+Turkish assaults which have since broken themselves to pieces against
+us.
+
+(2) That Gouraud's loss almost wipes out our gains. Bailloud does not
+attack till next week when he hopes to have more men and more
+ammunition, but will this help us so much if the Turks also have more
+men and more ammunition?
+
+(3) That the Asiatic guns are giving us worry, but that I hope to knock
+them out with our own heavy guns (the French 9.4s and our own 9.2s) just
+being mounted. When the new Monitors come they ought to help us here.
+
+(4) That "_power of digestion, sleeping and nerve power are what are
+essential above all things to anyone who would command successfully at
+the Dardanelles. Compared with these qualifications most others are
+secondary._"
+
+(5) That the British and Australians are marvels of endurance, but that
+I am having to pull the Indian Brigade right out and send them to
+Imbros. Their Commander, fine soldier though he be, is too old for the
+post of Brigadier; he ought to be commanding a Division; and the men are
+morally and physically tired and have lost three-fourths of their
+officers: with rest they will all of them come round.
+
+(6) That Baldwin's Brigade of the 13th Division have been landed on the
+Peninsula and are now mixed up by platoons with the 29th Division where
+they are tumbling to their new conditions quite quickly. They have
+already created a very good impression at Helles.
+
+Godley and his New Zealander A.D.C. (Lieutenant Rhodes), both old
+friends, came over from H.M.S. _Triad_ to lunch. Hunter-Weston crossed
+from Helles to dine and stay the night.
+
+_10th July, 1915. Imbros._ These Imbros flies actually drink my fountain
+pen dry! Hunter-Weston left for Helles in the evening.
+
+Yesterday a cable saying there were no men left in England to fill
+either the 42nd Division or the 52nd. We have already heard that the
+Naval Division must fade away. Poor old Territorials! The War Office are
+behaving like an architect who tries to mend shaky foundations by
+clapping on another storey to the top of the building. Once upon a time
+President Lincoln and the Federal States let their matured units starve
+and thought to balance the account by the dispatch of untried
+formations. Why go on making these assurances to the B.P. that we have
+as many men coming in voluntarily as we can use?
+
+Have refused the request made by His Excellency, Weber Pasha, who signs
+himself Commandant of the Ottoman Forces, to have a five hours' truce
+for burying their piles of dead. The British Officers who have been out
+to meet the Turkish parlementaires say that the sight of the Turkish
+dead lying in thousands just over the crestline where Baikie's guns
+caught them on the 5th inst. is indeed an astonishing sight. Our
+Intelligence are clear that the reason the Turks make this request is
+that they cannot get their men to charge over the corpses of their
+comrades. Dead Turks are better than barbed wire and so, though on
+grounds of humanity as well as health, I should like the poor chaps to
+be decently buried, I find myself forced to say no.
+
+Patrick Shaw Stewart came to see me. I made Peter take his photo. He was
+on a rat of a pony and sported a long red beard. How his lady friends
+would laugh!
+
+  END OF VOL. I.
+
+
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[1] Except in a small way at some foreign manoeuvres.
+
+[2] The letters, cables, etc., published here have either: (_a_) been
+submitted to the Dardanelles Commission; or, (_b_) have been printed by
+permission.--_Ian H._
+
+[3] I.e. after the others had come in.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[4] More than four years after this was written a member of a British
+Commission sent out to collect facts at the Dardanelles was speaking to
+the Turkish Commander-in-Chief, Djavad Pasha. In the course of the
+conversation His Excellency said, "I prefer the British to the Germans
+for they resemble us so closely--the Germans do not. The Germans are
+good organisers but they do not love fighting for itself as we do--and
+as you do. Then again, although the Turks and British are so fond of
+righting they are never ready for it:--in that respect also the
+resemblance between our nations is extraordinary."--_Ian H_., 1920.
+
+[5] Arrangements.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[6] Since these early days, Birdwood has told me he does not think a
+scheme of an immediate landing could have been carried out.--_Ian H.
+1920._
+
+[7] Para. 2. "Before any serious undertaking is carried out in the
+Gallipoli Peninsula all the British military forces detailed for the
+expedition should be assembled so that their full weight can be thrown
+in."
+
+[8] An Indian word denoting anxious thought.
+
+[9] Enemy.
+
+[10] Kudos.
+
+[11] The 1st Manchesters.
+
+[12] This was my original draft; it was slightly condensed for cyphering
+home.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[13] I wanted very much to get this brave fellow a decoration but we
+were never able to trace him.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[14] Quoted on pp. 62-63.
+
+[15] Captured by the Gurkhas five days later--by surprise.--_Ian H.,
+1920._
+
+[16] This was by General Hunter-Weston's order: the machine guns of the
+enemy had too good a field of fire.--_Ian. H., 1920._
+
+[17] Long afterwards I heard that a responsible naval officer, being
+determined that this instance of lack of method should be brought to my
+personal notice, had hit upon the plan of ordering the Fleet-sweeper
+crew to do what they did.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[18] I learnt afterwards that great play had been made with this third
+paragraph of my cable by the opponents of the Dardanelles idea; in doing
+so they slurred over the words "at present," also the fifth paragraph of
+the same cable, overleaf.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[19] The Fifth Lancs Fusiliers were also working with this Brigade and
+behaved with great bravery.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[20] See page 302.
+
+[21] Stated no more Japanese bombs could be supplied.
+
+[22] All this was based, be it remembered, upon a complete misconception
+of the state these two divisions, formerly, good, afterwards destined to
+become splendid, had been allowed to fall into. No one at the
+Dardanelles, least of all myself, had an inkling that since I had
+inspected them late in 1914 and found them good, they had passed into a
+squeezed-lemon stage of existence and had ceased to be able "to press
+forward to Chanak." The fact that they were at half strength and that
+the best of their officers and men had been picked out for the Western
+theatre was unknown to us at the Dardanelles.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[23] See Appendix I for the exact facts which were not known to me until
+long afterwards.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[24] The considered opinion proved right.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[25] This period fell between two of my despatches. As most writers have
+naturally based themselves on those despatches, the full understanding
+of the blows inflicted on the Turks between June 29th and July 13th has
+never yet been grasped; nor, it may be added, the effect which would
+have been produced had the August offensive been undertaken three weeks
+earlier.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[26] Lawrence never looked back. After his good work at Mudros I put him
+in to command the 53rd Division, and the War Office made no objection, I
+suppose because they were beginning to hear about him. As is well known,
+he went on then from one post to another till he wound up gloriously as
+Chief of the General Staff on the Western Front.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Gallipoli Diary,  Volume I, by Ian Hamilton
+
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+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of Gallipoli Diary, Vol I, by General Sir Ian Hamilton, G.C.B..
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Gallipoli Diary,  Volume I, by Ian Hamilton
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Gallipoli Diary,  Volume I
+
+Author: Ian Hamilton
+
+Release Date: September 19, 2006 [EBook #19317]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GALLIPOLI DIARY,  VOLUME I ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell, Janet Blenkinship and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
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+</pre>
+
+
+
+<h1>GALLIPOLI DIARY<br /><br /></h1>
+
+<h3><span class="smcap">by General</span></h3>
+
+<h2>SIR IAN HAMILTON, G.C.B.<br /><br /></h2>
+
+<h3>AUTHOR OF "A STAFF-OFFICER'S SCRAP-BOOK," ETC.</h3>
+
+<h4>WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS<br /><br /></h4>
+
+<h3>IN TWO VOLUMES</h3>
+
+<h3>VOL. I<br /><br /></h3>
+
+<p class='center'>NEW YORK<br />GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY<br />1920</p>
+
+<p class='center'>PRINTED BY<br />UNWIN BROTHERS, LTD.&mdash;WOKING&mdash;ENGLAND</p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><br /></p>
+
+<p><a name="front" id="front"></a></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+             <img   src="images/img-front.jpg"
+             alt="SIR ROGER KEYES" /><br />
+         <b>SIR ROGER KEYES, VICE-ADMIRAL DE ROBECK,<br />
+SIR IAN HAMILTON, GENERAL BRAITHWAITE</b>
+    </div>
+<p><br /></p>
+
+<p><a name="key_map" id="key_map"></a></p>
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/imgkeymap.jpg" alt="Key Map" title="Key Map" /></div>
+<p><br /></p>
+
+<p><a name="preface" id="preface"></a></p>
+<h2>PREFACE</h2>
+
+
+<p>On the heels of the South African War came the sleuth-hounds pursuing
+the criminals, I mean the customary Royal Commissions. Ten thousand
+words of mine stand embedded in their Blue Books, cold and dead as so
+many mammoths in glaciers. But my long spun-out intercourse with the
+Royal Commissioners did have living issue&mdash;my Manchurian and Gallipoli
+notes. Only constant observation of civilian Judges and soldier
+witnesses could have shown me how fallible is the unaided military
+memory or have led me by three steps to a War Diary&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>(1) There is nothing certain about war except that one side won't win.</p>
+
+<p>(2) The winner is asked no questions&mdash;the loser has to answer for
+everything.</p>
+
+<p>(3) Soldiers think of nothing so little as failure and yet, to the
+extent of fixing intentions, orders, facts, dates firmly in their own
+minds, they ought to be prepared.</p>
+
+<p>Conclusion:&mdash;In war, keep your own counsel, preferably in a note-book.</p>
+
+<p>The first test of the new resolve was the Manchurian Campaign, 1904-5;
+and it was a hard test. Once that Manchurian Campaign was over I never
+put pen to paper&mdash;in the diary sense<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a>&mdash;until I was under orders for
+Constantinople. Then I bought a note-book as well as a Colt's automatic
+(in fact, these were the only two items of special outfit I did buy),
+and here are the contents&mdash;not of the auto but of the book. Also, from
+the moment I took up the command, I kept cables, letters and copies
+(actions quite foreign to my natural disposition), having been taught in
+my youth by Lord Roberts that nothing written to a Commander-in-Chief,
+or his Military Secretary, can be private if it has a bearing on
+operations. A letter which may influence the Chief Command of an Army
+and, therefore, the life of a nation, may be "Secret" for reasons of
+State; it cannot possibly be "Private" for personal reasons.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p>
+
+<p>At the time, I am sure my diary was a help to me in my work. The
+crossings to and from the Peninsula gave me many chances of reckoning up
+the day's business, sometimes in clear, sometimes in a queer cipher of
+my own. Ink stands with me for an emblem of futurity, and the act of
+writing seemed to set back the crisis of the moment into a calmer
+perspective. Later on, the diary helped me again, for although the
+Dardanelles Commission did not avail themselves of my formal offer to
+submit what I had written to their scrutiny, there the records were.
+Whenever an event, a date and a place were duly entered in their actual
+coincidence, no argument to the contrary could prevent them from falling
+into the picture: an advocate might just as well waste eloquence in
+disputing the right of a piece to its own place in a jig-saw puzzle.
+Where, on the other hand, incidents were not entered, anything might
+happen and did happen; <i>vide</i>, for instance, the curious misapprehension
+set forth in the footnotes to pages 59, 60, Vol. II.</p>
+
+<p>So much for the past. Whether these entries have not served their turn
+is now the question. They were written red-hot amidst tumult, but
+faintly now, and as in some far echo, sounds the battle-cry that once
+stopped the beating of thousands of human hearts as it was borne out
+upon the night wind to the ships. Those dread shapes we saw through our
+periscopes are dust: "the pestilence that walketh in darkness" and "the
+destruction that wasteth at noonday" are already images of speech: only
+the vastness of the stakes; the intensity of the effort and the grandeur
+of the sacrifice still stand out clearly when we, in dreams, behold the
+Dardanelles. Why not leave that shining impression as a martial cloak to
+cover the errors and vicissitudes of all the poor mortals who, in the
+words of Thucydides, "dared beyond their strength, hazarded against
+their judgment, and in extremities were of an excellent hope?"</p>
+
+<p>Why not? The tendency of every diary is towards self-justification and
+complaint; yet, to-day, personally, I have "no complaints." Would it not
+be wiser, then, as well as more dignified, to let the Dardanelles
+R.I.P.? The public will not be starved. A Dardanelles library exists&mdash;-
+nothing less&mdash;from which three luminous works by Masefield, Nevinson and
+Callwell stand out; works each written by a man who had the right to
+write; each as distinct from its fellow as one primary colour from
+another, each essentially true. On the top of these comes the Report of
+the Dardanelles Commission and the Life of Lord Kitchener, where his
+side of the story is so admirably set forth by his intimate friend, Sir
+George Arthur. The tale has been told and retold. Every morsel of the
+wreckage of our Armada seems to have been brought to the surface. There
+are fifty reasons against publishing, reasons which I know by heart. On
+the other side there are only three things to be said&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>(1) Though the bodies recovered from the tragedy have been stripped and
+laid out in the Morgue, no hand has yet dared remove the masks from
+their faces.</p>
+
+<p>(2) I cannot destroy this diary. Before his death Cranmer thrust his own
+hand into the flames: "his heart was found entire amidst the ashes."</p>
+
+<p>(3) I will not leave my diary to be flung at posterity from behind the
+cover of my coffin. In case anyone wishes to challenge anything I have
+said, I must be above ground to give him satisfaction.</p>
+
+<p>Therefore, I will publish and at once.</p>
+
+<p>A man has only one life on earth. The rest is silence. Whether God will
+approve of my actions at a moment when the destinies of hundreds of
+millions of human beings hung upon them, God alone knows. But before I
+go I want to have the verdict of my comrades of all ranks at the
+Dardanelles, and until they know the truth, as it appeared to me at the
+time, how can they give that verdict?</p>
+
+<p class='author'>IAN HAMILTON.</p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;">LULLENDEN FARM,</span><br /><span style="margin-left: 4em;">DORMANSLAND.</span><br /><span style="margin-left: 2em;"><i>April</i> 25, 1920.</span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><a name="letter" id="letter"></a></p>
+<h3>LETTER FROM GENERAL D'AMADE TO THE AUTHOR</h3>
+
+<p><span class="smcap" style="margin-left: 2em;">Mon G&eacute;n&eacute;ral,</span></p>
+
+<p>Dans la guerre Sud Africaine, ensuite en Angleterre, j'avais en
+spectateur v&eacute;cu avec votre arm&eacute;e. Avec elle je souhaitais revivre en
+fr&egrave;re d'armes, combattant pour la m&ecirc;me cause.</p>
+
+<p>Les Dardanelles ont r&eacute;alis&eacute; mon r&ecirc;ve. Mais le lecteur ne doit pas
+s'attarder avec moi. Lire le r&eacute;cit de celui m&ecirc;me qui a command&eacute;: quel
+avantage! L'Histoire, comme un fleuve, se charge d'impuret&eacute;s en
+s'&eacute;loignent de ses sources. En en remontant le cours, dans votre
+Journal, j'ai d&eacute;couvert les causes de certains effets demeur&eacute;, pour moi
+des &eacute;nigmes.</p>
+
+<p>Au d&eacute;but je n'avais pas cru &agrave; la possibilit&eacute; de forcer les Dardanelles
+sans l'intervention de l'arm&eacute;e. C'est pour cela que, si la d&eacute;cision
+m'e&ucirc;t appartenus et avant d'avoir &eacute;t&eacute; plac&eacute; sous vos ordres, j'avais
+song&eacute; &agrave; d&eacute;barquer &agrave; Adramit, dans les eaux calmes de Mithyl&egrave;ne, &agrave; courir
+ensuite &agrave; Brousse et Constantinople, pour y saisir les clefs du d&eacute;troit.</p>
+
+<p>En pr&eacute;sence de l'opini&acirc;tre confiance de l'amiral de Robecq j'abaissai
+mon pavillion de terrien et l'inclinai devant son autorit&eacute; de marin
+Anglais. Nous f&ucirc;mes conquis par cette confiance.</p>
+
+<p>Notre th&eacute;&acirc;tre de guerre de Gallipoli &eacute;tait tr&egrave;s born&eacute; sur le terrain. Ce
+front restreint a permis &agrave; chacun de vos soldats de vous conna&icirc;tre.
+Autant qu'avec leurs armes, ils combattaient avec votre ardeur de grand
+chef et votre inflexible volont&eacute;.</p>
+
+<p>Dans le pass&eacute; ce th&eacute;&acirc;tre qui &eacute;tait la Troade, venait se souder aux
+&eacute;ternels r&eacute;commencements de l'Histoire.</p>
+
+<p>Dans l'avenir son domaine &eacute;tait aussi vaste. "Si nos navires avaient pu
+franchir les d&eacute;troits, a dit le Premier Ministre Loyd Georges le 18
+d&eacute;cembre 1919 aux Communes, la guerre aurait &eacute;t&eacute; raccourcie de 2 ou 3
+ans."</p>
+
+<p>Il y a pire qu'une guerre, c'est une guerre qui se prolonge. Car les
+d&eacute;vastations s'accumulent. Le vaincu qui a eu l'habilet&eacute; de les &eacute;viter &agrave;
+son pays, se donnera, sur les ruines, des mani&egrave;res de vainqueur. Le
+premier but de guerre n'est il pas d'infliger &agrave; l'adversaire plus de mal
+qu'il ne vous en fait?</p>
+
+<p>Si nous avions atteint Constantinople dans l'&eacute;t&eacute; 1915 c'&eacute;tait alors
+terminer la guerre, &eacute;viter la tourmente russe et tous les obstacles
+dress&eacute;s par ce cataclysme devant le r&eacute;tablissement de la paix du monde.
+C'&eacute;tait &eacute;pargner &agrave; nos Patries des milliards de d&eacute;penses et des
+centaines de milliers de deuils.</p>
+
+<p>Que nous n'ayons pas atteint ce but ne saurait &eacute;tablir qu'il n'ait &eacute;t&eacute;
+juste et sage de le poursuivre.</p>
+
+<p>Voil&agrave; pour quelle cause sont tomb&eacute;s les soldats des Dardanelles.
+"Honneur &agrave; vous, soldats de France et soldats du Roi! ainsi que vous
+les adjuriez en les lan&ccedil;ant &agrave; l'attaque.</p>
+
+<p>"Morts h&eacute;ro&iuml;ques! il n'a rien manqu&eacute; &agrave; votre gloire, pas m&ecirc;me une
+apparence d'oubli. Des triomphes des autres vous n'avez recueilli que
+les rayons extr&ecirc;mes: ceux qui ont franchi la cime des arcs de triomphe
+pour aller au loin, coups &eacute;gar&eacute;s de la grande gerbe, &eacute;clairer vos
+tomb&eacute;s.</p>
+
+<p>"Mais 'Ne jugez pas avant le temps.' Le cr&eacute;puscule &eacute;teint, laissez
+encore passer la nuit. Vous aurez pour vous le soleil Levant."</p>
+
+<p>Vous, Mon G&eacute;n&eacute;ral, vous aurez &eacute;t&eacute; l'ouvrier de cette grande id&eacute;e, et
+l'annonciateur de cette aurore.</p>
+
+<p class='author'>
+<span class="smcap">G&eacute;n A d'Amade.</span></p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 4em;">Fronsac,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 6em;">Gironde, France.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;">22 d&eacute;cembre, 1919.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+
+<h2>CONTENTS</h2>
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="2" width="75%" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents">
+<tr><td align='right'>&nbsp;</td><td align='left'>&nbsp;</td><td align='right'>PAGE</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>&nbsp;</td><td align='left'>PREFACE</td><td align='right'><a href='#preface'><b>v</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>&nbsp;</td><td align='left'>LETTER FROM GENERAL D'AMADE TO THE AUTHOR</td><td align='right'><a href='#letter'><b>x</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td colspan="3">&nbsp;</td></tr>
+<tr><th colspan="3">CHAPTER</th></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>I.</td><td align='left'>THE START</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_1'><b>1</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>II.</td><td align='left'>THE STRAITS</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_21'><b>21</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>III.</td><td align='left'>EGYPT</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_54'><b>54</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>IV.</td><td align='left'>CLEARING FOR ACTION</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_86'><b>86</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>V.</td><td align='left'>THE LANDING</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_127'><b>127</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>VI.</td><td align='left'>MAKING GOOD</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_159'><b>159</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>VII.</td><td align='left'>SHELLS</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_196'><b>196</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>VIII.</td><td align='left'>TWO CORPS OR AN ALLY?</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_219'><b>219</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>IX.</td><td align='left'>SUBMARINES</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_243'><b>243</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>X.</td><td align='left'>A DECISION AND THE PLAN</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_283'><b>283</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>XI.</td><td align='left'>BOMBS AND JOURNALISTS</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_314'><b>314</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='right'>XII.</td><td align='left'>A VICTORY AND AFTER</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_343'><b>343</b></a></td></tr>
+</table>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2>
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="4"  width="75%" cellspacing="0" summary="List of Illustrations">
+<tr><td align='left'>SIR ROGER KEYES, VICE-ADMIRAL DE ROBECK,</td><td align='right'>&nbsp;</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>SIR IAN HAMILTON, GENERAL BRAITHWAITE</td><td align='right'><a href='#front'><b><i>Frontispiece</i></b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>LIEUT.-GEN. SIR J.G. MAXWELL, G.C.B., K.C.M.G</td><td align='right'><a href='#Maxwell'><b>58</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>REVIEW OF FRENCH TROOPS AT ALEXANDRIA</td><td align='right'><a href='#Page_78'><b>78</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>S.S. "RIVER CLYDE"</td><td align='right'><a href='#Clyde'><b>132</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>"W" BEACH</td><td align='right'><a href='#BEACH'><b>176</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>GENERAL D'AMADE</td><td align='right'><a href='#Amade'><b>222</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>VIEW OF "V" BEACH, TAKEN FROM S.S. "RIVER CLYDE"</td><td align='right'><a href='#V_BEACH'><b>254</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>MEN BATHING AT HELLES</td><td align='right'><a href='#BATHING'><b>294</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>THE NARROWS FROM CHUNUK BAIR</td><td align='right'><a href='#CHUNUK'><b>330</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>GENERAL GOURAUD</td><td align='right'><a href='#GOURAUD'><b>346</b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td colspan="3">&nbsp;</td></tr>
+<tr><th colspan="3">MAPS</th></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>KEY MAP</td><td align='right'><a href='#key_map'><b><i>Inside front cover</i></b></a></td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>CAPE HELLES AND THE SOUTHERN AREA</td><td align='right'><a href='#CAPE_HELLES'><b><i>At end of volume</i></b></a></td></tr>
+</table>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<p><br /><br /></p>
+<h1>GALLIPOLI DIARY</h1>
+<p><br /><br /></p>
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2>CHAPTER I</h2>
+
+<h3>THE START</h3>
+
+<p><i>In the train between Paris and Marseilles, 14th March, 1915.</i></p>
+
+<p>Neither the Asquith banquet, nor the talk at the Admiralty that midnight
+had persuaded me I was going to do what I am actually doing at this
+moment. K. had made no sign nor waved his magic baton. So I just kept as
+cool as I could and had a sound sleep.</p>
+
+<p>Next morning, that is the 12th instant, I was working at the Horse
+Guards when, about 10 a.m., K. sent for me. I wondered! Opening the door
+I bade him good morning and walked up to his desk where he went on
+writing like a graven image. After a moment, he looked up and said in a
+matter-of-fact tone, "We are sending a military force to support the
+Fleet now at the Dardanelles, and you are to have Command."</p>
+
+<p>Something in voice or words touched a chord in my memory. We were once
+more standing, K. and I, in our workroom at Pretoria, having just
+finished reading the night's crop of sixty<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> or seventy wires. K. was
+saying to me, "You had better go out to the Western Transvaal." I asked
+no question, packed up my kit, ordered my train, started that night. Not
+another syllable was said on the subject. Uninstructed and unaccredited
+I left that night for the front; my outfit one A.D.C., two horses, two
+mules and a buggy. Whether I inspected the columns and came back and
+reported to K. in my capacity as his Chief Staff Officer; or, whether,
+making use of my rank to assume command in the field, I beat up de la
+Rey in his den&mdash;all this rested entirely with me.</p>
+
+<p>So I made my choice and fought my fight at Roodewal, last strange battle
+in the West. That is K.'s way. The envoy goes forth; does his best with
+whatever forces he can muster and, if he loses;&mdash;well, unless he had
+liked the job he should not have taken it on.</p>
+
+<p>At that moment K. wished me to bow, leave the room and make a start as I
+did some thirteen years ago. But the conditions were no longer the same.
+In those old Pretoria days I had known the Transvaal by heart; the
+number, value and disposition of the British forces; the characters of
+the Boer leaders; the nature of the country. But my knowledge of the
+Dardanelles was nil; of the Turk nil; of the strength of our own forces
+next to nil. Although I have met K. almost every day during the past six
+months, and although he has twice hinted I might be sent to Salonika;
+never once, to the best of my recollection, had he mentioned the word
+Dardanelles.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>I had plenty of time for these reflections as K., after his one
+tremendous remark had resumed his writing at the desk. At last, he
+looked up and inquired, "Well?"</p>
+
+<p>"We have done this sort of thing before, Lord K." I said; "we have run
+this sort of show before and you know without saying I am most deeply
+grateful and you know without saying I will do my best and that you can
+trust my loyalty&mdash;but I must say something&mdash;I must ask you some
+questions." Then I began.</p>
+
+<p>K. frowned; shrugged his shoulders; I thought he was going to be
+impatient, but although he gave curt answers at first he slowly
+broadened out, until, at the end, no one else could get a word in
+edgeways.<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a></p>
+
+<p>My troops were to be Australians and New Zealanders under Birdwood (a
+friend); strength, say, about 30,000. (A year ago I inspected them in
+their own Antipodes and no finer material exists); the 29th Division,
+strength, say 19,000 under Hunter-Weston&mdash;a slashing man of action; an
+acute theorist; the Royal Naval Division, 11,000 strong (an excellent
+type of Officer and man, under a solid Commander&mdash;Paris); a French
+contingent, strength at present uncertain, say, about a Division, under
+my old war comrade the chivalrous d'Amade, now at Tunis.</p>
+
+<p>Say then grand total about 80,000&mdash;probably panning out at some 50,000
+rifles in the firing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span> line. Of these the 29th Division are
+extras&mdash;<i>division de luxe.</i></p>
+
+<p>K. went on; he was now fairly under weigh and got up and walked about
+the room as he spoke. I knew, he said, his (K.'s) feelings as to the
+political and strategic value of the Near East where one clever tactical
+thrust delivered on the spot and at the spot might rally the wavering
+Balkans. Rifle for rifle, <i>at that moment</i>, we could nowhere make as
+good use of the 29th Division as by sending it to the Dardanelles, where
+each of its 13,000 rifles might attract a hundred more to our side of
+the war. Employed in France or Flanders the 29th would at best help to
+push back the German line a few miles; at the Dardanelles the stakes
+were enormous. He spoke, so it struck me, as if he was defending himself
+in argument: he asked if I agreed. I said, "Yes." "Well," he rejoined,
+"You may just as well realize at once that G.H.Q. in France do not
+agree. They think they have only to drive the Germans back fifty miles
+nearer to their base to win the war. Those are the same fellows who used
+to write me saying they wanted no New Army; that they would be amply
+content if only the old Old Army and the Territorials could be kept up
+to strength. Now they've been down to Aldershot and seen the New Army
+they are changing their tune, but I am by no means sure, <i>now</i>,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> that
+I'll give it to them. French and his Staff believe firmly that the
+British Imperial Armies can pitch their camp down in one corner of
+Europe and there fight a world war to a finish. The thing is absurd but
+French, plus France, are a strong combine and they are fighting tooth
+and nail for the 29th Division. It must clearly be understood then:&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>(1) That the 29th Division are only to be a loan and are to be returned
+the moment they can be spared.</p>
+
+<p>(2) That all things ear-marked for the East are looked on by powerful
+interests both at home and in France as having been stolen from the
+West.</p>
+
+<p>Did I take this in? I said, "I take it from you." Did I myself, speaking
+as actual Commander of the Central Striking Force and executively
+responsible for the land defence of England, think the 29th Division
+could be spared at all? "Yes," I said, "and four more Territorial
+Divisions as well." K. used two or three very bad words and added, with
+his usual affability, that I would find myself walking about in civilian
+costume instead of going to Constantinople if he found me making any
+wild statements of that sort to the politicians. I laughed and reminded
+him of my testimony before the Committee of Imperial Defence about my
+Malta amphibious man&oelig;uvres; about the Malta Submarines and the way
+they had destroyed the battleships conveying my landing forces. If there
+was any politician, I said, who cared a hang about my opinions he knew
+quite well already my views on an invasion of England; namely, that it
+would be like trying to hurt a monkey by throwing nuts at him. I didn't
+want to steal what French wanted, but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> now that the rifles had come and
+the troops had finished their musketry, there was no need to squabble
+over a Division. Why not let French have two of my Central Force
+Territorial Division at once,&mdash;they were jolly good and were wasting
+their time over here. That would sweeten French and he and Joffre would
+make no more trouble about the 29th.</p>
+
+<p>K. glared at me. I don't know what he was going to say when Callwell
+came into the room with some papers.</p>
+
+<p>We moved to the map in the window and Callwell took us through a plan of
+attack upon the Forts at the Dardanelles, worked out by the Greek
+General Staff. The Greeks had meant to employ (as far as I can remember)
+150,000 men. Their landing was to have taken place on the North-west
+coast of the Southern part of the Peninsula, opposite Kilid Bahr. "But,"
+said K., "half that number of men will do you handsomely; the Turks are
+busy elsewhere; I hope you will not have to land at all; if you <i>do</i>
+have to land, why then the powerful Fleet at your back will be the prime
+factor in your choice of time and place."</p>
+
+<p>I asked K. if he would not move the Admiralty to work a submarine or two
+up the Straits at once so as to prevent reinforcements and supplies
+coming down by sea from Constantinople. By now the Turks must be on the
+alert and it was commonsense to suppose they would be sending some sort
+of help to their Forts. However things<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span> might pan out we could not be
+going wrong if we made the Marmora unhealthy for the Turkish ships. Lord
+K. thereupon made the remark that if we could get one submarine into the
+Marmora the defences of the Dardanelles would collapse. "Supposing," he
+said, "one submarine pops up opposite the town of Gallipoli and waves a
+Union Jack three times, the whole Turkish garrison on the Peninsula will
+take to their heels and make a bee line for Bulair."</p>
+
+<p>In reply to a question about Staff, Lord K., in the gruff voice he puts
+on when he wants no argument, told me I could not take my own Chief of
+Staff, Ellison, and that Braithwaite would go with me in his place.
+Ellison and I have worked hand in glove for several years; our qualities
+usefully complement one another; there was no earthly reason I could
+think of why Ellison should <i>not</i> have come with me, but; I like
+Braithwaite; he had been on my General Staff for a time in the Southern
+Command; he is cheery, popular and competent.</p>
+
+<p>Wolfe Murray, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, was then called
+in, also Archie Murray, Inspector of Home Forces, and Braithwaite. This
+was the first (apparently) either of the Murrays had heard of the
+project!!! Both seemed to be quite taken aback, and I do not remember
+that either of them made a remark.</p>
+
+<p>Braithwaite was very nice and took a chance to whisper his hopes he
+would not give me too much cause to regret Ellison. He only said one<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span>
+thing to K. and that produced an explosion. He said it was vital that we
+should have a better air service than the Turks in case it came to
+fighting over a small area like the Gallipoli Peninsula: he begged,
+therefore, that whatever else we got, or did not get, we might be fitted
+out with a contingent of up-to-date aeroplanes, pilots and observers. K.
+turned on him with flashing spectacles and rent him with the words,
+<i>"Not one</i>!"</p>
+
+<p><i>15th March, 1915. H.M.S. "Phaeton." Toulon Harbour.</i> Embarked at
+Marseilles last night at 6 p.m. and slept on board. Owing to some
+mistake no oil fuel had been taken aboard so we have had to come round
+here this morning to get it. Have just breakfasted with the Captain,
+Cameron by name, and have let the Staff go ashore to see the town. We do
+not sail till 2 p.m.: after special trains and everything a clean
+chuck-away of 20 hours.</p>
+
+<p>I left off in the S. of S.'s room at the War Office. After the bursting
+of the aeroplane bomb K. did most of the talking. I find it hard to
+remember all he said: here are the outstanding points&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>(1) We soldiers are to understand we are string Number 2. The sailors
+are sure they can force the Dardanelles on their own and the whole
+enterprise has been framed on that basis: we are to lie low and to bear
+in mind the Cabinet does not want to hear anything of the Army till it
+sails through the Straits. But if the Admiral fails, then we will have
+to go in.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>(2) If the Army has to be used, whether on the Bosphorus or at the
+Dardanelles, I am to bear in mind his order that no serious operation is
+to take place until the whole of my force is complete; ready;
+concentrated and on the spot. No piecemeal attack is to be made.</p>
+
+<p>(3) If we do start fighting, once we <i>have</i> started we are to burn our
+boats. Once landed the Government are resolved to see the enterprise
+through.</p>
+
+<p>(4) Asia is out of bounds. K. laid special stress on this. Our sea
+command and the restricted area of Gallipoli would enable us to
+undertake a landing on the Peninsula with clearly limited liabilities.
+Once we began marching about continents, situations calling for heavy
+reinforcements would probably be created. Although I, Hamilton, seemed
+ready to run risks in the defence of London, he, K., was not, and as he
+had already explained, big demands would make his position difficult
+with France; difficult everywhere; and might end by putting him (K.) in
+the cart. Besika Bay and Alexandretta were, therefore, taboo&mdash;not to be
+touched! Even after we force the Narrows no troops are to be landed
+along the Asian coastline. Nor are we to garrison any part of the
+Gallipoli Peninsula excepting only the Bulair Lines which had best be
+permanently held, K. thinks, by the Naval Division.</p>
+
+<p>When we get into the Marmora I shall be faced by a series of big
+problems. What would I do? From what quarter could I attack
+Constantinople?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> How would I hold it when I had taken it? K. asked me
+the questions.</p>
+
+<p>With the mud of prosaic Whitehall drying upon my boots these remarks of
+K.'s sounded to me odd. But, knowing Constantinople, and&mdash;what was more
+to the point at the moment&mdash;knowing K.'s hatred of hesitation, I managed
+to pull myself together so far as to suggest that if the city was weakly
+held and if, as he had said, (I forgot to enter that) the bulk of the
+Thracian troops were dispersed throughout the Provinces, or else moving
+to re-occupy Adrianople, why then, possibly, by a <i>coup de main</i>, we
+might pounce upon the Chatalja Lines from the South before the Turks
+could climb back into them from the North. Lord K. made a grimace; he
+thought this too chancy. The best would be if we did not land a man
+until the Turks had come to terms. Once the Fleet got through the
+Dardanelles, Constantinople could not hold out. Modern Constantinople
+could not last a week if blockaded by sea and land. That was a sure
+thing; a thing whereon he could speak with full confidence. The Fleet
+could lie off out of sight and range of the Turks and with their guns
+would dominate the railways and, if necessary, burn the place to ashes.
+The bulk of the people were not Osmanli or even Mahomedan and there
+would be a revolution at the mere sight of the smoke from the funnels of
+our warships. But if, for some cause at present non-apparent, we were
+forced to put troops ashore against organized Turkish opposition, then
+he advocated a landing on the Asiatic side of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> Bosphorus to hold out
+a hand to the Russians, who would simultaneously land there from the
+Black Sea. He only made the suggestion, for the man on the spot must be
+the best judge. Several of the audience left us here, at Lord K.'s
+suggestion, to get on with their work. K. went on&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>The moment the holding of Constantinople comes along the French and the
+Russians will be very jealous and prickly. Luckily we British have an
+easy part to play as the more we efface ourselves at that stage, the
+better he, K., will be pleased. The Army in France have means of making
+their views work in high places and pressure is sure to be put on by
+them and by their friends for the return of the 29th and Naval Divisions
+the moment we bring Turkey to book. Therefore, it will be best in any
+case to "let the French and Russians garrison Constantinople and sing
+their hymns in S. Sophia," whilst my own troops hold the railway line
+and perhaps Adrianople. Thus they will be at a loose end and we shall be
+free to bring them back to the West; to land them at Odessa or to push
+them up the Danube, without weakening the Allied grip on the waterway
+linking the Mediterranean with the Black Sea.</p>
+
+<p>This was the essence of our talk: as it lasted about an hour and a half,
+I can only have put down about one tenth of it.</p>
+
+<p>At odd times I have been recipient of K.'s reveries but always,
+<i>always</i>, he has rejected with a sort of horror the idea of being War
+Minister or Commander-in-Chief. Now by an extreme exercise of its ironic
+spirit, Providence has made him both.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>In pre-war days, when we met in Egypt and at Malta, K. made no bones
+about what he wanted. He wanted to be Viceroy of India or Ambasssador at
+Constantinople.</p>
+
+<p>I remember very well one conversation we had when I asked him why he
+wanted to hang on to great place, and whether he had not done enough
+already. He said he could not bear to see India being mismanaged by
+nincompoops or our influence in Turkey being chucked out of the window
+with both hands: I answered him, I remember, by saying there were only
+two things worth doing as Viceroy and they would not take very long. One
+was to put a huge import duty on aniline dyes and so bring back the
+lovely vegetable dyes of old India, the saffrons, indigoes, madders,
+etc.; the other was to build a black marble Taj at Agra opposite the
+white and join the two by a silver bridge. I expected to get a rise, but
+actually he took the ideas quite seriously and I am sure made a mental
+note of them. Anyway, as Viceroy, K. would have flung the whole vast
+weight of India into the scale of this war; he would have poured Army
+after Army from East to West. Under K. India could have beaten Turkey
+single-handed; aye, and with one arm tied behind her back. With K. as
+Ambassador at Constantinople he would have prevented Turkey coming into
+the war. There is no doubt of it. Neither Enver Pasha nor Talaat would
+have dared to enrage K., and as for the idea of their deporting him, it
+is grotesque. They might have shot him in the back; they could never
+have faced him<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> with a war declaration in their hands. As an impresser
+of Orientals he is a nonesuch. So we put him into the War Office in the
+ways of which he is something of an amateur, with a big prestige and a
+big power of drive. Yes, we remove the best experts from the War Office
+and pop in K. like a powerful engine from which we have removed all
+controls, regulators and safety valves. Yet see what wonders he has
+worked!</p>
+
+<p>Still, he remains, in the War Office sense, an amateur. The Staff left
+by French at the W.O. may not have been von Moltke's, but they were K.'s
+only Councillors. An old War Office hand would have used them. But in no
+case, even had they been the best, could K. have had truck or parley
+with any system of decentralization of work&mdash;of semi-independent
+specialists each running a show of his own. As late (so-called) Chief of
+Staff to Lord K. in South Africa, I could have told them that whatever
+work K. fancies at the moment he must swipe at it, that very moment, off
+his own bat. The one-man show carried on royally in South Africa and all
+the narrow squeaks we had have been completely swallowed up in the final
+success; but how will his no-system system work now? Perhaps he may pull
+it through; anyway he is starting with a beautifully cleaned slate. He
+has surpassed himself, in fact, for I confess even with past experience
+to guide me, I did not imagine our machinery could have been so
+thoroughly smashed in so short a time. Ten long years of General Staff;
+Lyttelton, Nicholson, French, Douglas; where are your well-thought-out
+schemes for an amphibious attack on Constantinople? Not a sign!
+Braithwaite set to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span> work in the Intelligence Branch at once. But beyond
+the ordinary text books those pigeon holes were drawn blank. The
+Dardanelles and Bosphorus might be in the moon for all the military
+information I have got to go upon. One text book and one book of
+travellers' tales don't take long to master and I have not been so free
+from work or preoccupation since the war started. There is no use trying
+to make plans unless there is some sort of material, political, naval,
+military or geographical to work upon.</p>
+
+<p>Winston had been in a fever to get us off and had ordered a special
+train for that very afternoon. My new Staff were doubtful if they could
+get fixed up so quickly and K. settled the matter by saying there was no
+need to hustle. For myself, I was very keen to get away. The best plan
+to save slips between cup and lip is to swallow the liquor. But K.
+thought it wisest to wait, so I 'phoned over to Eddie to let Winston
+know we should not want his train that day.</p>
+
+<p>Next morning, the 13th, I handed over the Central Force Command to
+Rundle and then, at 10.30 went in with Braithwaite to say good-bye. K.
+was standing by his desk splashing about with his pen at three different
+drafts of instructions. One of them had been drafted by Fitz&mdash;I suppose
+under somebody's guidance; the other was by young Buckley; the third K.
+was working on himself. Braithwaite, Fitz and I were in the room; no one
+else except Callwell who popped in and out. The instructions went over
+most of the ground of yesterday's debate and were too vague.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span> When I
+asked the crucial question:&mdash;the enemy's strength? K. thought I had
+better be prepared for 40,000. How many guns? No one knows. Who was in
+command? Djavad Pasha, it is believed. But, K. says, I may take it that
+the Kilid Bahr Plateau has been entrenched and is sufficiently held.
+South of Kilid Bahr to the point at Cape Helles, I may take it that the
+Peninsula is open to a landing on very easy terms. The cross fire from
+the Fleet lying part in the Aegean and part in the mouth of the Straits
+must sweep that flat and open stretch of country so as to render it
+untenable by the enemy. Lord K. demonstrated this cross fire upon the
+map. He toiled over the wording of his instructions. They were headed
+"Constantinople Expeditionary Force." I begged him to alter this to
+avert Fate's evil eye. He consented and both this corrected draft and
+the copy as finally approved are now in Braithwaite's despatch box more
+modestly headed "Mediterranean Expeditionary Force." None of the drafts
+help us with facts about the enemy; the politics; the country and our
+allies, the Russians. In sober fact these "instructions" leave me to my
+own devices in the East, almost as much as K.'s laconic order "git" left
+me to myself when I quitted Pretoria for the West thirteen years ago.</p>
+
+<p>So I said good-bye to old K. as casually as if we were to meet together
+at dinner. Actually my heart went out to my old Chief. He was giving me
+the best thing in his gift and I hated to leave him amongst people who
+were frightened of him.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> But there was no use saying a word. He did not
+even wish me luck and I did not expect him to, but he did say, rather
+unexpectedly, <i>after</i> I had said good-bye and just as I was taking up my
+cap from the table, "If the Fleet gets through, Constantinople will fall
+of itself and you will have won, not a battle, but the war."</p>
+
+<p>At 5 o'clock that afternoon we bade adieu to London. Winston was
+disappointed we didn't dash away yesterday but we have not really let
+much grass grow under our feet. He and some friends came down to Charing
+Cross to see us off. I told Winston Lord K. would not think me loyal if
+I wrote to another Secretary of State. He understood and said that if I
+wanted him to be aware of some special request all I had to say was,
+"You will agree perhaps that the First Lord should see." Then the S. of
+S. for War would be bound to show him the letter:&mdash;which proves that
+with all his cleverness Winston has yet some points to learn about his
+K. of K.!</p>
+
+<p>My Staff still bear the bewildered look of men who have hurriedly been
+snatched from desks to do some extraordinary turn on some unheard of
+theatre. One or two of them put on uniform for the first time in their
+lives an hour ago. Leggings awry, spurs upside down, belts over shoulder
+straps! I haven't a notion of who they all are: nine-tenths of my few
+hours of warning has been taken up in winding up the affairs of the
+Central Force.</p>
+
+<p>At Dover embarked on H.M.S. <i>Foresight</i>,&mdash;a misnomer, for we ran into a
+fog and had to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span> lie-to for a devil of a time. Heard far-off guns on
+French front,&mdash;which was cheering.</p>
+
+<p>At 10.30 p.m. we left Calais for Marseilles and during the next day the
+French authorities caused me to be met by Officers of their Railway
+Mobilization Section. Had my first breathing space wherein to talk over
+matters with Braithwaite, and he and I tried to piece together the
+various scraps of views we had picked up at the War Office into a
+pattern which should serve us for a doctrine. But we haven't got very
+much to go upon. A diagram he had drawn up with half the spaces unfilled
+showing the General Staff. Another diagram with its blank spaces only
+showed that our Q. branch was not in being. Three queried names,
+Woodward for A.G., Winter for Q.M.G. and Williams for Cipher Officer.
+The first two had been left behind, the third was with us. The following
+hurried jottings by Braithwaite:&mdash;"Only 1600 rounds for the 4.5
+Howitzers!!! High Explosive essential. Who is to be C.R.E.? Engineer
+Stores? French are to remain at Tunis until the day comes that they are
+required. Egyptian troops also remain in Egypt till last moment.
+Everything we want by 30th (it is hoped). Await arrival of 29th Division
+before undertaking anything big. If Carden wants military help it is for
+Sir Ian's consideration whether to give or to withhold it." These rough
+notes; the text book on the Turkish Army, and two small guide books: not
+a very luminous outfit. Braithwaite tells me our force are not to take
+with them the usual 10 per cent. extra margin of reserves to fill
+casualties. Wish I had realised this earlier.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span> He had not time to tell
+me he says. The General Staff thought we ought certainly to have these
+and he and Wolfe Murray went in and made a personal appeal to the A.G.
+But he was obdurate. This seems hard luck. Why should we not have our
+losses quickly replaced&mdash;supposing we do lose men? I doubt though, if I
+should have been able to do very much even if I had known. To press K.
+would have been difficult. Like insisting on an extra half-crown when
+you've just been given Fortunatus' purse. Still, fair play's a jewel,
+and surely if formations destined for the French front cross the Channel
+with 10 per cent. extra, over and above their establishment, troops
+bound for Constantinople ought to have a 25 per cent. margin over
+establishment?</p>
+
+
+<p><i>17th March, 1915. H.M.S. "Phaeton." At sea.</i> Last night we raced past
+Corfu&mdash;my birthplace&mdash;at thirty knots an hour. My first baby breath was
+drawn from these thyme scented breezes. This crimson in the Eastern sky,
+these waves of liquid opal are natal, vital.</p>
+
+<p>Thirty miles an hour through Paradise! Since the 16th January, 1853, we
+have learnt to go the pace and as a result the world shrinks; the
+horizons close in upon us; the spacious days are gone!</p>
+
+<p>Thoughts of my Mother, who died when I was but three. Thoughts of her
+refusal as she lay dying&mdash;gasping in mortal pain&mdash;her refusal to touch
+an opiate, because the Minister, Norman Macleod, had told her she so
+might dim the clearness<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> of her spiritual insight&mdash;of her thoughts
+ascending heavenwards. What pluck&mdash;what grit&mdash;what faith&mdash;what an
+example to a soldier.</p>
+
+<p>Exquisite, exquisite air; sea like an undulating carpet of blue velvet
+outspread for Aphrodite. Have been in the Aegean since dawn. At noon
+passed a cruiser taking back Admiral Carden invalided to Malta. One week
+ago the thunder of his guns shook the firm foundations of the world. Now
+a sheer hulk lies poor old Carden. <i>Vanitas vanitatum</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Have got into touch with my staff. They are all General Staff: no
+Administrative Staff. The Adjutant-General-to-be (I don't know him) and
+the Chief Medico (I don't know who he is to be) could not get ready in
+time to come off with us, and the Q.M.G., too, was undecided when I
+left. There are nine of the General Staff. I like the looks of them.
+Quite characteristic of K., though, that barring Braithwaite, not one of
+the associates he has told off to work hand in glove with me in this
+enterprise should ever have served with me before.</p>
+
+<p>Only two sorts of Commanders-in-Chief could possibly find time to
+scribble like this on their way to take up an enterprise in many ways
+unprecedented&mdash;a German and a Britisher. The first, because every
+possible contingency would have been worked out for him beforehand; the
+second, because he has nothing&mdash;literally nothing&mdash;in his portfolio
+except a blank cheque signed with those grand yet simple words&mdash;John
+Bull. The German<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> General is the product of an organising nation. The
+British General is the product of an improvising nation. Each army would
+be better commanded by the other army's General. Sounds fantastic but is
+true.<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a></p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER II</h2>
+
+<h3>THE STRAITS</h3>
+
+
+<p>Cast anchor at Tenedos at 3 p.m., 17th March, 1915, having entered the
+harbour at the very same instant as le g&eacute;n&eacute;ral d'Amade.</p>
+
+<p>Hurried over at once to a meeting aboard that lovely sea monster, H.M.S.
+<i>Queen Elizabeth</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Present&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Admiral de Robeck,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Commodore Roger Keyes,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Admiral Gu&eacute;pratte, cmdg. French Fleet,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">General d'Amade,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">General Braithwaite,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Admiral Wemyss,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Captain Pollen,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Myself.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>De Robeck greeted me in the friendliest fashion. He is a fine looking
+man with great charm of manner. After a word or two to d'Amade and being
+introduced to Wemyss, Gu&eacute;pratte and Keyes, we sat down round a table and
+the Admiral began. His chief worry lies in the clever way the enemy are
+now handling their mobile artillery. He can silence the big fortress
+ordnance, but the howitzers<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> and field guns fire from concealed
+positions and make the clearing of the minefields something of a V.C.
+sort of job for the smaller craft. Even when the Fleet gets through,
+these moveable guns will make it very nasty for store ships or
+transports which follow. The mine-sweepers are slow and bad with worn
+out engines. Some of the civilian masters and crews of the trawlers have
+to consider wives and kids as well as V.C.s. The problem of getting the
+Fleet through or of getting submarines through is a problem of clearing
+away the mines. With a more powerfully engined type of mine-sweeper and
+regular naval commanders and crews to man them, the business would be
+easy. But as things actually stand there is real cause for anxiety as to
+mines.</p>
+
+<p>The Peninsula itself is being fortified and many Turks work every night
+on trenches, redoubts and entanglements. Not one single living soul has
+been seen, since the engagement of our Marines at the end of February,
+although each morning brings forth fresh evidences of nocturnal
+activity, in patches of freshly turned up soil. All landing places are
+now commanded by lines of trenches and are ranged by field guns and
+howitzers, which, thus far, cannot be located as our naval seaplanes are
+too heavy to rise out of rifle range. There has been a muddle about
+these seaplanes. Nominally they possess very powerful Sunbeam engines;
+actually the d&mdash;&mdash;d things can barely rise off the water. The naval
+guns do not seem able to knock the Turkish Infantry out of their deep
+trenches although they can silence their fire for awhile.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span> This was
+proved at that last landing by Marines. The Turkish searchlights are
+both fixed and mobile. They are of the latest pattern and are run by
+skilled observers. He gave us, in fact, to understand that German
+thoroughness and forethought have gripped the old go-as-you-please Turk
+and are making him march to the <i>Parade-schritt</i>.</p>
+
+<p>The Admiral would prefer to force a passage on his own, and is sure he
+can do so. Setting Constantinople on one side for the moment, <i>if</i> the
+Fleet gets through and the Army <i>then</i> attacks at Bulair, we would have
+the Turkish Army on the Peninsula in a regular trap. Therefore, whether
+from the local or the larger point of view, he has no wish to call us in
+until he has had a real good try. He means straightway to put the whole
+proposition to a practical test.</p>
+
+<p>His views dovetail in to a hair's breadth with K.'s views. The Admiral's
+"real good try" leads up towards K.'s "after every effort has been
+exhausted."</p>
+
+<p>That's a bit of luck for our kick-off, anyway. What we soldiers have to
+do now is to hammer away at our band-o-bast<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> whilst the Navy pushes as
+hard, as fast and as far as its horsepower, manpower and gunpower will
+carry it.</p>
+
+<p>The Admiral asked to see my instructions and Braithwaite read them out.
+When he stopped, Roger Keyes, the Commodore, inquired, "Is that all?"
+And when Braithwaite confessed that it was, everyone looked a little
+blank.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Asked what I meant to do, I said I proposed to get ready for a landing,
+as, whether the Fleet forces the passage and disembarked us on the
+Bosphorus; or, whether the Fleet did not force the passage and we had to
+"go for" the Peninsula, the <i>band-o-bast</i> could be made to suit either
+case.</p>
+
+<p>The Admiral asked if I meant to land at Bulair? I replied my mind was
+open on that point: that I was a believer in seeing things for myself
+and that I would not come to any decision on the map if it were possible
+to come to it on the ground. He then said he would send me up to look at
+the place through my own glasses in the Phaeton to-morrow; that it would
+not be possible to land large forces on the neck of Bulair itself as
+there were no beaches, but that I should reconnoitre the coast at the
+head of the Gulf as landing would be easier with every few miles we drew
+away towards the North. I told him it would be useless to land at any
+distance from my objective, for the simple reason that I had no
+transport, mechanical or horse, wheeled or pack, to enable me to support
+myself further than five or six miles from the Fleet and it would take
+many weeks and many ships to get it together; however, I ended, I would
+to-morrow see for myself.</p>
+
+<p>The air of the Aegean hardly differs so much from the North Sea haze as
+does the moral atmosphere of Tenedos differ from that of the War Office.
+This is always the way. Until the plunge is taken, the man in the arm
+chair clamps rose coloured spectacles on to his nose and the man on the
+spot is anxious; <i>but</i>, once the men on the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> spot jump off they become
+as jolly as sandboys, whilst the man in the arm chair sits searching for
+a set-back with a blue lens telescope.</p>
+
+<p>Here, the Peninsula looks a tougher nut to crack than it did on Lord K.'s
+small and featureless map. I do not speak for myself for I have so far
+only examined the terrain through a field glass. I refer to the tone of
+the sailors, which strikes me as being graver and less irresponsible
+than the tone of the War Office.</p>
+
+<p>The Admiral believes that, at the time of the first bombardment, 5000
+men could have marched from Cape Helles right up to the Bulair lines.
+(Before leaving the ship I learnt that some of the sailors do not
+agree). Now that phase has passed. Many more troops have come down,
+German Staff Officers have grappled with the situation, and have got
+their troops scientifically disposed and heavily entrenched. This
+skilful siting of the Turkish trenches has been admired by all competent
+British observers; the number of field guns on the Peninsula is now many
+times greater than it was.</p>
+
+<p>After this the discussion became informal. Referring again to my
+instructions, I laid stress on the point that I was a waiting man and
+that it was the Admiral's innings for so long as he could keep his
+wicket up. Braithwaite asked a question or two about the trenches and
+all of us deplored the lack of aeroplanes whereby we were blinded in our
+attack upon an enemy who espied every boat's crew moving over the
+water.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The more I revolve these matters in my mind, the more easy does it seem
+to accept K.'s order not to be in too great a hurry to bring the Army to
+the front. I devoutly hope indeed (and I think the fiercest of our
+fellows agree) that the Navy will pull us out the chestnuts from the
+fire.</p>
+
+<p>At the close of the sitting I made these notes of what had happened and
+drafted a first cable to Lord K., giving him an epitome of the Admiral's
+opening statement about the enemy's clever use of field guns to hinder
+the clearing of the minefields; his good entrenchments and the nightly
+work thereon; our handicap in all these matters because the type of
+seaplanes sent us "are too heavy to rise out of effective rifle
+range"&mdash;(one has to put these things mildly). I add that the Admiral,
+"while not making light of dangers was evidently determined to exhaust
+every effort before calling upon the soldiers for their help on a large
+scale"; and I wind up by telling him Lemnos seems a bad base and that I
+am off to-morrow on an inspection of the coasts of the Peninsula. Having
+got these matters off my chest on to the chest of K., was then taken
+round the ship by the Flag Captain, G.P.W. Hope. By this time it was
+nearly 7 so I stayed and dined with the Admiral&mdash;a charming host. After
+dinner got back here.</p>
+
+<p><i>18th March, 1915.</i> <i>H.M.S. "Phaeton."</i> Cleared Tenedos Harbour at 4
+a.m. and reached Lemnos at 6 a.m. I never saw so many ships collected
+together in my life; no, not even at Hong Kong, Bombay or New York.
+Filled up with oil fuel<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> and at 7 a.m. d'Amade and Major-General Paris,
+commanding the Royal Naval Division, came on board with one or two Staff
+Officers. After consulting these Officers as well as McLagan, the
+Australian Brigadier, cabled Lord K. to say Alexandria <i>must</i> be our
+base as "the Naval Division transports have been loaded up as in peace
+time and they must be completely discharged and every ship reloaded," in
+war fashion. At Lemnos, where there are neither wharfs, piers, labour
+nor water, the thing could not be done. Therefore, "the closeness of
+Lemnos to the Dardanelles, as implying the rapid transport of troops, is
+illusory."</p>
+
+<p>The moment I got this done, namely, at 8.30 a.m., we worked our way out
+of the long narrow neck of Mudros Harbour and sailed for the Gulf of
+Saros. Spent the first half of the sixty mile run to the Dardanelles in
+scribbling. Wrote my first epistle to K., using for the first time the
+formal "Dear Lord Kitchener." My letters to him will have to be formal,
+and dull also, as he may hand them around. I begin, "I have just sent
+you off a cable giving my first impressions of the situation, and am now
+steaming in company with Generals d'Amade and Paris to inspect the
+North-western coast of the Gallipoli Peninsula." I tell him that the
+real place "looks a much tougher nut to crack than it did over the
+map,"&mdash;I say that his "impression that the ground between Cape Helles
+and Krithia was clear of the enemy," was mistaken. "Not a bit of it." I
+say, "The Admiral tells me that there is a large number of men tucked
+away in the folds of the ground there, not to speak of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> several field
+Batteries." Therefore, I conclude, "If it eventually becomes necessary
+to take the Gallipoli Peninsula by military force, we shall have to
+proceed bit by bit." This will vex him no doubt. He likes plans to move
+as fast as his own wishes and is apt to forget, or to pretend he has
+forgotten, that swiftness in war comes from slow preparations. It is
+fairer to tell K. this now, when the question has not yet arisen, than
+hereafter if it does then arise.</p>
+
+<p>Passing the mouth of the Dardanelles we got a wonderful view of the
+stage whereon the Great Showman has caused so many of his amusing
+puppets to strut their tiny hour. For the purpose it stands matchless.
+No other panorama can touch it. There, Hero trimmed her little lamp;
+yonder the amorous breath of Leander changed to soft sea form. Far away
+to the Eastwards, painted in dim and lovely hues, lies Mount Ida. Just
+so, on the far horizon line she lay fair and still, when Hector fell and
+smoke from burning Troy blackened the mid-day sun. Against this
+enchanted background to deeds done by immortals and mortals as they
+struggled for ten long years five thousand years ago,&mdash;stands forth
+formidably the Peninsula. Glowing with bright, springtime colours it
+sweeps upwards from the sea like the glacis of a giant's fortress.</p>
+
+<p>So we sailed on Northwards, giving a wide berth to the shore. When we
+got within a mile of the head of the Gulf of Saros, we turned, steering
+a South-westerly course, parallel to, and one to two miles distant from,
+the coastline. Then my<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span> first fears as to the outworks of the fortress
+were strengthened. The head of the Gulf is filled in with a horrible
+marsh. No landing there. Did we land far away to the Westward we must
+still march round the marsh, or else we must cross it on one single road
+whose long and easily destructible bridges we could see spanning the bog
+holes some three miles inland. Opposite the fortified lines we stood in
+to within easy field gun range, trusting that the Turks would not wish
+prematurely to disclose their artillery positions. So we managed a peep
+at close quarters, and were startled to see the ramifications and extent
+of the spider's web of deep, narrow trenches along the coast and on
+either front of the lines of Bulair. My Staff agree that they must have
+taken ten thousand men a month's hard work from dark to dawn. In advance
+of the trenches, Williams in the crow's nest reported that with his
+strong glasses he could pick out the glitter of wire over a wide expanse
+of ground. To the depth of a mile the whole Aegean slope of the neck of
+the Peninsula was scarred with spade work and it is clear to a tiro that
+to take these trenches would take from us a bigger toll of ammunition
+and life than we can afford: especially so seeing that we can only see
+one half of the theatre; the other half would have to be worked out of
+sight and support of our own ships and in view of the Turkish Fleet.
+Only one small dent in the rockbound coast offered a chance of landing
+but that was also heavily dug in. In a word, if Bulair had been the only
+way open to me and I had no alternative but to take it or wash my hands
+of the whole<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> business, I should have to go right about turn and cable
+my master he had sent me on a fool's errand.</p>
+
+<p>Between Bulair and Suvla Bay the coastline was precipitous; high cliffs
+and no sort of creeks or beaches&mdash;impracticable. Suvla Bay itself seems
+a fine harbour but too far North were the aim to combine a landing there
+together with an attack on the Southern end of the Peninsula. Were we,
+on the other hand, to try to work the whole force ashore from Suvla Bay,
+the country is too big; it is the broadest part of the Peninsula; also,
+we should be too far from its waist and from the Narrows we wish to
+dominate. Merely to hold our line of Communications we should need a
+couple of Divisions. All the coast between Suvla Bay and for a little
+way South of Gaba Tepe seems feasible for landing. I mean we could get
+ashore on a calm day if there was no enemy. Gaba Tepe itself would be
+ideal, but, alas, the Turks are not blind; it is a mass of trenches and
+wire. Further, it must be well under fire of guns from Kilid Bahr
+plateau, and is entirely commanded by the high ridge to the North of it.
+To land there would be to enter a defile without first crowning the
+heights.</p>
+
+<p>Between Gaba Tepe and Cape Helles, the point of the Peninsula, the
+coastline consists of cliffs from 100 to 300 feet high. But there are,
+in many places, sandy strips at their base. Opinions differ but I
+believe myself the cliffs are not unclimbable. I thoroughly believe also
+in going for at least one spot that <i>seems</i> impracticable.</p>
+
+<p>Sailing Southwards we are becoming more and more conscious of the
+tremendous bombardment<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span> going on in the Straits. Now and then, too, we
+can see a huge shell hit the top of Achi Baba and turn it into the
+semblance of a volcano. Everyone excited and trying to look calm.</p>
+
+<p>At 4 p.m., precisely, we rounded Cape Helles. I had promised de Robeck
+not to take his fastest cruiser, fragile as an egg, into the actual
+Straits, but the Captain and the Commander (Cameron and Rosomore), were
+frightfully keen to see the fight, and I thought it fair to allow one
+mile as being the <i>mouth</i> of the Straits and not <i>the</i> Straits. Before
+we had covered that mile we found ourselves on the outskirts of&mdash;dream
+of my life&mdash;a naval battle! Nor did the reality pan out short of my
+hopes. Here it was; we had only to keep on at thirty knots; in one
+minute we should be in the thick of it; and who would be brave enough to
+cry halt!</p>
+
+<p>The world had gone mad; common sense was only moonshine after all; the
+elephant and the whale of Bismarckian parable were at it tooth and nail!
+Shells of all sizes flew hissing through the skies. Before my very eyes,
+the graves of those old Gods whom Christ had risen from the dead to
+destroy were shaking to the shock of Messrs. Armstrong's patent thunder
+bolts!</p>
+
+<p>Ever since the far-away days of Afghanistan and Majuba Hill friends have
+been fond of asking me what soldiers feel when death draws close up
+beside them. Before he charged in at Edgehill, Astley (if my memory
+serves me) exclaimed, "O, God, I've been too busy fixing up this battle
+to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> think much about you, but, for Heaven's sake, don't you go and
+forget about me," or words to that effect.</p>
+
+<p>The Yankee's prayer for fair play just as he joined issue with the
+grizzly bear gives another glimpse of these secrets between man and his
+Maker. As for myself, there are two moments; one when I think I would
+not miss the show for millions; another when I think "what an ass I am
+to be here"; and between these two moments there <i>is</i> a border land when
+the mind runs all about Life's workshop and tries to do one last bit of
+stock-taking.</p>
+
+<p>But the process can no more be fixed in the memory than the sequence of
+a dream when the dew is off the grass. All I remember is a sort of
+wonder:&mdash;why these incredible pains to seek out an amphibious battle
+ground whereon two sets of people who have no cause of quarrel can blow
+one another to atoms? Why are these Straits the cockpit of the world?
+What is it all about? What on earth has happened to sanity when the
+whale and elephant are locked in mortal combat making between them a
+picture which might be painted by one of H.M.'s Commissioners in Lunacy
+to decorate an asylum for homicides.</p>
+
+<p>Whizz&mdash;flop&mdash;bang&mdash;what an ass I am to be here. If we keep on another
+thirty seconds we are in for a visit to Davy Jones's Locker.</p>
+
+<p>Now above the <i>Queen Elizabeth</i>, making slowly backwards and forwards up
+in the neck of the Narrows, were other men-o'-war spitting tons of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> hot
+metal at the Turks. The Forts made no reply&mdash;or none that we could make
+out, either with our ears or with glasses. Perhaps there was an attempt;
+if so, it must have been very half-hearted. The enemy's fixed defences
+were silenced but the concealed mobile guns from the Peninsula and from
+Asia were far too busy and were having it all their own way.</p>
+
+<p>Close to us were steam trawlers and mine-sweepers steaming along with
+columns of spray spouting up close by them from falling field gun
+shells, with here and there a biggish fellow amongst them, probably a
+five or six inch field howitzer. One of them was in the act of catching
+a great mine as we drew up level with her. Some 250 yards from us was
+the <i>Inflexible</i> slowly coming out of the Straits, her wireless cut away
+and a number of shrapnel holes through her tops and crow's nest.
+Suddenly, so quickly did we turn that, going at speed, the decks were at
+an angle of 45&deg; and several of us (d'Amade for one) narrowly escaped
+slipping down the railless decks into the sea. The <i>Inflexible</i> had
+signalled us she had struck a mine, and that we must stand by and see
+her home to Tenedos. We spun round like a top (escaping thereby a salvo
+of four from a field battery) and followed as close as we dared.</p>
+
+<p>My blood ran cold&mdash;for sheer deliberate awfulness this beat everything.
+We gazed spellbound: no one knew what moment the great ship might not
+dive into the depths. The pumps were going hard. We fixed our eyes on
+marks about the water line to see if the sea was gaining upon them<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span> or
+not. She was very much down by the bows, that was a sure thing. Crew and
+stokers were in a mass standing strictly at attention on the main deck.
+A whole bevy of destroyers crowded round the wounded warrior. In the
+sight of all those men standing still, silent, orderly in their ranks,
+facing the imminence of death, I got my answer to the hasty moralizings
+about war, drawn from me (really) by a regret that I would very soon be
+drowned. On the deck of that battleship staggering along at a stone's
+throw was a vindication of war in itself; of war, the state of being,
+quite apart from war motives or gains. Ten thousand years of peace would
+fail to produce a spectacle of so great virtue. Where, in peace,
+passengers have also shown high constancy, it is because war and martial
+discipline have lent them its standards. Once in a generation a
+mysterious wish for war passes through the people. Their instinct tells
+them that <i>there is no other way</i> of progress and of escape from habits
+that no longer fit them. Whole generations of statesmen will fumble over
+reforms for a lifetime which are put into full-blooded execution within
+a week of a declaration of war. There is <i>no other way</i>. Only by intense
+sufferings can the nations grow, just as the snake once a year must with
+anguish slough off the once beautiful coat which has now become a strait
+jacket.</p>
+
+<p>How was it going to end? How touching the devotion of all these small
+satellites so anxiously forming escort? Onwards, at snail's pace, moved
+our cortege which might at any moment be transformed into a funeral
+affair, but slow as we went<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> we yet went fast enough to give the go-by
+to the French battleship <i>Gaulois</i>, also creeping out towards Tenedos in
+a lamentable manner attended by another crowd of T.B.s and destroyers
+eager to stand to and save.</p>
+
+<p>The <i>Inflexible</i> managed to crawl into Tenedos under her own steam but
+we stood by until we saw the <i>Gaulois</i> ground on some rocks called
+Rabbit Island, when I decided to clear right out so as not to be in the
+way of the Navy at a time of so much stress. After we had gone ten miles
+or so, the <i>Phaeton</i> intercepted a wireless from the <i>Queen Elizabeth</i>,
+ordering the <i>Ocean</i> to take the <i>Irresistible</i> in tow, from which it
+would appear that she (the <i>Irresistible</i>) has also met with some
+misfortune.</p>
+
+<p>Thank God we were in time! That is my dominant feeling. We have seen a
+spectacle which would be purchased cheap by five years of life and, more
+vital yet, I have caught a glimpse of the forces of the enemy and of
+their Forts. What with my hurried scamper down the Aegean coast of the
+Peninsula and the battle in the Straits, I begin to form some first-hand
+notion of my problem. More by good luck than good guidance I have got
+into personal touch with the outer fringes of the thing we are up
+against and that is so much to the good. But oh, that we had been here
+earlier! Winston in his hurry to push me out has shown a more soldierly
+grip than those who said there was no hurry. It is up to me now to
+revolve to-day's doings in my mind; to digest them and to turn myself
+into the eyes and ears of the War Office whose own so far have
+certainly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> not proved themselves very acute. How much better would I be
+able to make them see and hear had I been out a week or two; did I know
+the outside of the Peninsula by heart; had I made friends with the
+Fleet! And why should I not have been?</p>
+
+<p>Have added a P.S. to K.'s letter&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"Between Tenedos and Lemnos. 6 p.m.&mdash;This has been a very bad day for us
+judging by what has come under my own personal observation. After going
+right up to Bulair and down again to the South-west point looking at the
+network of trenches the Turks have dug commanding all possible landing
+places, we turned into the Dardanelles themselves and went up about a
+mile. The scene was what I believe Naval writers describe as 'lively.'"
+(Then follows an account based on my Diary jottings). I end:</p>
+
+<p>"I have not had time to reflect over these matters, nor can I yet
+realise on my present slight information the extent of these losses.
+Certainly it looks at present as if the Fleet would not be able to carry
+on at this rate, and, if so, the soldiers will have to do the trick.":</p>
+
+<p>"Later.</p>
+
+<p>"The <i>Irresistible</i>, the <i>Ocean</i> and the <i>Bouvet</i> are gone! The
+<i>Bouvet</i>, they say, just slithered down like a saucer slithers down in a
+bath. The <i>Inflexible</i> and the <i>Gaulois</i> are badly mauled."</p>
+
+<p><i>19th March, 1915.</i> <i>H.M.S. "Franconia."</i>&mdash;Last night I left H.M.S.
+<i>Phaeton</i> and went on board<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span> the <i>Franconia</i>. To-day, we have been busy
+fixing things up. The chance sailors, seen by the Staff, have been using
+highly coloured expletives about the mines. Sheer bad luck they swear;
+bad luck that would not happen once in a hundred tries. They had knocked
+out the Forts, they claim, and one, three-word order, "Full steam
+ahead," would have cut the Gordian Knot the diplomats have been fumbling
+at for over a hundred years by slicing their old Turkey in two. Then
+came the big delay owing to ships changing stations during which mines
+set loose from up above had time to float down the current, when, by the
+Devil's own fluke, they impinge upon our battleships, and blow de Robeck
+and his plans into the middle of next week&mdash;or later! These are
+ward-room yarns. De Robeck was working by stages and never meant, so far
+as we know, to run through to the Marmora yesterday.</p>
+
+<p>Cabled to Lord K. telling him of yesterday's reconnaissance by me and
+the battle by de Robeck. Have said I have no official report to go upon
+but from what I saw with my own eyes "I am being most reluctantly driven
+to the conclusion that the Straits are not likely to be forced by
+battleships as at one time seemed probable and that, if my troops are to
+take part, it will not take the subsidiary form anticipated. The Army's
+part will be more than mere landings of parties to destroy Forts, it
+must be a deliberate and progressive military operation carried out at
+full strength so as to open a passage for the Navy."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>To be able, if necessary, to act up to my own words I sent another
+message to the Admiral and told him, if he could spare the troops from
+the vicinity of the Straits, I would like to take them right off to
+Alexandria so as to shake them out there and reship them ready for
+anything. He has wirelessed back asking me, on political grounds, to
+delay removing the troops "until our attack is renewed in a few days'
+time."</p>
+
+<p>Bravo, the Admiral! Still; if there are to be even a few days' delay I
+must land somewhere as mules and horses are dying. And, practically,
+Alexandria is the only port possible.</p>
+
+<p>Wemyss has just sent me over the following letter. It confirms
+officially the loss of the three battleships&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+
+<p class='author'><i>Friday.</i></p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;" class="smcap">"My Dear General,</span></p>
+
+<p>"The enclosed is a copy of a Signal I have received from de Robeck. I
+sincerely hope that the word disastrous is too hard. It depends upon
+what results we have achieved I think. I gather from intercepted signals
+that the <i>Ocean</i> also is sunk, but of this I am not quite certain. I am
+off in <i>Dublin</i> immediately she comes in and expect I may be back
+to-night. This of course depends a good deal upon what de Robeck wants.
+Captain Boyle brings this and will be at your disposal. He is the Senior
+Naval Officer here in my absence.</p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 6em;">"Believe me, Sir,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 8em;">"Yours sincerely,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">(<i>Sd.</i>) "R. Wemyss."</span><br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span></p>
+
+<p class='center'>
+Copy of Telegram enclosed&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"<i>From</i> V.A.E.M.S.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"<i>To</i> S.N.O. Mudros.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"<i>Date, 18th March, 1915.</i></span>
+</p>
+
+<p>"Negative demonstration at Gaba Tepe, 19th. Will you come to Tenedos and
+see me to-morrow. We have had disastrous day owing either to floating
+mines or torpedoes from shore tubes fired at long range. H.M.S.
+<i>Irresistible</i> and <i>Bouvet</i> sunk. H.M.S. <i>Ocean</i> still afloat, but
+probably lost. H.M.S. <i>Inflexible</i> damaged by mine. <i>Gaulois</i> badly
+damaged by gunfire. Other ships all right, and we had much the best of
+the Ports."</p>
+
+<p><i>20th March, 1915.</i> <i>H.M.S. "Franconia." Mudros Harbour.</i> Stormy
+weather, and even here, inside Mudros harbour, touch with the shore is
+cut off.</p>
+
+<p>After I was asleep last night, an answer came in from K., straight,
+strong and to the point. He says, "You know my view that the Dardanelles
+passage must be forced, and that if large military operations on the
+Gallipoli Peninsula by your troops are necessary to clear the way, those
+operations must be undertaken after careful consideration of the local
+defences and must be carried through."</p>
+
+<p>Very well: all hinges on the Admiral.</p>
+
+<p><i>21st March, 1915.</i> <i>H.M.S. "Franconia."</i> A talk with Admiral Wemyss and
+General d'Amade. Wemyss is clear that the Navy must not admit a check
+and must get to work again as quickly as they can. Wemyss is Senior
+Naval Officer at the Dardanelles and is much liked by everyone. He<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> has
+put his seniority in his pocket and is under his junior&mdash;fighting first,
+rank afterwards!</p>
+
+<p>A letter from de Robeck, dated "Q.E. the 19th," has only just come to
+hand&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"Our men were splendid and thank heaven our loss of life was quite
+small, though the French lost over 100 men when <i>Bouvet</i> struck a mine.</p>
+
+<p>"How our ships struck mines in an area that was reported clear and swept
+the previous night I do not know, unless they were floating mines
+started from the Narrows!</p>
+
+<p>"I was sad to lose ships and my heart aches when one thinks of it; one
+must do what one is told and take risks or otherwise we cannot win. We
+are all getting ready for another 'go' and not in the least beaten or
+downhearted. The big forts were silenced for a long time and everything
+was going well, until <i>Bouvet</i> struck a mine. It is hard to say what
+amount of damage we did, I don't know, there were big explosions in the
+Forts!"</p>
+
+<p>Little Birdie, now grown up into a grand General, turned up at 3 p.m. I
+was enchanted to see him. We had hundreds and thousands of things to
+talk over. Although the confidence of the sailors seems quite unshaken
+by the events of the 18th, Birdie seems to have made up his mind that
+the Navy have shot their bolt for the time being and that we have no
+time to lose in getting ready for a landing. But then he did not see the
+battle and cannot, therefore, gauge the extent to which the Turkish
+Forts were beaten.</p>
+
+<p><i>22nd March, 1915.</i> <i>H.M.S. "Franconia."</i> At<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span> 10 a.m. we had another
+Conference on board the <i>Queen Elizabeth</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Present&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Admiral de Robeck,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Admiral Wemyss,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">General Birdwood,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">General Braithwaite,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Captain Pollen,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Myself.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+
+<p>The moment we sat down de Robeck told us <i>he was now quite clear he
+could not get through without the help of all my troops</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Before ever we went aboard Braithwaite, Birdwood and I had agreed that,
+whatever we landsmen might think, we must leave the seamen to settle
+their own job, saying nothing for or against land operations or
+amphibious operations until the sailors themselves turned to us and said
+they had abandoned the idea of forcing the passage by naval operations
+alone.</p>
+
+<p>They have done so. The fat (that is us) is fairly in the fire.</p>
+
+<p>No doubt we had our views. Birdie and my own Staff disliked the idea of
+chancing mines with million pound ships. The hesitants who always make
+hay in foul weather had been extra active since the sinking of the three
+men-of-war. Suppose the Fleet <i>could</i> get through with the loss of
+another battleship or two&mdash;how the devil would our troopships be able to
+follow? And the store ships? And the colliers?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>This had made me turn contrary. During the battle I had cabled that the
+chances of the Navy pushing through on their own were hardly fair
+fighting chances, but, since then, de Robeck, the man who should know,
+had said twice that he <i>did</i> think there was a fair fighting chance. Had
+he stuck to that opinion at the conference, then I was ready, as a
+soldier, to make light of military croaks about troopships.
+Constantinople must surrender, revolt or scuttle within a very few hours
+of our battleships entering the Marmora. Memories of one or two obsolete
+six inchers at Ladysmith helped me to feel as Constantinople would feel
+when her rail and sea communications were cut and a rain of shell fell
+upon the penned-in populace from de Robeck's terrific batteries. Given a
+good wind that nest of iniquity would go up like Sodom and Gomorrah in a
+winding sheet of flame.</p>
+
+<p>But once the Admiral said his battleships could not fight through
+without help, there was no foothold left for the views of a landsman.</p>
+
+<p>So there was no discussion. At once we turned our faces to the land
+scheme. Very sketchy; how could it be otherwise? On the German system
+plans for a landing on Gallipoli would have been in my pocket,
+up-to-date and worked out to a ball cartridge and a pail of water. By
+the British system (?) I have been obliged to concoct my own plans in a
+brace of shakes almost under fire. Strategically and tactically our
+method may have its merits, for though it piles everything on to one
+man, the Commander, yet he is the chap who has<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> got to see it through.
+But, in matters of supply, transport, organisation and administration
+our way is the way of Colney Hatch.</p>
+
+<p>Here am I still minus my Adjutant-General; my Quartermaster-General and
+my Medical Chief, charged with settling the basic question of whether
+the Army should push off from Lemnos or from Alexandria. Nothing in the
+world to guide me beyond my own experience and that of my Chief of the
+General Staff, whose sphere of work and experience lies quite outside
+these administrative matters. I can see that Lemnos is practically
+impossible; I fix on Alexandria in the light of Braithwaite's advice and
+my own hasty study of the map. Almost incredible really, we should have
+to decide so tremendous an administrative problem off the reel and
+without any Administrative Staff. But time presses, the responsibility
+cannot be shirked, and so I have cabled K. that Lemnos must be a
+wash-out and that I am sending my troops to get ship-shape at Alexandria
+although, thereby, I upset every previous arrangement. Then I have had
+to cable for Engineers, trench mortars, bombs, hand grenades,
+periscopes. Then again, seeing things are going less swimmingly than K.
+had thought they would, I have had to harden my heart against his horror
+of being asked for more men and have decided to cable for leave to bring
+over from Egypt a Brigade of Gurkhas to complete Birdwood's New Zealand
+Division. Last, and worst, I have had to risk the fury of the Q.M.G. to
+the Forces by telling the War Office that their transports are so loaded
+(water<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> carts in one ship; water cart horses in another; guns in one
+ship; limbers in another; entrenching tools anyhow) that they must be
+emptied and reloaded before we can land under fire.</p>
+
+<p>These points were touched upon at the Conference. I told them too that
+my Intelligence folk fix the numbers of the enemy now at the Dardanelles
+as 40,000 on the Gallipoli Peninsula with a reserve of 30,000 behind
+Bulair: on the Asiatic side of the Straits there are at least a
+Division, but there <i>may</i> be several Divisions. The Admiral's
+information tallies and, so Birdie says, does that of the Army in Egypt.
+The War Office notion that the guns of the Fleet can sweep the enemy off
+the tongue of the Peninsula from Achi Baba Southwards is moonshine. My
+trump card turns out to be the Joker; best of all cards only it don't
+happen to be included in this particular pack!</p>
+
+<p>As ideas for getting round this prickly problem were passing through my
+mind, two suggestions for dealing with it were put forward. The sailors
+say some lighters were being built, and probably by now are built, for
+the purpose of a landing in the North: they would carry five hundred
+men; had bullet-proof bulwarks and are to work under their own gas
+engines. If I can possibly get a petition for these through to Winston
+we would very likely be lent some and with their aid the landing under
+fire will be child's play to what it will be otherwise. But the cable
+must get to Winston: if it falls into the hands of Fisher it fails, as
+the sailors tell me he is obsessed by the other old plan and grudges us
+every rope's end or ha'porth of tar that finds its way out here.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Rotten luck to have cut myself off from wiring to Winston: still I see
+no way out of it: with K. jealous as a tiger&mdash;what can I do? Also,
+although the sailors want me to pull this particular chestnut out of the
+fire, it is just as well they should know I am not going to speak to
+their Boss even under the most tempting circs.: but they won't cable
+themselves: frightened of Fisher: so I then and there drafted this to K.
+from myself&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"Our first step of landing under fire will be the most critical as well
+as the most vital of the whole operations. If the Admiralty will
+improvise and send us out post haste 20 to 30 large lighters difficulty
+and duration of this phase will be cut down to at least one half. The
+lighters should each be capable of conveying 400 to 500 men or 30 to 40
+horses. They should be protected by bullet-proof armour."</p>
+
+<p>Everyone agreed but Birdwood pointed out that, by sending this message,
+we implied in so many words, that we would not land until the lighters
+came out from England. He assumed that we had definitely turned down any
+plan of scrambling ashore forthwith, as best we could? I said, "Yes,"
+and that the Navy were with me in that view, a statement confirmed by de
+Robeck and Wemyss who nodded their heads. Birdwood said he only wanted
+to be quite clear about it, and there the matter dropped.</p>
+
+<p>Actually I had thought a lot about that possibility. To a man of my
+temperament there was every temptation to have a go in and revenge<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> the
+loss of the battleships forthwith. We might sup to-morrow night on Achi
+Baba. With luck we really might. Had I been here for ten days instead of
+five, and had I had any time to draft out any sort of scheme, I might
+have had a dart. But the operation of landing in face of an enemy is the
+most complicated and difficult in war. Under existing conditions the
+whole attempt would be partial, <i>d&eacute;cousu</i>, happy-go-lucky to the last
+degree. There are no small craft to speak of. There is no provision for
+carrying water. There is no information <i>at all</i> about springs or wells
+ashore. There is no arrangement for getting off the wounded and my
+Principal Medical Officer and his Staff won't be here for a fortnight.
+My orders against piecemeal occupation are specific. But the 29th
+Division is our <i>pi&egrave;ce de r&eacute;sistance</i> and it won't be here, we
+reckon&mdash;not complete&mdash;for another three weeks.</p>
+
+<p>All the same, I might chance it, for, by taking all these off chances we
+<i>might</i> pull off the main chance of stealing a march upon the Turks.
+What puts me off is not the chances of war but the certainties of
+commonsense. If I did so handle my troops on the spot as to sup on Achi
+Baba to-morrow night, I still could not counter the inevitable reaction
+of numbers, time and space. The Turks would have at least a fortnight to
+concentrate their whole force against my half force; to defeat them and
+then to defy the other half.</p>
+
+<p>I must wait for the 29th Division. By the time they come I can get
+things straight for a smashing simultaneous blow and I am resolved that,
+so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> far as in me lies, the orders and preparations will then be so
+thoroughly worked out&mdash;so carefully rehearsed as to give every chance to
+my men.<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a></p>
+
+<p>If the 29th Division were here&mdash;or near at hand&mdash;I could balance
+shortage against the obvious evils of giving the Turks time to reinforce
+and to dig. Could I hope for the 29th Division within a week it might be
+worth my while to fly in the face of K. by grasping the Peninsula firmly
+by her toe: or,&mdash;had my staff and self been here ten days ago, we could
+have already got well forward with our plans and orders, as well as with
+the laying of our hands upon the thousand odds and ends demanded by the
+invasion of a barren, trackless extremity of an Empire&mdash;odds and ends
+never thought of by anyone until the spur of reality brought them
+galloping to the front. Then the moment the Fleet cried off, we might
+have had a dash in, right away, with what we have here. The onslaught
+could have been supported from Egypt and the 29th Division might have
+been treated as a reserve.</p>
+
+<p>But, taking things as they are&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>(1). No detail thought out, much less worked out or practised, as to
+form or manner of landing;</p>
+
+<p>(2). Absence of 29th Division;</p>
+
+<p>(3). Lack of gear (naval and military) for any landing on a large scale
+or maintenance thereafter;</p>
+
+<p>(4). Unsettled weather;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> my ground is not solid enough to support me
+were I to put it to K. that I had broken away from his explicit
+instructions.</p>
+
+<p>The Navy, i.e., de Robeck, Wemyss and Keyes, entirely agree. They see as
+well as we do that the military force ought to have been ready before
+the Navy began to attack. What we have to do now is to repair a first
+false step. The Admiral undertakes to keep pegging away at the Straits
+whilst we in Alexandria are putting on our war paint. He will see to it,
+he says, that they think more of battleships than of landings. He is
+greatly relieved to hear <i>I</i> have practically made up my mind to go for
+the South of the Peninsula and to keep in closest touch with the Fleet.
+The Commodore also seems well pleased: he told us he hoped to get his
+Fleet Sweeps so reorganised as to do away with the danger from mines by
+the 3rd or 4th of April; then, he says, with us to do the spotting for
+the naval guns, the battleships can smother the Forts and will alarm the
+Turkish Infantry as to that tenderest part of an Army&mdash;its rear. So I
+may say that all are in full agreement,&mdash;a blessing.</p>
+
+<p>Have cabled home begging for more engineers, a lot of hand grenades,
+trench mortars, periscopes and tools. The barbed wire bothers me! Am
+specially keen about trench mortars; if it comes to close fighting on
+the Peninsula with its restricted area trench mortars may make up for
+our lack of artillery and especially of howitzers. Luckily, they can be
+turned out quickly.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span></p><p><i>23rd March, 1915. H.M.S. "Franconia."</i> At 9 a.m. General d'Amade and
+his Staff came aboard. D'Amade had been kept yesterday by his own
+pressing business from attending the Conference. I have read him these
+notes and have shown him my cable of yesterday to Lord K. in which I say
+that "The French Commander is equally convinced that a move to
+Alexandria is a practical necessity, although a point of honour makes it
+impossible for him to suggest turning his back to the Turks to his own
+Government." But, I say, "he will be enchanted if they give him the
+order." D'Amade says I have not quite correctly represented his views.
+Not fantastic honour, he says, caused him to say we had better, for a
+while, hold on, but rather the sense of prestige. He thought the
+departure of the troops following so closely on the heels of the naval
+repulse would have a bad moral effect on the Balkans. But he agrees
+that, in practice, the move has now become imperative; the animals are
+dying; the men are overcrowded, whilst Mudros is impossible as a base.
+My cable, therefore, may stand.</p>
+
+<p>At 10 o'clock he, Birdie and myself landed to inspect a Battalion of
+Australians (9th Battalion of the 3rd Brigade). I made them carry out a
+little attack on a row of windmills, and really, they did not show much
+more imagination over the business than did Don Quixote in a similar
+encounter. But the men are superb specimens.</p>
+
+<p>Some of the troop transports left harbour for Egypt during the
+afternoon. Bad to see these transports sailing the wrong way. What a
+d&mdash;&mdash;d<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> pity! is what every soldier here feels&mdash;and says. But to look
+on the bright side, our fellows will be twice as well trained to boat
+work, and twice as well equipped by the time the 29th turn up, and by
+then the weather will be more settled. As d'Amade said too, it will be
+worth a great deal to us if the French troops get a chance of working a
+little over the ground together with their British comrades before they
+go shoulder to shoulder against the common enemy. All the same, if I had
+my men and guns handy, I'd rather get at the Turks quick than be sure of
+good weather and good <i>band-o-bast</i> and be sure also of a well-prepared
+enemy.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon Braithwaite brought me a draft cable for Lord K. <i>re</i>
+yesterday's Conference. I have approved. In it I say, "on the
+thoroughness with which I can make the preliminary arrangements, of
+which the proper allocation of troops, etc., to transports is not the
+least important, the success of my plans will largely depend."
+Therefore, I am going to Alexandria, as a convenient place for this work
+and, "the Turks will be kept busy meanwhile by the Admiral."</p>
+
+
+<p><i>24th March, 1915. H.M.S. "Franconia."</i> D'Amade and Staff came aboard at
+10 a.m. He has got leave to move and will sail to Alexandria forthwith.
+Roger Keyes from the Flagship came shortly afterward. He is sick as a
+she-bear robbed of her cubs that his pets: battleships, T.B.s,
+destroyers, submarines, etc., should have to wait for the Army. Well, we
+are not to blame! Keyes<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span> has been shown my cables to K. and is pleased
+with them. He accepts the fact, I think, that the Army must tackle the
+mobile artillery of the Turks before the Navy can expect to silence the
+light guns protecting the mine fields and then clear out the mines with
+the present type of mine sweeper. But the Admiral's going to fix up the
+mine sweeper question while we are away. Once he has done that, Keyes
+believes the Fleet can knock out the Forts; wipe out the protective
+batteries and sweep up the mines quite comfortably. He said one
+illuminating and encouraging thing to Braithwaite; viz., that he had
+never felt so possessed of the power of the Navy to force a passage
+through the Narrows as in the small hours of the 19th when he got back
+to the Flagship after trying in vain to salve the <i>Ocean</i> and the
+<i>Irresistible</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Keyes brought me a first class letter from the Admiral&mdash;very much to the
+point:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 16em;">"H.M.S. <i>Q.E.</i></span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 18em;">"<i>24th March, 15.</i></span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;" class='smcap'>"My Dear General,</span></p>
+
+<p>"I hear the Authorities at 'Home' have been sending hastening telegrams
+to you. They most unfortunately did the same to us and probably if our
+work had been slower and more thorough it would have been better. If
+only they were on the <i>spot</i>, they would realise that to hurry would
+write failure. In my very humble opinion, good co-operation and
+organisation means everything for the future. A great triumph is much
+better than scraping through and poor results!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> We are entirely with you
+and can be relied on to give any assistance in our power. We will not be
+idle!</p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 6em;">"Believe me,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 8em;">"Yours sincerely,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">(<i>Sd.</i>) "J.M. de Robeck."</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>11-15. Admiral Thursby (just arrived with the <i>Queen</i> and <i>Implacable</i>)
+came to make his salaams. We served together at Malta and both broke
+sinews in our calves playing lawn tennis&mdash;a bond of union.</p>
+
+<p>Have cabled to Lord K. telling him I am just off to Alexandria. Have
+said that the ruling factor of my date of landing must be the arrival of
+the 29th Division "(see para. 2 of your formal instructions to me the
+foresight of which appeals to me with double force now we are at close
+quarters with the problem<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a>)." I have pointed out that Birdwood's
+Australians are very weak in artillery; that the Naval Division has none
+at all and that the guns of the 29th Division make that body even more
+indispensable than he had probably realised. I would very much like to
+add that these are no times for infantry divisions minus artillery
+seeing that they ought to have three times the pre-war complement of
+guns, but Braithwaite's good advice has prevailed. As promised at the
+Conference I express a hope that I may be allowed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> "to complete
+Birdwood's New Zealand Division with a Brigade of Gurkhas who would work
+admirably in the terrain" of the Peninsula. In view of what we have
+gathered from Keyes, I wind up by saying, "The Admiral, whose confidence
+in the Navy seems to have been raised even higher by recent events, and
+who is a thruster if ever there was one, is in agreement with this
+telegram."</p>
+
+<p>Actually Keyes will show him a copy; we will wait one hour before
+sending it off and, if we don't hear then, we may take it de Robeck will
+have endorsed the purport. Of course, if he does not agree the last
+sentence must come out, and he will have to put his own points to the
+Admiralty.</p>
+
+<p><i>Later</i>.&mdash;Have sent Doughty Wylie to Athens to do "Intelligence": the
+cable was approved by Navy; duly despatched; and now&mdash;up anchor!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER III</h2>
+
+<h3>EGYPT</h3>
+
+
+<p><i>25th March, 1915. H.M.S. "Franconia." At Sea.</i> A fine smooth sea and a
+flowing tide. Have written to K. and Mr. Asquith. Number two has caused
+me <i>fikr</i>.<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a> The P.M. lives in another plane from us soldiers. So it
+came quite easily to his lips to ask <i>me</i> to write to him,&mdash;a high
+honour, likewise an order. But K. is my soldier chief. As C.-in-C. in
+India he refused point blank to write letters to autocratic John Morley
+behind the back of the Viceroy, and Morley never forgave him. K. told me
+this himself and he told me also that he resented the correspondence
+which was, he knew, being carried on, behind his (K.'s) back, between
+the army in France and his (K.'s) own political Boss: that sort of
+action was, he considered, calculated to undermine authority.</p>
+
+<p>I have had a long talk with Braithwaite <i>re</i> this quandary. He strongly
+holds that my first duty is to K. and that it is for us a question of K.
+and no one but K. Were the S. of S. only a civilian (instead of being a
+Field Marshal) the case <i>might</i> admit of argument; as things are, it
+does not. So have written the P.M. on these lines and shall<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> send K. the
+carbons of all my letters to him. To K. himself I have written backing
+up my cable and begging for a Brigade of Gurkhas. Really, it is like
+going up to a tiger and asking for a small slice of venison: I remember
+only too well his warning not to make his position impossible by
+pressing for troops, etc., but Egypt is not England; the Westerners
+don't want the Gurkhas who are too short to fit into their trenches and,
+last but not least, our landing is not going to be the simple,
+row-as-you-please he once pictured. The situation in fact, is not in the
+least what he supposed it to be when I started; therefore, I am
+justified, I think, in making this appeal:&mdash;"I am very anxious, if
+possible, to get a Brigade of Gurkhas, so as to complete the New Zealand
+Divisional organisation with a type of man who will, I am certain, be
+most valuable on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The scrubby hillsides on the
+South-west face of the plateau are just the sort of terrain where those
+little fellows are at their brilliant best. There is already a small
+Indian commissariat attached to the Mountain Batteries, so there would
+be no trouble on the score of supply."</p>
+
+<p>"As you may imagine, I have no wish to ask for anything the giving of
+which would seriously weaken our hold on Egypt, but you will remember
+that four Mounted Brigades belonging to Birdwood's force are being left
+behind to look after the land of the Pharaohs, and a Mounted Brigade for
+a battalion seems a fair exchange. Egypt, in fact, so far as I can make
+out, seems stiff with troops,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> and each little Gurkha might be worth his
+full weight in gold at Gallipoli."</p>
+
+<p>Wrote Fitz in much the same sense:&mdash;"We are desperately keen to extract
+a Gurkha Brigade out of Egypt and you might lend a hand, not only to us,
+but to all your own Sikh and Dogra Regiments, by making K. see that the
+Indian Army was never given a dog's chance in the mudholes. They were
+benumbed: <i>it was not their show</i>. Here, in the warm sun; pitted against
+the hereditary <i>dushman</i><a name="FNanchor_9_9" id="FNanchor_9_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> who comes on shouting 'Allah!' they would
+gain much <i>izzat</i>.<a name="FNanchor_10_10" id="FNanchor_10_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a> <i>Now mind</i>, if you see any chance of an Indian
+contingent for Constantinople, do everyone a good turn by rubbing these
+ideas into K."</p>
+
+<p>Braithwaite has already picked up a number of useful hints from Roger
+Keyes. His old friendship with the Commodore should be a help. Keyes is
+a fine fellow; radiating resolve to do and vigour to carry
+through&mdash;hereditary qualities. His Mother, of whom he is an ugly
+likeness, was as high-spirited, fascinating, clever a creature as ever I
+saw. Camel riding, hawking, dancing, making good <i>band-o-bast</i> for a
+picnic, she was always at the top of the hunt; the idol of the Punjab
+Frontier Force. His Father, Sir Charles, grim old Paladin of the
+Marshes, whose loss of several fingers from a sword cut earned him my
+special boyish veneration, was really the devil of a fellow. My first
+flutter out of the sheltered nest of safe England into the outer sphere
+of battle, murder and sudden death, took place under the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> auspices of
+that warrior so famous&eacute;d in fight when I was aged twenty. Riding
+together in the early morning from the mud fort of Dera Ismail Khan
+towards the Mountain of Sheikh Budin, we suddenly barged into a mob of
+wild Waziri tribesmen who jumped out of the ditch and held us up&mdash;hand
+on bridle. The old General spoke Pushtu fluently, and there was a
+parley, begun by him, ordinarily the most silent of mankind. Where were
+they going to? To buy camels at Dera Ghazi Khan. How far had they come?
+Three days' march; but they had no money. The General simulated
+amazement&mdash;"You have come all that distance to buy camels without money?
+Those are strange tales you tell me. I fear when you pass through Dera
+Ismail you will have to raise the wind by selling your nice pistols and
+knives: oh yes, I see them quite well; they are peeping at me from under
+your poshteens." The Waziris laughed and took their hands off our reins.
+Instantly, the General shouted to me, "Come on&mdash;gallop!" And in less
+than no time we were going hell for leather along the lonely frontier
+road towards our next relay of horses. "That was a narrow squeak," said
+the General, "but <i>you may take liberties with a Waziri if only you can
+make him laugh</i>."</p>
+
+<p><i>26th March, 1915. H.M.8. "Franconia." At Sea.</i> Inspected troops on
+board. A keen, likely looking lot. All Naval Division; living monuments,
+these fellows, to Winston Churchill's contempt for convention.</p>
+
+<p>Reached Port Said about 3.30 p.m. Nipped into a "Special" which seems to
+have become<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span> my "ordinary" vehicle and left for Cairo. Opened despatches
+from London. "Bullet-proof lighters cannot be provided." "I quite agree
+that the 29th Division with its artillery is necessary." Not a word
+about the Gurkhas. Arrived at 10 p.m., and was met by Maxwell.</p>
+
+<p><i>27th March, 1915 Cairo.</i> Working hard at Headquarters all day till 6.15
+p.m., when I made my salaam to the Sultan at the Abdin Palace. A real
+Generals' dinner&mdash;what we used to call a <i>burra khana</i>&mdash;at Maxwell's
+hospitable board&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">General Birdwood,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">General Godley,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">General Bridges,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">General Douglas,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">General Braithwaite,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Myself.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p><i>28th March, 1915. Cairo.</i> Inspected East Lancashire Division and a
+Yeomanry Brigade (Westminster Dragoons and Herts). How I envied Maxwell
+these beautiful troops. They will only be eating their heads off here,
+with summer coming up and the desert getting as dry as a bone. The
+Lancashire men especially are eye-openers. How on earth have they
+managed to pick up the swank and devil-may-care airs of crack regulars?
+They <i>are</i> Regulars, only they are bigger, more effective specimens than
+Manchester mills or East Lancashire mines can spare us for the Regular
+Service in peace time. Anyway, no soldier need wish to see a finer lot.
+On them has descended the mantle of my <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span>old comrades<a name="FNanchor_11_11" id="FNanchor_11_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a> of
+Elandslaagte and Caesar's Camp, and worthily beyond doubt they will wear
+it.</p>
+
+<p><a name="Maxwell" id="Maxwell"></a></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+             <img   src="images/img058.jpg"
+             alt="Lieut.-Gen. the Rt. Hon. Sir J. G. Maxwell" /><br />
+         <b>Lieut.-Gen. the Rt. Hon. Sir J. G. Maxwell, G.C.B.,
+K.C.M.G.</b>
+    </div>
+
+
+<p>The enthusiasm of the natives was a pleasing part of the show. During
+four years of Egyptian Inspections I recall no single instance of any
+manifestation of friendliness to our troops, or even of interest in
+them, by Gyppies. But the Territorials seem, somehow, to have conquered
+their goodwill. As each stalwart company swung past there was a
+spontaneous effervescence of waving hands along the crowded street and
+murmurs of applause from Bedouins, Blacks and Fellaheen.</p>
+
+<p>Maxwell will have a fit if I ask for them! He will fall down in a fit, I
+am sure. Already he is vexed at my having cabled and written Lord K. for
+<i>his</i> (Maxwell's) Brigade of Gurkhas. To him I appear careless of his
+(Maxwell's) position and of the narrowness of his margin of safety. For
+the life of him K. can't help putting his Lieutenants into this
+particular cart. The same old story as the eight small columns in the
+Western Transvaal: co-equal and each thinking his own beat on the veldt
+the only critical spot in South Africa: and the funny thing is that
+Maxwell was then running the base at Vryberg and I was in command in the
+field! But <i>there</i> my word was law; <i>here</i> Maxwell is entirely
+independent of me, which is as much as to say, that the feet are not
+under control of the head; i.e., that the expedition must move like a
+drunken man. That is my fear: Maxwell will do what lies in him to help,
+but in action it is better to order than to ask.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Grand lunch at the Abdin Palace with the Sultan. Most of the Cabinet
+present. The Sultan spoke French well and seems clever as well as most
+gracious and friendly. He assured me that the Turkish Forts at the
+Dardanelles were absolutely impregnable. The words "absolute" and
+"impregnable" don't impress me overmuch. They are only human opinions
+used to gloss over flaws in the human knowledge or will. Nothing is
+impregnable either&mdash;that's a sure thing. No reasons were given me by His
+Highness.</p>
+
+<p>Have just written home about these things: midnight.</p>
+
+
+<p><i>29th March, 1915. 9.30 p.m. Palace Hotel, Alexandria.</i> Early start to
+the Mena Camp to see the Australians. A devil of a blinding storm gave a
+foretaste of dust to dust. That was when they were marching past, but
+afterwards I inspected the Infantry at close quarters, taking a good
+look at each man and speaking to hundreds. Many had been at my
+inspections in their own country a year ago, but most were new hands who
+had never worn uniform till they 'listed for the war. The troops then
+marched back to Camp in mass of quarter columns&mdash;or rather swept by like
+a huge yellow cloud at the heart of which sparkled thousands of
+bayonets.</p>
+
+<p>Next I reviewed the Artillery, Engineers and Cavalry; winding up with
+the overhaul of the supply and transport column. This took time, and I
+had to make the motor travel getting across twelve miles or so to
+inspect a mixed Division of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> Australians and New Zealanders at
+Heliopolis. Godley commanded. Great fun seeing him again. These fellows
+made a real good show; superb physique: numbers of old friends
+especially amongst the New Zealanders. Another scurry in the motor to
+catch the 4.15 for Alexandria. Tiring day if I had it in my mind to be
+tired, but this 30,000 crowd of Birdwood's would straighten up the back
+of a pacifist. There is a bravery in their air&mdash;a keenness upon their
+clean cut features&mdash;they are spoiling for a scrap! Where they have
+sprung from it is hard to say. Not in Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney,
+Melbourne or Perth&mdash;no, nor in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington or
+Auckland, did I meet specimens like unto these. The spirit of War has
+breathed its fires into their hearts; the drill sergeant has taken
+thought and has added one cubit to their stature.</p>
+
+<p>D'Amade has just been to make me known to a couple of Frenchmen about to
+join my Staff. They seem to be nice fellows. The French have been here
+some days and they are getting on well. Hunter-Weston landed this
+morning; his first batch of transports are in the harbour. I am to see
+the French troops in four days' time; Hunter-Weston's 29th Division on
+the fifth day. Neither Commander has yet worked out how long it will
+take before he has reloaded his transports. They declare it takes three
+times as long to repack a ship loaded at haphazard as it would have
+taken to have loaded her on a system in the first instance. Six days per
+ship is their notion of what they can do, but I trust to improve a bit
+on that.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Hunter-Weston had written me a letter from Malta (just to hand) putting
+it down in black and white that we have not a reasonable prospect of
+success. He seemed keen and sanguine when we met and made no reference
+to this letter: so it comes in now as rather a startler. But it is best
+to have the black points thrust upon one's notice beforehand&mdash;so long
+always as I keep it fixed in the back of my mind that there was never
+yet a great thought or a great deed which was not cried down as
+unreasonable before the fact by a number of reasonable people!</p>
+
+<p><i>30th March, 1915. Alexandria.</i> Have just dictated a long letter to Lord
+K. in the course of which I have forced myself to say something which
+may cause the great man annoyance. I feel it is up to me to risk that.
+One thing&mdash;he knows I am not one of those rotters who ask for more than
+they can possibly be given so that, if things go wrong, they may
+complain of their tools. I have promised K. to help him by keeping my
+demands down to bedrock necessities. I make no demand for ammunition on
+the France and Flanders scale but&mdash;we must have <i>some</i>! There must be a
+depot somewhere within hail. Here is the crucial para.&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"I realise how hard up you must be for ammunition, but I hope the M.G.O.
+will have by now put in hand the building up of some reserves at our
+base in Alexandria. If our batteries or battalions now serving in France
+run short, something, at a pinch, can always be scraped together<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span> in
+England and issued to them within 24 hours. Here it would be a question
+of almost as many days, and, if it were to turn out that we have a long
+and severe struggle, with no reserves nearer us than Woolwich&mdash;well&mdash;it
+would not be pleasant! Moreover the number of howitzers, guns and rifles
+in France is so enormous that it is morally impossible they should all
+be hotly engaged at the same time. Thus they automatically form their
+own reserves. In other words, a force possessing only ten howitzers
+ought to have at least twice the reserves of a force possessing a
+hundred howitzers. So at least it seems to me."</p>
+
+<p>In the same letter I tell him about "Birdwood's crowd" and of their
+splendid physique; their growing sense of discipline, their exceeding
+great keenness, and wind up by saying that, given a fair chance, they
+will, for certain, "render a very good account of themselves."</p>
+
+<p>Confabs with d'Amade and Hunter-Weston. Hunter-Weston's "appreciation"
+of the situation at the Dardanelles is to be treated as an <i>ad interim</i>
+paper; he wrote it, he says now, without the fuller knowledge he is
+daily acquiring&mdash;knowledge which is tending to make him more sanguine.
+His stay at Malta and his talks with Officers there had greatly
+impressed him with the hardness of the nut we have to try and crack; so
+much so that his paper suggests an indefinite putting off of the attempt
+to throw open the Straits. I asked him if he had laid his view before K.
+in London and he said, No; that he had not then come to it and that he
+had not definitely come to it now.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>D'Amade's own inclinations would have led him to Asia. When he left
+France he did not know he was to be under me and he had made up his mind
+to land at Adramiti. But now he waives all preconceived ideas and is
+keen to throw himself heart and soul into Lord K.'s ideas and mine. He
+would rather I did not even refer to his former views as he sees they
+are expressly barred by the tenor of my instructions. The French are
+working to time in getting ship-shape. The 29th Division are arriving up
+to date and about one-third of them have landed. We are fixing up our
+gear for floating and other piers and are trying to improvise ways and
+means of coping with the water problem&mdash;this ugly nightmare of a water
+problem. The question of the carriage and storage of water for thousands
+of men and horses over a roadless, mainly waterless track of country
+should have been tackled before we left England.</p>
+
+<p>To solve these conundrums we have had to recreate for ourselves a
+special field service system of food, water and ammunition supply. As an
+instance we have had to re-organise baggage sections of trains and fit
+up store ships as substitutes for additional ammunition columns and
+parks. We are getting on fairly fast with our work of telling off troops
+to transports so that each boat load of men landed will be, so to say,
+on its own; victualled, watered and munitioned. But it takes some doing.
+Greatly handicapped by absence of any Administrative, or Q. Staff. The
+General Staff are working double shifts, at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> a task for which they have
+never been trained&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">It's a way we have in the Aaarmy!</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">It's a way we have in the NAAAAvy!!</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">It's a way we have in the Eeeeeempire!!!</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2.5em;">That nobody can deny!!!!</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>What would my friends on the Japanese General Staff say&mdash;or my quondam
+friends on the German General Staff&mdash;if they knew that a
+Commander-in-Chief had been for a fortnight in touch with his troops,
+engaged with them upon a huge administrative job, and that he had not
+one administrative Staff Officer to help him, but was willynilly using
+his General Staff for the work? They would say "mad Englishmen" and this
+time they would be right. The British public services are poisoned by
+two enormous fallacies: (<i>a</i>) if a man does well in one business, he
+will do equally well or better in another; (<i>b</i>) if a man does badly in
+one business he will do equally badly or worse in another. There is
+nothing beyond a vague, floating reputation or public opinion to enable
+a new Minister to know his subordinates. The Germans have tabulated the
+experiences and deficiencies of our leaders, active and potential, in
+peace and war&mdash;we have not! Every British General of any note is
+analysed, characterised and turned inside out in the bureau records of
+the great German General Staff in Berlin. We only attempt anything of
+that sort with burglars. My own portrait is in those archives and is
+very good if not very flattering; so a German who had read it has told
+me. This is organisation: this<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> is business; but official circles in
+England are so remote in their methods from these particular notions of
+business that I must turn to a big newspaper shop to let anyone even
+begin to understand what it is to run Q. business with a G.S. team.
+Suppose Lord Northcliffe decided to embark upon a journalistic campaign
+in Canada and that his scheme turned upon time; that it was a question
+of Northcliffe catching time by the forelock or of time laying
+Northcliffe by the heels. Suppose, further, that he had no first-hand
+knowledge of Canada and had decided to place the conduct of the campaign
+in the hands of his brother who would spy out the land; choose the best
+site; buy a building; order the printing press; engage hands and start
+the paper. Well; what staff would he send with him? A couple of leader
+writers, a trio of special correspondents and half a dozen reporters?
+Probably; but would there not also be berths taken in the Cunarder for a
+manager trained in the business side of journalism? Quite a fair way of
+putting the present case, although, on the other side, it is also fair
+to add that British Officers have usually had to play so many parts in
+the charade of square pegs in round holes, that they can catch a hold
+anywhere, at any time, and carry on somehow.</p>
+
+<p><i>31st March, 1915. Alexandria.</i>&mdash;Quill driving and dictating. Have made
+several remonstrances lately at the way McMahon is permitting the
+Egyptian Press to betray our intentions, numbers, etc. It is almost
+incredible and Maxwell doesn't see his way clear to interfere. For the
+last day<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> or two they have been telling the Turks openly where we are
+bound for. So I have written McMahon the following:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 6em;" class='smcap'>"General Headquarters,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 8em;" class='smcap'>"18 Rue el Caid Gohar,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;" class='smcap'>"Alexandria, 31/3/15.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;" class='smcap'>"Dear High Commissioner,</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>"I was somewhat startled a couple of mornings ago by an article in the
+<i>Egyptian Gazette</i> giving away the arrival of the French troops, and
+making open references to the Gallipoli Peninsula. The very frankness of
+such communications may of course mislead the Turk into thinking we mean
+thereby to take his mind off some other place which is our real
+objective, but I doubt it. He knows our usual methods too well.</p>
+
+<p>"Consequently as it is very important at least to throw him into some
+state of bewilderment as to our movements, I propose sending the
+following cable to Lord Kitchener&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"'Whether of set purpose or through inadvertence articles have appeared
+in Egyptian Press openly discussing arrival of French and British troops
+and naming Gallipoli as their destination. Is there any political
+objection to my cautiously spreading rumour that our true objective is,
+say, Smyrna?'</p>
+
+<p>"Before I despatch the wire, however, I think I should like you to see
+it, in case you have any objections. I have all the facilities for
+spreading any rumour I like through my Intelligence Branch,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> which would
+be less suspected than information leaking out from political sources.</p>
+
+<p>"Could you kindly send me a wire on receipt of this?</p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 8em;">"Yours sincerely,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">(<i>Sd.</i>) "<span class='smcap'>Ian Hamilton.</span>"</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>"I only propose to ask Lord K. in case there may be political reasons
+why I should not select any particular place about which to spread a
+rumour of our landing."</p>
+
+<p>Forgot to note a step taken yesterday&mdash;to nowhere perhaps&mdash;perhaps to
+Constantinople. Yesterday the <i>Doris</i> brought me a copy of a long cable
+sent by Winston to de Robeck six days ago, together with a copy of the
+V.A.'s reply. The First Lord is clearly in favour of the Fleet going on
+knocking the Forts to pieces whilst the Army are getting on with their
+preparations; clearly also he thinks that, under rough handling from
+Q.E. &amp; Co., the Turkish resistance might at any moment collapse. Then we
+should sail through as per Lord K.'s programme. Well; nothing would suit
+me so well. If we are to have an opposed landing better kill two birds
+with one stone and land bang upon the Bosphorus. The nearer to the heart
+I can strike my first blow, the more telling it will be. Cable 140 puts
+the case very well. Winston hits the nail on the head, so it seems to
+me, when he points out that the Navy is not tied to the apron strings of
+the Army but that it is the other way about: i.e., if the Fleet makes
+another big push whilst we are getting<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span> ready, they can still fall back
+on the combined show with us if they fail; whereas, if they succeed they
+will save us all the loss of life and energy implied by an opposed
+landing at the Dardanelles. Certainly Braithwaite and I had understood
+that de Robeck would work to that end; that this is what he was driving
+at when he said he would not be idle but would keep the Turks busy
+whilst we were getting ready. Nothing will induce me to volunteer
+opinions on Naval affairs. But de Robeck's reply to Winston might be
+read as if I <i>had</i> expressed an opinion, so I am bound to clear up that
+point&mdash;definitely.<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"<i>From</i> <span class='smcap'>General Sir Ian Hamilton</span>.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"<i>To</i> <span class='smcap'>Vice-Admiral Sir John de Robeck</span>.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>"Copy of number 140 from Admiralty received AAA I had already
+communicated outline of our plan to Lord Kitchener and am pushing on
+preparations as fast as possible AAA War Office still seems to cherish
+hope that you may break through without landing troops AAA Therefore, as
+regards yourself I think wisest procedure will be to push on
+systematically though not recklessly in attack on Forts AAA It is always
+possible that opposition may crumple up AAA If you should succeed be
+sure to leave light cruisers enough to see me through my military attack
+in the event of that being after all necessary AAA If you do not succeed
+then I think we quite understand one another AAA</p>
+
+<p class='author'>
+<span class='smcap'>"Ian Hamilton."</span></p>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span></p>
+
+<p><i>1st April, 1915. Alexandria.</i> The <i>Arcadian</i> has arrived bringing my
+A.G. and Q.M.G. with the second echelon of the Staff. God be praised for
+this immense relief! The General Staff can now turn to their legitimate
+business&mdash;the enemy, instead of struggling night and day with A.G. and
+Q.M.G. affairs; allocating troops and transports; preparing for water
+supply; tackling questions of procedure and discipline. We are all sorry
+for the Q. Staff who, through no fault of their own, have been late for
+the fair, <i>their</i> special fair, the preparation, and find the show is
+practically over. On paper at least, the Australians and New Zealanders
+and the 29th Division are properly fixed up. We should begin embarking
+these formations within the next three days. After that will come the
+Naval Division from Port Said and the French Division from here.</p>
+
+<p><i>2nd April, 1915. Alexandria.</i> Hard at it all day in office. Am leaving
+to-night by special train for Port Said to hurry things along.</p>
+
+<p>A cable in from the Foreign Office telling me that the Russian part of
+my force consists of a complete Army Corps under General
+Istomine&mdash;evidently War and Foreign Offices still work in watertight
+compartments!</p>
+
+<p>Left Alexandria last night at 11 and came into Port Said at dawn. After
+breakfast mounted an Arab charger which seems to have emerged out of the
+desert to meet my wishes just as do special trains and banquets: as if I
+wore on my finger the magic ring of the Arabian fairy tale: so I do<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span> I
+suppose, in the command it has pleased K., Imperial Grand Vizier, to
+bestow upon this humble but lively speck of dust. Mounting we cantered
+through the heavy sand towards the parade ground near the docks. Here,
+like a wall, stood Winston's far-famed Naval Division drawn up in its
+battle array. General Paris received me backed by Olivant and Staff.
+After my inspection the Division marched past, and marched past very
+well indeed, much better than they did when I saw them some months ago
+in Kent, although the sand was against them, muffling the stamp of feet
+which binds a Company together and telling unevenly on different parts
+of the line. Admiral Pierce and his Flag Captain, Burmeister, honoured
+the occasion: they were on foot and so, not to elevate the stature of
+the Army above that of the Senior Service, I took the salute dismounted.</p>
+
+<p>Next had a look round camp. Found things so, so. Saw Arthur Asquith and
+Rupert Brooke of the Howe Battalion, both sick, neither bad. Asked
+Brooke to join my personal Staff, not as a fire insurance (seeing what
+happened to Ronnie Brooke at Elandslaagte and to Ava at Waggon Hill) but
+still as enabling me to keep an eye on the most distinguished of the
+Georgians. Young Brooke replied, as a <i>preux chevalier</i> would naturally
+reply,&mdash;he realised the privileges he was foregoing, but he felt bound
+to do the landing shoulder-to-shoulder with his comrades. He looked
+extraordinarily handsome, quite a knightly presence, stretched out there
+on the sand with the only world that counts at his feet.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Lunched on the <i>Franconia</i> and conversed with Lieutenant-Colonel
+Matthews and Major Mewes of the Plymouth Battalion; also with Major
+Palmer. To see with your eyes; to hear with your ears; to touch with
+your fingers enables you to bring the truth home to yourself. Five
+minutes of that personal touch tells a man more than five weeks of
+report reading. In five minutes I gained from these Officers five times
+more knowledge about Sedd-el-Bahr and Kum Kale than all their own bald
+despatches describing their own landings and cutting-out enterprises had
+given me. Paris' account had not helped me much either, the reason being
+that it was not first hand,&mdash;was only so many words that he had
+heard,&mdash;was not what he had <i>felt</i>. Now, I do really, at last and for
+the first time, realistically grasp the lie of the land and of the
+Turks. The prospect is not too rosy, but Wolfe, I daresay, saw blue as
+he gazed over the water at his problem, without map or General Staff
+plan to help him. There lay Quebec; within cannon shot; but that enemy
+was thrice his strength; entrenched in a fortress&mdash;there they lay
+confident&mdash;a landing was "impossible!" But all things are possible&mdash;to
+faith. He had faith in Pitt; faith in his own bright particular star;
+faith in the British Fleet standing resolute at his back:&mdash;he launched
+his attack; he got badly beaten at the landing; he pulled himself
+together; he met a thousand and one mishaps and delays, and when, at the
+long last, he fell, he had the plum in his pocket.</p>
+
+<p>The Turks lie close within a few yards of the water's edge on the
+Peninsula. Matthews smiled<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span> sarcastically at the War Office idea that no
+Turks can exist South of Achi Baba! At Sedd-el-Bahr, the first houses
+are empty, being open to the fire of the Fleet, but the best part of the
+other houses are defiladed by the ground and a month ago they were held.
+Glad I did not lose a minute after seeing the ground in asking Maxwell
+and Methuen to make me some trench mortars. Methuen says he can't help,
+but Maxwell's Ordnance people have already fixed up a sample or
+two&mdash;rough things, but better than nothing. We have too little shrapnel
+to be able to spare any for cutting entanglements. Trench mortars may
+help where the Fleet can't bring their guns to bear. The thought of all
+that barbed wire tucked away into the folds of the ground by the shore
+follows me about like my shadow.</p>
+
+<p>Left Port Said for Kantara and got there in half an hour. General Cox,
+an old Indian friend of the days when I was A.D.C. to Sir Fred., met me
+at the station. He commands the Indian troops in Egypt. We nipped into a
+launch on the Canal, and crossed over to inspect the Companies of the
+Nelson, Drake, Howe and Anson Battalions in their Fort, whilst Cox
+hurried off to fix up a parade of his own.</p>
+
+<p>The Indian Brigade were drawn up under Brigadier-General Mercer. After
+inspection, the troops marched past headed by the band of the 14th
+Sikhs. No one not a soldier can understand what it means to an old
+soldier who began fighting in the Afghan War under Roberts of Kandahar<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span>
+to be in touch once again with Sikhs and Gurkhas, those splendid
+knights-errant of India.</p>
+
+<p>After about eighteen years' silence, I thought my Hindustani would fail
+me, but the words seemed to drop down from Heaven on to my tongue. Am
+able now to understand the astonishment of St. Paul when he found
+himself jabbering nineteen to the dozen in lingo, Greek to him till
+then. But he at least was exempt from my worst terror which was that at
+any moment I might burst into German!</p>
+
+<p>After our little <i>durbar</i>, the men were dismissed to their lines and I
+walked back to the Fort. There I suddenly ordered the alarm to be
+sounded (I had not told anyone of my intention) so the swift yet smooth
+fall-in to danger posts was a feather in Cox's helmet.</p>
+
+<p>Back to main camp and there saw troops not manning the Fort. There were
+the:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="2" width="70%" cellspacing="0" summary="troops not manning the Fort">
+<tr><th colspan="2">Queen Victoria's Own</th></tr>
+<tr><td colspan="2">&nbsp;</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Sappers</td><td align='left'>Captain Hogg, R.E.,</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>69th Punjabis</td><td align='left'>Colonel Harding,</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>89th Punjabis</td><td align='left'>Colonel Campbell,</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>14th K.G.O. Sikhs</td><td align='left'>Colonel Palin,</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>1st Bn. 6th Gurkhas</td><td align='left'>Colonel Bruce,</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>29th Mountain Battery and<br />the Bikaner Camel Corps</td><td align='left'>Major Bruce.</td></tr>
+</table>
+
+<p>Had a second good talk to the Native Officers, shaking hands all round.
+Much struck with the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span> turn-out of the 29th Mountain Battery which is to
+come along with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps to the
+Dardanelles.</p>
+
+<p>From the platform of the Fort the lines of our defences and the way the
+Turks attacked them stood out very clearly to a pair of field glasses.
+Why, with so many mounted men some effort was not made to harry the
+enemy's retreat, Cox cannot tell me. There were no trenches and the
+desert had no limits.</p>
+
+<p><i>Now</i> (in the train on my way back to Alexandria) I must have one more
+try at K. about these Gurkhas! My official cable and letter asking for
+the Gurkha Brigade have fallen upon stony ground. No notice of any sort
+has been vouchsafed to my modest request. Has <i>any</i> action been taken
+upon them? Possibly the matter has been referred to Maxwell for opinion?
+If so, he has said nothing about it, which does not promise well. Cox
+has heard nothing from Cairo; only no end of camp rumours. Most likely
+K. is vexed with me for asking for these troops at all, and thinks I am
+already forgetting his warning not to put him in the cart by asking for
+too many things. France must not be made jealous and Egypt ditto, I
+suppose. I cannot possibly repeat my official cable and my demi-official
+letter. The whole is <i>most</i> disappointing. Here is Cox and here are his
+men, absolutely wasted and frightfully keen to come. There are the
+Dardanelles short-handed; there is the New Zealand Division short of a
+Brigade. If surplus and deficit had the same common denominator, say
+"K." or "G.S." they would wipe themselves<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span> out to the instant
+simplification of the problem. As it is, they are kept on separate
+sheets of paper;</p>
+
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="1" width="65%" cellspacing="0" summary="too many-too few troops">
+<tr><td align='center'>too many troops</td><td align='center'>too few troops</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center'>&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;</td><td align='center'>&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;&mdash;</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='center'>Maxwell</td><td align='center'>Hamilton</td></tr>
+</table>
+
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+<p>Have just finished dictating a letter to K., giving him an account of my
+inspection of the Indian troops and of how "they made my mouth water,
+especially the 6th Gurkhas." I ask him if I could not anyway have <i>them</i>
+"as a sort of escort to the Mountain Battery," and go on to say, "The
+desert is drying up, Cox tells me; such water as there is is becoming
+more and more brackish and undrinkable; and no other serious raid, in
+his opinion, will be possible this summer." I might have added that once
+we open the ball at the Dardanelles the old Turks must dance to our
+tune, and draw in their troops for the defence of Constantinople but it
+does not do to be too instructive to one's Grandmother. So there it is:
+I have done the best I can.</p>
+
+<p><i>4th April, 1915. Alexandria.</i> Busy day in office. Things beginning to
+hum. A marvellous case of "two great minds." K. has proffered his advice
+upon the tactical problem, and how it should be dealt with, and, as I
+have just cabled in answer, "No need to send you my plan as you have got
+it in one, even down to details, only I have not shells enough to cut
+through barbed wire with my field guns or howitzers." I say also, "I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span>
+should much like to have some hint as to my future supply of gun and
+rifle ammunition. The Naval Division has only 430 rounds per rifle and
+the 29th Division only 500 rounds which means running it fine."</p>
+
+<p>What might seem, to a civilian, a marvellous case of coincidence or
+telepathy were he ever to compare my completed plan with K.'s cabled
+suggestion is really one more instance of the identity of procedure born
+of a common doctrine between two soldiers who have worked a great deal
+together. Given the same facts the odds are in favour of these facts
+being seen eye to eye by each.</p>
+
+<p>Forgot to note that McMahon answered my letter of the 31st personally,
+on the telephone, saying he had no objection to my cabling K. or
+spreading any reports I liked through my Intelligence, but that he is
+not keeper of the <i>Egyptian Gazette</i> and must not quarrel with it as
+Egypt is not at war! No wonder he prefers the telephone to the telegram
+I begged him to send me if he makes these sort of answers. Egypt is in
+the war area and, if it were not, McMahon can do anything he likes. The
+<i>Gazette</i> continues to publish full details of our actions and my only
+hope is that the Turks will not be able to believe in folly so
+incredible.<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p><i>5th April, 1915. Alexandria.</i> Motored after early breakfast to French
+Headquarters at the Victoria College. Here I was met by d'Amade and an<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span>
+escort of Cuirassiers, and, getting on to my Australian horse, trotted
+off to parade.</p>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/img078a.jpg" alt="Review of French troops" title="Review of French troops" /></div>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/img078b.jpg" alt="Review of French troops" title="Review of French troops" /></div>
+
+<div class="figcenter"><img src="images/img078c.jpg" alt="Review of French troops" title="Review of French troops" /></div>
+
+<h3>REVIEW OF FRENCH TROOPS AT ALEXANDRIA</h3>
+
+<h4>General d'Amade is saying: "We swear that these colours&mdash;red, white and
+blue&mdash;shall be defended to the death. We swear looking at this
+red earth, this white city, and this blue sea, and in the presence of our
+commander, General.<br /><br /></h4>
+
+<p>Coming on to the ground, the French trumpeters blew a lively fanfare
+which was followed by a roll of drums. Never was so picturesque a
+parade, the verdict of one who can let his mind rove back through the
+military pageants of India, Russia, Japan, Germany, Austria,
+Switzerland, China, Canada, U.S.A., Australia, and New Zealand. Yes,
+Alexandria has seen some pretty shows in its time; Cleopatra had an eye
+to effect and so, too, had the great Napoleon. But I doubt whether the
+townsfolk have ever seen anything to equal the <i>coup d'oeil</i> engineered
+by d'Amade. Under an Eastern sun the colours of the French uniforms,
+gaudy in themselves, ran riot, and the troops had surely been posted by
+one who was an artist in more than soldiering. Where the yellow sand was
+broken by a number of small conical knolls with here and there a group,
+and here and there a line, of waving palms, there, on the knolls, were
+clustered the Mountain Batteries and the Batteries of Mitrailleuses. The
+Horse, Foot and Guns were drawn up, Infantry in front, Cavalry in rear,
+and the Field Artillery&mdash;the famous 75s&mdash;at right angles.</p>
+
+<p>Infantry of the Line in grey; Zouaves in blue and red; Senegalese wore
+dark blue and the Foreign Legion blue-grey. The Cavalry rode Arabs and
+barbs mostly white stallions; they wore pale blue tunics and bright
+scarlet breeches.</p>
+
+<p>I rode down the lines of Infantry first and then galloped through the
+heavy sand to the right of the Cavalry and inspected them, by d'Amade's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span>
+request, at a trot, winding up with the six Batteries of Artillery. On
+reaching the Saluting Base, I was introduced to the French Minister
+whilst d'Amade presented colours to two Regiments (175th R&eacute;giment de
+marche d'Afrique and the 4th Colonial Regiment) making a short and
+eloquent speech.</p>
+
+<p>He then took command of the parade and marched past me at the head of
+his forces. Were all the Houris of Paradise waving lily hands on the one
+side, and were these French soldiers on the other side, I would give my
+cold shoulder to the Houris.</p>
+
+<p>The Cavalry swung along at the trot to the cadence of the trumpets and
+to the clink-clank and glitter of steel. The beautiful, high-stepping
+barbs; the trembling of the earth beneath their hoofs; the banner
+streaming; the swordsmen of France sweeping past the saluting base;
+breaking into the gallop; sounding the charge; charging; <i>ventre &agrave;
+terre</i>; out into the desert where, in an instant, they were snatched
+from our sight and changed into a pillar of dust!</p>
+
+<p>High, high soared our hopes. Jerusalem&mdash;Constantinople? No limit to what
+these soldiers may achieve. The thought passed through the massed
+spectators and set enthusiasm coursing through their veins. Loudly they
+cheered; hats off; and hurrah for the Infantry! Hurrah, hurrah for the
+Cavalry!! Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah for the 75s!!!</p>
+
+<p>At the end I said a few farewell words to the French Minister and then
+galloped off with d'Amade.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span> The bystanders gave us, too, the warmest
+greetings, the bulk of them (French and Greek) calling out "d'Amade!"
+and the Britishers also shouting all sorts of things at the pitch of
+their voices.</p>
+
+<p>Almost lost my temper with Woodward, my new A.G., and this was the
+thusness thereof&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>Time presses: K. prods us from the rear: the Admiral from the front. To
+their eyes we seem to be dallying amidst the fleshpots of Egypt whereas,
+really, we are struggling like drowning mariners in a sea of chaos;
+chaos in the offices; chaos on the ships; chaos in the camps; chaos
+along the wharves; chaos half seas over rolling down the Seven Sisters
+Road. The powers of Maxwell as C.-in-C., Egypt; of the Sultan and
+McMahon, High Commissioner of Egypt, and of myself, C.-in-C., M.E.F.,
+not to speak of the powers of our police civil and military, have all to
+be defined and wheeled into line. We cannot go rushing off into space
+leaving Pandemonium behind us as our Base! I know these things from a
+very long experience. Braithwaite believes in the principle as a student
+and ex-teacher of students. And yet that call to the front!</p>
+
+<p>We've <i>got</i> to tackle the landing scheme on the spot and quick. Luckily
+the problems at Alexandria are <i>all</i> non-tactical; pure A.G. and Q.M.G.
+Staff questions; whereas, at present, the problems awaiting me at the
+Dardanelles are mainly tactical; G.S. questions. So I am going to treat
+G.H.Q. as Solomon threatened to treat the baby; i.e., leave the
+Administrative Staff here until they knock their pidgin more<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span> or less
+into shape and send off the G.S. to pluck <i>their</i> pidgin at the Straits.
+The Q. people have still to commandeer offices for Woodward's men, three
+quarters of whom stay here permanently to do the casualty work; they
+have to formulate a local code of discipline; take up buildings for base
+hospitals and arrange for their personnel and equipment; outline their
+schemes for getting sick and wounded back from the front; finish up the
+loading of the ships, etc., etc., etc., <i>ad infinitum</i>. Whilst the Q.
+Staff are thus pulling their full weight, the G. Staff will sail off
+quickly and put their heads together with the Admiral and his Staff. As
+to myself, I'm off: I cannot afford to lose more time in getting into
+touch with the sailors, and the scene of action.</p>
+
+<p>All was well until the Commander-in-Chief said he was going, but that
+moment arose the good old trouble&mdash;the trouble which muddled our start
+for the Relief of Chitral and ruined the Tirah Campaign. Everyone wants
+to rush off to the excitement of the firing line&mdash;(a spasm usually cured
+by the first hard fight), and to leave the hum-drum business of the Base
+and Line of Communication to shift for itself. Braithwaite, of all
+people, was good natured enough to plead for the Administration. He came
+to tell me that it might tend towards goodwill amongst the charmed
+circle of G.H.Q. if even now, at the eleventh hour, I would sweeten
+Woodward by bringing him along. I said, yes, if he, Braithwaite, would
+stand surety that he, Woodward, had fixed up his base hospitals and
+third echelon, but if not, no! Next came Wood<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span>ward himself. With great
+pertinacity he represented that his subordinates could do all that had
+to be done at the base. He says he speaks for the Q.M.G., as well as for
+the Director General of Medical Services, and that they all want to
+accompany me on my reconnaissance of the coasts of the Peninsula. I was
+a little sharp with him. These heads of Departments think they must be
+sitting in the C.-in-C.'s pocket lest they lose caste. But I say the
+Departments must be where their work lies, or else the C.-in-C. will
+lose caste, and luckily he can still put his own Staff where he will.
+Finally, I agreed to take with me the Assistant to the Director of
+Medical Services to advise his own Chief as to the local bearings of his
+scheme for clearing out the sick and wounded; the others stay here until
+they get their several shows into working order, and with that my A.G.
+had fain to be content.</p>
+
+<p>D'Amade and two or three Frenchmen are dining with me to-night. Sir John
+Maxwell has just arrived.</p>
+
+<p><i>6th April, 1915. Alexandria.</i> Started out at 9.15 with d'Amade and Sir
+John to review the Mounted troops of the 29th Division. We first saw
+them march down the road in column of route. What a contrast between
+these solid looking men on their magnificent weight-carrying horses and
+our wiry little Allies on their barbs and Arabs. The R.H.A. were superb.</p>
+
+<p>After seeing the troops I motored to Mex Camp and inspected the 86th and
+87th Infantry Brigades.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> There was a strong wind blowing which tried to
+spoil the show, but could not&mdash;that Infantry was too superb! Alexander,
+Hannibal, Caesar, Napoleon; not one of them had the handling of
+legionaries like these. The Fusilier Brigade were the heavier. If we
+don't win, I won't be able to put it on the men.</p>
+
+<p>Maxwell left at 4 p.m. for Cairo. I have pressed him hard about Cox's
+Indian Brigade and told him of my conversation with Cox himself and of
+how keen all ranks of the Brigade are to come. No use. He expects, so he
+says, a big attack on the Canal any moment; he has heard nothing from
+K.; the fact that K. has ignored my direct appeal to him shows he would
+not approve, etc., etc., etc. All this is just the line I myself would
+probably take&mdash;I admit it&mdash;if asked by another General to part with my
+troops. The arrangement whereby I have to sponge on Maxwell for men if I
+want them is a detestable arrangement. At the last he consented to cable
+K. direct on the point himself and then he is to let me know. Two things
+are quite certain; the Brigade are not wanted in Egypt. Old campaigners
+versed in Egyptian war lore tell me that the drying up of the wells must
+put the lid on to any move across the desert until the winter rains,
+and, apart from this, how in the name of the beard of their own false
+prophet can the Turks attack Egypt whilst we are at the gates of
+Constantinople?</p>
+
+<p>But if the Brigade are not wanted on the Canal, we are bound to be the
+better for them at the Dardanelles, whatever course matters there may<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span>
+take. Concentration is the cue! The German or Japanese General Staffs
+would tumble to these truths and act upon them presto. K. sees them too,
+but nothing can overcome his passion for playing off one Commander
+against another, whereby K. of K. keeps all reins in his hands and
+remains sole arbiter between them.</p>
+
+<p>Birdwood has just turned up. We're off to-morrow evening.</p>
+
+<p>'Phoned Maxwell last thing telling him to be sure not to forget to jog
+K.'s elbow about Cox and his Gurkhas.</p>
+
+<p><i>7th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." 10 p.m.</i> D'Amade looked in to say
+good-bye.</p>
+
+<p>On my way down to the harbour I overhauled the Assyrian Jewish Refugee
+Mule Corps at the Wardian Camp. Their Commander, author of that
+thrilling shocker, "The Man-killers of Tsavo," finds Assyrians and mules
+rather a mouthful and is going to tabloid bipeds and quadrupeds into
+"The Zion Corps." The mules look very fit; so do the Assyrians and,
+although I did not notice that their cohorts were gleaming with purple
+or gold, they may help us to those habiliments: they may, in fact, serve
+as ground bait to entice the big Jew journalists and bankers towards our
+cause; the former will lend us the colour, the latter the coin. Anyway,
+so far as I can, I mean to give the chosen people a chance.</p>
+
+<p>Got aboard at 5.15, but owing to some hitch in the arrangements for
+filling up our tanks with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span> fresh water, we are held up and won't get off
+until to-morrow morning.</p>
+
+<p>If there drops a gnat into the ointment of the General, be sure there
+are ten thousand flies stinking the ointment of the troops.</p>
+
+<p><i>8th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."</i> Sailing free to the Northwards. A
+fine day and a smooth sea. What would not Richard C&oelig;ur de Lion or
+Napoleon have given for the <i>Arcadian</i> to take them to St. Jean d'Acre
+and Jerusalem?</p>
+
+<p>As we were clearing harbour a letter was brought out to us by a launch:<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 20em;" class='smcap'>"Union Club,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 22em;" class='smcap'>"Alexandria.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>"The following telephone received from General Maxwell, Cairo:&mdash;Your
+message re Cox, I will do my best to meet your wishes. Will you in your
+turn assist me in getting the seaplanes arriving here in <i>Ganges</i>? I
+have wired to Admiral de Robeck, I want them badly, so please help me if
+you can.</p>
+
+<p class='center'>"<i>Forwarded by</i> <span class='smcap'>Admiral Robinson.</span>"</p>
+
+<p>Cutlet for cutlet! I wish it had occurred to me sooner to do a deal with
+some aeroplanes. But, then I have none. No matter: I should have
+promised him de Robeck's! South Africa repeats itself! Egypt and Mudros
+are not one but two. Maxwell and I are co-equal allies; <i>not</i> a combine
+under a Boss!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER IV</h2>
+
+<h3>CLEARING FOR ACTION</h3>
+
+
+<p><i>9th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."</i> Isles of the Aegean; one more lovely
+than the other; weather warm; wireless off; a great ship steaming fast
+towards a great adventure&mdash;why do I walk up and down the deck feeling a
+ton's weight of trouble weighing down upon my shoulders? Never till
+to-day has solicitude become painful. This is the fault of Birdwood,
+Hunter-Weston and Paris. I read their "appreciations of the situation"
+some days ago, but until to-day I have not had the unbroken hour needed
+to digest them. Birdwood begins by excusing himself in advance against
+any charge of vacillation. At our first meeting he said he was convinced
+our best plan would be to go for the South of the Gallipoli Peninsula.
+Now he has, in fact, very much shifted his ground under the influence of
+a new consideration, "(which I only learned after leaving Lemnos) that
+the Turks now have guns or howitzers on the Asiatic side which could
+actually command our transports should they anchor off Morto Bay." "As I
+told you," he says, "after thinking it out thoroughly, I was convinced
+our best plan would be to go for the South of the Gallipoli Peninsula,"
+but now he continues, he finds his Staff "all seem to be keen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> on a
+landing somewhere between Saros Bay and Enos. For this I have no use, as
+though I think we should doubtless be able to effect a landing there
+pretty easily, yet I do not see that we shall be any 'forrarder' by
+doing so. We might put ourselves in front of the Bulair Lines, but there
+would be far less object in attacking them and working South-west with
+the Navy only partially able to help us, than by working up from the
+other end with the Navy on either flank."</p>
+
+<p>Birdwood himself rather inclines towards a landing on the Asiatic side,
+for preference somewhere South of Tenedos. The attractive part of his
+idea is that if we did this the Turks must withdraw most of their mobile
+artillery from the Peninsula to meet us, which would give the Navy just
+the opportunity they require for mine-sweeping and so forcing the
+Narrows forthwith. They know they can give the superstition of old Forts
+being stronger than new ships its quietus if only they can clear a
+passage through the minefield. There are forts and forts, ships and
+ships, no doubt. But from what we have done already the sailors know
+that our ships here can knock out those forts here. But first they must
+tackle the light guns which protect the minefield from the sweepers.
+Birdwood seems to think we might dominate the Peninsula from the country
+round Chunuk. In his P.S. he suggests that anyway, if we are beaten off
+in our attempt to land on the Peninsula we may have this Asiatic scheme
+in our mind as a second string. Disembarkation plans already made would
+"probably be suitable <i>any<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span>where</i> with very slight modifications. We
+might perhaps even think of this&mdash;if we try the other first and can't
+pull it off?"</p>
+
+<p>In my answer, I say I am still for taking the shortest, most direct
+route to my objective, the Narrows.</p>
+
+<p>First, because "I have no roving commission to conquer Asia Minor." My
+instructions deny me the whole of that country when they lay down as a
+principle that "The occupation of the Asiatic side by military forces is
+to be strongly deprecated."</p>
+
+<p>Secondly, because I agree that a landing between Saros Bay and Enos
+would leave us no "forrarder." There we should be attacked in front from
+Rodosto; in flank from Adrianople; in rear from Bulair; whilst, as we
+advanced, we would lose touch with the Fleet. But if our scheme is to be
+based on severance from the Fleet we must delay another month or six
+weeks to collect pack transport.</p>
+
+<p>Thirdly, the Asiatic side <i>does not</i> dominate the Peninsula whereas the
+Kilid Bahr plateau <i>does</i> dominate the Asiatic narrows.</p>
+
+<p>Fourthly, the whole point of our being here is to work hand-in-glove
+with the Fleet. We are here to help get the Fleet through the
+Dardanelles in the first instance and to help the Russians to take
+Constantinople in the second. The War Office, the Admiralty, the
+Vice-Admiral and the French Commander-in-Chief all agree now that the
+Peninsula is the best place for our first step towards these objects.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Hunter-Weston's appreciation, written on his way out at Malta, is a
+masterly piece of work. He understands clearly that our true objective
+is to let our warships through the Narrows to attack Constantinople.
+"The immediate object," he says, "of operations in the Dardanelles is to
+enable our warships, with the necessary colliers and other unarmoured
+supply ships&mdash;without which capital ships cannot maintain themselves&mdash;to
+pass through the Straits in order to attack Constantinople."</p>
+
+<p>And again&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"It is evident that land operations at this stage must be directed
+entirely towards assisting the Fleet; and no operations should be
+commenced unless it is clear that their result will be to enable our
+warships, with their necessary colliers, etc., to have the use of the
+Straits."</p>
+
+<p>The Fleet, he holds, cannot do this without our help because of&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(1). Improvement of the defences.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(2). The mobile howitzers.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(3). The Leon floating mines.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>Things being so, he sets himself to consider how far the Army can help,
+in the light of the following premises&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"The Turkish Army having been warned by our early bombardments and by
+the landings carried out some time ago, has concentrated a large force
+in and near the Gallipoli Peninsula."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"It has converted the Peninsula into an entrenched camp, has, under
+German direction, made several lines of entrenchments covering the
+landing places, with concealed machine gun emplacements and land mines
+on the beach; and has put in concealed positions guns and howitzers
+capable of covering the landing places and approaches with their fire."</p>
+
+<p>"The Turkish Army in the Peninsula is being supplied and reinforced from
+the Asiatic side and from the Sea of Marmora and is not dependent on the
+Isthmus of Bulair. The passage of the Isthmus of Bulair by troops and
+supplies at night cannot be denied by the guns of our Fleet."</p>
+
+<p>After estimates of our forces and of the difficulties they may expect to
+encounter, Hunter-Weston comes to the conclusion that, "the only landing
+places worth serious consideration are:</p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"(1). Those near Cape Suvla,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1.5em;">(2). Those near Cape Helles."</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>Of these two he advises Helles, because:&mdash;"the Fleet can also surround
+this end of the Peninsula and bring a concentrated fire on any Turks
+holding it. We, therefore, should be able to make sure of securing the
+Achi Baba position." Also, because our force is too weak to hold the big
+country round Suvla Bay and at the same time operate against Kilid Bahr.</p>
+
+<p>If this landing at Helles is successful, he considers the probable
+further course of the operations. Broadly, he thinks that we are so
+short of ammuni<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span>tion and particularly of high explosive shell that there
+is every prospect of our getting tied up on an extended line across the
+Peninsula in front of the Kilid Bahr trenches. Should the enemy
+submarines arrive we should be "up a tree."</p>
+
+<p>The cards in the game of life are the characters of men. Staking on
+those cards I take my own opinions&mdash;always. But when we play the game of
+death, things are our counters&mdash;guns, rivers, shells, bread, roads,
+forests, ships&mdash;and in totting up the values of these my friend
+Hunter-Weston has very few equals in the Army.</p>
+
+<p>Therefore, his conclusion depresses me very much, but not so much as it
+would have done had I not seen him. For certainly during his conference
+on the 30th March with d'Amade and myself he never said or implied in
+any way that under conditions as he found them and as they were then set
+before him, there was no reasonable prospect of success:&mdash;quite the
+contrary. Here are the conclusions as written at Malta:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"Conclusion. The information available goes to show that if this
+Expedition had been carefully and secretly prepared in England, France
+and Egypt, and the Naval and Military details of organisation, equipment
+and disembarkation carefully worked out by the General Staff and the
+Naval War Staff, and if no bombardment or other warning had been given
+till the troops, landing gear, etc., were all ready and despatched, (the
+troops from England ostensibly for service in Egypt and those in Egypt
+ostensibly for service<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> in France) the capture of the Gallipoli
+Peninsula and the forcing of the Dardanelles would have been successful.</p>
+
+<p>"Von der Goltz is reported to have visited the Dardanelles on 11th
+February and before that date it appears that very little had been done.</p>
+
+<p>"Now big guns have been brought from Chatalja, Adrianople and
+elsewhere,&mdash;roads have been made,&mdash;heavy movable armaments
+provided,&mdash;troops and machine guns have been poured into the
+Peninsula,&mdash;several lines of trenches have been dug,&mdash;every landing
+place has been trenched and mined, and all that clever German Officers
+under Von der Goltz can design, and hard working diggers like the Turks
+can carry out, has been done to make the Peninsula impregnable.</p>
+
+<p>"The prizes of success in this Expedition are very great.</p>
+
+<p>"It was indeed the most hopeful method of finishing the war.</p>
+
+<p>"No loss would be too heavy and no risks too great if thereby success
+would be attained.</p>
+
+<p>"But if the views expressed in this paper be sound, there is not in
+present circumstances a reasonable chance of success. (The views are
+founded on the information available to the writer at the time of
+leaving Malta, and may be modified by further information at first hand
+on arrival at Force Head Quarters.)</p>
+
+<p>"The return of the Expedition when it has gone so far will cause
+discontent, much talk, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span> some laughter; will confirm Roumania and
+Greece in the wisdom of their neutrality, and will impair the power of
+our valuable friend M. Venezelos. It will be a heavy blow to all of us
+soldiers, and will need great strength and moral courage on the part of
+the Commander and Government.</p>
+
+<p>"But it will not do irreparable harm to our cause, whereas to attempt a
+landing and fail to secure a passage through the Dardanelles would be a
+disaster to the Empire.</p>
+
+<p>"The threat of invasion by the Allies is evidently having considerable
+effect on the Balkan States.</p>
+
+<p>"It is therefore advisable to continue our preparations;&mdash;to train our
+troops for landing, and to get our expedition properly equipped and
+organised for this difficult operation of war; so as to be ready to take
+advantage of any opportunity for successful action that may occur.</p>
+
+<p>"But I would repeat; no action should be taken unless it has been
+carefully thought out in all its possibilities and details and unless
+there is a reasonable <i>probability</i> of success.</p>
+
+<p class='author'>"<span class='smcap'>A. Hunter-Weston, M.G.</span>"</p>
+
+<p>Paris's appreciation gives no very clear lead. "The enemy is of strength
+unknown," he says, "but within striking distance there must be 250,000."
+He also lays stress on the point that the enemy are expecting
+us&mdash;"Surprise is now impossible&mdash;.... The difficulties are now increased
+a hundredfold.... To land would be difficult enough if surprise was
+possible but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span> hazardous in the extreme under present conditions." He
+discusses Gaba Tepe as a landing place; also Smyrna, and Bulair. On the
+whole, he favours Sedd-el-Bahr as it "is the only place where transports
+could come in close and where the actual landing may be unopposed. It is
+open to question whether a landing could be effected elsewhere. With the
+aid of the Fleet it may be possible to land near Cape Helles almost
+unopposed and an advance of ten miles would enormously facilitate the
+landing of the remainder South of Gaba Tepe."</p>
+
+<p>The truth is, every one of these fellows agrees in his heart with old
+Von der Goltz, the Berlin experts, and the Sultan of Egypt that the
+landing is impossible. Well, we shall see, D.V., we shall see!! One
+thing is certain: we must work up our preparations to the <i>n</i>th degree
+of perfection: the impossible can only be overborne by the
+unprecedented; i.e., by an original method or idea.</p>
+
+<p><i>10th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos.</i> Cast anchor at 7 a.m. After
+breakfast went on board the <i>Queen Elizabeth</i> where Braithwaite and I
+worked for three hours with Admiral de Robeck, Admiral Wemyss and
+Commodore Roger Keyes.</p>
+
+<p>Last time the Admiral made the running; to-day it was my turn for I had
+to unfold my scheme and go through it point by point with the sailors.
+But first I felt it my duty to read out the appreciations of
+Hunter-Weston, Birdwood and Paris. Then I gave them my own view that
+history had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span> never offered any nation so clean cut a chance of bringing
+off an immeasurably big coup as she had done by putting our Fleet and
+Army precisely where it was at present on the map of the war world. Half
+that unique chance had already been muddled away by the lack of secrecy
+and swiftness in our methods. With check mate within our grasp we had
+given two moves to the enemy. Still, perhaps; nay, probably, there was
+time. Were we to prolong hesitation, or, were we, now that we had done
+the best we could with the means under our hands, to go boldly forward?
+Here was the great issue: there was no use discussing detail until the
+principle was settled. By God's mercy the Vice-Admiral, Wemyss and Keyes
+were all quite clear and quite determined. They rejected Bulair; they
+rejected Asia; most of all they spurned the thought of further delay or
+of hanging about hoping for something to turn up.</p>
+
+<p>So I then told them my plan. The more, I said, I had pondered over the
+map and reflected upon the character, probable numbers and supposed
+positions of the enemy, the more convinced I had become that the first
+and foremost step towards a victorious landing was to upset the
+equilibrium of Liman von Sanders, the enemy Commander who has succeeded
+Djavad in the Command of the Fifth Army. I must try to move so that he
+should be unable to concentrate either his mind or his men against us.
+Here I was handicapped by having no knowledge of my opponent whereas the
+German General Staff is certain to have transferred the "life-like
+picture" Schr&ouml;der told me they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span> had of me to Constantinople. Still, sea
+power and the mobility it confers is a great help, and we ought to be
+able to rattle the enemy however imperturbable may be his nature and
+whatever he knows about us if we throw every man we can carry in our
+small craft in one simultaneous rush against selected points, whilst
+using all the balance in feints against other likely places. Prudence
+here is entirely out of place. There will be and can be no
+reconnaissance, no half measures, no tentatives. Several cautious
+proposals have been set before me but this is neither the time nor the
+place for paddling about the shore putting one foot on to the beaches
+with the idea of drawing it back again if it happens to alight upon a
+land mine. No; we've got to take a good run at the Peninsula and jump
+plump on&mdash;both feet together. At a given moment we must plunge and stake
+everything on the one hazard.</p>
+
+<p>I would like to land my whole force in one,&mdash;like a hammer stroke&mdash;with
+the fullest violence of its mass effect&mdash;as close as I can to my
+objective, the Kilid Bahr plateau. But, apart from lack of small craft,
+the thing cannot be done; the beach space is so cramped that the men and
+their stores could not be put ashore. I have to separate my forces and
+the effect of momentum, which cannot be produced by cohesion, must be
+reproduced by the simultaneous nature of the movement. From the South,
+Achi Baba mountain is our first point of attack, and the direct move
+against it will start from the beaches at Cape Helles and Sedd-el-Bahr.
+As it is believed that the Turks are there<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> in some force to oppose us,
+envelopment will be attempted by landing detachments in Morto Bay and
+opposite Krithia village. At the same time, also, the A. and N.Z. Corps
+will land between Gaba Tepe and Fisherman's Hut to try and seize the
+high backbone of the Peninsula and cut the line of retreat of the enemy
+on the Kilid Bahr plateau. In any case, the move is bound to interfere
+with the movements of Turkish reinforcements towards the toe of the
+Peninsula. While these real attacks are taking place upon the foot and
+at the waist of the Peninsula, the knife will be flourished at its neck.
+Transports containing troops which cannot be landed during the first two
+days must sail up to Bulair; make as much splash as they can with their
+small boats and try to provide matter for alarm wires to Constantinople
+and the enemy's Chief.</p>
+
+<p>So much for Europe. Asia is forbidden but I hold myself free, as a
+measure of battle tactics, to take half a step Troywards. The French are
+to land a Brigade at Kum Kale (perhaps a Regiment may do) so as, first,
+to draw the fire of any enemy big guns which can range Morto Bay;
+secondly, to prevent Turkish troops being shipped across the Narrows.</p>
+
+<p>With luck, then, within the space of an hour, the enemy Chief will be
+beset by a series of S.O.S. signals. Over an area of 100 miles, from
+five or six places; from Krithia and Morto Bay; from Gaba Tepe; from
+Bulair and from Kum Kale in Asia, as well as, if the French can manage
+it, from Besika Bay, the cables will pour in. I reckon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> Liman von
+Sanders will not dare concentrate and that he will fight with his local
+troops only for the first forty-eight hours. But what is the number of
+these local troops? Alas, there is the doubtful point. We think forty
+thousand rifles and a hundred guns, but, if my scheme comes off, not a
+tenth of them should be South of Achi Baba for the first two days. Hints
+have been thrown out that we are asking the French cat to pull the
+hottest chestnut out of the fire. Not at all. At Kum Kale, with their
+own ships at their back, and the deep Mendere River to their front,
+d'Amade's men should easily be able to hold their own for a day or
+two,&mdash;all that we ask of them.</p>
+
+<p>The backbone of my enterprise is the 29th Division. At dawn I intend to
+land the covering force of that Division at Sedd-el-Bahr, Cape Helles
+and, D.V., in Morto Bay. I tack my D.V. on to Morto Bay because the
+transports will there be under fire from Asia unless the French succeed
+in silencing the guns about Troy or in diverting their aim. Whether then
+our transports can stick it or not is uncertain, like everything else in
+war, only more so. They must if they can and if they can they must; that
+is all that can be said at present.</p>
+
+<p>As to the effort to be made to envelop the enemy's right flank along the
+coast between Helles and Krithia, I have not yet quite fixed on the
+exact spot, but I am personally bent upon having it done as even a small
+force so landed should threaten the line of retreat and tend to shake
+the confidence of any Turks resisting us at the Southernmost point.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span>
+Some think these cliffs along that North-west coast unclimbable, but I
+am sure our fellows will manage to scramble up, and I think their losses
+should be less in doing so than in making the more easy seeming lodgment
+at Sedd-el-Bahr or Helles. The more broken and precipitous the glacis,
+the more the ground leading up to the objective is dead. The guns of the
+Fleet can clear the crest of the cliffs and the strip of sand at their
+foot should then be as healthy as Brighton. If the Turks down at Helles
+are nervous, even a handful landing behind their first line (stretching
+from the old Castle Northwards to the coast) should make them begin to
+look over their shoulders.</p>
+
+<p>As to the A. and N.Z. landing, that will be of the nature of a strong
+feint, which may, and we hope will, develop into the real thing. My
+General Staff have marked out on the maps a good circular holding
+position, starting from Fisherman's Hut in the North round along the
+Upper Spurs of the high ridges and following them down to where they
+reach the sea, a little way above Gaba Tepe. If only Birdwood can seize
+this line and fix himself there for a bit, he should in due course be
+able to push on forward to Kojah Dere whence he will be able to choke
+the Turks on the Southern part of the Peninsula with a closer grip and a
+more deadly than we could ever hope to exercise from far away Bulair.</p>
+
+<p>We are bound to suffer serious loss from concealed guns, both on the sea
+and also during the first part of our landing before we can win ground
+for our guns. That is part of the hardness of the nut.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span> The landings at
+Gaba Tepe and to the South will between them take up all our small craft
+and launches. So I am unable to throw the Naval Division into action at
+the first go off. They will man the transports that sail to make a show
+at Bulair.</p>
+
+<p>This is the substance of my opening remarks at the meeting: discussion
+followed, and, at the end, the Navy signified full approval. Neither de
+Robeck, Wemyss nor Roger Keyes are men to buy pigs in pokes; they wanted
+to know all about it and to be quite sure they could play their part in
+the programme. Their agreement is all the more precious. They (the
+Admirals and the Commodore) are also, I fancy, happier in their minds
+now that they know for sure what we soldiers are after. Rumours had been
+busy in the Fleet that we were shaping our course for Bulair. Had that
+been the basis of my plan, we should have come to loggerheads, I think.
+As it is, the sailors seem eager to meet us in every possible way. So
+now we've got to get our orders out.</p>
+
+<p>On maps and charts the scheme may look neat and simple. On land and
+water, the trouble will begin and only by the closest thought and
+prevision will we find ourselves in a position to cope with it. To throw
+so many men ashore in so short a time in the teeth of so rapid a current
+on to a few cramped beaches; to take the chances of finding drinking
+water and of a smooth sea; these elemental hazards alone would suffice
+to give a man grey hairs were we practising a man&oelig;uvre exercise on
+the peaceful Essex coast. So much thought;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> so much <i>band-o-bast</i>; so
+much dove-tailing and welding together of naval and military methods,
+signals, technical words, etc., and the worst punishment should any link
+in the composite chain give way. And then&mdash;taking success for
+granted&mdash;on the top of all this&mdash;comes the Turk; "unspeakable" he used
+to be, "unknowable" now. But we shall give him a startler too. If only
+our plans come off the Turk won't have time to turn; much less to bring
+into play all the clever moves foreseen for him by some whose stomachs
+for the fight have been satisfied by their appreciation of its dangers.</p>
+
+<p>Units of the 29th Division have been coming along in their transports
+all day. The bay is alive with ships.</p>
+
+<p><i>11th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."</i> One of those exquisite days when
+the sunlight penetrates to the heart. Admiral Gu&eacute;pratte, commanding the
+French Fleet, called at 9.45 and in due course I returned his visit,
+when I was electrified to find at his cabin door no common sentry but a
+Beefeater armed with a large battleaxe, dating from about the period of
+Charlemagne. The Admiral lives quite in the old style and is a
+delightful personage; very gay and very eager for a chance to measure
+himself against the enemy. Gu&eacute;pratte, though he knows nothing
+officially, believes that his Government are holding up their sleeve a
+second French Division ear-marked Gallipoli! But why bottle up trumps;
+trumps worth a King's ransome, or a Kaiser's? He gives twice who gives
+quickly (in peace); he gives tenfold who gives quickly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> (in war). The
+devil of it is the French dare not cable home to ask questions, and as
+for myself, I have not been much encouraged&mdash;so far!</p>
+
+<p>During the afternoon Admirals de Robeck and Wemyss came on board to work
+together with the General Staff on technical details. They too have
+heard these rumours about the second French Division, and Wemyss is in
+dismay at the thought of having to squeeze more ships into Mudros
+harbour. His anxiety has given me exactly the excuse I wanted, so I have
+dropped this fly just in front of K.'s nose, telling him that "There are
+persistent rumours here amongst the French that General d'Amade's
+Command is to be joined by another French Division. Just in case there
+is truth in the report you should know that Mudros harbour is as full as
+it will hold until our dash for the Peninsula has been made." We will
+see what he says. If the Division exists, then the Naval people will
+recommend Bizerta for their base; the ships can sail right up to the
+Peninsula from there and land right away until things on Lemnos and
+Tenedos have shaken themselves down.</p>
+
+<p>Our first Taube: it passed over the harbour at a great height. One of
+our lumbering seaplanes went up after it like an owl in sunlight, but
+could rise no higher than the masts of the Fleet.</p>
+
+<p><i>12th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos.</i> The <i>Queen Elizabeth</i> has
+been having some trouble with her engines and in the battle of the 18th
+was only able to use one of her propellers. Now she has been overhauled
+and the Admiral has<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> asked me to come on board for her steam trials.
+These are to take place along the coastline of the Peninsula and I have
+got leave to bring with me a party selected from Divisions and Brigades.
+So when I went aboard this morning at 8.30 there were about thirty-five
+Officers present. Starting at once, we steamed at great pace half way up
+the Gulf of Saros and about 1 o'clock turned to go back, slowing down
+and closing in to let me take a second good look at the coast. Our
+studies were enlivened by an amusing incident. Nearing Cape Helles, the
+<i>Queen Elizabeth</i> went astern, so as to test her reverse turbines. The
+enemy, who must have been watching us like a mouse does a cat, had the
+ill-luck to select just this moment to salute us with a couple of
+shells. As they had been allowing for our speed they were ludicrously
+out of it, the shot striking the water half a mile ahead. We then lay
+off Cape Helles whilst a very careful survey of the whole of that
+section was being made. The Turks, disgusted by their own bad aim, did
+not fire again. On our way back we passed three fakes, old liners
+painted up, funnelled and armed with dummy guns to take off the <i>Tiger</i>,
+the <i>Inflexible</i> and the <i>Indomitable</i>. Riding at anchor there, they had
+quite the man-o'-war air and if they draw the teeth of enemy submarines
+(their torpedoes), as they are meant to do, the artists should be given
+decorations. At 6 p.m. dropped anchor and I transhipped myself to the
+<i>Arcadian</i>. Birdwood and Hunter-Weston had turned up during the day; the
+latter dined and is now more sanguine than myself. He has been getting
+to know his new command better and he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span> says that he did not appreciate
+the 29th Division when he wrote his appreciation!</p>
+
+<p><i>13th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."</i> Heavy squalls of rain and wind last
+night. <i>Band-o-bast</i> badly upset; boats also bottoms upwards and at
+dawn&mdash;here in harbour&mdash;we found ourselves clean cut off from the shore.
+What a ticklish affair the great landing is going to be! How much at the
+mercy of the winds and waves! Aeolus and Neptune have hardly lost power
+since Greeks and Trojans made history out yonder!</p>
+
+<p>Have sent K. an electrical pick-me-up saying that the height of the
+<i>Queen Elizabeth</i> fire control station had enabled me to see the lie of
+the land better than on my previous reconnaissance, and that, given good
+luck, we hope to get ashore without too great a loss.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon the wind moderated and I spent an hour or two watching
+practice landings by Senegalese. Our delay is loss, but yet not clear
+loss; that's a sure thing. These niggy-wigs were as awkward as
+golly-wogs in the boats. Every extra hour's practice will save some
+lives by teaching them how to make short work of the ugliest bit of
+their job.</p>
+
+<p><i>14th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian," Lemnos.</i> A day so exquisitely lovely
+that it should be chronicled in deathless verse. But we gaze at the
+glassy sea and turn to the deep blue cloudless sky, victory our only
+thought.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Colonel Dick, King's Messenger, has arrived bringing letters up to 3rd
+instant. Or rather, he was supposed to have brought them, and it was
+hoped the abundance of his intelligence would have borne some relation
+to the cost of his journey,&mdash;about &pound;80 it has been reckoned. As a matter
+of fact, apart from some rubbish, he brings <i>one</i> letter for me; none
+for any of the others. Not even a file of newspapers; not even a
+newspaper! In India many, many years ago, we used to call Dick <i>Burra
+dik ha&igrave;</i>, Hindustani for, <i>it is a great worry</i>. So he is only playing
+up to his sobriquet. The little ewe lamb is an epistle from Fitz giving
+me a lively sketch of the rumpus at the War Office when its pontiffs
+grasped for the first time the true bearing of their own orders. There
+was a rush to saddle poor us with the delay as soon as the Cabinet began
+to show impatience. They seem to have expected the 29th Division to
+arrive at top speed in a united squadron to rush straightway ashore.
+They don't yet quite realise, I daresay, that not one of their lovely
+ships has yet put in an appearance. That the men who packed the
+transports and fixed their time tables should say we are too slow is
+hardly playing the game.</p>
+
+<p>Never lose your hair: that is a good soldier's motto. My cable of last
+night, wherein I tried to calm their minds by telling them the sea was
+rough and that, even if every one had been here with gaiter buttons
+complete, I must have waited for a change in the weather, has answered
+Fitz's letter by anticipation.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Worked all day in my office like a nigger and by mid-day had got almost
+as black as my simile! We are coaling and life has grown dark and noisy.
+In the middle of it, Ashmead-Bartlett came aboard to see me. He has his
+quarters on the <i>Queen Elizabeth</i> as one of the Admiralty authorised
+Press Correspondents, or rather, as the only authorised correspondent.
+In Manchuria he was known and his writing was well liked. When he had
+gone, de Robeck and I put through a good lot of business very smoothly.
+A little later on, Captain Ivanoff, commanding H.I.M.S. <i>Askold</i>, (a
+Russian cruiser well-known to fame in Manchurian days), did me the
+honour to call.</p>
+
+<p>After lunch went ashore and saw parties of Australians at embarking and
+disembarking drill. Colonel Paterson, the very man who bear-led me on
+tour during my Australian inspection, was keeping an eye on the "Boys."
+The work of the Australians and Senegalese gave us a good object lesson
+of the relative brain capacities of the two races. Next I went and
+inspected the Armoured Car Section of the Royal Naval Division under
+Lieutenant-Commander Wedgwood. He is a mighty queer chap. Took active
+part in the South African War. Afterwards became a pacifist M.P.; here
+he is again with war paint and tomahawk. Give me a Pacifist in peace and
+a Jingo in war. Too often it is the other way about.</p>
+
+<p>All this took me on to 5.30 p.m. and when I came back on board,
+Hunter-Weston was here. He has been out since last night on H.M.S.
+<i>Dartmouth</i> to inspect the various landing places.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> His whole tone about
+the Expedition has been transformed. Now he has become the most sanguine
+of us all. He has great hopes that we shall have Achi Baba in our hands
+by sunset on the day of landing. If so he thinks we need have no fear
+for the future.</p>
+
+<p>All is worked out now and I do not quite see how we could improve upon
+our scheme with the means at our disposal. If these "means" included a
+larger number of boats and steam launches, then certainly, by
+strengthening our forces on either flank, viz., at Morto Bay (where we
+are sending only one Battalion) and at a landing under the cliffs a mile
+West of Krithia (where we are sending one Battalion), we should greatly
+better our chances. Also, a battery of field guns attached to the Morto
+Bay column, and a couple of mountain guns added to the Krithia column
+would add to our prospects of making a real big scoop. But we cannot
+spare the sea transport except by too much weakening and delaying the
+landing at the point of the Peninsula; nor dare I leave myself without
+any reserve under my own hand. I am inclined, all the same, to squeeze
+one Marine Battalion out of the Naval Division to strengthen our threat
+to Krithia. Hunter-Weston will be in executive command of everything
+South of Achi Baba; Birdwood of everything to the North.</p>
+
+<p>I went very closely with Hunter-Weston into the question of a day or
+night attack. My own leanings are in favour of the first boat-loads
+getting ashore before break of dawn, but Hunter-<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span>Weston is clear and
+strong for daylight. There is a very strong current running round the
+point; the exact lie of the beaches is unknown and he thinks the
+confusion inseparable from any landing will be so aggravated by
+attempting it in the dark that he had rather face the losses the men in
+boats must suffer from aimed fire. Executively he is responsible and he
+is backed by his naval associates.</p>
+
+<p>Birdwood, on the other hand, is of one mind with me and is going to get
+his first boat-loads ashore before it is light enough to aim. He has no
+current to trouble him, it is true, but he is not landing on any
+surveyed beach and the opposition he will meet with is even more unknown
+than in the case of Helles and Sedd-el-Bahr.</p>
+
+<p>When a sportsman goes shark fishing, he should beware lest he be
+mistaken for the bait. Gaily I cast my fly over K. and now he has
+snapped off my head. That story about a second French Division was
+false. K. merely quotes the number of my question and adds, "The rumour
+is baseless." Well, "<i>tant pis</i>," as Gu&eacute;pratte would say with a shrug of
+his shoulders. Our first step won't have the weight behind it we had
+permitted ourselves for some hours to hope. <i>Everywhere</i> the first is
+the step that counts but <i>nowhere</i> more so than in an Oriental War.</p>
+
+<p>Now that the French Division has been snuffed out, how about the Grand
+Duke Nicholas, General Istomine and their Russian Divisions? Are they
+also to prove phantoms? Certainly, in some form<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> or another, they ought
+to be brought into our scheme and, even if only at a distance, bring
+some pressure to bear upon the Turks at the time of our opening move. I
+think my best way of getting into touch will be by wireless from de
+Robeck to the Russian Admiral in the Black Sea.</p>
+
+<p>Dick dines, also Birdwood.</p>
+
+<p><i>15th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos.</i> Boarded H.M.S. <i>Dublin</i>
+(Captain Kelly) at 9.30 this morning, where Admiral de Robeck met me.
+Sailed at once and dropped anchor off Tenedos at noon.</p>
+
+<p>Landed and made a close inspection of the Aerodrome where we were taken
+round by two young friends of mine, Commander Samson and Captain Davies,
+Naval Air Service. By a queer fluke these are the very two men with whom
+I did my very first flight! On that never to be forgotten day Samson
+took up Winston and Davies took me. Like mallards we shot over the
+Medway and saw the battleships as if they were little children's
+playthings far away down below us. Now the children are going to use
+their pretty toys and will make a nice noise with them in the world.</p>
+
+<p>After lunch spent the best part of two hours in a small cottage with
+Samson and Keyes trying to digest the honey brought back by our busy
+aeroplane bees from their various flights over Gallipoli. The Admiral
+went off on some other naval quest.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Samson and Davies are fliers of the first water&mdash;and not only in the
+air. They carry the whole technique of their job at their finger tips.
+The result of K.'s washing his hands of the Air is that the Admiralty
+run that element entirely. Samson is Boss. He has brought with him two
+Maurice Farmans and three B.E.2s. The Maurice Farmans with 100 H.P.
+Renaults; the B.E.2s with 70 Renaults. These five machines are good
+although one of the B.E.2s is dead old.</p>
+
+<p>Also, he brought eight Henri Farmans with 80 Gnome engines. He took them
+because they were new and there was nothing else new; but they are no
+use for war.</p>
+
+<p>Two B.E.2C.s with 70 Renaults: these are absolutely useless as they
+won't take a passenger.</p>
+
+<p>One Broguet 200 H.P. Canton engine; won't fly.</p>
+
+<p>Two Sopwith Scouts: 80 Gnome engines; very old and can't be used owing
+to weakness of engine mounting.</p>
+
+<p>One very old but still useful Maurice Farman with 140 Canton engine.
+That is the demnition total and it pans out at five serviceable
+aeroplanes for the Army. There are also some seaplanes with us but they
+are not under Samson, and are purely for naval purposes. Amongst those
+are two good "Shorts," but the others are no use, they say, being wrong
+type and underpowered.</p>
+
+<p>The total nominal strength of Samson's Corps is eleven pilots and one
+hundred and twenty men.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> As everyone knows, no Corps or Service is ever
+up to its nominal strength; least of all an Air Corps. The dangerous
+shortage is that in two-seater aeroplanes as we want our Air Service now
+for spotting and reconnaissances. If, <i>after</i> that requirement had been
+met, we had only a bombing force at our disposal, the Gallipoli
+Peninsula, being a very limited space with only one road and two or
+three harbours on it, could probably be made untenable.</p>
+
+<p>Commander Samson's estimate of a minimum force for this "stunt," as he
+calls our great enterprise, is 30 good two-seater machines; 24 fighters;
+40 pilots and 400 men. So equipped he reckons he could take the
+Peninsula by himself and save us all a vast lot of trouble.</p>
+
+<p>But, strange as it may seem, flying is not my "stunt." I dare not even
+mention the word "aeroplane" to K., and I have cut myself off from
+correspondence with Winston. I did this thing deliberately as
+Braithwaite reminds me every time I am tempted to sit down and unbosom
+myself to one who would sympathise and lend us a hand if he could: in
+truth, I am torn in two about this; but I still feel it is wiser and
+better so; not only from the K. point of view but also from de Robeck's.
+He (de Robeck) might be quite glad I should write once to Winston on one
+subject but he would never be sure afterwards I was not writing on
+others. On the way back I spoke to the Admiral, but I don't know whether
+he will write himself or not. Ventured also a little bit out of my own
+element in another direction, and begged him not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span> to put off sending the
+submarine through the Straits until the day of our landing, but to let
+her go directly she was ready. He does not agree. He has an idea (I hope
+a premonition) that the submarine will catch Enver hurrying down to the
+scene of action if we wait till the day of the attack.</p>
+
+<p>Even more than in the Fleet I find in the Air Service the profound
+conviction that, if they could only get into direct touch with Winston
+Churchill, all would be well. Their faith in the First Lord is, in every
+sense, <i>touching</i>. But they can't get the contact and they are
+thoroughly imbued with the idea that the Sea Lords are at the best
+half-hearted; at the worst, actively antagonistic to us and to the whole
+of our enterprise. The photographs, etc., I have studied make it only
+too clear that the Turks have not let the grass grow under their feet
+since the first bombardment; the Peninsula, in fact, is better defended
+than it was. <i>Per contra</i> the momentum, precision, swiftness and staying
+power of our actual attack will be at least twice as great now as it
+would have been at the end of March.</p>
+
+<p>Returned to Lemnos about 7.30 p.m.</p>
+
+<p>While we were away my Staff got aboard the destroyer <i>Colne</i> and steamed
+in her to the mouth of the Dardanelles. There the whole precious load of
+red tabs transshipped to H.M.S. <i>Triumph</i> (Captain Fitzmaurice), who
+forthwith took up her station opposite Morto Bay and began firing salvos
+with her 6-inch guns at the trenches on the face of the hill. At first
+the Staff watched<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span> the show with much enjoyment from the bridge, but
+when howitzers from the Asiatic side began to lob shell over the ship,
+the Captain hustled them all into the conning tower. The Turks seem to
+have shot pretty straight. The first three fell fifty yards short of the
+ship; the fourth shell about twenty yards over her. The next three got
+home. One cut plumb through the bridge (where all my brains had been
+playing about two minutes previously) and burst on the deck just outside
+the conning tower. Some cordite cartridges were lying outside of it and
+these went off with a great flare. Another struck the funnel and the
+third came in on the waterline. Fifteen more shells were then fired with
+just a little bit too much elevation and passed over. Only two men were
+wounded,&mdash;fractured legs. Captain Fitzmaurice now decided that honour
+and dignity were satisfied and so fell back slowly towards Cape Helles
+to try the effect of his guns on the barbed wire entanglements. A good
+deal of ammunition was expended but only one hit on the entanglement was
+registered, and that did not seem to do any harm. The fire was described
+to me as inaccurate. The fact is, as was agreed between the two services
+at Malta, the whole principle of naval gunnery is different from the
+principles of garrison or field artillery shooting. Before they will be
+much good at landmarks, the sailors will have to take lessons in the
+art.</p>
+
+<p>Passed a very interesting evening, every one excited, I with my
+aeroplane reports; the Staff with the powder they had smelt.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Two of the Australian Commanding Officers dined and I showed them the
+aerial photographs of the enemy trenches, etc. The face of one of them
+grew very long; so long, in fact, that I feared he was afraid; for I own
+these photos are frightening. So I said, "You don't seem to like the
+look of that barbed wire, Colonel?" To which he replied, "I was worrying
+how and where I would feed and water the prisoners."</p>
+
+<p><i>16th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos.</i> Spent the forenoon in
+interviews beginning at 10 a.m. with de Robeck and Mr. Fitzmaurice, late
+dragoman at the Embassy at Constantinople. Mr. Fitzmaurice says the
+Turks will put up a great fight at the Dardanelles. They had believed in
+the British Navy, and, a month ago, they were shaking in their shoes.
+But they had not believed in the British Army or that a body so
+infinitely small would be so saucy as to attack them on their own chosen
+ground. Even now, he says, they can hardly credit their spies, or their
+eyes, and it ought to be easy enough to make them think all this is a
+blind, and that we are really going to Smyrna or Adramiti. They are fond
+of saying, "If the English are fools enough to enter our mouth we only
+have to close it." Enver especially brags he will make very short work
+with us if we set foot so near to the heart of his Empire, and gives it
+out that the whole of us will be marching through the streets of
+Constantinople, not as conquerors, but as prisoners, within a week from
+the date of our making the attempt. All the same, despite this bragging,
+the Turks realise that if we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> were to get the Fleet through the Narrows;
+or, if it were to force its own way through whilst we absorb the
+attention of their mobile guns, the game would be up. So they are
+straining every nerve to be ready for anything. The moral of all these
+rather contradictory remarks is just what I have said time and again
+since South Africa. The fact that war has become a highly scientific
+business should not blind us to the other fact that its roots still draw
+their nutriment from primitive feelings and methods; the feelings and
+methods of boy scouts and Red Indians. It is a huge handicap to us here
+that our great men keep all their tricks for their political friends and
+have none to spare for their natural enemies. There has been very little
+attempt to disguise our aims in England, and Maxwell and McMahon in
+Egypt have allowed their Press to report every arrival of French and
+British troops, and to announce openly that we are about to attack at
+Gallipoli. I have protested and reported the matter to K. but nothing in
+the strategic sphere can be done now although, in the tactical sphere,
+we have several deceptions ready for them.</p>
+
+<p>Colonel Napier, Military Attach&eacute; at Sofia, and Braithwaite came in after
+these pseudo-secrets had been discussed and joined in the conversation.
+I doubt whether either Fitzmaurice or Napier have solid information as
+to what is in front of us, and their yarns about Balkan politics are
+neither here nor there. John Bull is quite out of his depth in the
+defiles of the Balkans. With just so much pull over the bulk of my
+compatriots as has been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> given me by my having spent a little time with
+their Armies, I may say that the Balkan nations loathe and mistrust one
+another to so great a degree that it is sheer waste of time to think of
+roping them all in on our side, as Fitzmaurice and Napier seem to
+propose. We may get Greece to join us, and Russia may get Roumania to
+join her&mdash;<i>if we win here</i>&mdash;but then we make an enemy of Bulgaria, and
+<i>vice versa</i>. If they will unearth my 1909 report at the War Office they
+will see that, at that time, one Bulgarian Battalion of Infantry was
+worth two Battalions of Roumanian Infantry&mdash;which may be a help to them
+in making their choice. The Balkan problem is so intricate that it must
+be simply handled. The simple thing is to pay your money and pick the
+best card, knowing you can't have a full hand. So let us have no more
+beating about the bush and may we be inspired to make use of the big
+boom this Expedition has given to Great Britain in the Balkans to pick
+out a partner straightway.</p>
+
+<p>Birdie came later and we took stock together of ways and means. We see
+eye to eye now on every point. Just before lunch we heard the transport
+<i>Manitou</i> had been attacked by a Turkish torpedo boat from Smyrna. The
+first wireless came in saying the enemy had made a bad shot and only a
+few men had been drowned lowering the boats. Admiral Rosy Wemyss and
+Hope, the Flag-Captain, of the Q.E. were my guests and naturally they
+were greatly perturbed. Late in the evening we heard that the Turkish
+T.B. had been chased by our destroyers and had run ashore on a Greek<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span>
+Island where she was destroyed (international laws notwithstanding) by
+our landing parties.</p>
+
+<p>At 7.30 p.m. Hunter-Weston came along and I had the best part of an hour
+with him.</p>
+
+<p><i>17th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos.</i> Hunter-Weston came over
+early to finish off business left undone last night. Admiral Wemyss also
+took part in our discussions over the landing. Picture puzzles are
+child's play compared with this game of working an unheard of number of
+craft to and fro, in and out, of little bits of beaches. At mid-day the
+<i>Manitou</i> steamed into harbour and Colonel Peel, Commander of the
+troops, came on board and reported fully to me about the attack by the
+Turkish torpedo boat. The Turks seem to have behaved quite decently
+giving our men time to get into their boats and steaming some distance
+off whilst they did so. During the interval the Turks must have got wind
+of British warships, for they rushed back in a great hurry and fired
+torpedoes at so short a range that they passed under the ship. Very
+exciting, we were told, watching them dart beneath the keel through the
+crystal clear water. I can well believe it.</p>
+
+<p>Went ashore in the afternoon to watch the Australian Artillery embark.
+Spoke to a lot of the men, some of whom had met me during my tour
+through Australia last year.</p>
+
+<p>General Paris came to see me this evening.</p>
+
+<p><i>18th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos.</i> Working all morning in
+office. In the after<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span>noon inspected embarkation of some howitzers.
+D'Amade turned up later from the <i>Southland</i>. We went over the landing
+at Kum Kale. He is in full sympathy and understands. Winter, Woodward
+and their administrative Staffs also arrived in the <i>Southland</i> and have
+taken up their quarters on this ship. They report everything fixed up at
+Alexandria before they sailed. We are all together now and their coming
+will be a great relief to the General Staff.</p>
+
+<p>Quite hot to-day. Sea dead smooth. The usual ebb and flow of visitors.
+Saw the three Corps Commanders and many Staff Officers. We are rather on
+wires now that the time is drawing near; Woodward, though he has only
+been here one night, is on barbed wires. His cabin is next the
+signallers and he could not get to sleep. He wants some medical
+detachments sent up post haste from Alexandria. I have agreed to cable
+for them and now he is more calm. A big pow-wow on the "Q.E." (d'Amade,
+Birdie, Hunter-Weston, Godley, Bridges, Gu&eacute;pratte, Thursby, Wemyss,
+Phillimore, Vyvian, Dent, Loring), whereat the 23rd was fixed for our
+attack and the naval landing orders were read and fully threshed out. I
+did not attend as the meeting was rather for the purpose of going point
+by point into orders already approved in principle than of starting any
+fresh hares. Staff Officers who have only had to do with land operations
+would be surprised, I am sure, at the amount of original thinking and
+improvisation demanded by a landing operation. The Naval and Military
+Beach Personnel is in itself a very big and intricate business which<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span>
+has no place in ordinary soldier tactics. The diagrams of the ships and
+transports; the lists of tows; the action of the Destroyers; tugs;
+lighters; signal arrangements for combined operations: these are
+unfamiliar subjects and need very careful fitting in. Braithwaite came
+back and reported all serene; everyone keen and cooperating very
+loyally. D'Amade has now received the formal letter I wrote him
+yesterday after my interview and sees his way clear about Kum Kale.</p>
+
+<p>Went ashore in the afternoon and saw big landing by Australians, who
+took mules and donkeys with them and got them in and out of lighters.
+These Australians are shaping into Marines in double quick time and
+Cairo high jinks are wild oats sown and buried. Where everyone wants to
+do well and to do it in the same way, discipline goes down as slick as
+Mother's milk. Action is a discipline in itself.</p>
+
+<p>The three Officers forming the French Mission to my Headquarters made
+salaams, viz., Captain Bertier de Sauvigny, Lieutenant Pelliot and
+Lieutenant de la Borde. The first is a man of the world, with manners
+suave and distinguished; the second is a savant and knows the habits of
+obscure and out of the way people. What de la Borde's points may be, I
+do not know: he is a frank, good looking young fellow and spoke perfect
+English.</p>
+
+<p><i>20th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos.</i> A big wind rose in the
+night.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>A clerk from my central office at the Horse Guards developed small pox
+this morning. No doubt he has been in some rotten hole in Alexandria and
+this is the result,&mdash;a disgusting one to all of us as we have had to be
+vaccinated.</p>
+
+<p>Ready now, but so long as the wind blows, we have to twiddle our thumbs.</p>
+
+<p>Got the full text of d'Amades' orders for his Kum Kale landing as well
+as for the Besika Bay make-believe.</p>
+
+<p><i>21st April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos.</i> Blowing big guns. The event
+with which old mother time is in labour is so big that her pains are
+prodigious and prolonged out of all nature. So near are we now to our
+opening that the storm means a twenty four hours' delay.</p>
+
+<p>Have issued my orders to the troops. Yesterday our plans were but plans.
+To-day the irrevocable steps out on to the stage.<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 16em;">General Headquarters,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 20em;"><i>21st April, 1915.</i></span></p>
+
+<p class='center'><i>Soldiers of France and of the King.</i>
+</p>
+
+<p>Before us lies an adventure unprecedented in modern war. Together with
+our comrades of the Fleet, we are about to force a landing upon an open
+beach in face of positions which have been vaunted by our enemies as
+impregnable.</p>
+
+<p>The landing will be made good, by the help of God and the Navy; the
+positions will be stormed,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> and the War brought one step nearer to a
+glorious close.</p>
+
+<p>"Remember," said Lord Kitchener when bidding adieu to your Commander,
+"Remember, once you set foot upon the Gallipoli Peninsula, you must
+fight the thing through to a finish."</p>
+
+<p>The whole world will be watching your progress. Let us prove our selves
+worthy of the great feat of arms entrusted to us.</p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;"><span class='smcap'>Ian Hamilton,</span> <i>General</i>.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p><i>22nd April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos.</i> Wind worse than ever, but
+weather brighter. Another twenty four hours' delay. Russian Military
+Attach&eacute; from Athens (Makalinsky) came to see me at 2.30 p.m. He cannot
+give me much idea of how the minds of the Athenians are working. He says
+our Russian troops are of the very best. Delay is the worst
+nerve-cracker.</p>
+
+<p>Charley Burn, King's Messenger, came; with him a Captain Coddan, to be
+liaison between me and Istomine's Russians.</p>
+
+<p>The King sends his blessing.</p>
+
+<h4>SPECIAL ORDER.</h4>
+
+<p class='author'><span class='smcap'>General Headquarters,</span>
+<br />
+<i>22nd April, 1915.</i></p>
+
+<p>The following gracious message has been received to-day by the General
+Commanding&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"The King wishes you and your Army every<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span> success, and you are
+constantly in His Majesty's thoughts and prayers."<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p><i>23rd April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos.</i> A gorgeous day at last;
+fitting frame to the most brilliant and yet touching of pageants.</p>
+
+<p>All afternoon transports were very, very slowly coming out of harbour
+winding their way in and out through the other painted ships lying thick
+on the wonderful blue of the bay. The troops wild with enthusiasm and
+tremendously cheering especially as they passed the warships of our
+Allies.</p>
+
+<p><i>Nunc Dimittis</i>, O Lord of Hosts! Not a man but knows he is making for
+the jaws of death. They know, these men do, they are being asked to
+prove their enemies to have lied when they swore a landing on
+Gallipoli's shore could never make good. They know that lie must pass
+for truth until they have become targets to guns, machine guns and
+rifles&mdash;huddled together in boats, helpless, plain to the enemy's sight.
+And they are wild with joy; uplifted! Life spins superbly through their
+veins at the very moment they seek to sacrifice it for a cause. O death,
+where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?</p>
+
+<p>A shadow has been cast over the wonders of the day by a wireless to say
+that Rupert Brooke is very dangerously ill&mdash;from the wording we fear
+there can be no hope.</p>
+
+<p>Dent, principal Naval Transport Officer, left to-day to get ready.
+Wemyss said good-bye on going to take up command of his Squadron.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Have got d'Amade's revised orders for the landing at Kum Kale and also
+for the feint at Besika Bay. Very clear and good.</p>
+
+<p>At 7.15 p.m. we got this message from K.&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"Please communicate the following messages at a propitious moment to
+each of those concerned.</p>
+
+<p>"(1) My best wishes to you and all your force in carrying to a
+successful conclusion the operations you have before you, which will
+undoubtedly have a momentous effect on the war. The task they have to
+perform will need all the grit Britishers have never failed to show, and
+I am confident your troops will victoriously clear the way for the Fleet
+to advance on Constantinople.</p>
+
+<p>"(2) Convey to the Admiral my best wishes that all success may attend
+the Fleet. The Army knows they can rely on their energy and effective
+co-operation while dealing with the land forces of the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>"(3) Assure General d'Amade and the French troops of our entire
+confidence that their courage and skill will result in the triumph of
+their arms.</p>
+
+<p>"(End of message)&mdash;" Personal:</p>
+
+<p>"All my thoughts will be with you when operations begin."</p>
+
+<p>We, here, think of Lord K. too. May his shadow fall dark upon the
+Germans and strike the fear of death into their hearts.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Just got following from the Admiral:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p class='author'>
+"H.M.S. <i>Queen Elizabeth</i>,<br />
+"<i>23rd April, 1915.</i>
+</p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;">"My dear General,</span></p>
+
+<p>"I have sent orders to all Admirals that operations are to proceed and
+they are to take the necessary measures to have their commands in their
+assigned positions by Sunday morning, April 25th!</p>
+
+<p>"I pray that the weather may be favourable and nothing will prevent our
+proceeding with the scheme. 'May heaven's light be our guide' and God
+give us the victory.</p>
+
+<p>"Think everything is ready and in some ways the delay has been useful,
+as we have now a few more lighters and tugs available.</p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">"Yours sincerely,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 12em;">(<i>Sd.</i>) <span class='smcap'>"J. M. de Robeck."</span></span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>I have sent a reply&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p class='author'>
+"S.S. <i>Arcadian</i>,<br />
+<i>23rd April, 1915.</i>
+</p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;">"My dear Admiral,</span></p>
+
+<p>"Your note just received gives expression to my own sentiments. The
+sooner we get to work now the better and may the best cause win.</p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 16em;">"Yours sincerely,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 18em;">(<i>Sd.</i>) <span class='smcap'>"Ian Hamilton."</span></span>
+</p>
+
+<p>Rupert Brooke is dead. Straightaway he will be buried. The rest is
+silence.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Twice was "the sight" vouchsafed me:&mdash;in London when I told Eddie I
+would bespeak the boy's services; at Port Said when I bespoke them.</p>
+
+<p>Death on the eve of battle, death on a wedding day&mdash;nothing so tragic
+save that most black mishap, death in action after peace has been
+signed. Death grins at my elbow. I cannot get him out of my thoughts. He
+is fed up with the old and sick&mdash;only the flower of the flock will serve
+him now, for God has started a celestial spring cleaning, and our star
+is to be scrubbed bright with the blood of our bravest and our best.</p>
+
+<p>Youth and poetry are the links binding the children of the world to come
+to the grandsires of the world that was. War will smash, pulverise,
+sweep into the dustbins of eternity the whole fabric of the old world:
+therefore, the firstborn in intellect must die. Is <i>that</i> the reading of
+the riddle?</p>
+
+<p>Almighty God, Watchman of the Milky Way, Shepherd of the Golden Stars,
+have mercy upon us, smallest of the heavenly Shiners. Our star burns dim
+as a corpse light: the huge black chasm of space closes in: if only by
+blood ...? Thy Will be done. <i>En avant</i>&mdash;at all costs&mdash;<i>en avant</i>!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER V</h2>
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span></p>
+<h3>THE LANDING</h3>
+
+
+<p><i>24th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth." Tenedos.</i> Boarded the Queen
+Lizzie at 1.30 p.m. Anchored off Tenedos just before 4 p.m. Lay outside
+the roadstead; close by us is the British Fleet with an Armada of
+transports,&mdash;all at anchor. As we were closing up to them we spotted a
+floating mine which must have been passed touch-and-go during the night
+by all those warships and troopships. A good omen surely that not one of
+them fell foul of the death that lurks in that ugly, horned devil&mdash;not
+dead itself, but very much alive, for it answered a shot from one of our
+three pounders with the dull roar and spitting of fire and smoke bred
+for our benefit by the kindly German Kultur.</p>
+
+<p>I hope I may sleep to-night. I think so. If not, my wakefulness will
+wish the clock's hand forward.</p>
+
+<p><i>25th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth."</i> Our <i>Queen</i> chose the cold
+grey hour of 4 a.m. to make her war toilette. By 4.15 she had sunk the
+lady and put on the man of war. Gone were the gay companions; closed the
+tight compartments and stowed away under armour were all her furbelows
+and frills. In plain English, our mighty battleship was cleared for
+action, and&mdash;my mind&mdash;that also has now been cleared of its everyday
+lumber: and I am ready.</p>
+
+<p>If this is a queer start for me, so it is also for de Robeck. In sea
+warfare, the Fleet lies in the grip of its Admiral like a platoon in the
+hands of a Subaltern. The Admiral sees; speaks the executive word and
+the whole Fleet moves; not, as with us, each Commander carrying out the
+order in his own way, but each Captain steaming, firing, retiring to the
+letter of the signal. In the Navy the man at the gun, the man at the
+helm, the man sending up shells in the hoist has no discretion unless
+indeed the gear goes wrong, and he has to use his wits to put it right
+again. With us the infantry scout, a boy in his teens perhaps, may have
+to decide whether to open fire, to lie low or to fall back; whether to
+bring on a battle or avoid it. But the Fleet to-day is working like an
+army; the ships are widely scattered each one on its own, except in so
+far as wireless may serve, and that is why I say de Robeck is working
+under conditions just as unusual to him as mine are to me.</p>
+
+<p>My station is up in the conning tower with de Robeck. The conning tower
+is a circular metal chamber, like a big cooking pot. Here we are, all
+eyes, like potatoes in the cooking pot aforesaid, trying to peep through
+a slit where the lid is raised a few inches, <i>ad hoc</i>, as these blasted
+politicians like to say. My Staff are not with me in this holy of
+holies, but are stowed away in steel towers or jammed into 6-inch
+batteries.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>So we kept moving along and at 4.30 a.m. were off Sedd-el-Bahr. All
+quiet and grey. Thence we steamed for Gaba Tepe and midway, about 5
+o'clock, heard a very heavy fire from Helles behind us. The Turks are
+putting up some fight. Now we are off Gaba Tepe!</p>
+
+<p>The day was just breaking over the jagged hills; the sea was glassy
+smooth; the landing of the lads from the South was in full swing; the
+shrapnel was bursting over the water; the patter of musketry came
+creeping out to sea; we are in for it now; the machine guns muttered as
+through chattering teeth&mdash;up to our necks in it now. But would we be out
+of it? No; not one of us; not for five hundred years stuffed full of
+dullness and routine.</p>
+
+<p>By 5.35 the rattle of small arms quieted down; we heard that about 4,000
+fighting men had been landed; we could see boat-loads making for the
+land; swarms trying to straighten themselves out along the shore; other
+groups digging and hacking down the brushwood. Even with our glasses
+they did not look much bigger than ants. God, one would think, cannot
+see them at all or He would put a stop to this sort of panorama
+altogether. And yet, it would be a pity if He missed it; for these
+fellows have been worth the making. They are not charging up into this
+Sari Bair range for money or by compulsion. They fight for love&mdash;all the
+way from the Southern Cross for love of the old country and of liberty.
+Wave after wave of the little ants press up and disappear. We lose sight
+of them the moment they lie down. Bravo!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> every man on our great ship
+longs to be with them. But the main battle called. The Admiral was keen
+to take me when and where the need might most arise. So we turned South
+and steamed slowly back along the coast to Cape Helles.</p>
+
+<p>Opposite Krithia came another great moment. We have made good the
+landing&mdash;sure&mdash;it is a fact. I have to repeat the word to myself several
+times, "fact," "fact," "fact," so as to be sure I am awake and standing
+here looking at live men through a long telescope. The thing seems
+unreal; as though I were in a dream, instead of on a battleship. To see
+words working themselves out upon the ground; to watch thoughts move
+over the ground as fighting men....!</p>
+
+<p>Both Battalions, the Plymouth and the K.O.S.B.s, had climbed the high
+cliff without loss; so it was signalled; there is no firing; the Turks
+have made themselves scarce; nothing to show danger or stress; only
+parties of our men struggling up the sandy precipice by zigzags,
+carrying munitions and large glittering kerosine tins of water. Through
+the telescope we can now make out a number of our fellows in groups
+along the crest of the cliff, quite peacefully reposing&mdash;probably
+smoking. This promises great results to our arms&mdash;not the repose or the
+smoking, for I hope that won't last long&mdash;but the enemy's surprise. In
+spite of Egypt and the <i>Egyptian Gazette</i>; in spite of the spy system of
+Constantinople, we have brought off our tactical <i>coup</i> and surprised
+the enemy Chief. The bulk of the Turks are not at Gaba Tepe; here, at
+"Y," there are none at all!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>In a sense, and no mean sense either, I am as much relieved, and as
+sanguine too, at the <i>coup</i> we have brought off here as I was just now
+to see Birdie's four thousand driving the Turks before them into the
+mountains. The schemes are not on the same scale. If the Australians get
+through to Mal Tepe the whole Turkish Army on the Peninsula will be done
+in. If the "Y" Beach lot press their advantage they may cut off the
+enemy troops on the toe of the Peninsula. With any luck, the K.O.S.B.s
+and Plymouths at "Y" should get right on the line of retreat of the
+Turks who are now fighting to the South.</p>
+
+<p>The point at issue as we sailed down to "X" Beach was whether that
+little force at "Y" should not be reinforced by the Naval Division who
+were making a feint against the Bulair Lines and had, by now, probably
+finished their work. Braithwaite has been speaking to me about it. The
+idea appealed to me very strongly because I have been all along most
+keen on the "Y" Beach plan which is my own special child; and this would
+be to make the most of it and press it for all it was worth. But, until
+the main battle develops more clearly at Gaba Tepe and at Sedd-el-Bahr I
+must not commit the only troops I have in hand as my
+Commander-in-Chief's reserve.</p>
+
+<p>When we got to "X" Beach the foreshore and cliffs had been made good
+without much loss in the first instance, we were told, though there is a
+hot fight going on just south of it. But fresh troops will soon be
+landing:&mdash;so far so good. Further round, at "W" Beach, another lodgment
+had been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span> effected; very desperate and bloody, we are told by the Naval
+Beachmaster: and indeed we can see some of the dead, but the Lancashire
+Fusiliers hold the beach though we don't seem yet to have penetrated
+inland. By Sedd-el-Bahr, where we hove to about 6.45, the light was very
+baffling; land wrapped in haze, sun full in our eyes. Here we watched as
+best we could over the fight being put up by the Turks against our
+forlorn hope on the <i>River Clyde</i>. Very soon it became clear that we
+were being held. Through our glasses we could quite clearly watch the
+sea being whipped up all along the beach and about the <i>River Clyde</i> by
+a pelting storm of rifle bullets. We could see also how a number of our
+dare-devils were up to their necks in this tormented water trying to
+struggle on to land from the barges linking the River Clyde to the
+shore. There was a line of men lying flat down under cover of a little
+sandbank in the centre of the beach. They were so held under by fire
+they dared not, evidently, stir. Watching these gallant souls from the
+safety of a battleship gave me a hateful feeling: Roger Keyes said to me
+he simply could not bear it. Often a Commander may have to watch
+tragedies from a post of safety. That is all right. I have had my share
+of the hair's breadth business and now it becomes the turn of the
+youngsters. But, from the battleship, you are outside the frame of the
+picture. The thing becomes monstrous; too cold-blooded; like looking on
+at gladiators from the dress circle. The moment we became satisfied that
+none of our men had made their way further than a few feet above sea
+level, the <i>Queen</i> opened a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> heavy fire from her 6-inch batteries upon
+the Castle, the village and the high steep ground ringing round the
+beach in a semi-circle. The enemy lay very low somewhere underground. At
+times the <i>River Clyde</i> signalled that the worst fire came from the old
+Fort and Sedd-el-Bahr; at times that these bullets were pouring out from
+about the second highest rung of seats on the West of that amphitheatre
+in which we were striving to take our places. Ashore the machine guns
+and rifles never ceased&mdash;tic tac, tic tac, brrrr&mdash;tic tac, tic tac,
+brrrrrr...... Drowned every few seconds by our tremendous salvoes, this
+more nervous noise crept back insistently into our ears in the interval.
+As men fixed in the grip of nightmare, we were powerless&mdash;unable to do
+anything but wait.</p>
+
+<p><a name="Clyde" id="Clyde"></a></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+             <img   src="images/img418.jpg"
+             alt="S.S. RIVER CLYDE" /><br />
+         <b>S.S. "RIVER CLYDE."</b>
+    </div>
+
+
+<p>When we saw our covering party fairly hung up under the fire from the
+Castle and its outworks, it became a question of issuing fresh orders to
+the main body who had not yet been committed to that attack. There was
+no use throwing them ashore to increase the number of targets on the
+beach. Roger Keyes started the notion that these troops might well be
+diverted to "Y" where they could land unopposed and whence they might be
+able to help their advance guard at "V" more effectively than by direct
+reinforcement if they threatened to cut the Turkish line of retreat from
+Sedd-el-Bahr. Braithwaite was rather dubious from the orthodox General
+Staff point of view as to whether it was sound for G.H.Q. to barge into
+Hunter-Weston's plans, seeing he was executive <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span>Commander of the whole
+of this southern invasion. But to me the idea seemed simple common
+sense. If it did not suit Hunter-Weston's book, he had only to say so.
+Certainly Hunter-Weston was in closer touch with all these landings than
+we were; it was not for me to force his hands: there was no question of
+that: so at 9.15 I wirelessed as follows:</p>
+
+<p>"G.O.C. in C. to G.O.C. <i>Euryalus</i>."</p>
+
+<p>"Would you like to get some more men ashore on 'Y' beach? If so,
+trawlers are available."</p>
+
+<p>Three quarters of an hour passed; the state of affairs at Sedd-el-Bahr
+was no better, and in an attack if you don't get better you get worse;
+the supports were not being landed; no answer had come to hand. So
+repeated my signal to Hunter-Weston, making it this time personal from
+me to him and ordering him to acknowledge receipt. (Lord Bobs'
+wrinkle)&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"General Hamilton to General Hunter-Weston, <i>Euryalus</i>.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you want any more men landed at 'Y'? There are trawlers available.
+Acknowledge the signal."</p>
+
+<p>At 11 a.m. I got this answer&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"From General Hunter-Weston to G.O.C. <i>Queen Elizabeth</i>.</p>
+
+<p>"Admiral Wemyss and Principal Naval Transport Officer state that to
+interfere with present arrange<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span>ments and try to land men at 'Y' Beach
+would delay disembarkation."</p>
+
+<p>There was some fuss about the <i>Cornwallis</i>. She ought to have been back
+from Morto Bay and lending a hand here, but she had not turned up. All
+sorts of surmises. Now we hear she has landed our right flank attack
+very dashingly and that we have stormed de Tott's Battery! I fear the
+South Wales Borderers are hardly strong enough alone to move across and
+threaten Sedd-el-Bahr from the North. But the news is fine. How I wish
+we had left "V" Beach severely alone. Big flanking attacks at "Y" and
+"S" might have converged on Sedd-el-Bahr and carried it from the rear
+when none of the garrison could have escaped. But then, until we tried,
+we were afraid fire from Asia might defeat the de Tott's Battery attack
+and that the "Y" party might not scale the cliffs. The Turks are
+stronger down here than at Gaba Tepe. Still, I should doubt if they are
+in any great force; quite clearly the bulk of them have been led astray
+by our feints, and false rumours. Otherwise, had they even a regiment in
+close reserve, they must have eaten up the S.W.B. as they stormed the
+Battery.</p>
+
+<p>About noon, a Naval Officer (Lieutenant Smith), a fine fellow, came off
+to get some more small arm ammunition for the machine guns on the <i>River
+Clyde</i>. He said the state of things on and around that ship was "awful,"
+a word which carried twentyfold weight owing to the fact that it was
+spoken by a youth never very emotional, I am sure, and now on his mettle
+to make his report<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> with indifference and calm. The whole landing place
+at "V" Beach is ringed round with fire. The shots from our naval guns,
+smashing as their impact appears, might as well be confetti for all the
+effect they have upon the Turkish trenches. The <i>River Clyde</i> is
+commanded and swept not only by rifles at 100 yards' range, but by
+pom-poms and field guns. Her own double battery of machine guns mounted
+in a sandbag revetment in her bows are to some extent forcing the enemy
+to keep their heads down and preventing them from actually rushing the
+little party of our men who are crouching behind the sand bank. But
+these same men of ours cannot raise head or hand one inch beyond that
+lucky ledge of sand by the water's brink. And the bay at Sedd-el-Bahr,
+so the last messengers have told us, had turned red. The <i>River Clyde</i>
+so far saves the situation. She was only ready two days before we
+plunged.</p>
+
+<p>At 1.30 heard that d'Amade had taken Kum Kale. De Robeck had already
+heard independently by wireless that the French (the 6th Colonials under
+Nogu&eacute;s) had carried the village by a bayonet charge at 9.35 a.m. On the
+Asiatic side, then, things are going as we had hoped. The Russian
+<i>Askold</i> and the <i>Jeanne d'Arc</i> are supporting our Allies in their
+attack. Being so hung up at "V," I have told d'Amade that he will not be
+able to disembark there as arranged, but that he will have to take his
+troops round to "W" and march them across.</p>
+
+<p>At two o'clock a large number of our wounded who had taken refuge under
+the base of the arches<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span> of the old Fort at Sedd-el-Bahr began to signal
+for help. The <i>Queen Elizabeth</i> sent away a picket boat which passed
+through the bullet storm and most gallantly brought off the best part of
+them.</p>
+
+<p>Soon after 2 o'clock we were cheered by sighting our own brave fellows
+making a push from the direction of "W." We reckon they must be
+Worcesters and Essex men moving up to support the Royal Fusiliers and
+the Lancashire Fusiliers, who have been struggling unaided against the
+bulk of the Turkish troops. The new lot came along by rushes from the
+Westwards, across from "X" to "W" towards Sedd-el-Bahr, and we prayed
+God very fervently they might be able to press on so as to strike the
+right rear of the enemy troops encircling "V" Beach. At 3.10 the leading
+heroes&mdash;we were amazed at their daring&mdash;actually stood up in order the
+better to cut through a broad belt of wire entanglement. One by one the
+men passed through and fought their way to within a few yards of a
+redoubt dominating the hill between Beaches "W" and "V." This belt of
+wire ran perpendicularly, not parallel, to the coastline and had
+evidently been fixed up precisely to prevent what we were now about to
+attempt. To watch V.C.s being won by wire cutting; to see the very
+figure and attitude of the hero; to be safe oneself except from the off
+chance of a shell,&mdash;was like being stretched upon the rack! All day we
+hung <i>vis-&agrave;-vis</i> this inferno. With so great loss and with so desperate
+a situation the white flag would have gone up in the South African War
+but there was no idea of it to-day and I don't feel afraid of it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span> even
+now, in the dark of a moonless night, where evil thoughts are given most
+power over the mind.</p>
+
+<p>Nor does Hunter-Weston. We had a hurried dinner, de Robeck, Keyes,
+Braithwaite, Godfrey, Hope and I, in the signal office under the bridge.
+As we were finishing Hunter-Weston came on board. After he had told us
+his story, breathlessly and listened to with breathless interest, I
+asked him what about our troops at "Y"? He thought they were now in
+touch with our troops at "X" but that they had been through some hard
+fighting to get there. His last message had been that they were being
+hard pressed but as he had heard nothing more since then he assumed they
+were all right&mdash;! Anyway, he was cheery, stout-hearted, quite a good
+tonic and&mdash;on the whole&mdash;his news is good.</p>
+
+<p>To sum up the doings of the day; the French have dealt a brilliant
+stroke at Kum Kale; we have fixed a grip on the hills to the North of
+Gaba Tepe; also, we have broken through the enemy's defences at "X" and
+"W," two out of the three beaches at the South point of the Peninsula.
+The "hold-up" at the third, "V" (or Sedd-el-Bahr) causes me the keenest
+anxiety&mdash;it would never do if we were forced to re-embark at night as
+has been suggested&mdash;we must stick it until our advance from "X" and "W"
+opens that sally port from the sea. There is always in the background of
+my mind dread lest help should reach the enemy <i>before</i> we have done
+with Sedd-el-Bahr. The enveloping attacks on both enemy flanks have come
+off brilliantly, but have not cut<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span> the enemy's line of retreat, or so
+threatened it that they have to make haste to get back. At "S" (Eski
+Hissarlick or Morto Bay) the 2nd South Wales Borderers have landed in
+very dashing style though under fire from big fortress artillery as well
+as field guns and musketry. On shore they deployed and, helped by
+sailors from the <i>Cornwallis</i>, have carried the Turkish trenches in
+front of them at the bayonet's point. They are now dug in on a
+commanding spur but are anxious at finding themselves all alone and say
+they do not feel able, owing to their weakness, to man&oelig;uvre or to
+advance. From "Y," opposite Krithia, there is no further news. But two
+good battalions at large and on the war path some four or five miles in
+rear of the enemy should do something during the next few hours. I was
+right, so it seems, about getting ashore before the enemy could see to
+shoot out to sea. At Gaba Tepe; opposite Krithia and by Morto Bay we
+landed without too much loss. Where we waited to bombard, as at Helles
+and Sedd-el-Bahr, we have got it in the neck.</p>
+
+<p>This "V" Beach business is the blot. Sedd-el-Bahr was supposed to be the
+softest landing of the lot, as it was the best harbour and seemed to lie
+specially at the mercy of the big guns of the Fleet. Would that we had
+left it severely alone and had landed a big force at Morto Bay whence we
+could have forced the Sedd-el-Bahr Turks to fall back.</p>
+
+<p>One thing is sure. Whatever happens to us here we are bound to win
+glory. There are no<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> other soldiers quite of the calibre of our chaps in
+the world; they have <i>esprit de corps</i>; they are <i>volunteers</i> every one
+of them; they are <i>for it</i>; our Officers&mdash;our rank and file&mdash;have been
+so <i>entered</i> to this attack that they will all die&mdash;that we will all
+die&mdash;sooner than give way before the Turk. The men are not fighting
+blindly as in South Africa: they are not fighting against forces with
+whose motives they half sympathise. They have been told, and told again,
+exactly what we are after. They understand. Their eyes are wide open:
+they <i>know</i> that the war can only be brought to an end by our joining
+hands quickly with the Russians: they <i>know</i> that the fate of the Empire
+depends on the courage they display. Should the Fates so decree, the
+whole brave Army may disappear during the night more dreadfully than
+that of Sennacherib; but assuredly they will not surrender: where so
+much is dark, where many are discouraged, in this knowledge I feel both
+light and joy.</p>
+
+<p>Here I write&mdash;think&mdash;have my being. To-morrow night where shall we be?
+Well; what then; what of the worst? At least we shall have lived, acted,
+dared. We are half way through&mdash;we shall not look back.</p>
+
+<p>As night began to settle down over the land, the <i>Queen Elizabeth</i>
+seemed to feel the time had come to give full vent to her wrath. An
+order from the bridge, and, in the twinkling of an eye, she shook from
+stem to stern with the recoil from her own efforts. The great ship was
+fighting all out, all in action. Every gun spouted flame and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span> a roar
+went up fit to shiver the stars of Heaven. Ears stopped with wax; eyes
+half blinded by the scorching yellow blasts; still, in some chance
+seconds interval, we could hear the hive-like b rr rr rr rr rr r r r r
+of the small arms plying on the shore; still see, through some break in
+the acrid smoke, the profile of the castle and houses; nay, of the very
+earth itself and the rocky cliff; see them all, change, break, dissolve
+into dust; crumble as if by enchantment into strange new outlines, under
+the enormous explosions of our 15-in. lyddite shells. Buildings gutted:
+walls and trenches turned inside out and upside down: friend and foe
+surely must be wiped out together under such a fire: at least they are
+stupefied&mdash;must cease taking a hand with their puny rifles and machine
+guns? Not so. Amidst falling ruins; under smoke clouds of yellow, black,
+green and white; the beach, the cliffs and the ramparts of the Castle
+began, in the oncoming dusk, to sparkle all over with hundreds of tiny
+flecks of rifle fire.</p>
+
+<p>Just before the shadows of night hid everything from sight, we could see
+that many of our men, who had been crouching all day under the sandy
+bank in the centre of the arena, were taking advantage of the pillars of
+smoke raised between them and their enemy to edge away to their right
+and scale the rampart leading to the Fort of Sedd-el-Bahr. Other small
+clusters lay still&mdash;they have made their last attack.</p>
+
+<p>Now try to sleep. What of those men fighting for their lives in the
+darkness. I put them there.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> Might they not, all of them, be sailing
+back to safe England, but for me? And I sleep! To sleep whilst thousands
+are killing one another close by! Well, why not; I <i>must</i> sleep whilst I
+may. The legend whereby a Commander-in-Chief works wonders during a
+battle dies hard. He may still lose the battle in a moment by losing
+heart. He may still help to win the battle by putting a brave face upon
+the game when it seems to be up. By his character, he may still stop the
+rot and inspire his men to advance once more to the assault. The old
+Bible idea of the Commander:&mdash;when his hands grew heavy Amalek advanced;
+when he raised them and willed victory Israel prevailed over the
+heathen! As regards directions, modifications, orders,
+counter-orders,&mdash;in precise proportion as his preparations and operation
+orders have been thoroughly conceived and carried out, so will the
+actual conflict find him leaving the actual handling of the troops to
+Hunter-Weston as I am bound to do. Old Oyama cooled his brain during the
+battle of the Shaho by shooting pigeons sitting on Chinese chimneys.
+King Richard before Bosworth saw ghosts. My own dark hours pass more
+easily as I make my cryptic jottings in pedlar's French. The detachment
+of the writer comes over me; calms down the tumult of the mind and paves
+a path towards the refuge of sleep. No order is to be issued until I get
+reports and requests. I can't think now of anything left undone that I
+ought to have done; I have no more troops to lay my hands
+on&mdash;Hunter-Weston has more than he can land to-night; I won't mend
+matters much by prowling up and down the gangways. Braith<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span>waite calls me
+if he must. No word yet about the losses except that they have been
+heavy. If the Turks get hold of a lot of fresh men and throw them upon
+us during the night,&mdash;perhaps they may knock us off into the sea. No
+General knows his luck. That's the beauty of the business. But I feel
+sanguine in the spirit of the men; sanguine in my own spirit; sanguine
+in the soundness of my scheme. What with the landing at Gaba Tepe and at
+Kum Kale, and the feints at Bulair and Besika Bay, the Turkish troops
+here will get no help to-night. And our fellows are steadily pouring
+ashore.</p>
+
+<p><i>26th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth."</i> At 12.5 a.m. I was dragged
+out of a dead sleep by Braithwaite who kept shaking me by the shoulder
+and saying, "Sir Ian! Sir Ian!!" I had been having a good time for an
+hour far away somewhere, far from bloody turmoil, and before I quite
+knew where I was, my Chief of Staff repeated what he had, I think, said
+several times already, "Sir Ian, you've got to come right along&mdash;a
+question of life and death&mdash;you must settle it!" Braithwaite is a cool
+hand, but his tone made me wide awake in a second. I sprang from bed;
+flung on my "British Warm" and crossed to the Admiral's cabin&mdash;not his
+own cabin but the dining saloon&mdash;where I found de Robeck himself,
+Rear-Admiral Thursby (in charge of the landing of the Australian and New
+Zealand Army Corps), Roger Keyes, Braithwaite, Brigadier-General
+Carruthers (Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster-General of the Australian
+and New Zealand Army Corps) and Brigadier-<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span>General Cunliffe Owen
+(Commanding Royal Artillery of the Australian and New Zealand Army
+Corps). A cold hand clutched my heart as I scanned their faces.
+Carruthers gave me a message from Birdwood written in Godley's writing.
+I read it aloud:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"Both my Divisional Generals and Brigadiers have represented to me that
+they fear their men are thoroughly demoralised by shrapnel fire to which
+they have been subjected all day after exhaustion and gallant work in
+morning. Numbers have dribbled back from firing line and cannot be
+collected in this difficult country. Even New Zealand Brigade which has
+been only recently engaged lost heavily and is to some extent
+demoralised. If troops are subjected to shell fire again to-morrow
+morning there is likely to be a fiasco as I have no fresh troops with
+which to replace those in firing line. I know my representation is most
+serious but if we are to re-embark it must be at once.</p>
+
+<p class='author'>(<i>Sd.</i>) "BIRDWOOD."</p>
+
+<p>The faces round that table took on a look&mdash;when I close my eyes there
+they sit,&mdash;a look like nothing on earth unless it be the guests when
+their host flings salt upon the burning raisins. To gain time I asked
+one or two questions about the tactical position on shore, but
+Carruthers and Cunliffe Owen seemed unable to add any detail to
+Birdwood's general statement.</p>
+
+<p>I turned to Thursby and said, "Admiral, what do you think?" He said, "It
+will take the best<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> part of three days to get that crowd off the
+beaches." "And where are the Turks?" I asked. "On the top of 'em!"
+"Well, then," I persisted, "tell me, Admiral, what do <i>you</i> think?"
+"What do I think: well, I think myself they will stick it out if only it
+is put to them that they must." Without another word, all keeping
+silence, I wrote Birdwood as follows:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"Your news is indeed serious. But there is nothing for it but to dig
+yourselves right in and stick it out. It would take at least two days to
+re-embark you as Admiral Thursby will explain to you. Meanwhile, the
+Australian submarine has got up through the Narrows and has torpedoed a
+gunboat at Chunuk. Hunter-Weston despite his heavy losses will be
+advancing to-morrow which should divert pressure from you. Make a
+personal appeal to your men and Godley's to make a supreme effort to
+hold their ground.</p>
+
+<p class='author'>(<i>Sd.</i>) <span class='smcap'>"Ian Hamilton."</span></p>
+
+<p>"P.S. You have got through the difficult business, now you have only to
+dig, dig, dig, until you are safe. Ian H."</p>
+
+<p>The men from Gaba Tepe made off with this letter; not the men who came
+down here at all, but new men carrying a clear order. Be the upshot what
+it may, I shall never repent that order. Better to die like heroes on
+the enemy's ground than be butchered like sheep on the beaches like the
+runaway Persians at Marathon.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>De Robeck and Keyes were aghast; they pat me on the back; I hope they
+will go on doing so if things go horribly wrong. Midnight decisions take
+it out of one. Turned in and slept for three solid hours like a top till
+I was set spinning once more at 4 a.m.</p>
+
+<p>At dawn we were off Gaba Tepe. Thank God the idea of retreat had already
+made itself scarce. The old <i>Queen</i> let fly her first shot at 5.30 a.m.
+Her shrapnel is a knockout. The explosion of the monstrous shell darkens
+the rising sun; the bullets cover an acre; the enemy seems stunned for a
+while after each discharge. One after the other she took on the Turkish
+guns along Sari Bair and swept the skyline with them.</p>
+
+<p>A message of relief and thankfulness came out to us from the shore.
+Seeing how much they loved us&mdash;or rather our Long Toms&mdash;we hung around
+until about half-past eight smothering the enemy's guns whenever they
+dared show their snouts. By that hour our troops had regained their grip
+of themselves and also of the enemy, and the firing of the Turks was
+growing feeble. An organised counter-attack on the grand scale at dawn
+was the one thing I dreaded, and that has not come off; only a bit of a
+push over the downland by Gaba Tepe which was steadied by one of our
+enormous shrapnel. About this time we heard from Hunter-Weston that
+there was no material change in the situation at Helles and
+Sedd-el-Bahr. I wirelessed, therefore, to d'Amade telling him he would
+not be able to land his men at "V" under Sedd-el-Bahr as arranged but
+that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> he should bring all the rest of the French troops up from Tenedos
+and disembark them at "W" by Cape Helles. About this time, also, i.e.,
+somewhere about 9 a.m., we picked up a wireless from the O.C. "Y" Beach
+which caused us some uneasiness. "We are holding the ridge," it said,
+"till the wounded are embarked." Why "till"? So I told the Admiral that
+as Birdwood seemed fairly comfortable, I thought we ought to lose no
+time getting back to Sedd-el-Bahr, taking "Y" Beach on our way. At once
+we steamed South and hove to off "Y" Beach at 9.30 a.m. There the
+<i>Sapphire</i>, <i>Dublin</i> and <i>Goliath</i> were lying close inshore and we could
+see a trickle of our men coming down the steep cliff and parties being
+ferried off to the <i>Goliath</i>: the wounded no doubt, but we did not see a
+single soul going <i>up</i> the cliff whereas there were many loose groups
+hanging about on the beach. I disliked and mistrusted the looks of these
+aimless dawdlers by the sea. There was no fighting; a rifle shot now and
+then from the crests where we saw our fellows clearly. The little crowd
+and the boats on the beach were right under them and no one paid any
+attention or seemed to be in a hurry. Our naval and military signallers
+were at sixes and sevens. The <i>Goliath</i> wouldn't answer; the <i>Dublin</i>
+said the force was coming off, and we could not get into touch with the
+soldiers at all. At about a quarter to ten the <i>Sapphire</i> asked us to
+fire over the cliffs into the country some hundreds of yards further in,
+and so the <i>Queen E.</i> gave Krithia and the South of it a taste of her
+metal. Not much use as the high crests hid the intervening hinterland
+from view, even from the crow's nests.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> A couple of shrapnel were also
+fired at the crestline of the cliff about half a mile further North
+where there appeared to be some snipers. But the trickling down the
+cliffs continued. No one liked the look of things ashore. Our chaps can
+hardly be making off in this deliberate way without orders; and yet, if
+they <i>are</i> making off "by order," Hunter-Weston ought to have consulted
+me first as Birdwood consulted me in the case of the Australians and New
+Zealanders last night. My inclination was to take a hand myself in this
+affair but the Staff are clear against interference when I have no
+knowledge of the facts&mdash;and I suppose they are right. To see a part of
+my scheme, from which I had hoped so much, go wrong before my eyes is
+maddening! I imagined it: I pressed it through: a second Battalion was
+added to it and then the South Wales Borderers' Company. Many sailors
+and soldiers, good men, had doubts as to whether the boats could get in,
+or whether, having done so, men armed and accoutred would be able to
+scale the yellow cliffs; or whether, having by some miracle climbed,
+they would not be knocked off into the sea with bayonets as they got to
+the top. I admitted every one of these possibilities but said, every
+time, that taken together, they destroyed one another. If the venture
+seemed so desperate even to ourselves, who are desperadoes, then the
+enemy Chief would be of the same opinion only more so; so that,
+supposing we <i>did</i> get up, at least we would not find resistance
+organised against us. Whether this was agreed to, or not, I cannot say.
+The logic of a C.-in-C. has a convincing way of its own. But<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span> in all our
+discussions one thing was taken for granted&mdash;no one doubted that once
+our troops had got ashore, scaled the heights and dug themselves in,
+they would be able to hold on: no one doubted that, with the British
+Fleet at their backs, they would at least maintain their bridge-head
+into the enemy's vitals until we could decide what to do with it.</p>
+
+<p>At a quarter past ten we steamed, with anxious minds, for Cape Helles,
+and on the way there, Braithwaite and I finished off our first cable to
+K.&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"Thanks to God who calmed the seas and to the Royal Navy who rowed our
+fellows ashore as coolly as if at a regatta; thanks also to the
+dauntless spirit shown by all ranks of both Services, we have landed
+29,000 upon six beaches in the face of desperate resistance from strong
+Turkish Infantry forces well backed by Artillery. Enemy are entrenched,
+line upon line, behind wire entanglements spread to catch us wherever we
+might try to concentrate for an advance. Worst danger zone, the open
+sea, now traversed, but on land not yet out of the wood. Our main
+covering detachment held up on water's edge, at foot of amphitheatre of
+low cliffs round the little bay West of Sedd-el-Bahr. At sunset last
+night a dashing attack was made by the 29th Division South-west along
+the heights from Tekke Burnu to set free the Dublins, Munsters and
+Hants, but at the hour of writing they are still pinned down to the
+beach.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"The Australians have done wonderfully at Gaba Tepe. They got 8,000
+ashore to one beach between 3.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m.: due to their
+courage; organisation; sea discipline and steady course of boat
+practice. Navy report not one word spoken or movement made by any of
+these thousands of untried troops either during the transit over the
+water in the darkness or nearing the land when the bullets took their
+toll. But, as the keel of the boats touched bottom, each boat-load
+dashed into the water and then into the enemy's fire. At first it seemed
+that nothing could stop them, but by degrees wire, scrub and cliffs;
+thirst, sheer exhaustion broke the back of their impetus. Then the
+enemy's howitzers and field guns had it all their own way, forcing
+attack to yield a lot of ground. Things looked anxious for a bit, but by
+this morning's dawn all are dug in, cool, confident.</p>
+
+<p>"But for the number and good shooting of Turkish field guns and
+howitzers, Birdwood would surely have carried the whole main ridge of
+Sari Bair. As it is, his troops are holding a long curve upon the crests
+of the lower ridges, identical, to a hundred yards, with the line
+planned by my General Staff in their instructions and pencilled by them
+upon the map.</p>
+
+<p>"The French have stormed Kum Kale and are attacking Yeni Shahr. Although
+you excluded Asia from my operations, have been forced by tactical needs
+to ask d'Amade to do this and so relieve us from Artillery fire from the
+Asiatic shore.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"Deeply regret to report the death of Brigadier-General Napier and to
+say that our losses, though not yet estimated, are sure to be very
+heavy.</p>
+
+<p>"If only this night passes without misadventures, I propose to attack
+Achi Baba to-morrow with whatever Hunter-Weston can scrape together of
+the 29th Division. Such an attack should force the enemy to relax their
+grip on Sedd-el-Bahr. I can look now to the Australians to keep any
+enemy reinforcements from crossing the waist of the Peninsula."<a name="FNanchor_12_12" id="FNanchor_12_12"></a><a href="#Footnote_12_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a></p>
+
+<p>Relief about Gaba Tepe is almost swallowed up by the "Y" Beach
+fiasco&mdash;as we must, I suppose, take it to be. No word yet from
+Hunter-Weston.</p>
+
+<p>At Helles things are much the same as last night; only, the South Wales
+Borderers are now well dug in on a spur above Morto Bay and are
+confident.</p>
+
+<p>At 1.45 d'Amade came aboard in a torpedo boat to see me. He has been
+ashore at Kum Kale and reports violent fighting and, for the time being,
+victory. A very dashing landing, the village stormed; house to house
+struggles; failure to carry the cemetery; last evening defensive
+measures, loopholed walls, barbed wire fastened to corpses; at night
+savage counter attacks led by Germans; their repulse; a wall some
+hundred yards long and several feet high of Turkish corpses; our own
+losses also very heavy and some good Officers<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> among them. All this
+partly from d'Amade to me; partly his Staff to my Staff. Nogu&eacute;s and his
+brave lads have done their bit indeed for the glory of the Army of
+France. Meanwhile, d'Amade is anxious to get his men off soon: he cannot
+well stay where he is unless he carries the village of Yeni Shahr. Yeni
+Shahr is perched on the height a mile to the South of him, but it has
+been reinforced from the Besika Bay direction and to take it would be a
+major operation needing a disembarkation of at least the whole of his
+Division. He is keen to clear out: I agreed, and at 12.5 he went to make
+his preparations.</p>
+
+<p>Ten minutes later, when we were on our way back to Gaba Tepe, the
+Admiral and Braithwaite both tackled me, and urged that the French
+should be ordered to hold on for another twenty-four hours&mdash;even if for
+no longer. Had they only raised their point before d'Amade left the
+<i>Queen Elizabeth</i>! As it is, to change my mind and my orders would upset
+the French very much and&mdash;on the whole&mdash;I do not think we have enough to
+go upon to warrant me in doing so. The Admiral has always been keen on
+Kum Kale and I quite understand that Naval aspect of the case. But it is
+all I can do, as far as things have gone, to hang on by my eyelids to
+the Peninsula, and let alone K.'s strong, clear order, I can hardly
+consent, as a soldier, to entangle myself further in Asia, before I have
+made good Achi Baba. We dare not lose another moment in getting a firm
+footing on the Peninsula and that was why I had signalled d'Amade from
+Gaba Tepe to bring up all the rest<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> of his troops from Tenedos and to
+disembark them at "W" (seeing we were still held up at "V") and why I
+cannot now perceive any other issue. We are not strong enough to attack
+on both sides of the Straits. Given one more Division we might try: as
+things are, my troops won't cover the mileage. On a small scale map, in
+an office, you may make mole-hills of mountains; on the ground there's
+no escaping from its features.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the French Commander took his leave, we steamed back for Gaba
+Tepe, passing Cape Helles at 12.20 p.m. Weather now much brighter and
+warmer. Passing "Y" Beach the re-embarkation of troops was still going
+on. All quiet, the <i>Goliath</i> says: the enemy was so roughly handled in
+an attack they made last night that they do not trouble our
+withdrawal&mdash;too pleased to see us go, it seems! So this part of our plan
+has gone clean off the rails. Keyes, Braithwaite, Aspinall, Dawnay,
+Godfrey are sick&mdash;but their disappointment is nothing to mine. De Robeck
+agrees that we don't know enough yet to warrant us in fault-finding or
+intervention. My orders ought to have been taken before a single
+unwounded Officer or man was ferried back aboard ship. Never, since
+modern battles were invented by the Devil, has a Commander-in-Chief been
+so accessible to a message or an appeal from any part of the force. Each
+theatre has its outfit of signallers, wireless, etc., and I can either
+answer within five minutes, or send help, or rush myself upon the scene
+at 25 miles an hour with the <i>Q.E.'s</i> fifteen inchers in my pocket. Here
+there is no question of emer<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span>gency, or enemy pressure, or of haste; so
+much we see plain enough with our own eyes.</p>
+
+<p>Whilst having a hurried meal, Jack Churchill rushed down from the crow's
+nest to say that he thought we had carried the Fort above Sedd-el-Bahr.
+He had seen through a powerful naval glass some figures standing erect
+and silhouetted against the sky on the parapet. Only, he argued, British
+soldiers would stand against the skyline during a general action. That
+is so, and we were encouraged to be hopeful.</p>
+
+<p>On to Gaba Tepe just in time to see the opening, the climax and the end
+of the dreaded Turkish counter attack. The Turks have been fighting us
+off and on all the time, but this is&mdash;or rather I can happily now say
+"was"&mdash;an organised effort to burst in through our centre. Whether
+burglars or battles are in question, give me sunshine. What had been a
+terror when Braithwaite woke me out of my sleep at midnight to meet the
+Gaba Tepe deputation was but a heightened, tightened sensation thirteen
+hours later.</p>
+
+<p>No doubt the panorama was alarming, but we all of us somehow&mdash;we on the
+<i>Q.E.</i>&mdash;felt sure that Australia and New Zealand had pulled themselves
+together and were going to give Enver and his Army a very disagreeable
+surprise.</p>
+
+<p>The contrast of the actual with the might-have-been is the secret of our
+confidence. Imagine, had these brave lads entrusted to us by the
+Commonwealth and Dominion now been crowding on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> the beaches&mdash;crowding
+into their boats&mdash;whilst some desperate rearguard was trying to hold off
+the onrush of the triumphant Turks. Never would any of us have got over
+so shocking a disaster; now they are about to win their spurs (D.V.).</p>
+
+<p>Here come the Turks! First a shower of shells dropping all along the
+lower ridges and out over the surface of the Bay. Very pretty the
+shells&mdash;at half a mile! Prince of Wales's feathers springing suddenly
+out of the blue to a loud hammer stroke; high explosives: or else the
+shrapnel; pure white, twisting a moment and pirouetting as children in
+their nightgowns pirouette, then gliding off the field two or three
+together, an aerial ladies' chain. Next our projectiles, Thursby's from
+the <i>Queen</i>, <i>Triumph</i>, <i>Majestic</i>, <i>Bacchante</i>, <i>London</i>, and <i>Prince
+of Wales</i>; over the sea they flew; over the heads of our fighters;
+covered the higher hillsides and skyline with smudges of black, yellow
+and green. Smoky fellows these&mdash;with a fiery spark at their core, and
+wherever they touch the earth, rocks leap upwards in columns of dust to
+the sky. Under so many savage blows, the labouring mountains brought
+forth Turks. Here and there advancing lines; dots moving over green
+patches; dots following one another across a broad red scar on the flank
+of Sari Bair: others following&mdash;and yet others&mdash;and others&mdash;and others,
+closing in, disappearing, reappearing in close waves converging on the
+central and highest part of our position. The tic tac of the machine
+guns and the rattle of the rifles accompanied the roar of the big guns
+as hail, pouring down on a greenhouse, plays fast and loose<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> amidst the
+peals of God's artillery: we have got some guns right up the precipitous
+cliff: the noise doubled; redoubled; quadrupled, expanded into one
+immense tiger-like growl&mdash;a solid mass of the enemy showed itself
+crossing the green patch&mdash;and then the good <i>Queen Lizzie</i> picked up her
+targets&mdash;crash!!! Stop your ears with wax.</p>
+
+<p>The fire slackened. The attack had ebbed away; our fellows were holding
+their ground. A few, very few, little dots had run back over that green
+patch&mdash;the others had passed down into the world of darkness.</p>
+
+<p>A signaller was flag-wagging from a peak about the left centre of our
+line:&mdash;"The boys will never forget the <i>Queen Elizabeth's</i> help" was
+what he said.</p>
+
+<p>Jack Churchill was right. At 1.50 a wireless came in to say that the
+Irish and Hants from the <i>River Clyde</i> had forced their way through
+Sedd-el-Bahr village and had driven the enemy clean out of all his
+trenches and castles. Ah, well; <i>that</i> load is off our minds: every one
+smiling.</p>
+
+<p>Passed on the news to Birdwood: I doubt the Turks coming on again&mdash;but,
+in case, the 29th Division's feat of arms will be a tonic.</p>
+
+<p>I was wrong. At 3 p.m. the enemy made another effort, this time on the
+left of our line. We shook them badly and were rewarded by seeing a New
+Zealand charge. Two Battalions racing due North along the coast and
+foothills with levelled bayonets. Then again the tumult died away.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>At 4.30 we left Gaba Tepe and sailed for Helles. At 4.50 we were
+opposite Krithia passing "Y" Beach. The whole of the troops, plus
+wounded, plus gear, have vanished. Only the petrol tins they took for
+water right and left of their pathway up the cliff; huge diamonds in the
+evening sun. The enemy let us slip off without shot fired. The last
+boat-load got aboard the <i>Goliath</i> at 4 p.m., but they had forgotten
+some of their kit, so the Bluejackets rowed ashore as they might to
+Southsea pier and brought it off for them&mdash;and again no shot fired!</p>
+
+<p>Hove to off Cape Helles at quarter past five. Joyous confirmation of
+Sedd-el-Bahr capture and our lines run straight across from "X" to Morto
+Bay, but a very sad postscript now to that message: Doughty Wylie has
+been killed leading the sally from the beach.</p>
+
+<p>The death of a hero strips victory of her wings. Alas, for Doughty
+Wylie! Alas, for that faithful disciple of Charles Gordon; protector of
+the poor and of the helpless; noblest of those knights ever ready to lay
+down their lives to uphold the fair fame of England. Braver soldier
+never drew sword. He had no hatred of the enemy. His spirit did not need
+that ugly stimulant. Tenderness and pity filled his heart and yet he had
+the overflowing enthusiasm and contempt of death which alone can give
+troops the volition to attack when they have been crouching so long
+under a pitiless fire. Doughty Wylie was no flash-in-the-pan V.C.
+winner. He was a steadfast hero. Years ago, at Aleppo, the mingled
+chivalry and daring with which he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span> placed his own body as a shield
+between the Turkish soldiery and their victims during a time of massacre
+made him admired even by the Moslems. Now; as he would have wished to
+die, so has he died.</p>
+
+<p>For myself, in the secret mind that lies beneath the conscious, I think
+I had given up hope that the covering detachment at "V" would work out
+their own salvation. My thought was to keep pushing in troops from "W"
+Beach until the enemy had fallen back to save themselves from being cut
+off. The Hampshires, Dublins and Munsters have turned their own tight
+corner, but I hope these fine Regiments will never forget what they owe
+to one Doughty Wylie, the Mr. Greatheart of our war.</p>
+
+<p>The Admiral and Braithwaite have been at me again to urge that the
+French should hang on another day at Kum Kale. They point out that the
+crisis seems over for the time being both at Helles and Gaba Tepe and
+argue that this puts a different aspect on the whole question. That is
+so, and on the whole, I think "yes" and have asked d'Amade to comply.</p>
+
+<p>At 6.20 p.m. started back intending to see all snug at Gaba Tepe, but,
+picking up some Turkish guns as targets in Krithia and on the slopes of
+Achi Baba, we hove to off Cape Tekke and opened fire. We soon silenced
+these guns, though others, unseen, kept popping. At 6.50 we ceased fire.
+At 7, Admiral Gu&eacute;pratte came on board and tells us splendid news about
+Kum Kale. At 2 o'clock the artillery fire from shore and ships became
+too<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span> hot for the Turks entrenched in the cemetery and they put up the
+white flag and came in as prisoners, 500 of them. A hundred more had
+been taken during the night fighting, but there was treachery and some
+of those were killed. Kum Kale has been a brilliant bit of work, though
+I fear we have lost nearly a quarter of our effectives. Gu&eacute;pratte agrees
+we would do well to hold on for another 24 hours. At a quarter past
+seven he took his leave and we let drop our anchor where we were, off
+Cape Tekke.</p>
+
+<p>So now we stand on Turkish <i>terra firma</i>. The price has been paid for
+the first step and that is the step that counts. Blood, sweat, fire;
+with these we have forged our master key and forced it into the lock of
+the Hellespont, rusty and dusty with centuries of disuse. Grant us, O
+Lord, tenacity to turn it; determination to turn it, till through that
+open door <i>Queen Elizabeth</i> of England sails East for the Golden Horn!
+When in far off ages men discuss over vintages ripened in Mars the black
+superstitions and bloody mindedness of the Georgian savages, still they
+will have to drain a glass to the memory of the soldiers and sailormen
+who fought here.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER VI</h2>
+
+<h3>MAKING GOOD</h3>
+
+
+<p><i>27th April, 1915. Getting on for midnight. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth."</i>
+All sorts of questions and answers. At 2 a.m. got a signal from Admiral
+Gu&eacute;pratte, "Situation at Kum Kale excellent, but d'Amade gave orders to
+re-embark. It has begun. Much regret it is not in my power to stop it."</p>
+
+<p>Well, so do I regret it. With just one more Brigade at our backs we
+would have taken Yeni Shahr and kept our grip on Kum Kale; helping along
+the Fleet; countering the big guns from Asia. But, there it is; as
+things are I was right, and beggars can't be choosers. The French are
+now free to land direct at Sedd-el-Bahr, or "V," instead of round by
+"W."</p>
+
+<p>During the small hours I wrote a second cable to K. telling him
+Hunter-Weston could not attack Achi Baba yesterday as his troops were
+worn out and some of his Battalions had lost a quarter of their
+effectives: also that we were already short of ammunition. Also that
+"Sedd-el-Bahr was a dreadful place to carry by open assault, being a
+labyrinth of rocks, galleries, ruins and entanglements." "With all the
+devoted help of the Navy, it has taken us a day's hard fighting to make
+good our footing.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> Achi Baba Hill, only a cannon shot distant, will be
+attacked to-morrow, the 28th."</p>
+
+<p>After shipping ammunition for her big guns the <i>Q.E.</i> sailed at 7 a.m.
+for Gaba Tepe where we found Birdwood's base, the beach, being very
+severely shelled. The fire seemed to drop from half the points of the
+compass towards that one small strip of sand, so marvellously well
+defiladed by nature that nine-tenths of the shot fell harmlessly into
+the sea. The Turkish gunners had to chance hitting something by lobbing
+shrapnel over the main cliff or one of the two arm-like promontories
+which embraced the little cove,&mdash;and usually they didn't! Yet even so
+the beach was hardly a seaside health resort and it was a comfort to see
+squads of these young soldiers marching to and fro and handling packing
+cases with no more sign of emotion than railway porters collecting
+luggage at Margate.</p>
+
+<p>At 7.55 we presented the Turks with some remarkable specimens of sea
+shells to recompense them for their trouble in so narrowly searching our
+beaches. They accepted our 6 inchers with a very good grace. Often one
+of our H.E. hundred pounders seemed to burst just where a field gun had
+been spotted:&mdash;and before our triumphant smiles had time to disentangle
+themselves from our faces, the beggars would open again. But the 15-inch
+shrapnel, with its 10,000 bullets, was a much more serious projectile.
+The Turks were not taking more than they could help. Several times we
+silenced a whole battery by one of these monsters. No doubt these very
+batteries are now getting<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> back into concealed positions where our
+ships' guns will not be able to find them. Still, even so, to-day and
+to-morrow are the two most ticklish days; after that, let the storm
+come&mdash;our troops will have rooted themselves firmly into the soil.</p>
+
+<p>Have been speaking to the sailors about getting man-killing H.E. shell
+for the Mediterranean Squadron instead of the present armour piercers
+which break into only two or three pieces and are, therefore, in the
+open field, more alarming than deadly. They don't seem to think there
+would be much good gained by begging for special favours through routine
+channels. Officialdom at the Admiralty is none too keen on our show. If
+we can get at Winston himself, then we can rely on his kicking red tape
+into the waste-paper basket; otherwise we won't be met half way. As for
+me, I am helpless. I cannot write Winston&mdash;not on military business;
+least of all on Naval business. I am fixed, I won't write to any public
+personage re my wants and troubles excepting only K. Braithwaite agrees
+that, especially in war time, no man can serve two masters. There has
+been so much stiletto work about this war, and I have so often blamed
+others for their backstairs politics, that I must chance hurt feelings
+and shall not write letters although several of the Powers that Be have
+told me to keep them fully posted. The worst loss is that of Winston's
+ear; high principles won't obtain high explosives. As to writing to the
+Army Council&mdash;apart from K., the War Office is an oubliette.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The foregoing sage reflections were jotted down between 10 and 10.30
+a.m., when I was clapped into solitary confinement under armour. An
+aeroplane had reported that the <i>Goeben</i> had come into the Narrows,
+presumably to fire over the Peninsula with her big guns. There was no
+use arguing with the sailors; they treat me as if I were a mascot. So I
+was duly shut up out of harm's way and out of their way whilst they made
+ready to take on the ship, which is just as much the cause of our Iliad
+as was Helen that of Homer's. Up went our captive balloon; in ten
+minutes it was ready to spot and at 10.15 we got off the first shot
+which missed the <i>Goeben</i> by just a few feet to the right. The enemy
+then quickly took cover behind the high cliffs and I was let out of my
+prison. Some Turkish transports remained, landing troops. Off flew the
+shell, seven miles it flew; over the Turkish Army from one sea into
+another. A miss! Again she let fly. This time from the balloon came down
+that magic formula "O.K." (plumb centre). We danced for joy though
+hardly able really to credit ourselves with so magnificent a shot: but
+it was so: in two minutes came another message saying the transport was
+sinking by the stern! O.K. for us; U.P. with the Turks. Simple letters
+to describe a pretty ghastly affair. Fancy that enormous shell dropping
+suddenly out of the blue on to a ship's deck swarming with troops!</p>
+
+<p>A wireless from Wemyss to say that the whole of Hunter-Weston's force
+has advanced two miles on a broad front and that the enemy made no
+resistance.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>At 6 p.m. a heavy squall came down from the North and the Aegean was no
+place for flyers whether heavier or lighter than air. All the Turkish
+guns we could spot from the ship had been knocked out or silenced, so
+Birdwood and his men were able to get along with their digging. We cast
+anchor off Cape Helles at about 6.30 p.m.</p>
+
+<p>At 7 Hunter-Weston came on board and dined. He is full of confidence and
+good cheer. <i>He never gave any order to evacuate "Y"; he never was
+consulted; he does not know who gave the order.</i> He does well to be
+proud of his men and of the way they played up to-day when he called
+upon them to press back the enemy. He has had no losses to speak of and
+we are now on a fairly broad three-mile front right across the toe of
+the Peninsula; about two miles from the tip at Helles. Had our men not
+been so deadly weary, there was no reason we should not have taken Achi
+Baba from the Turks, who put up hardly any fight at all. But we have not
+got our mules or horses ashore yet in any numbers, and the digging, and
+carriage of stores, water and munitions to the firing line had to go on
+all night, so the men are still as tired as they were on the 26th, or
+more so. The Intelligence hear that enemy reinforcements are crossing
+the Narrows. So it is a pity we could not make more ground whilst we
+were about it, but we had no fresh men to put in and the used Battalions
+were simply done to a turn.</p>
+
+<p>We did not talk much about the past at dinner, except&mdash;ah me, how
+bitterly we regretted our 10 per cent. margin to replace casualties,&mdash;a
+margin<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> allowed by regulation and afforded to the B.E.F. Just think of
+it. To-day each Battalion of the 29th Division would have been joined by
+two keen Officers and one hundred keen men&mdash;fresh&mdash;all of them fresh!
+The fillip given would have been far, far greater than that which the
+mere numbers (1,200 for the Division) would seem to imply. Hunter-Weston
+says that he would sooner have a pick-me-up in that form than two fresh
+Battalions, and I think, in saying so, he says too little.</p>
+
+<p>Tired or not tired, we attack again to-morrow. We must make more&mdash;much
+more&mdash;elbow room before the Turks get help from Asia or Constantinople.</p>
+
+<p>Are we to strike before or after daylight? Hunter-Weston is clear for
+day and we have made it so. The hour is to be 8 a.m.</p>
+
+<p>Showed H.W. the cable we got at tea time from K., quoting some message
+de Robeck has apparently sent home and saying, "Maxwell will give you
+any support from the garrison of Egypt you may require." I am puzzled
+how to act on this. Maxwell won't give me "any support" I "may require";
+otherwise, naturally, I'd have had the Gurkhas with me now: he has his
+own show to run: I have my own show to run: it is for K. to split the
+differences. K. gave me fair warning before I started I must not embroil
+him with French, France, or British politicians by squeezing him for
+more troops. It was up to me to take the job on those terms or leave
+it&mdash;and I took it on. I did think Egypt might be held to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> be outside
+this tacit covenant, but when I asked first, directly, for the Indian
+Brigade; secondly, for the Brigade or even for one Gurkha Battalion, I
+only got that chilliest of refusals&mdash;silence. Since then, there has been
+some change in his attitude. I do wish K. would take me more into his
+confidence. Never a word to me about the Indian Brigade, yet now it is
+on its way! Also, here comes this offer of more troops. Hunter-Weston's
+reading of the riddle is that troops ear-marked for the Western front
+are still taboo but that K. finds himself, since our successful landing,
+in a more favourable political atmosphere and is willing, therefore, to
+let us draw on Egypt. He thinks, in a word, that as far as Egypt goes,
+we should try and get what we can get.</p>
+
+<p>Said good-night with mutual good wishes, and have worked till now (1
+a.m.) answering wireless and interviewing Winter and Woodward, who had
+come across from the <i>Arcadian</i> to do urgent administrative work. Each
+seems satisfied with the way his own branch is getting on: Winter is the
+quicker worker. Wrote out also a second long cable to K. (the first was
+operations) formally asking leave to call upon Maxwell to send me the
+East Lancs. Division and showing that Maxwell can have my second Mounted
+Division in exchange.</p>
+
+<p>Have thought it fair to cable Maxwell also, asking him to hold the East
+Lancs. handy. K.'s cable covers me so far. No Commander enjoys parting
+with his troops and Maxwell may play on one of the tenderest spots in
+K.'s adamantine heart by telling him his darling Egypt will be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span>
+endangered; still it is only right to give him fair warning.</p>
+
+<p>Lord Hindlip, King's Messenger, has brought us our mails.</p>
+
+<p><i>28th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth." Off Gallipoli.</i> At 9 a.m.
+General d'Amade came aboard and gave me the full account of the Kum Kale
+landing, a brilliant piece of work which will add lustre even to the
+illustrious deeds of France. I hope the French Government will recognize
+this dashing stroke of d'Amade's by something more solid than a thank
+you.</p>
+
+<p>At 9.40 General Paris and the Staff of the Naval Division also came
+aboard, and were telling me their doings and their plans when the noise
+of the battle cut short the pow-wow. The fire along the three miles
+front is like the rumble of an express train running over fog signals.
+Clearly we are not going to gain ground so cheaply as yesterday.</p>
+
+<p>At 10 o'clock the <i>Q.E.</i> was steaming slowly Northwards and had reached
+a point close to the old "Y" landing place (well marked out by the
+glittering kerosine tins). Suddenly, inland, a large mass of men,
+perhaps two thousand, were seen doubling down a depression of the ground
+heading towards the coast. We had two 15-inch guns loaded with 10,000
+shrapnel bullets each, but there was an agony as to whether these were
+our fellows falling back or Turks advancing. The Admiral and Keyes asked
+me. The Flag Captain was with us. The thing hung on a hair but the
+horror<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> of wiping out one of my own Brigades was too much for me: 20 to
+1 they were Turkish reinforcements which had just passed through
+Krithia&mdash;50 to 1 they were Turks&mdash;and then&mdash;the ground seemed to swallow
+them from view. Ten minutes later, they broke cover half a mile lower
+down the Peninsula and left us no doubt as to what they were, advancing
+as they did in a most determined manner against some of our men who had
+their left flank on the cliffs above the sea.</p>
+
+<p>The Turks were no longer in mass but extended in several lines, less
+than a pace between each man. Before this resolute attack our men, who
+were much weaker, began to fall back. One Turkish Company, about a
+hundred strong, was making an ugly push within rifle shot of our ship.
+Its flank rested on the very edge of the cliff, and the men worked
+forward like German Infantry in a regular line, making a rush of about
+fifty yards with sloped arms and lying down and firing. They all had
+their bayonets fixed. Through a glass every move, every signal, could be
+seen. From where we were our guns exactly enfiladed them. Again they
+rose and at a heavy sling trot came on with their rifles at the slope;
+their bayonets glittering and their Officer ten yards ahead of them
+waving his sword. Some one said they were cheering. Crash! and the
+<i>Q.E.</i> let fly a shrapnel; range 1,200 yards; a lovely shot; we followed
+it through the air with our eyes. Range and fuse&mdash;perfect. The huge
+projectile exploded fifty yards from the right of the Turkish line, and
+vomited its contents of 10,000 bullets clean across the stretch whereon
+the Turkish<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> Company was making its last effort. When the smoke and dust
+cleared away nothing stirred on the whole of that piece of ground. We
+looked for a long time, nothing stirred.</p>
+
+<p>One hundred to the right barrel&mdash;nothing left for the second barrel! The
+tailor of the fairy tale with his "seven at a blow" is not in it with
+the gunnery Lieutenant of a battleship. Our beloved <i>Queen</i> had drawn
+the teeth of the Turkish counter-attack on our extreme left. The enemy
+no longer dared show themselves over the open downs by the sea, but
+worked over broken ground some hundreds of yards inland where we were
+unable to see them. The <i>Q.E.</i> hung about here shelling the enemy and
+trying to help our fellows on for the whole day.</p>
+
+<p>As was signalled to us from the shore by an Officer of the Border
+Regiment, the Turks were in great strength somewhere not easy to spot a
+few hundred yards inland from "Y" Beach. Some were in a redoubt, others
+working down a ravine. A party of our men had actually got into the
+trench dug by the "Y" Beach covering party on the day of the landing,
+but had been knocked out again, a few minutes before the <i>Queen
+Elizabeth</i> came to the rescue, and, in falling back, had been (so the
+Officer signaller told us) "badly cut up." Asked again who were being
+badly cut up, he replied, "All of us!" No doubt the <i>Q.E.</i> turned up in
+the very nick of time, at a moment when we were being forced to retire
+too rapidly. A certain number of stragglers were slipping quietly back
+towards Cape Helles along the narrow sandy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> strip at the foot of the
+high cliffs, so, as it was flat calm, I sent Aspinall off in a small
+boat with orders to rally them. He rowed to the South so as to head them
+off and as the dinghy drew in to the shore we saw one of them strip and
+swim out to sea to meet it half way. By the time the young fellow
+reached the boat the cool salt water had given him back his presence of
+mind and he explained, as if it was the most natural thing in the world,
+that he had swum off to get help for the wounded! After landing, a show
+of force was needed to pull the fugitives up but once they did pull up
+they were splendid, and volunteered to a man to follow Aspinall back
+into the firing line. Many of them were wounded and the worst of these
+were put into a picket boat which had just that moment come along. One
+of the men seemed pretty bad, being hit in the head and in the body. He
+wanted to join in but, naturally, was forbidden to do so. Aspinall then
+led his little party back and climbed the cliff. When he got to the top
+and looked round he found this severely wounded man had not only
+disobeyed orders and followed him, but had found strength to lug up a
+box of ammunition with him. "I ordered you not to come," said Aspinall:
+"I can still pull a trigger, Sir," replied the man.<a name="FNanchor_13_13" id="FNanchor_13_13"></a><a href="#Footnote_13_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a></p>
+
+<p>To-day's experiences have been of the strangest. As armies have grown
+and as the range of firearms has increased, the Commander-in-Chief of
+any considerable force has been withdrawn further and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span> further from the
+fighting. To-day I have stood in the main battery which has fired a shot
+establishing, in its way, a record in the annals of destruction.</p>
+
+<p>On our left we had gained three miles and had been driven back a mile or
+rather more after doing so, apparently by fresh enemy forces. What would
+have been a promenade if our original covering party had stuck to "Y"
+Beach, had become too difficult for that wearied and greatly weakened
+Brigade. On the British right the 88th Brigade pushed back the Turks
+easily enough at first, but afterwards they too came up against stiffer
+resistance from what seemed to be fresh enemy formations until at last,
+i.e., about mid-day, they were held up. The Reserve were then ordered to
+pass through and attack. Small parties are reported to have got into
+Krithia and one complete Battalion gained a position commanding
+Krithia&mdash;so Wemyss has been credibly informed; but things went wrong;
+they seem to have been <i>just</i> too weak.</p>
+
+<p>Hunter-Weston is confident as ever and says once his men have dug
+themselves in, even a few inches, they will hold what they have gained
+against any number of Turks.</p>
+
+<p>We have been handicapped by the trouble that is bred in the bone of any
+landing on enemy soil. The General wants to strike quick and hard from
+the outset. To do so he must rush his men ashore and by very careful
+plans he may succeed; but even then, unless he can lay hands upon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span>
+wharves, cranes, and all the mechanical appliances to be found in an
+up-to-date harbour, he cannot keep up the supply of ammunition, stores,
+food, water, on a like scale. He cannot do this because, just in
+proportion as he is successful in getting a large number of men on shore
+and in quickly pushing them forward some distance inland, so will it
+become too much for his small craft and his beach frontage to cope with
+the mule transport and carts. Hence, shortage of ammunition and shortage
+of water, which last was the worse felt to-day. But the heavy fighting
+at the landings was what delayed us most.</p>
+
+<p>An enemy aeroplane (a Taube) has been dropping bombs on and about the
+<i>River Clyde</i>.</p>
+
+<p>There is little of the "joy of the contest" in fighting battles with
+worn-out troops. Even when the men respond by doing wonders, the
+Commander is bound to feel his heart torn in two by their trials, in
+addition to having his brain tortured on anxiety's rack as to the
+result. The number of Officers we have lost is terrible.</p>
+
+<p>Seen from the Flagship, the sun set exactly behind the purple island of
+Imbros, and as it disappeared sent out long flame-coloured streamers
+into the sky. The effect was that of a bird of Paradise bringing balm to
+our overwrought nerves.</p>
+
+<p>Have published the following order&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"I rely on all Officers and men to stand firm and steadfast to resist
+the attempt of the enemy to drive us back from our present position
+which has been so gallantly won.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"The enemy is evidently trying to obtain a local success before
+reinforcements can reach us; but the first portion of these arrive
+to-morrow and will be followed by a fresh Division from Egypt.</p>
+
+<p>"It behoves us all, French and British, to stand fast, hold what we have
+gained, wear down the enemy and thus be prepared for a decisive victory.</p>
+
+<p>"Our comrades in Flanders have had the same experience of fatigue after
+hard won fights. We shall, I know, emulate their steadfastness and
+achieve a result which will confer added laurels to French and British
+arms.</p>
+
+<p>"Ian Hamilton,</p>
+
+<p>"General."</p>
+
+<p>Two cables from K.&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>The first repeats a cable he has sent Maxwell. He begins by saying, "In
+a cable just in from the Dardanelles French Admiral, I see he thinks
+reinforcements are needed for the troops landed on Gallipoli. Hamilton
+has not made any mention of this to me. All the same yesterday I cabled
+him as follows:&mdash;"</p>
+
+<p>(Here he quotes the cable already entered in by me yesterday.)</p>
+
+<p>K. goes on, "I hope all your troops are being kept ready to embark, and
+I would suggest you should send the Territorial Division if Hamilton
+wants them. Peyton's transports, etc., etc., etc."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The second cable quotes mine of last night wherein I ask leave to call
+for the East Lancs. and says, "I feel sure you had better have the
+Territorial Division, and I have instructed Maxwell to embark them. My
+No. 4239 addressed to Maxwell and repeated to you was sent before
+receiving your telegram under reply. You had better tell him to send off
+the Division to you. I am very glad the troops have done so well. Give
+them a message of hearty congratulations on their successful achievement
+to buck them up."</p>
+
+<p>Bravo K.! but kind as is your message the best buck up for the Army will
+be the news that the lads from Manchester are on their way to help us.</p>
+
+<p>The cable people have pinned a minute to these two messages saying that
+the two hours' pull we have over Greenwich time ought to have let K. get
+my message <i>before</i> he wired to Maxwell. He may think Maxwell will take
+it better that way.</p>
+
+<p>Before going to bed, I sent him (K.) two cables&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>(1) "Last night the Turks attacked the Australians and New Zealanders in
+great force, charging right up to the trenches, bugles blowing and
+shouting 'Allah Hu!' They were bayoneted. The French are landing to lend
+a hand to the 29th Division. Birdwood's men are very weary and I am
+supporting them with the Naval Division." These, I may say, are my very
+last reserves.</p>
+
+<p>(2) Telling K. how "I shall now be able to cheer up my troops by the
+prospect of speedy reinforce<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span>ments, whilst informing them of your
+congratulations, and appealing to them to continue as they have
+commenced," I go on to say that we have used up the French and the Naval
+Division "so that at present I have no reserve except Cox when he
+arrives and the remainder of the French." I also say, simply, and
+without any reference to the War Office previous denial that there <i>was</i>
+any second French Division, "D'Amade informs me that the other French
+Division is ready to embark if required, so I hope you will urge that it
+be despatched." As to the delay in letting me have the Indian Brigade; a
+delay which has to-day, so say the 29th Division, cost us Krithia and
+Achi Baba, I say "Unluckily Cox's Brigade is a day late, but I still
+trust it will arrive to-morrow during the day."</p>
+
+<p><i>Bis dot qui cito dat</i>. O truest proverb! One fresh man on Gallipoli
+to-day was worth five afloat on the Mediterranean or fifty loafing
+around London in the Central Force. At home they are carefully totting
+up figures&mdash;I know them&mdash;and explaining to the P.M. and the Senior
+Wranglers with some complacency that the sixty thousand effective
+bayonets left me are enough&mdash;seeing they are British&mdash;to overthrow the
+Turkish Empire. So they would be if I had that number, or anything like
+it, for my line of battle. But what are the facts? Exactly one half of
+my "bayonets" spend the whole night carrying water, ammunition and
+supplies between the beach and the firing line. The other half of my
+"bayonets," those left in the firing line, are up the whole night armed
+mostly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span> with spades digging desperately into the earth. Now and then
+there is a hell of a fight, but that is incidental and a relief. A
+single Division of my old "Central Force," so easily to be spared, so
+wasted where they are, could take this pick and spade work off the
+fighters. But the civilians think, I am certain, we are in France, with
+a service of trains and motor transport at our backs so that our
+"bayonets" are really free to devote their best energies to fighting. My
+troops are becoming thoroughly worn out. And when I think of the three
+huge armies of the Central Force I commanded a few weeks ago in
+England&mdash;!</p>
+
+<p><i>29th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Q.E." Off the Peninsula.</i> A biggish sea
+running, subsiding as the day went on&mdash;and my mind grew calmer with the
+waves. For we are living hand-to-mouth now in every sense. Two days'
+storm would go very near starving us. Until we work up some weeks'
+reserve of water, food and cartridges, I shan't sleep sound. Have lent
+Birdwood four Battalions of the Royal Naval Division and two more
+Battalions are landing at Helles to form my own reserve. Two weak
+Battalions; that is the exact measure of my executive power to shape the
+course of events; all the power I have to help either d'Amade or
+Hunter-Weston.</p>
+
+<p>Water is a worry; weather is a worry; the shelling from Asia is a thorn
+in my side. The sailors had hoped they would be able to shield the
+Southern point of the Peninsula by interposing their ships but they
+can't. Their gunnery won't<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> run to it&mdash;was never meant to run to it&mdash;and
+with five going aeroplanes we can't do the spotting. Our Regiments, too,
+will not be their superb selves again&mdash;won't be anything like
+themselves&mdash;not until they get their terrible losses made good. There is
+no other way but fresh blood for it is sheer human nature to feel flat
+after an effort. Any violent struggle for life always lowers the will to
+fight even of the most cut-and-come-again:&mdash;don't I remember well when
+Sir George asked me if the Elandslaagte Brigade had it in them to storm
+Pepworth? I had to tell him they were still the same Brigade but not the
+same men. No use smashing in the impregnable sea front if we don't get a
+fresh dose of energy to help us to push into the, as yet, very pregnable
+hinterland. Since yesterday morning, when I saw our men scatter right
+and left before an enemy they would have gone for with a cheer on the
+25th or 26th,&mdash;ever since then I have cursed with special bitterness the
+lack of vision which leaves us without that 10 per cent. margin above
+strength which we could, and should, have had with us. The most fatal
+heresy in war, and, with us, the most rank, is the heresy that battles
+can be won without heavy loss&mdash;I don't care whether it is in men or in
+ships. The next most fatal heresy is to think that, having won the
+battle, decimated troops can go on defeating fresh enemies without
+getting their 10 per cent. renewed.</p>
+
+<p><a name="BEACH" id="BEACH"></a></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+             <img   src="images/img419.jpg"
+             alt="W BEACH" /><br />
+         <b>"W" BEACH</b>
+    </div>
+
+
+<p>At 9 o'clock I boarded H.M.S. <i>Kennett</i>, a destroyer, and went ashore.
+Commodore Roger Keyes came along with me, and we set foot on Turkish
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span>soil for the first time at 9.45 a.m. at "W" Beach. What a scene! An
+ants' nest in revolution. Five hundred of our fighting men are running
+to and fro between cliffs and sea carrying stones wherewith to improve
+our pier. On to this pier, picket boats, launches, dinghies, barges, all
+converge through the heavy swell with shouts and curses, bumps and
+hair's-breadth escapes. Other swarms of half-naked soldiers are
+sweating, hauling, unloading, loading, road-making; dragging mules up
+the cliff, pushing mules down the cliff: hundreds more are bathing, and
+through this pandemonium pass the quiet stretchers bearing pale,
+blood-stained, smiling burdens. First we spent some time speaking to
+groups of Officers and men and hearing what the Beachmasters and
+Engineers had to say; next we saw as many of the wounded as we could and
+then I walked across to the Headquarters of the 29th Division (half a
+mile) to see Hunter-Weston. A strange abode for a Boss; some holes
+burrowed into a hillock. In South Africa, this feature which looks like,
+and actually is, a good observing post, would have been thoroughly
+searched by fire. The Turks seem, so far, to have left it pretty well
+alone.</p>
+
+<p>After a long talk during which we fixed up a good many moot points, went
+on to see General d'Amade. Unluckily he had just left to go on to the
+Flagship to see me. I did not like to visit the French front in his
+absence, so took notes of the Turkish defences on "V" and had a second
+and a more thorough inspection of the beach, transport and storage
+arrangements on "W."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Roper, Phillimore (R.N.) and Fuller stood by and showed me round.</p>
+
+<p>At 1.30 p.m. re-embarked on the <i>Q.E.</i> and sailed towards Gaba Tepe.</p>
+
+<p>After watching our big guns shooting at the enemy's field pieces for
+some time I could stand it no longer&mdash;the sight seeing I mean&mdash;and
+boarded the destroyer <i>Colne</i> which took me towards the beach. Commodore
+Keyes came along, also Pollen, Dawnay and Jack Churchill. Our destroyer
+got within a hundred yards or so of the shore when we had to tranship
+into a picquet boat owing to the shallow water. Quite a good lot of
+bullets were plopping into the water, so the Commodore ordered the
+<i>Colne</i> to lie further out. At this distance from the beach, withdrawn a
+little from the combat, (there was a hottish scrimmage going on), and
+yet so close that friends could be recognised, the picture we saw was
+astonishing. No one has ever seen so strange a spectacle and I very much
+doubt if any one will ever see it again. The Australians and New
+Zealanders had fixed themselves into the crests of a series of high
+sandy cliffs, covered, wherever they were not quite sheer, with box
+scrub. These cliffs were not in the least like what they had seemed to
+be through our glasses when we reconnoitred them at a distance of a mile
+or more from the shore. Still less were they like what I had originally
+imagined them to be from the map. Their features were tumbled, twisted,
+scarred&mdash;unclimbable, one would have said, were it not that their faces
+were now pock-marked with caves like large sand-martin holes, wherein<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span>
+the men were resting or taking refuge from the sniping. From the
+trenches that ran along the crest a hot fire was being kept up, and
+swarms of bullets sang through the air, far overhead for the most part,
+to drop into the sea that lay around us. Yet all the time there were
+full five hundred men fooling about stark naked on the water's edge or
+swimming, shouting and enjoying themselves as it might be at Margate.
+Not a sign to show that they possess the things called nerves. While we
+were looking, there was an alarm, and long, lean figures darted out of
+the caves on the face of the cliffs and scooted into the firing line,
+stooping low as they ran along the crest. The clatter of the musketry
+was redoubled by the echoing cliffs, and I thought we had dropped in for
+a scrap of some dimensions as we disembarked upon a fragile little
+floating pier and were met by Birdie and Admiral Thursby. A full General
+landing to inspect overseas is entitled to a salute of 17 guns&mdash;well, I
+got my dues. But there is no crisis; things are quieter than they have
+been since the landing, Birdie says, and the Turks for the time being
+have been beat. He tells me several men have already been shot whilst
+bathing but there is no use trying to stop it: they take the off chance.
+So together we made our way up a steep spur, and in two hours had
+traversed the first line trenches and taken in the lie of the land. Half
+way we met Generals Bridges and Godley, and had a talk with them, my
+first, with Bridges, since Duntroon days in Australia. From the heights
+we could look down on to the strip of sand running Northwards from Ari
+Burnu towards Suvla Bay. There were machine<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> guns here which wiped out
+the landing parties whenever they tried to get ashore North of the
+present line. The New Zealanders took these with the bayonet, and we
+held five or six hundred yards more coast line until we were forced back
+by Turkish counter-attacks in the afternoon and evening of the 25th. The
+whole stretch is now dominated by Turkish fire from the ridges, and
+along it lie the bodies of those killed at the first onset, and
+afterwards in the New Zealand bayonet charge. Several boats are stranded
+along this no man's land; so far all attempts to get out at night and
+bury the dead have only led to fresh losses. No one ever landed out of
+these boats&mdash;so they say.</p>
+
+<p>Towards evening we re-embarked on the <i>Colne</i> and at the very moment of
+transhipment from the picquet boat the enemy opened a real hot shrapnel
+fire, plastering with impartiality and liberality our trenches, our
+beaches and the sea. The <i>Colne</i> was in strangely troubled water, but,
+although the shot fell all about her, neither she nor the picquet boat
+was touched. Five minutes later we should have caught it properly! The
+Turkish guns are very well hidden now, and the <i>Q.E.</i> can do nothing
+against them without the balloon to spot; we can't often spare one of
+our five aeroplanes for Gaba Tepe. Going back we had some long range
+shots with the 15-inch guns at batteries in rear of Achi Baba.</p>
+
+<p>Anchored off Cape Helles at dark. A reply in from Maxwell about the East
+Lancs. They are coming!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The worst enemy a Chief has to face in war is an alarmist. The Turks are
+indeed stout and terrifying fellows when seen, not in a poetry book but
+in a long line running at you in a heavy jogtrot way with fixed bayonets
+gleaming. But they don't frighten me as much as one or two of my own
+friends. No matter. We are here to stay; in so far as my fixed
+determination can make it so; alive or dead, we stay.</p>
+
+<p><i>30th April, 1915. H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth.</i> From dawn to breakfast time
+all hands busy slinging shells&mdash;modern war sinews&mdash;piles of
+them&mdash;aboard. The Turks are making hay while the sun shines and are
+letting "V" Beach have it from their 6-inch howitzers on the plains of
+Troy. So, once upon a time, did Paris shoot forth his arrows over that
+selfsame ground and plug proud Achilles in the heel&mdash;and never surely
+was any fabulous tendon more vulnerable than are our Southern beaches
+from Asia. The audacious Commander Samson cheers us up. He came aboard
+at 9.15 a.m. and stakes his repute as an airman that his fellows will
+duly spot these guns and that once they do so the ships will knock them
+out. I was so pleased to hear him say so that I took him ashore with me
+to "W" Beach, where he was going to fix up a flight over the Asiatic
+shore, as well as select a flat piece of ground near the tip of the
+Peninsula's toe to alight upon.</p>
+
+<p>Saw Hunter-Weston: he is quite happy. Touched on "Y" Beach; concluded
+least said soonest mended. The issues of the day before<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> yesterday's
+battle seem certainly to have hung on a hair. Apart from "Y" beach
+might-have-beens, it seems that, further inland, detachments of our men
+got into a position dominating Krithia; a position from which&mdash;could
+they have held it&mdash;Turkish troops in or South of Krithia could have been
+cut off from their supplies. These men saw the Turks clear out of
+Krithia taking machine guns with them. But after half an hour, as we did
+not come on, they began to come back. We were too weak and only one
+Battalion was left of our reserves&mdash;otherwise the day was ours. Street,
+the G.S.O.I. of the Division, was in the thick of the battle&mdash;too far in
+for his rank, I am told, and he is most emphatic that with one more
+Brigade Achi Baba would now be in our hands. He said this to me in
+presence of his own Chief and I believe him, although I had rather
+disbelieve. To my mind "a miss is as good as a mile" should run a "miss
+is far worse than a mile." He is a sober-spoken, most gallant Officer.
+But it can't be helped. This is not the first time in history when the
+lack of a ha'porth of tar has spoilt the ship of State. I would bear my
+ills without a groan were it not that from the very moment when I set
+eyes on the Narrows I was sent to prize open, I had set my heart upon
+just this very identical ha'porth of tar&mdash;<i>videlicet</i>, the Indian
+Brigade.</p>
+
+<p>Our men are now busy digging themselves into the ground they gained on
+the 28th. The Turks have done a good lot of gunnery but no real
+counter-attack. Hunter-Weston's states show that during the past
+twenty-four hours well over half of his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> total strength are getting
+their artillery ashore, building piers, making roads, or bringing up
+food, water and ammunition into the trenches. This does not take into
+account men locally struck off fighting duty as cooks, orderlies,
+sentries over water, etc., etc. Altogether, it seems that not more than
+one-third of our fast diminishing total are available for actual
+fighting purposes. Had we even a Brigade of those backward Territorial
+reserve Battalions with whom the South of England is congested, they
+would be worth I don't know what, for they would release their
+equivalent of first-class fighting men to attend to their own
+business&mdash;the fighting.</p>
+
+<p>There are quite a little budget of knotty points to settle between
+Hunter-Weston and d'Amade, so I made a careful note of them and went
+along to French Headquarters. By bad luck d'Amade was away, up in the
+front trenches, and I could not well deliver myself to des Coigns. So I
+said I would come again sometime to-morrow and once more wended my way
+along the busy beaches, and in doing so revisited the Turkish defences
+of "V" and "W." The more I look, the more do I marvel at the invincible
+spirit of the British soldier. Nothing is impossible to him; no General
+knows what he can do till he tries. Therefore, he, the British General,
+must always try! must never listen to the rule-of-thumb advisers who
+seek to chain down adventure to precedent. But our wounds make us weaker
+and weaker. Oh that we could fill up the gaps in the thinned ranks of
+those famous Regiments....!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Had ten minutes' talk with the French Captain commanding the battery of
+75's now dug in close to the old Fort, where General d'Amade sleeps, or
+rather, is supposed to sleep. Here is the noisiest spot on God's earth.
+Not only do the 75's blaze away merrily from morn till dewy eve, and
+again from dewy eve till morn, to a tune that turns our gunners green
+with envy, but the enemy are not slow in replying, and although they
+have not yet exactly found the little beggars (most cunningly concealed
+with green boughs and brushwood), yet they go precious near them with
+big shell and small shell, shrapnel and H.E. As I was standing here I
+was greeted by an old Manchurian friend, le capitaine Reginald Kahn. He
+fought with the Boers against us and has taken his immense bulk into one
+campaign after another. A very clever writer, he has been entrusted by
+the French Government with the compilation of their official history of
+these operations.</p>
+
+<p>On my way back to the <i>Arcadian</i> (we are leaving the <i>Queen Elizabeth</i>
+for a time)&mdash;I met a big batch of wounded, knocked out, all of them, in
+the battle of the 28th. I spoke to as many of them as I could, and
+although some were terribly mutilated and disfigured, and although a few
+others were clearly dying, one and all kept a stiff upper lip&mdash;one and
+all were, or managed to appear&mdash;more than content&mdash;happy! This scene
+brought tears into my eyes. The courage of our soldiers goes far beyond
+belief. Were it not so war would be unbearable. How strongly God keeps
+the balance even. In fullest splendour the soul shines out<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> amidst the
+dark shadows of adversity; as a fire goes out when the sunlight strikes
+it, so the burning, essential quality in men is stifled by prosperity
+and success.</p>
+
+<p><i>Later</i>. Our battleships have been bombarding Chunuk&mdash;chucking shells
+into it from the Aegean side of the Peninsula&mdash;and a huge column of
+smoke is rising up into the evening sky. A proper bonfire on the very
+altar of Mars.</p>
+
+<p><i>1st May, 1915. H.M.S. "Arcadian."</i> Went ashore first thing. Odd shells
+on the wing. Visited French Headquarters. Again d'Amade was away. Had a
+long talk with des Coigns, the Chief of Staff, and told him I had just
+heard from Lord K. that the 1st Brigade of the new French Division would
+sail for the Dardanelles on the 3rd inst. Des Coigns is overjoyed but a
+tiny bit hurt, too, that French Headquarters should get the news first
+from me and not from their own War Ministry. He insists on my going
+round the French trenches and sent a capitaine de la Fontaine along with
+me. Until to-day I had quite failed to grasp the extent of the ground we
+had gained. But we want a lot more before we can begin to feel safe. The
+French trenches are not as good as ours by a long chalk, and bullets
+keep coming through the joints of the badly built sandbag revetment. But
+they say, "<i>Un peu de repos, apr&egrave;s, vous verrez, mon g&eacute;n&eacute;ral.</i>" During
+my peregrinations I struck the Headquarters of the Mediterranean Brigade
+under General Vandenberg, who came round his own men with me. A sturdy,
+thickset fair man with lots<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> of go and very cheery. He is of Dutch
+descent. Later on I came to the Colonial Brigade Headquarters and made
+the acquaintance of Colonel Ruef, a fine man&mdash;every inch a soldier. The
+French have suffered severely but are in fine fighting form. They are
+enchanted to hear about their second Division. For some reason or
+another they have made up their minds that France is not so keen as we
+are to make a present of Constantinople to Russia. Their intelligence on
+European questions seems much better than ours and they depress me by
+expressing doubts as to whether the Grand Duke Nicholas has munitions
+enough to make further headway against the Turks in the Caucasus: also,
+as to whether he has even stuff enough to equip Istomine and my rather
+visionary Army Corps.</p>
+
+<p>By the time we had passed along the whole of the French second line and
+part of their front line trenches, I had had about enough. So took leave
+of these valiant Frenchmen and cheery Senegalese and pushed on to the
+advanced observation post of the Artillery where I met General
+Stockdale, commanding the 15th Brigade, R.F.A., and not only saw how the
+land lay but heard some interesting opinions. Also, some ominous
+comments on what armies spend and what Governments scrimp:&mdash;that is
+ammunition.</p>
+
+<p>At 3 p.m., got back having had a real good sweat. Must have walked at
+least a dozen miles. Soon afterwards Cox, commanding the 29th Indian
+Brigade, came on board to make his salaam. Better late than never is all
+I could say to him: he and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span> his Brigade are sick at not having been on
+the spot to give the staggering Turks a knock-out on the 28th, but he's
+going to lose no more chances; his men are landing now and he hopes to
+get them all ashore in the course of the day.</p>
+
+<p>The Intelligence have just translated an order for the 25th April found
+upon the dead body of a Turkish Staff Officer. "Be sure," so it runs,
+"that no matter how many troops the enemy may try to land, or how heavy
+the fire of his artillery, it is absolutely impossible for him to make
+good his footing. Supposing he does succeed in landing at one spot, no
+time should be left him to co-ordinate and concentrate his forces, but
+our own troops must instantly press in to the attack and with the help
+of our reserves in rear he will forthwith be flung back into the sea."</p>
+
+
+<p><i>2nd May, 1915. H.M.S. "Arcadian."</i> Had a sleepless night and strain was
+too great to write or do anything but stand on bridge and listen to the
+firing or go down to the General Staff and see if any messages had come
+to hand.</p>
+
+<p>About 10 p.m. I was on the bridge thinking how dark it was and how
+preternaturally still; I felt all alone in the world; nothing stirred;
+even the French 75's had ceased their nerve-racking bark, and then,
+suddenly, in one instant, hell was let loose upon earth. Like a hundred
+peals of thunder the Turkish artillery from both Continents let fly
+their salvoes right, left and centre, and the French and ourselves did
+not lose many<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> seconds in reply. The shells came from Asia and Achi
+Baba:&mdash;in a fiery shower, they fell upon the lines of our front
+trenches. Half an hour the bombardment and counter-bombardment, and then
+there arose the deadly crepitation of small arms&mdash;no messages&mdash;ten times
+I went back and forward to the signal room&mdash;no messages&mdash;until a new and
+dreadful sound was carried on the night wind out to sea&mdash;the sound of
+the shock of whole regiments&mdash;the Turkish Allah Din!&mdash;our answering loud
+Hurrahs. The moments to me were moments of unrelieved agony. I tried to
+think of some possible source of help I had overlooked and could not. To
+hear the battle cries of the fighting men and be tied to this
+<i>Arcadian</i>&mdash;what torture!</p>
+
+<p>Soon, amidst the dazzling yellow flashes of the bursting shells and star
+bombs, there rose in beautiful parabolas all along our front coloured
+balls of fire, green, red or white; signals to their own artillery from
+the pistols of the Officers of the enemy. An ugly feature, these lights
+so beautiful, because, presumably, in response to their appeal, the
+Turkish shell were falling further down the Peninsula than at first, as
+if they had lengthened their range and fuse, i.e., as if we were falling
+back.</p>
+
+<p>By now several disquietening messages had come in, especially from the
+right, and although bad news was better than no news, or seemed so in
+that darkness and confusion, yet my anxious mind was stretched on the
+rack by inability to get contact with the Headquarters of the 29th
+Division and the French. Bullets or shell had cut some of the wires, and
+the telephone only worked intermittently.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> At 2 in the morning I had to
+send a battalion of my reserve from the Royal Naval Division to
+strengthen the French right. At 3 a.m. we heard&mdash;not from the
+British&mdash;that the British had been broken and were falling back upon the
+beaches. At 4 we heard from Hunter-Weston that, although the enemy had
+pierced our line at one or two points, they had now been bloodily
+repulsed. Thereupon, I gave the word for a general counter-attack and
+our line began to advance. The whole country-side was covered with
+retreating Turks and, as soon as it was light enough to see, our
+shrapnel mowed them down by the score. We gained quite a lot of ground
+at first, but afterwards came under enfilade fire from machine guns
+cunningly hidden in folds of the ground. There was no forcing of these
+by any <i>coup de main</i> especially with worn out troops and guns which had
+to husband their shell, and so we had to fall back on our starting
+point. We have made several hundreds prisoners, and have killed a
+multitude of the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>I took Braithwaite and others of the G.S. with me and went ashore. At
+the pier at "W" were several big lighters filled with wounded who
+were about to be towed out to Hospital ships. Spent the best part
+of an hour on the lighters. The cheeriness of the gallant lads is
+amazing&mdash;superhuman!</p>
+
+<p>Went on to see Hunter-Weston at his Headquarters,&mdash;a queer Headquarters
+it would seem to our brethren in France! Braithwaite, Street,
+Hunter-Weston and myself.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Some of our units are shaken, no doubt, by loss of Officers (complete);
+by heavy losses of men (not replaced, or replaceable, under a month) and
+by sheer physical exertion. Small wonder then that one weak spot in our
+barrier gave way before the solid mass of the attacking Turks, who came
+on with the bayonet like true Ghazis. The first part of the rifle fire
+last night was entirely from our own men. The break by one battalion
+gave a grand chance to the only Territorial unit in the 29th Division,
+the 5th Royal Scots, who have a first-class commanding Officer and are
+inspired not only by the indomitable spirit of their regular comrades,
+but by the special fighting traditions of Auld Reekie. They formed to a
+flank as if on a peace parade and fell on to the triumphant Turkish
+stormers with the cold steel, completely restoring the fortunes of the
+night. It would have melted a heart of stone, Hunter-Weston said, to see
+how tired our men looked in the grey of morning when my order came to
+hand urging them to counter-attack and pursue. Not the spirit but the
+flesh failed them. With a fresh Division on the ground nothing would
+have prevented us from making several thousand prisoners; whether they
+would have been able to rush the machine guns and so gain a great
+victory was more problematical. Anyway, our advance at dawn was half
+heroic, half lamentable. The men were so beat that if they tripped and
+fell, they lay like dead things. The enemy were almost in worse plight
+and so we took prisoners, but as soon as we came up against nerveless,
+tireless machine guns we had to stagger back to our trenches.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>As I write dead quiet reigns on the Peninsula, literally dead quiet. Not
+a shot from gun or rifle and the enemy are out in swarms over the plain!
+but they carry no arms; only stretchers and red crescent flags, for they
+are bearing away their wounded and are burying their piles of dead. It
+is by my order that the Turks are being left a free hand to carry out
+this pious duty.</p>
+
+<p>The stretcher-bearers carry their burdens over a carpet of flowers. Life
+is here around us in its most exquisite forms. Those flowers! Poppies,
+cornflowers, lilies, tulips whose colours are those of the rainbow. The
+coast line curving down and far away to meet the extravagant blueness of
+the Aegean where the battleships lie silent&mdash;still&mdash;smoke rising up
+lazily&mdash;and behind them, through the sea haze, dim outlines of Imbros
+and Samothrace.</p>
+
+<p>Going back, found that the lighter loads of wounded already taken off
+have by no means cleared the beach. More wounded and yet more. Here,
+too, are a big drove of Turkish prisoners; fine-looking men; well
+clothed; well nourished; more of them coming in every minute and mixing
+up in the strangest and friendliest way with our wounded with whom they
+talk in some dumb-crambo lingo. The Turks are doing yeoman service for
+Germany. If only India were pulling her weight for us on the same scale,
+we should by now be before the gates of Vienna.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon d'Amade paid me a long visit. He was at first rather
+chilly and I soon found out<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span> it was on account of my having gone round
+his lines during his absence. He is quite right, and I was quite wrong,
+and I told him so frankly which made "all's well" in a moment. My only
+excuse, namely, that I had been invited&mdash;nay pressed&mdash;to do so by his
+own Chief of Staff, I thought it wiser to keep to myself. Yesterday
+evening he got a cable from his own War Ministry confirming K.'s cable
+to me about the new French Division; Numbered the 156th, it is to be
+commanded by Bailloud, a distinguished General who has held high office
+in Africa&mdash;seventy years old, but sharp as a needle. D'Amade is most
+grateful for the battalion of the Naval Division; most complimentary
+about the Officers and men and is dying to have another which is,
+<i>&eacute;videmment</i>, a real compliment. He promises if I will do so to ration
+them on the best of French conserves and wine. The fact is, that the
+proportion of white men in the French Division is low; there are too
+many Senegalese. The battalion from the Naval Division gives, therefore,
+greater value to the whole force by being placed on the French right
+than by any other use I can put it to although it does seem strange to
+separate a small British unit by the entire French front from its own
+comrades.</p>
+
+<p>When d'Amade had done, de Robeck came along. No one on the <i>Q.E.</i> slept
+much last night: to them, as to us, the dark hours had passed like one
+nightmare after another. Were we miles back from the trenches as in
+France, and frankly dependent on our telephones, the strain would be
+softened by distance. Here we see the flashes; we hear<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> the shots; we
+stand in our main battery and are yet quite cut off from sharing the
+efforts of our comrades. Too near for reflection; too far for
+intervention: on tenter hooks, in fact; a sort of mental crucifixion.</p>
+
+<p>Cox is not going to take his Punjabi Mahommedans into the fighting area
+but will leave them on "W" Beach. He says if we were sweeping on
+victoriously he would take them on but that, as things are, it would not
+be fair to them to do so. That is exactly why I asked K. and Fitz for a
+Brigade of Gurkhas; not a mixed Brigade.</p>
+
+<p><i>3rd May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> At 9 p.m. last night there was
+another furious outburst of fire; mainly from the French. 75's and
+rifles vied against one another in making the most infernal <i>fracas</i>. I
+thought we were in for an <i>encore</i> performance, but gradually the uproar
+died away, and by midnight all was quiet. The Turks had made another
+effort against our right, but they could not penetrate the rampart of
+living fire built up against them and none got within charging distance
+of our trenches, so d'Amade 'phones. He also says that a mass of Turkish
+reserves were suddenly picked up by the French searchlights and the 75's
+were into them like a knife, slicing and slashing the serried ranks to
+pieces before they had time to scatter.</p>
+
+<p>Birdie boarded us at 9 a.m. and told us his troubles. He has
+straightened out his line on the left; after a fierce fight which has
+cost him no less than 700 fresh casualties. But he feels safer now<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span> and
+is pretty happy! he is sure he can hold his own against anything except
+thirst. His <i>band-o-bast</i> for taking water up to the higher trenches is
+not working well, and the springs he has struck along the beach and in
+the lower gullies are brakish. We are going to try and fix this up for
+him.</p>
+
+<p>At 10 o'clock went ashore with Braithwaite and paid visits to
+Hunter-Weston and to d'Amade. We had a conference with each of them,
+Generals and Staff who could be spared from the fighting being present.
+The feeling is hopeful if only we had more men and especially drafts to
+fill up our weakened battalions. The shell question is serious although,
+in this respect, thank Heavens, the French are quite well found. When we
+got back to the ship, heard a Taube had just been over and dropped a
+bomb, which fell exactly between the <i>Arcadian</i> and the ammunition ship,
+anchored only about 60 or 70 yards off us!</p>
+
+<p><i>4th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Last night again there was all sorts
+of firing and fighting going on, throughout those hours peaceful
+citizens ear-mark for sleep. I had one or two absolutely hair-raising
+messages. Not only were the French troops broken but the 29th Division
+were falling back into the sea. Though frightened to death, I refused to
+part with my reserve and made ready to go and take command of it at
+break of dawn. In the end the French and Hunter-Weston beat off the
+enemy by themselves. But there is no doubt that some of the French, and
+two Battalions of our own, are badly shaken,&mdash;no wonder! Both<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span>
+Hunter-Weston and d'Amade came on board in the forenoon, Hunter-Weston
+quite fixed that <i>his</i> men are strained to breaking point and d'Amade
+emphatic that <i>his</i> men will not carry on through another night unless
+they get relief. To me fell the unenviable duty of reconciling two
+contrary persuasions. Much argument as to where the enemy was making his
+main push; as to the numbers of our own rifles (French and English) and
+the yards of trenches each (French and English) have to hold. I decided
+after anxious searching of heart to help the French by taking over some
+portion of their line with the Naval Brigade. There was no help for it.
+Hunter-Weston agreed in the end with a very good grace.</p>
+
+<p>In writing K. I try to convey the truth in terms which will neither give
+him needless anxiety or undue confidence. The facts have been stated
+very simply, plus one brief general comment. I tell him that the Turks
+would be playing our game by these assaults were it not that in the
+French section they break through the Senegalese and penetrate into the
+position. I add a word of special praise for the Naval Division, they
+have done so well, but I know there are people in the War Office who
+won't like to hear it. I say, "I hope the new French Division will not
+steam at economic, but full, speed"; and I sum up by the sentence, "The
+times are anxious, but I believe the enemy's cohesion should suffer more
+than ours by these repeated night attacks."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER VII</h2>
+
+<h3>SHELLS</h3>
+
+
+<p>To-day, the 4th, shells were falling from Asia on both "V" and "W"
+Beaches. We have landed aeroplanes on the Peninsula. The Taube has been
+bothering us again, but wound up its man&oelig;uvres very decently by
+killing some fish for our dinner. Approved an out-spoken cable from my
+Ordnance to the War Office. Heaven knows we have been close-fisted with
+our meagre stocks, but when the Turks are coming right on to the assault
+it is not possible to prevent a spurt of rapid fire from men who feel
+the knife at their throat. "Ammunition is becoming a very serious
+matter, owing to the ceaseless fighting since April 25th. The <i>Junia</i>
+has not turned up and has but a small supply when she does. 18 pr. shell
+is vital necessity."</p>
+
+<p><i>5th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> A wearing, nerve-racking, night-long
+fire by the Turks and the French 75's. They, at least, both of them,
+seem to have a good supply of shell. To the Jews, God showed Himself
+once as a pillar of fire by night; to the French soldier whose God is
+the 75 He reveals Himself in just the same way, safeguarding his flimsy
+trenches from the impact of the infidel<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> horde. The curse of the method
+is its noise&mdash;let alone its cost. But last night it came off: no Turks
+got through anywhere on the French front and the men had not to stand to
+their arms or use their rifles. We British, worse luck, can't dream of
+these orgies of explosives. Our batteries last night did not fire a shot
+and the men had to drive back the enemy by rifle fire. They did it
+easily enough but the process is wearing.</p>
+
+<p>An answer has come to my prayer for 18 pr. stuff: not the answer that
+turns away wrath, but the answer that provokes a plaster saint.</p>
+
+<p>"We have under consideration your telegram of yesterday. The ammunition
+supply for your force, however, was never calculated on the basis of a
+prolonged occupation of the Gallipoli Peninsula, we will have to
+reconsider the position if, after the arrival of the reinforcements now
+on their way out to you, the enemy cannot be driven back and, in
+conjunction with the Fleet, the Forts barring the passage of the
+Dardanelles cannot be reduced. It is important to push on."</p>
+
+<p>Now von Donop is a kindly man despite that overbearing "von": yet, he
+speaks to us like this! The survivors of our half dead force are to
+"push on"; for, "it is important to push on" although Whitehall seems to
+have time and to spare to "consider" my cable and to "reconsider the
+position." Death first, diagnosis afterwards. Wherever is the use of
+reconsidering the position now? The position has taken charge. When a
+man has jumped off Westminster Bridge to save a drowning<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span> Russian his
+position has got beyond reconsideration: there is only one thing to
+do&mdash;as quickly as you can, as much help as you can&mdash;and if it comes to a
+choice between the <i>quick</i> and the <i>much</i>: hark to your swimmer and hear
+him cry "Quick! Quick!! Quick!!!"</p>
+
+<p>The War Office urge me to throw my brave troops yet once more against
+machine guns in redoubts; to do it on the cheap; to do it without asking
+for the shell that gives the attack a sporting chance. I don't say they
+are wrong in so saying; there may be no other way out of it; but I do
+say the War Office stand convicted of having gone hopelessly wrong in
+their estimates and preparations. For we must have been held up
+somewhere, surely; we must have fought <i>somewhere</i>. I suppose, even if
+we had forced the Straits&mdash;even if we had taken Constantinople without
+firing a shot, we must have fought somewhere! Otherwise, a child's box
+of tin soldiers sent by post would have been just the thing for the
+Dardanelles landing! No; it's not the advice that riles me: it's the
+fact that people who have made a mistake, and should be sorry, slur over
+my appeal for the stuff advances are made of and yet continue to urge us
+on as if we were hanging back.</p>
+
+<p>A strong wind blows and Helles is smothered in dust. Hunter-Weston spent
+an hour with me this morning and an hour with the G.S. putting the final
+touches to the plan of attack discussed by us yesterday. The Lancashire
+Brigade of the 42nd Division has landed.</p>
+
+<p>Hunter-Bunter stayed to lunch.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span></p>
+
+<p><i>Later</i>. In the afternoon went ashore and inspected the Lancashire
+Brigade of the East Lancs. Division just landed; and a very fine lot of
+Officers and men they are. They are keen and ready for to-morrow. Yes,
+to-morrow we attack again: I have men enough now but very, very little
+shell. The Turks have given us three bad nights and they ought to be
+worn out. With our sea power we can shift a couple of Brigades from Gaba
+Tepe to Helles or vice versa quicker than the Turks can march from the
+one theatre to the other. So the first question has been whether to
+reinforce Gaba Tepe from Helles or vice versa. For reasons too long to
+write here I have decided to attack in the South especially as I had a
+cable from K. himself yesterday in which he makes the suggestion&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"I hope," he says, "the 5th" (that's to-day) "will see you strong enough
+to press on to Achi Baba anyway, as delay will allow the Turks to bring
+up more reinforcements and to make unpleasant preparations for your
+reception. The Australians and New Zealanders will have had
+reinforcements from Egypt by then, and, if they hold on to their
+trenches with the help of the Naval Division, could spare you a good
+many men for the advance."</p>
+
+<p>Old K. is as right as rain here but a little bit after the shower. Had
+he and Maxwell tumbled to the real situation when I first saw with my
+own eyes the lie of the land instead of the lies on their maps; and had
+they let me have the Brigade of Gurkhas I asked for by my letters and by
+my cable of 24th March, and by word of mouth and telephone up to the
+last moment of my leaving Egypt, these<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span> homilies about the urgency of
+seizing Achi Baba would be beside the mark, seeing we should be sitting
+on the top of it.</p>
+
+<p>In the matter of giving K. is built on the model of Pharaoh: nothing
+less than the firstborn of the nation will make him suffer his subjects
+to depart from Egypt; and Maxwell sees eye to eye with him&mdash;that is
+natural. No word of the bombs and trench mortars I asked for six weeks
+ago, but the "bayonets" are coming in liberally now.</p>
+
+<p>Two of Birdwood's Brigades sail down to-night and join up with a Brigade
+from the Naval Division, thus making a new composite Division for the
+Southern theatre. The 29th, who have lost so very heavily, are being
+strengthened by the new Lancashire Fusilier Brigade, and Cox's Indian
+Brigade. By no manner the same thing, this, as getting drafts to fill up
+the ranks of the 29th. Always in war there is three times better value
+in filling up an old formation than in making up the total by bringing
+in a new formation. I have given the French the Naval Brigade; the new,
+Naval-Australian Division is to form my general reserve.</p>
+
+<p>So there! To-morrow morning. We have men enough, and good men too, but
+we are short of pebbles for Goliath of Achi Baba. These three nights
+have made a big hole in our stocks. Hunter-Weston feels that all is in
+our favour but the artillery. In Flanders, he says, they would never
+attack with empty limbers behind them; they would wait till they were
+full up. But the West is not in its essence a time problem; there, they
+can<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> wait&mdash;next week&mdash;next month. If we wait one week the Turks will
+have become twice as strong in their numbers, and twice as deep in their
+trenches, as they are to-day. Hunter-Weston and d'Amade see that
+perfectly. I hold the idea myself that it would be good tactics, seeing
+shell shortage is our weakness, to make use of the half hour before dawn
+to close with the enemy and then fight it out on their ground. To cross
+the danger zone, in fact, by night and overthrow the enemy in the grey
+dawn. But Hunter-Weston says that so many regimental officers have been
+lost he fears for the Company leading at night:&mdash;for that, most
+searching of military tests, nothing but the best will do.</p>
+
+<p>Hard up as we are for shell he thinks it best to blaze it away freely
+before closing and to trust our bayonets when we get in. He and d'Amade
+have both of them their Western experience to guide them. I have agreed,
+subject only to the condition that we must keep some munitions in
+reserve until we hear for certain that more is on its way.</p>
+
+<p>The enemy had trusted to their shore defences. There was no second line
+behind them&mdash;not this side of Achi Baba, at least. Now, i.e., ever since
+the failure of their grand attempt on the night of the 2nd-3rd May, they
+have been hard at work. Already their lines cover quite half the ground
+between the Aegean and the Straits; whilst, in rear again, we can see
+wired patches which we guess to be enfilading machine gun redoubts. We
+must resolutely and at all cost make progress and smash up these new
+spiders' webs of steel before they connect into elastic but unbreakable
+patterns.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span></p>
+
+<p><i>9th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Three days on the rack! Since the
+morning of the 6th not a word have I written barring one or two letters
+and one or two hasty scraps of cables. Now, D.V., there is the best part
+of a day at my disposal and it is worth an effort to put that story
+down.</p>
+
+<p>First I had better fix the sequence of the munition cables, for upon
+them the whole attack has hung&mdash;or rather, hung fire.</p>
+
+<p>On the 6th, the evening of the opening day, we received a postscript to
+the refusal already chronicled&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"Until you can submit a return of the amount you have in hand to enable
+us to work out the rates of expenditure, it is difficult to decide about
+further supplies of ammunition."</p>
+
+<p>When I read this I fell on my knees and prayed God to grant me patience.
+Am I to check the number of rounds in the limbers; on the beaches and in
+transit during a battle? Two days after my S.O.S. the War Office begin
+to think about tables of averages!</p>
+
+<p>I directed my answer to Lord K. himself&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"With reference to your No. 4432 of 5th inst., please turn to my letter
+to you of 30th March,<a name="FNanchor_14_14" id="FNanchor_14_14"></a><a href="#Footnote_14_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a> wherein I have laid stress on the essential
+difference in the matter of ammunition supply between the Dardanelles
+and France. In France, where the factories are within 24 hours' distance
+from the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> firing line, it may be feasible to consider and reconsider
+situations, including ammunition supply. Here we are distant a
+fortnight. I consider that 4.5 inch, 18 pr. and other ammunition,
+especially Mark VII rifle ammunition, should instantly be despatched
+here <i>via</i> Marseilles.</p>
+
+<p>"Battle in progress. Advance being held up by stubborn opposition."</p>
+
+<p>Within a few hours K.'s reply came in; he says&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"It is difficult for me to judge the situation unless you can send me
+your expenditure of ammunition for which we have repeatedly asked. The
+question is not affected by the other considerations you mention." If
+space and time have no bearing on strategy and tactics, then K. is
+right. If ships sail over the sea as fast as railways run across the
+land; if Helles is nearer Woolwich than Calais; then he is right. I use
+the capital K. here impersonally, for I am sure the great man did not
+indite the message himself even though it may be headed from him to me.</p>
+
+<p>Late that night came another cable from the Master General of the
+Ordnance saying he was sending out "in the next relief ship 10,000
+rounds of 18 pr. shrapnel, and 1,000 rounds of 4.5 inch high explosive."</p>
+
+<p>But why the next relief ship? It won't get here for another three weeks
+and by that time we should be, by all the laws of nature and of war, in
+Davy Jones's locker. True, we don't mean to be, whatever the Ordnance
+may do or leave undone<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> but, so far as I can see, that won't be their
+fault. Neither I nor my Staff can make head or tail of these cables.
+They seem so unlike K.; so unlike all the people. Here we are:&mdash;The
+Turks in front of us&mdash;too close: the deep sea behind us&mdash;too close. We
+beg them "instantly" to send us 4.5 inch and other ammunition;
+"instantly, <i>via</i> Marseilles":&mdash;they tell us in reply that they will
+send 1,000 rounds of the vital stuff, the 4.5 high explosive, "<i>in the
+next relief ship</i>"!</p>
+
+<p>Why, even in the South African War, before the siege of Ladysmith, one
+battery would fire five hundred rounds in a day. And this 1,000 rounds
+in the next relief ship (<i>via</i> Alexandria) will take three weeks to get
+to us whereas stress was laid by me upon the Marseilles route.</p>
+
+<p>Now, to-day, (the 9th), I have at last been able to send the Ordnance a
+statement (made under extreme difficulty) of our ammunition expenditure;
+up to the 5th May; i.e., before the three days' battle began. We were
+then nine million small arm still to the good having spent eleven
+million. We had shot away 23,000 shrapnel, 18 pr., and had 48,000 in
+hand. We had fired off 5,000 of that (most vital) 4.5 howitzer and had
+1,800 remaining. A.P.S. has been added saying the amounts shown had been
+greatly reduced by the last two days' battle. Actually, they have fallen
+to less than half and, as I have said, we had, on the evening of the
+7th, only 17,000 rounds of 18 pr. on hand for the whole Peninsula. Out
+of this we have fought the battle of the 8th and I believe we have run
+down now to under 10,000, some fear as low as 5,000.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Very well. Now for my last night's cable which, in the opinion of my
+Officers, summarises general result of lack of shell&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"For the past three days we have fought our hardest for Achi Baba
+winding up with a bayonet charge by the whole force along the entire
+front, from sea to sea. Faced by a heavy artillery, machine gun and
+rifle fire our troops, French and British alike, made a fine effort; the
+French especially got well into the Turks with the bayonet, and all
+along, excepting on our extreme left, our line gained ground. I might
+represent the battle as a victory, as the enemy's advanced positions
+were driven in, but essentially the result has been failure, as the main
+object remains unachieved. The fortifications and their machine guns
+were too scientific and too strongly held to be rushed, although I had
+every available man in to-day. Our troops have done all that flesh and
+blood can do against semi-permanent works, and they are not able to
+carry them. More and more munitions will be needed to do so. I fear this
+is a very unpalatable conclusion, but I see no way out of it.</p>
+
+<p>"I estimate that the Turks had about 40,000 opposed to our 25,000
+rifles. There are 20,000 more in front of Australian-New Zealand Army
+Corps' 12,000 rifles at Gaba Tepe. By bringing men over from the Asiatic
+side and from Adrianople the Turks seem to be able to keep up their
+strength. I have only one more brigade of the Lancashire Territorial
+Division to come; not enough to make any real effect upon the situation
+as regards breaking through."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Hard must be the heart that is not wrung to think of all these brave
+boys making their effort; giving their lives; all that they had; it is
+too much; almost more than can be borne.</p>
+
+<p>Now to go back and make my notes, day by day, of the battle&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>On the 6th instant we began at 11.30 after half an hour's
+bombardment,&mdash;we dared not run to more. A strong wind was blowing and it
+was hard to land or come aboard. Till 2 p.m. I remained glued to the
+telephone on board and then went ashore and saw both Hunter-Weston and
+d'Amade in their posts of command. The live long day there were furious
+semi-detached fights by Battalions and Brigades, and we butted back the
+enemy for some 200 or 300 yards. So far so good. But we did not capture
+any of the main Turkish trenches. I still think we might have done as
+well at much less cost by creeping up these 200 or 300 yards by night.</p>
+
+<p>However!</p>
+
+<p>At 4.30 we dropped our high-vaulting Achi Baba aspirations and took to
+our spades.</p>
+
+<p>The Hood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division had been roughly handled.
+In the hospital clearing tent by the beach I saw and spoke to (amongst
+many others) young Asquith, shot through the knee, and Commander
+Wedgwood, who had been horribly hurt by shrapnel. Each in his own way
+was a calm hero; wrapped in the mantle bequeathed to English soldiers by
+Sir Philip Sidney. Coming back in the evening to the ship we watched
+the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> Manchester Brigade disembarking. I have never seen a better looking
+lot. The 6th Battalion would serve very well as picked specimens of our
+race; not so much in height or physique, but in the impression they gave
+of purity of race and distinction. Here are the best the old country can
+produce; the hope of the progress of the British ideal in the world; and
+half of them are going to swap lives with Turks whose relative value to
+the well-being of humanity is to theirs as is a locust to a honey-bee.</p>
+
+<p>That night Bailloud, Commander of the new French Division, came to make
+his salaam. He is small, alert, brimful of jokes and of years; seventy
+they say, but he neither looks it nor acts it.</p>
+
+<p>The 7th was stormy and the sea dangerously rough. At 10 a.m. the
+Lancashire Fusilier Brigade were to lead off on our left. They could not
+get a move on, it seemed, although we had hoped that the shelling from
+the ships would have swept a clear lane for them.</p>
+
+<p>The thought that "Y" Beach, which was holding up this brigade, was once
+in our hands, adds its sting to other reports coming from that part of
+the field. In France these reports would have been impersonal messages
+arriving from afar. In Asia or Africa I would have been letting off the
+steam by galloping to d'Amade or Hunter-Weston. Here I was neither one
+thing nor the other:&mdash;neither a new fangled Commander sitting cool and
+semi-detached in an office; nor an old fashioned Commander taking
+personal direction of the show. During so long drawn out a suspense I
+tried to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span> ease the tension by dictation. From the carbons I select these
+two paragraphs: they occur in a letter fired off to Colonel Clive Wigram
+at "11.25 a.m., 7th May, 1915."</p>
+
+<p>"I broke off there because I got a telephone message in from
+Hunter-Weston to say his centre was advancing, and that by a pretty
+piece of co-operation between Infantry and Artillery, he had driven the
+Turks out of one very troublesome trench. He cannot see what is on his
+left, or get any message from them. On his left are the Lancashire
+Fusiliers (Territorials). They are faced by a horrid redoubt held by
+machine guns, and they are to rush it with the bayonet.<a name="FNanchor_15_15" id="FNanchor_15_15"></a><a href="#Footnote_15_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a> It is a high
+thing to ask of Territorials but against an enemy who is fighting for
+his life, and for the existence of his country, we have to call upon
+every one for efforts which, under any other conditions, might be
+considered beyond their strength.</p>
+
+<p>"Were we still faced by the Divisions which originally held the
+Gallipoli Peninsula we would by now, I firmly believe, be in possession
+of the Kilid Bahr plateau. But every day a regiment or two dribble into
+Gallipoli, either from Asia or from Constantinople, and in the last two
+days an entire fresh Division has (we have heard) arrived from
+Adrianople, and is fighting against us this morning. The smallest
+demonstration on the part of Bulgaria would, I presume, have prevented
+this big reinforcement of fresh troops reaching the enemy, but it seems
+beyond the resources of diplomacy to get anyone to create a diversion."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>At 4.30 I ordered a general assault; the 88th Brigade to be thrown in on
+the top of the 87th; the New Zealand Brigade in support; the French to
+conform. Our gunners had put more than they could afford into the
+bombardment and had very little wherewith to pave the way.</p>
+
+<p>By the 4th instant I had seen danger-point drawing near and now it was
+on us. Five hundred more rounds of howitzer 4.5 and aeroplanes to spot
+whilst we wiped out the machine guns; that was the burden of my prayer.
+Still, we did what we could and for a quarter of an hour the whole of
+the Turkish front was wreathed in smoke, but these were naval shells or
+18 pr shrapnel; we have no 18 pr high explosive and neither naval shells
+nor shrapnel are very much good once the targets have got underground.
+On our left no move forward.<a name="FNanchor_16_16" id="FNanchor_16_16"></a><a href="#Footnote_16_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a> Elsewhere our wonderful Infantry fought
+like fresh formations. In face of a tempest of shot and shell and of a
+desperate resistance by the Turks, who stuck it out very bravely to the
+last, they carried and held the first line enemy trenches. At night
+several counter-attacks were delivered, in every case repulsed with
+heavy loss.</p>
+
+<p>We are now on our last legs. The beautiful Battalions of the 25th April
+are wasted skeletons now; shadows of what they had been. The thought of
+the river of blood, against which I painfully made my way when I met
+these multitudes of wounded coming down to the shore, was unnerving. But
+every soldier has to fight down these pitiful sensations: the enemy may
+be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span> harder hit than he: if we do not push them further back the beaches
+will become untenable. To overdrive the willingest troops any General
+ever had under his command is a sin&mdash;but we must go on fighting
+to-morrow!</p>
+
+<p>On Saturday, the 8th, I went ashore and by 9.30 had taken up my quarters
+in a little gully between "W" and "X" Beaches within 60 yards of the
+Headquarters of the Royal Naval Division. There I was in direct
+telephonic touch with both Hunter-Weston and d'Amade. The storm had
+abated and the day was fine. Our troops had now been fighting for two
+days and two nights but there were messages in from the front telling us
+they were keen as ever to get something solid for their efforts. The
+Lancashire Fusiliers Brigade had been withdrawn into reserve, and under
+my orders the New Zealand Brigade was to advance through the line taken
+up during the night by the 88th Brigade and attack Krithia. The 87th
+Brigade were to try and gain ground over that wicked piece of moorland
+to the West of the great ravine which&mdash;since the days when it was in the
+hands of the troops who landed at "Y"&mdash;has hopelessly held up our left.
+Every gun-shot fired gives me a pain in my heart and adds to the deadly
+anxiety I feel about our ammunition. We have only one thousand rounds of
+4.5 H.E. left and we dare not use any more. The 18 pr shrapnel is
+running down, down, down to its terminus, for we <i>must</i> try and keep
+10,000 rounds in hand for defence. The French have still got enough to
+cover their own attacks. The ships began to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span> fire at 10.15 and after a
+quarter of an hour the flower of New Zealand advanced in open order to
+the attack. After the most desperate hand to hand fighting, often by
+sections or sometimes by groups of half a dozen men, we gained slowly,
+very slowly, perhaps a couple of hundred yards. There was an opinion in
+some quarters that we had done all we could, but I resolved firmly to
+make one more attempt. At 4 o'clock I issued orders that the whole line,
+reinforced by the Australians, should on the stroke of 5.30 fix bayonets
+and storm Krithia and Achi Baba. At 5.15 the men-of-war went at it hot
+and strong with their big guns and fifteen minutes later the hour glass
+of eternity dropped a tiny grain labelled 5.30 p.m. 8.5.1915 into the
+lap of time.</p>
+
+<p>As that moment befell, the wide plain before us became alive. Bayonets
+sparkled all over the wide plain. Under our glasses this vague movement
+took form and human shape: men rose, fell, ran, rushed on in waves,
+broke, recoiled, crumbled away and disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>At the speed of the minute hand of a watch the left of our line crept
+forward.</p>
+
+<p>On the right, at first nothing. Then suddenly, in the twinkling of an
+eye, the whole of the Northern slopes of the Kereves Dere Ravine was
+covered by bright coloured irregular surging crowds, moving in quite
+another way to the khaki-clad figures on their left:&mdash;one moment pouring
+over the debatable ground like a torrent, anon twisted and turning and
+flying like multitudes of dead leaves before<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> the pestilent breath of
+the howitzers. No living man has ever seen so strange a vision as this:
+in its disarray; in its rushing to and fro; in the martial music, shouts
+and evolutions!</p>
+
+<p>My glasses shook as I looked, though I <i>believe</i> I seemed very calm. It
+seemed; it truly seemed as if the tide of blue, grey, scarlet specks was
+submerging the enemy's strongholds. A thousand of them converged and
+rushed the redoubt at the head of the Kereves Dere. A few seconds later
+into it&mdash;one! two!! three!!! fell from the clouds the Turkish six
+inchers. Where the redoubt had been a huge column of smoke arose as from
+the crater of a volcano. Then fast and furious the enemy guns opened on
+us. For the first time they showed their full force of fire. Again, the
+big howitzers led the infernal orchestra pitting the face of no man's
+land with jet black blotches. The puppet figures we watched began to
+waver; the Senegalese were torn and scattered. Once more these huge
+explosions unloading their cargoes of midnight on to the evening gloom.
+All along the Zouaves and Senegalese gave way. Another surge forward and
+bayonets crossed with the Turks: yet a few moments of tension and back
+they fell to their trenches followed by salvo upon salvo of shell
+bursts. Night slid down into the smoke. The last thing&mdash;against the
+skyline&mdash;a little column of French soldiers of the line charging back
+upwards towards the lost redoubt. After that&mdash;darkness!</p>
+
+<p>The battle is over. Both sides have fought with every atom of energy
+they possessed. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span> heat is oppressive. A heavy mail from England. On
+shore all quiet. A young wounded Officer of the 29th Division said it
+was worth ten years of tennis to see the Australians and New Zealanders
+go in. Began writing at daylight and now it is midnight. No word yet of
+the naval offer to go through.</p>
+
+<p>Issued a special order to the troops. They deserve everything that
+anyone can give them in this world and the next.</p>
+
+<p class='author'><span class='smcap'>General Headquarters,</span><br />
+<i>9th May, 1915.</i></p>
+
+<p>"Sir Ian Hamilton wishes the troops of the Mediterranean Expeditionary
+Force to be informed that in all his past experiences, which include the
+hard struggles of the Russo-Japanese campaign, he has never seen more
+devoted gallantry displayed than that which has characterised their
+efforts during the past three days. He has informed Lord Kitchener by
+cable of the bravery and endurance displayed by all ranks here and has
+asked that the necessary reinforcements be forthwith dispatched.
+Meanwhile, the remainder of the East Lancashire Division is disembarking
+and will henceforth be available to help us to make good and improve
+upon the positions we have so hardly won."</p>
+
+<p><i>10th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Fell asleep last night thinking of
+Admirals, Commodores and men-o'-war and of how they <i>might</i>, within<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span> the
+next forty-eight hours, put another complexion upon our prospects. So it
+seemed quite natural when, the first thing in the morning, a cable came
+in with the tea asking me whether I have been consulting de Robeck as to
+"the future operations that will be necessary." K. adds, "I hope you and
+the Admiral will be able to devise some means of clearing a passage."</p>
+
+<p>Have just cabled back "Every day I have consultations with the Admiral":
+I cannot say more than this as I am not supposed to know anything about
+de Robeck's cable as to the "means of clearing a passage" which went, I
+believe, yesterday. No doubt it lay before K. when he wired me. I have
+not been shown the cable; I have not been consulted about it, nor, I
+believe, has Braithwaite, but I do happen to be aware of its drift.</p>
+
+<p>Without embarking on another endless yarn let me note the fact that
+there are two schools amongst our brethren afloat. Roger Keyes and those
+of the younger school who sport the executive curl upon their sleeves
+are convinced that now, when we have replaced the ramshackle old
+trawlers of 18th March by an unprecedented mine-sweeping service of
+20-knot destroyers under disciplined crews, the forcing of the Straits
+has become as easy ... well; anyway; easier than what we soldiers tried
+to do on Saturday. Upon these fire-eaters de Robeck has hitherto thrown
+cold water. He thought, as we thought, that the Army would save his
+ships. But our last battle has shown him that the Army would only open<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span>
+the Straits at a cost greater than the loss of ships, and that the time
+has come to strike home with the tremendous mechanism of the Fleet. On
+that basis he quickly came to terms with the views of his thrusting
+lieutenants.</p>
+
+<p>On two reservations, he still insisted: (1) he was not going to deprive
+me of the close tactical support of his battleships if there was the
+least apprehension we might be "done in" in his absence. (2) He was not
+going to risk his ships amongst the mines unless we were sure, if he did
+get through, we could follow on after him by land.</p>
+
+<p>On both issues there was, to my thinking, no question:&mdash;(1) Although we
+cannot push through "under present conditions without more and more
+ammunition," <i>vide</i> my cable of yesterday, all the Turks in Asia will
+not shift us from where we stand even if we have not one battleship to
+back us.</p>
+
+<p>(2) If the ships force the Straits, beyond doubt, we can starve out the
+Turks; scupper the Forts and hold the Bulair lines.</p>
+
+<p>We know enough now about the communications and reserves of food and
+munitions of the Turks to be positively certain they cannot stick it on
+the Peninsula if they are cut off from sea communication with Asia and
+with Constantinople. Within a fortnight they will begin to run short; we
+are all agreed there.</p>
+
+<p>So now, (i.e., yesterday) the Admiral has cabled offering to go through,
+and "now" is the moment<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span> of all others to let Lord K. clearly face the
+alternative to that proposal. So I have said (in the same cable in which
+I answer his question about consultations with the Admiral) "If you
+could only spare me two fresh Divisions organized as a Corps I could
+push on with great hopes of success both from Helles and Gaba Tepe;
+otherwise I am afraid we shall degenerate into trench warfare with its
+resultant slowness."</p>
+
+<p>Birdie ran down from Anzac and breakfasted. He brings news of an A.1
+affair. Two of his Battalions, the 15th and 16th Australians, stormed
+three rows of Turkish trenches with the bayonet, and then sat down in
+them. At dawn to-day the enemy counter-attacked in overwhelming
+strength. The healthy part of the story lies herein, that our field guns
+were standing by in action, and as the enemy came on they let them have
+it hot with shrapnel over a space of 300 yards. Terrible as this fire
+was, it failed to beat off the Turks. They retook the trenches, but they
+have paid far more than their price, for Birdwood assures me that their
+corpses lie piled up so thick one on top of the other that our snipers
+can take cover behind them.</p>
+
+<p>A curious incident: during the night a Fleet-sweeper tied up alongside,
+full of wounded, chiefly Australians. They had been sent off from the
+beach; had been hawked about from ship to ship and every ship they
+hailed had the same reply&mdash;"full up"&mdash;until, in the end, they received
+orders to return to the shore and disembark their<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> wounded to wait there
+until next day. The Officers, amongst them an Australian Brigadier of my
+acquaintance, protested; and so, the Fleet-sweeper crew, not knowing
+what to do, came and lashed on to us.<a name="FNanchor_17_17" id="FNanchor_17_17"></a><a href="#Footnote_17_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a> No one told me anything of
+this last night, but the ship's Captain and his Officers and my own
+Staff Officers have been up on watches serving out soup, etc., and
+tending these wounded to the best of their power. As soon as I heard
+what had happened I first signalled the hospital ship <i>Guildford Castle</i>
+to prepare to take the men in (she had just cast anchor); then I went on
+board the Fleet-sweeper myself and told the wounded how sorry I was for
+the delay in getting them to bed. They declared one and all they had
+been very well done but "the boys" never complain; my A.G. is the
+responsible official; I have told him the <i>band-o-bast</i> has been bad;
+also that a Court of Enquiry must be called to adjudicate on the whole
+matter.</p>
+
+<p>Were an example to be sought of the almighty influence of "Time" none
+better could be found than in the fact that, to-day, I have almost
+forgotten to chronicle a passage in K.'s cable aforesaid that might well
+have been worth the world and the glories thereof only forty-eight short
+hours ago. K. says, "More ammunition is being pushed out to you <i>via</i>
+Marseilles." I am glad.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> I am deeply grateful. Our anxieties will be
+lessened, but <i>that same message, had it only reached us on Saturday
+morning, would have enabled us to fire 5,000 more shrapnel and 500 more
+4.5 howitzer H.E. to cover our last assault!</i><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER VIII</h2>
+
+<h3>TWO CORPS OR AN ALLY?</h3>
+
+
+<p><i>11th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Day dull and overcast. Vice-Admiral
+came over to see me in the morning. Neither of us has had a reply to his
+cable; instead, he has been told two enemy submarines are on their way
+to pay us a visit. The approach of these mechanical monsters opens up
+vistas thronged with shadowy forebodings. De Robeck begs me to set his
+mind at ease by landing with my Staff forthwith. Have sent Officers to
+survey the ground between Helles and Sedd-el-Bahr and to see if they can
+find room for us. We would all rather be on shore than board ship, but
+Helles and "V" Beaches are already overcrowded, and we should be
+squeezed in cheek by jowl, within a few hundred yards of the two
+Divisional Headquarters Staffs.</p>
+
+<p><i>12th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Raining hard. Busy all morning. A
+cable from Lord K. to say he is sending out the Lowland Division. We are
+all as pleased as Punch! especially (so Braithwaite tells me) Roger
+Keyes who looks on this as a good omen for the naval attack proposals.
+Had he not meant the Fleet to shove in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span> K. must have made some reference
+to the second Division, surely. Have cabled back at once to K. giving
+him warmest thanks and begging him to look, personally, into the
+question of the command of the coming Division. Have begged him to take
+Leslie Rundle's opinion on the point and have pressed it by saying,
+"Imperturbable calm in the Commander is essential above all things in
+these operations." Most of the troop transports have left their
+anchorage and gone back to Mudros for fear of submarines.</p>
+
+<p>Went ashore at 3 o'clock. Saw Hunter-Weston and then inspected the 29th
+Division just in from the firing line. The ground was heavy and sloppy
+after the rain. I walked as far as the trenches of the 86th Brigade and
+saw amongst other Corps the Essex, Hants, Lancashire Fusiliers and 5th
+Royal Scots. Spent over an hour chatting to groups of Officers and men
+who looked like earth to earth, caked as they were with mud, haggard
+with lack of sleep, pale as the dead, many of them slightly wounded and
+bandaged, hand or head, their clothes blood-stained, their eyes
+blood-shot. Who could have believed that only a fortnight ago these same
+figures were clean as new pins; smart and well-liking! Two-thirds of
+each Battalion were sound asleep in pools of mud and water&mdash;like corpses
+half buried! This sounds horrible but the hearty welcome extended to us
+by all ranks and the pride they took in their achievements was a sublime
+triumph of mind over matter. Our voluntary service regulars are the last
+descendants of those rulers of the ancient<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> world, the Roman
+Legionaries. Oh that their ranks could be kept filled and that a mould
+so unique was being used to its fullest in forming new regulars.</p>
+
+<p>On my way back to the beach I saw the Plymouth Battalion as it marched
+in from the front line. They were quite different excepting only in the
+fact that they also had done marvels of fighting and endurance. They
+were done: they had come to the end of their tether. Not only physical
+exhaustion but moral exhaustion. They could not raise a smile in the
+whole battalion. The faces of Officers and men had a crushed, utterly
+finished expression: some of the younger Officers especially had that
+true funeral set about their lips which spreads the contagion of gloom
+through the hearts of the bravest soldiers. As each company front formed
+the knees of the rank and file seemed to give way. Down they fell and
+motionless remained. An hour or two of rest, their Colonel says, will
+make all the difference in what the French call their <i>allure</i>, but not
+quite so soon I think. These are the New Armies. They are not
+specialised types like the Old Army. They have nerves, the defects of
+their good qualities. They are more susceptible to the horrors and
+discomforts of what they were never brought up to undergo. The
+philosophy of the battlefield is not part of their panoply. No one
+fights better than they do&mdash;for a spell&mdash;and a good long spell too. But
+they have not the invincible carelessness or temperamental springiness
+of the old lot&mdash;and how should they?<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>In the evening I received General d'Amade who had come over to pay his
+farewell visit. He is permitted to let me see his order of recall.
+"Important modifications having come about in the general political
+situation" his Government have urgent need for his services on a
+"military mission." D'Amade is a most charming, chivalrous and loyal
+soldier. He has lost his son fighting in France and he has had his
+headquarters right down in the middle of his 75's where the infernal din
+night and day must indeed murder sleep. He is a delightful person and,
+in the combat, too brave. We all wish him luck. For Kum Kale and for
+what he has done, suffered and lost he deserves great Kudos in his
+country.</p>
+
+<p>By order of the Vice-Admiral this ship is to anchor at Tenedos. My
+informal confab with the heroes of the 29th Division, and their utter
+unconsciousness of their own glorious conduct have moved me to write
+these few words in their honour:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p class='author'><span class='smcap'>General Headquarters,</span><br />
+<i>12th May, 1915.</i></p>
+
+<p>For the first time for 18 days and nights it has been found possible to
+withdraw the 29th Division from the fire fight. During the whole of that
+long period of unprecedented strain the Division has held ground or
+gained it, against the bullets and bayonets of the constantly renewed
+forces of the foe. During the whole of that long period they have been
+illuminating the pages of military history with their blood. The losses
+have been <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span>terrible, but mingling with the deep sorrow for fallen
+comrades arises a feeling of pride in the invincible spirit which has
+enabled the survivors to triumph where ordinary troops must inevitably
+have failed. I tender to Major-General Hunter-Weston and to his Division
+at the same time my profoundest sympathy with their losses and my
+warmest congratulations on their achievement.</p>
+
+<p class='author'><span class='smcap'>Ian Hamilton,</span><br />
+<i>General.</i></p>
+
+<p><br /></p>
+<p><a name="Amade" id="Amade"></a></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+             <img   src="images/img420.jpg"
+             alt="d'Amade" /><br />
+         <b>General d'Amade.</b>
+    </div>
+
+<p><br /></p>
+
+<p>Also I have penned a farewell line to d'Amade:<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 14em;"><span class='smcap'>General Headquarters,</span></span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 16em;">Medn. Exped. Force,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 18em;"><i>12th May, 1915.</i></span></p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;" class='smcap'>Mon G&eacute;n&eacute;ral,</span></p>
+
+<p>With deep personal sadness I learn that your country has urgent need of
+your great experience elsewhere.</p>
+
+<p>From the very first you and your brave troops have done all, and more
+than all, that mortal man could do to further the cause we have at
+heart. By day and by night, for many days and nights in succession, you
+and your gallant troops have ceaselessly struggled against the enemy's
+fresh reinforcements and have won from him ground at the bayonet point.</p>
+
+<p>The military records of France are most glorious, but you, Mon G&eacute;n&eacute;ral,
+have added fresh brilliancy, if I may say so, even to those dazzling
+records.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The losses have been cruel: such losses are almost unprecedented, but it
+may be some consolation hereafter to think that only by so fierce a
+trial could thus have been fully disclosed the flame of patriotism which
+burns in the hearts of yourself and your men.</p>
+
+<p>With sincere regrets at your coming departure but with the full
+assurance that in your new sphere of activity, you will continue to
+render the same valuable service you have already given to France.</p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 3em;">I remain,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 6em;">Mon G&eacute;n&eacute;ral,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 9em;">Your sincere friend,</span><br />
+<span class='smcap' style="margin-left: 12em;">Ian Hamilton,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 15em;"><i>General.</i></span></p>
+
+<p><i>13th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Hot and bright. Dead calm sea. Last
+night a dense fog during which a Turkish Torpedo boat sneaked down the
+Straits and torpedoed the <i>Goliath</i>. David and his sling on the grand
+scale. No details yet to hand. The enemy deserve decorations&mdash;confound
+them!</p>
+
+<p>Got hold of a Fleet-sweeper and went off to Cape Helles. Again visited
+Headquarters 29th Division, and afterwards walked through the trenches
+of the 87th Brigade. Saw that fine soldier, Brigadier-General Marshall,
+in command. Chatted to no end of his men&mdash;Inniskillings, Dublin
+Fusiliers, etc. They have recovered their exhaustion; have cleaned up,
+and look full of them<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span>selves, twice the size in fact. As I stepped on to
+the little pier at Cape Helles an enemy's six-incher burst about 50
+yards back, a lump of metal just clearing my right shoulder strap and
+shooting into the sea with an ugly hiss. Not a big fragment but enough!</p>
+
+<p>The Staff have made up their minds that we should be very much in the
+wrong box if we dossed down on the toe of the Peninsula. First,&mdash;unless
+we get between the Divisional Generals and the enemy, there is literally
+no room! Secondly,&mdash;I should be further, in point of time, from Birdwood
+and his men than if I was still on board ship. Thirdly,&mdash;the several
+Headquarters of Divisions, whether French or British, would all equally
+hate to have Braithwaite and myself sitting in their pockets from
+morning to night. Have sent out another party, therefore, to explore
+Tenedos and see if we can find a place there which will serve us till we
+can make more elbow room on Gallipoli.</p>
+
+<p>The Gurkhas have stalked the Bluff Redoubt and have carried it with a
+rush! They are absolutely the boys for this class of country and for
+this class of enemy.</p>
+
+<p>Cabled Lord K. about the weakness of the 29th Division. At the very
+moment when we are hoping so much from a fresh push made in conjunction
+with a naval attack, the Division, the backbone of my force, are short
+by over 11,000 men and 400 Officers! As a fighting unit they are on
+their last legs and when they will be set<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> upon their feet again Lord K.
+knows. Were we in France we'd get the men to-morrow. If I had my own
+depots in Egypt still I could see my way, but, as things are, there
+seems no chance of getting a move on for another fortnight. Have cabled
+K. saying, "I hope the 29th Division is soon to be made up to strength.
+I had no idea when I left England that the customary 10 per cent.
+reinforcement was not being taken with it by the Division although it
+was to operate at so great a distance from its base." If K. gets into a
+bad temper over the opening of my cable, its tail end should lift him
+out again. For the enemy's extremely tenacious right has been shifted at
+last. Under cover of a hooroosh by the Manchesters, the Gurkhas have
+rushed a bluff 600 yards ahead of our line and are sticking to their
+winnings.</p>
+
+<p><i>14th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Hot day, smooth sea. Disembarking
+to bivouac on shore. What a contrast we must present to the Headquarters
+in France! There the stately <i>Ch&acirc;teau</i>; sheets, table-cloths and motor
+cars. Here the red tab patricians have to haul their own kits over the
+sand.</p>
+
+<p>In the afternoon d'Amade came back with General Gouraud, his successor,
+the new Chief of the French. A resolute, solid looking <i>gaillard</i> is
+Gouraud. He brings a great reputation with him from the Western Front.</p>
+
+<p>Quite late the Admiral came over to see me. He brings bad news. Roger
+Keyes and the for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span>wards will be cut to the heart. The Admiralty have
+turned down the proposal to force the Straits simultaneously by land and
+sea. We are to go on attacking; the warships are to go on supporting.</p>
+
+<p>From the earliest days great commanders have rubbed in the maxim, "If
+you attack, attack with all your force." Our people know better; we are
+to go on attacking with half our force. First we attack with the naval
+half and are held up&mdash;next we attack with the army half and are held up.</p>
+
+<p>The Admiral has changed his mind about our landing and thinks it would
+be best not to fix G.H.Q. at Tenedos; first, because there might be
+delay in getting quickly to Anzac; secondly, because Tenedos is so close
+to Asia that we might all be scuppered in our beds by a cutting-out
+party of Besika Bay ruffians, unless we had a guard. But we can't run to
+the pomp and circumstance of a Commander-in-Chief's guard here.</p>
+
+<p><i>15th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Till 3 p.m. the perspiring Staff
+were re-embarking their gear. Sailed then for Helles when I saw
+Hunter-Weston who gave me a full account of the attacks made on the
+newly gained bluff upon our left. Shells busy bursting on "W" Beach.
+Some French aeroplanes have arrived&mdash;God be praised! Shocked to hear
+Birdie has been hit, but another message to say nothing serious, came
+close on the heels of the first. Anchored at Imbros when I got a cable
+asking me what forces I shall need<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> to carry right through to a finish.
+A crucial question, very much affected by what the Admiral told me last
+night. Nothing easier than to ask for 150,000 men and then, if I fail
+say I didn't get what I wanted, but the boldest leaders, Bobs, White,
+Gordon, K., have always "asked for more" with a most queasy conscience.
+On the face of it I need many more men if the Fleet is not to attack,
+and yet I am not even supposed to have knowledge, much less an opinion,
+as to what passes between the Fleet and the Admiralty!</p>
+
+<p><i>16th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> De Robeck came off the <i>Lord
+Nelson</i>, his new Flagship, in the morning. The submarines are shadowing
+him already, and there seems little doubt they are on their way.</p>
+
+<p>Bridges has been badly wounded. The news upset me so got hold of H.M.S.
+<i>Rattlesnake</i> (Commander Wedgwood), and started off for Anzac. Went
+ashore and saw Birdie. Doing so, I received a different sort of salute
+from that to which a Commander-in-Chief landing on duty is entitled by
+regulation. Quite a shower of shell fell all about us, the Turks having
+spotted there was some sort of "bloke" on the <i>Rattlesnake</i>. We went
+round a bit of the line, and found all well, the men in great heart and,
+amidst a constant crackle of musketry, looking as if they liked it.
+Birdie himself is still a little shaken by his wound of yesterday. He
+had a close shave indeed. A bullet came through the chinks of a sandbag
+and scalped him. He fell to the ground senseless<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span> and pouring with
+blood, but when he had been picked up and washed he wanted to finish his
+round of the trenches.</p>
+
+<p>Embarked again under brisk shell fire and proceeded to the hospital ship
+<i>Gascon</i> where I saw General Bridges. He looked languid and pale. But
+his spirit was high as ever and he smiled at a little joke I managed to
+make about the way someone had taken the shelling we had just gone
+through. The doctors, alas, give a bad, if not desperate, account of
+him. Were he a young man, they could save him by cutting off his leg
+high up, but as it is he would not stand the shock. On the other hand,
+his feet are so cold from the artery being severed that they anticipate
+mortification. I should have thought better have a try at cutting off
+the leg, but they are not for it. Bridges will be a real loss. He was a
+single-minded, upright, politics-despising soldier. With all her
+magnificent rank and file, Australia cannot afford to lose Bridges. But
+perhaps I am too previous. May it be so!</p>
+
+<p>Spent a good long time talking to wounded men&mdash;Australians, New
+Zealanders and native Indians. Both the former like to meet someone who
+knows their native country, and the natives brighten up when they are
+greeted in Hindustani. On returning to Imbros, got good news about the
+Lancashire Territorials who have gained 180 yards of ground without
+incurring any loss to speak of. They are real good chaps. They suffer
+only from the regular soldiers' fault; there are too few of them here.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span></p>
+
+<p><i>17th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian." 10 p.m.</i> Too much work to move. In
+the evening the Admiral came to see me and read my rough draft for an
+answer to Lord K.'s cable. We show the Navy all our important operations
+cables; they have their own ways of doing things and don't open out so
+freely. On the face of it, we are invited to say what we want. Well, to
+steer a middle course between my duty to my force and my loyalty to K.
+is not so simple as it might seem. That middle course is (if I can only
+hit it) my duty to my country. The chief puzzle of the problem is that
+nothing turns out as we were told it would turn out. The landing has
+been made but the Balkans fold their arms, the Italians show no
+interest, the Russians do not move an inch to get across the Black Sea
+(the Grand Duke Nicholas has no munitions, we hear); our submarines have
+got through but they can only annoy, they cannot cut the sea
+communications, and so the Turks have not fled to Bulair. Instead, enemy
+submarines are actually about to get at us and our ships are being
+warned they may have to make themselves scarce: last&mdash;in point of
+time&mdash;but not least, not by a long way, the central idea of the original
+plan, an attack by the Fleet on the Forts appears to have been entirely
+shelved. At first the Fleet was to force its way through; we were to
+look on; next, the Fleet and the Army were to go for the Straits side by
+side; to-day, the whole problem may fairly be restated on a clean sheet
+of paper, so different is it from the problem originally put to me by K.
+when it was understood I would put him in an impossible position if I
+pressed for reinforcements. We<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> should be on velvet if we asked for so
+many troops that we must win if we got them; whereas, if we did not get
+them we could say victory was impossible. But we are not the only
+fighters for the Empire. The Admiral, Braithwaite, Roger Keyes agree
+with me that the fair and square thing under the circumstances is to ask
+for <i>what is right</i>; not a man more than we, in our consciences, believe
+we will really need,&mdash;not a man less.</p>
+
+<p>Actually, after much heart searching and head scratching, my mind has
+made itself up and has gone home by cable to-day. The statement is
+entirely frank and covers all the ground except as regards the Fleet, a
+pidgin which flies out of range:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(M.F. 234).</p>
+
+<p>"Your No. 4644 cipher, of the 14th instant. The following is my
+appreciation of the situation:</p>
+
+<p>"On the one hand, there are at present on the Peninsula as many troops
+as the available space and water supply can accommodate.</p>
+
+<p>"On the other hand, to break through the strong opposition on my front
+will require more troops. I am, therefore, in a quandary, because
+although more troops are wanted there is, at present, no room for
+them.<a name="FNanchor_18_18" id="FNanchor_18_18"></a><a href="#Footnote_18_18" class="fnanchor">[18]</a> Moreover, the difficulty in answering your question is
+accentuated by the fact that my answer must depend on whether Turkey
+will continue to be left undisturbed in other parts<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span> and therefore free
+to make good the undoubtedly heavy losses incurred here by sending
+troops from Adrianople, Keshan, Constantinople and Asia; we now have
+direct evidence that the latter has been the case.</p>
+
+<p>"If the present condition of affairs in this respect were changed by the
+entry into the struggle of Bulgaria or Greece or by the landing of the
+Russians, my present force, kept up to strength by the necessary drafts,
+plus the Army Corps asked for in my No. M.F. 216 of the 10th May, would
+probably suffice to finish my task. If, however, the present situation
+remains unchanged and the Turks are still able to devote so much
+exclusive attention to us, I shall want an additional army corps, that
+is, two army corps additional in all.</p>
+
+<p>"I could not land these reinforcements on the Peninsula until I can
+advance another 1,000 yards and so free the beaches from the shelling to
+which they are subjected from the Western side and gain more space; but
+I could land them on the adjacent islands of Tenedos, Imbros and Lemnos
+and take them over later to the Peninsula for battle. This plan would
+surmount the difficulties of water and space on the Peninsula and would,
+perhaps, enable me to effect a surprise with the fresh divisions.</p>
+
+<p>"I believe I could advance with half the loss of life that is now being
+reckoned upon, if I had a liberal supply of gun ammunition, especially
+of high explosive."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Only bitterest experience has forced me to insert the two stipulations
+which should go without saving, (1) that my force is kept up to
+strength, (2) that I have a decent allowance of gun ammunition,
+especially of high explosives.</p>
+
+<p>Will Lord K. meet us half way, I wonder? He is the idol of England, and
+take him all in all, the biggest figure in the world. He believes, he
+has an instinct, that here is the heel of the German Colossus, otherwise
+immune to our arrows. Let him but put his foot down, and who dare say
+him nay?</p>
+
+<p>The most vital of my demands is that my formations should be kept full.
+An extra 50,000 men in the shape of a new army corps is one thing. An
+extra 50,000 men to feed war-trained units already in the field is
+another, and very different, and very much better thing. The value of
+keeping the veteran corps up to strength and the value of the same
+number of rifles organized into raw battalions commanded by
+inexperienced leaders is as the value of the sun to the moon. But K. and
+I have never seen eye to eye here, and never will. The spirit of man is
+like a precious stone: the greater it is the more room in it for a flaw.
+Who in the world but K. would have swept up all the odds and ends of
+detachments from about twenty different regiments of mine sent from
+Pretoria to Elandsfontein to bring up remounts and clothing to their
+units; who but K. could have conceived the idea of forming them into a
+new corps and expecting them to fight as well as ever&mdash;instead of
+legging it like the wind<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span> as they did at the first whistle of a bullet?
+On the other hand, who but K., at that time, could have run the war at
+all?</p>
+
+<p>The 29th Division have managed to snatch another 150 yards from the
+enemy, greatly strengthening the bluff upon which the Gurkhas dug
+themselves in.</p>
+
+<p><i>18th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Villiers Stuart, Birdie's Staff
+Officer, has been killed on Anzac by a shell. The submarine E.14 sailed
+into harbour after a series of hair-raising adventures in the Sea of
+Marmora. She is none the worse, bar the loss of one periscope from a
+Turkish lucky shot. Her Commander, Boyle, comes only after Nasmith as a
+pet of Roger Keyes! She got a tremendous ovation from the Fleet. The
+exploits of the submarine give a flat knock-out to Norman Angell's
+contention that excitement and romance have now gone out of war.</p>
+
+<p>Have asked that the Maoris may be sent from Malta to join the New
+Zealanders at Anzac. I hope and believe that they will do well. Their
+white comrades from the Northern Island are very keen to have them.</p>
+
+<p><i>19th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian".</i> Compton Mackenzie has come on
+board. He is to be attached to the Intelligence. General Gouraud and his
+Chief of Staff, Girodon, lunched. I do not know many French Officers,
+but Girodon happens to be an old acquaintance. I met him six years ago
+on the Austrian man&oelig;uvres. He is a delightful<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span> personality; a very
+sound soldier and a plucky one also. I reminded him how, in 1906, he had
+told me that the Germans would end by binding together all the other
+peoples of Europe against the common danger of their dominance. This was
+at Teschen on the borderland between Austrian and Prussian Silesia
+during the Austrian Man&oelig;uvres. He remembered the occasion and the
+remark. Well, he has proved a true prophet!</p>
+
+<p>A cable from K. in answer to mine giving two more Army Corps as my
+minimum unless some neutral or Allied Power is going to help us against
+the Turks. I knew he would be greatly upset:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(4726, cipher).</p>
+
+<p>"Private and personal. With reference to your telegram No. M.F. 234, I
+am quite certain that you fully realize what a serious disappointment it
+has been to me to discover that my preconceived views as to the conquest
+of positions necessary to dominate the forts on the Straits, with naval
+artillery to support our troops on land, and with the active help of
+naval bombardment, were miscalculated.</p>
+
+<p>"A serious situation is created by the present check, and the calls for
+large reinforcements and an additional amount of ammunition that we can
+ill spare from France.</p>
+
+<p>"From the stand-point of an early solution of our difficulties, your
+views, as stated, are not encouraging. The question whether we can long
+support two fields of operation draining on our<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> resources requires
+grave consideration. I know that I can rely upon you to do your utmost
+to bring the present unfortunate state of affairs in the Dardanelles to
+as early a conclusion as possible, so that any consideration of a
+withdrawal, with all its dangers in the East, may be prevented from
+entering the field of possible solutions.</p>
+
+<p>"When all the above is taken into consideration, I am somewhat surprised
+to see that the 4,500 which Maxwell can send you are apparently not
+required by you. With the aid of these I had hoped that you would have
+been in a position to press forward.</p>
+
+<p>"The Lowland Division is leaving for you."</p>
+
+<p>This is a queer cable. Seems as if K. was beginning to come up against
+those political forces which have ever been a British Commander's bane.
+The words in which he begs me to try and prevent "a withdrawal with all
+its dangers in the East ... from entering the field of possible
+solutions," sounds uncommonly like a cry for help. He means that I
+should help him by remembering, and by making smaller calls upon him.
+But the only way I can <i>really</i> help him is by winning a battle: to
+pretend I could win that battle without drafts, munitions and the Army
+Corps asked for would be a very short-lived bluff both for him and for
+me. We have had it from other sources that this strange notion of
+running away from the Turk, after singeing his beard, has arisen in
+London and in France. So now that the murder has peeped out, I am glad
+to know where we are and to feel that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span> K. stands solid and sound behind
+us. He need have no fear; all that man can do I will do by pressing on
+here and by asking for not one man or round more than is absolutely
+essential for the job.</p>
+
+<p>As to that passage about the 4,500 Australians, a refusal of Australians
+would indeed be good cause for surprise&mdash;only&mdash;it has never taken place,
+and never will take place. I can only surmise that my request made to
+Maxwell that these 4,500 men should come to me as drafts for my skeleton
+units, instead of as a raw brigade, has twisted itself, going down some
+office corridor, into a story that I don't want the men! K. tells me
+Egypt is mine and the fatness thereof; yet, no sooner do I make the most
+modest suggestion concerning anything or anyone Egyptian than K. is got
+at and I find he is the Barmecide and I Schac'abac. "How do you like
+your lentil soup?" says K. "Excellently well," say I, "but devil a drop
+is in the plate!" I have got to enter into the joke; that's the long and
+the short of it. But it is being pushed just a trifle too far when I am
+told I <i>apparently do not require</i> 4,500 Australians!</p>
+
+<p>The whole of K.'s cable calls for close thinking. How to try and help
+him to pump courage into faint-hearted fellows? How to do so without
+toning down my demands for reinforcements?&mdash;for evidently these demands
+are what are making them shake in their shoes. Here is my draft for an
+answer: I can't change my estimate: it was the least I could safely ask
+for: but I can make<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span> it clear I do not want to ask for more than he can
+give:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(M.F. 243).</p>
+
+<p>"With reference to your No. 4726, cipher. Private and personal. You need
+not be despondent at anything in the situation. Remember that you asked
+me to answer on the assumption that you had adequate forces at your
+disposal, and I did so.</p>
+
+<p>"Maxwell must have misinformed you. I want the Australian reinforcements
+to fill existing cadres. Maxwell, possibly not to disappoint senior
+officers, has sent them as weak brigades, which complicates command and
+organization exceedingly.</p>
+
+<p>"We gain ground surely if slowly every day, and now at 11 p.m. the
+French and Naval Divisions are fighting their way forward."</p>
+
+<p>Tidings of great joy from Anzac. The whole of the enemy's
+freshly-arrived contingent have made a grand assault and have been
+shattered in the attempt. Samson dropped bombs on them as they were
+standing on the shore after their disembarkation. Next, they were moved
+up into the fight where a tremendous fire action was in progress. Last,
+they stormed forward in the densest masses yet seen on the Peninsula.
+Then, they were mown down and driven back headlong. So they have had a
+dreadnought reception. This has not been a local trench attack but a
+real battle and a fiery one. I have lost no time in cabling the glorious
+news to K. The cloud of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span> these coming enemy reinforcements has cast its
+shadow over us for awhile and now the sun shines again.</p>
+
+<p><i>20th May, 1919. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Aubrey Herbert saw me before
+dinner. He brings a message from Birdie to say that there has been some
+sort of parley with the enemy who wish to fix up an armistice for the
+burial of their dead. Herbert is keen on meeting the Turks half way and
+I am quite with him, <i>provided</i> Birdie clearly understands that no Corps
+Commander can fix up an armistice off his own bat, and <i>provided</i> it is
+clear we do not ask for the armistice but grant it to them&mdash;the
+suppliants. Herbert brings amazing fine detail about the night and day
+battle on the high ridges. Birdie has fairly taken the fighting edge off
+Liman von Sanders' two new Divisions: he has knocked them to bits. A few
+more shells and they would have been swept off the face of the earth. As
+it is we have slaughtered a multitude. Since the 18th we are down to two
+rounds per gun per diem, but the Turks who have been short of stuff
+since the 8th instant are now once more well found. Admiral Thursby
+tells me he himself counted 240 shells falling on one of Birdwood's
+trenches in the space of ten minutes. I asked him if that amounted to
+one shell per yard and he said the whole length of the trench was less
+than 100 yards. On the 18th fifty heavy shells, including 12-inch and
+14-inch, dropped out of the blue vault of heaven on to the Anzacs.
+Everyone sorry to say good-bye to Thursby who goes to Italy.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Rumours that Winston is leaving the Admiralty. This would be an awful
+blow to us out here, would be a sign that Providence had some grudge
+against the Dardanelles. Private feelings do not count in war, but alas,
+how grievous is this set-back to one who has it in him to revive the
+part of Pitt, had he but Pitt's place. Haldane, too. Are the benefits of
+his organization of our army to be discounted because they had a German
+origin? <i>Fas est et ab hoste doceri</i>. Half the guns on the Peninsula
+would have been scrap-iron had it not been for Haldane! But if this
+turns out true about Winston, there will be a colder spirit (let them
+appoint whom they will) at the back of our battleships here.</p>
+
+<p><i>21st May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian." Imbros.</i> De Robeck came on board
+with Lieutenant-Commander Boyle of E. 4 fame. I was proud indeed to meet
+the young and modest hero. He gets the V.C.; his other two officers the
+D.S.O.; his crew the D.C.M.</p>
+
+<p>Also he brought with him the Reuter giving us the Cabinet changes and
+the resignations of Fisher and Winston and this, in its interest, has
+eclipsed even V.C.s for the moment. De Robeck reminded me that Lord K.'s
+cable (begging me to help him to combat any idea of withdrawal) must
+have been written that very day. A significant straw disclosing the
+veering of the winds of high politics! Evidently K. felt ill at ease;
+evidently he must now be sitting at a round table surrounded by masked
+figures. Have just finished writing<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span> him to sympathize; to say he is not
+to worry about me as "I know that as long as you remain at the War
+Office no one will be allowed to harm us out here." Nor could they if he
+were the K. of old; the K. who downed Milner and Chamberlain by making a
+peace by agreement with the Boers and then swallowed a Viceroy and his
+Military Member of Council as an appetiser to his more serious digest of
+India. But is he? Where are the instruments?&mdash;gone to France or gone to
+glory. Callwell is the exception.</p>
+
+<p>I would give a great deal for one good talk with K.&mdash;I would indeed. But
+this is not France. Time and space forbid my quitting the helm and so I
+must try and induce the mountain to come to Mahomet. My letter goes on
+to say, "Could you not take a run out here and see us? If once you
+realize with your own eyes what the troops are doing I would never need
+to praise them again. Travelling in the <i>Phaeton</i> you would be here in
+three days; you would see some wonderful things and the men would be
+tremendously bucked up. The spirit of all ranks rises above trials and
+losses and is confident of the present and cheery about the future."</p>
+
+<p>Quite apart from any high politics, or from my coming to a fresh, clear,
+close understanding with K. on subjects neither of us understood when
+last we spoke together, I wish, on the grounds of ordinary tactics, he
+could make up his mind to come out. The man who has <i>seen</i> gains
+self-confidence and the prestige of his subject when he encounters
+others who have only <i>heard</i> and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span> <i>read</i>. K. might snap his fingers at
+the new hands in the Cabinet once he had been out and got the real
+Gallipoli at their tips.</p>
+
+<p>I can't keep my thoughts from dwelling on the fate of Winston. How will
+he feel now he realizes he is shorn of his direct power to help us
+through these dark and dreadful Straits? Since I started nothing has
+handicapped me more than the embargo which a double loyalty to K. and to
+de Robeck has imposed upon my communications to Winston. What a tragedy
+that his nerve and military vision have been side-tracked: his eclipse
+projects a black shadow over the Dardanelles.</p>
+
+<p>Very likely the next great war will have begun before we realize that
+the three days' delay in the fall of Antwerp saved Calais. No more
+brilliant effort of unaided genius in history than that recorded in the
+scene when Winston burst into the Council Chamber and bucked up the
+Burgomeisters to hold on a little bit longer. Any comfort our people may
+enjoy from being out of cannon shot of the Germans&mdash;they owe it to the
+imagination, bluff and persuasiveness of Winston and to this gallant
+Naval Division now destined to be starved to death!</p>
+
+<p>Sent my first despatch home to-day by King's Messenger. Never has story
+been penned amidst so infernal a racket.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER IX</h2>
+
+<h3>SUBMARINES</h3>
+
+
+<p><i>22nd May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> News in to say that yesterday,
+whilst Herbert was here to take orders about an armistice, some sort of
+an informal parley actually took place. Both sides suddenly got panic
+stricken, thinking the others were treacherous, and fire was opened,
+some stretcher bearers being killed. Nothing else was to be expected
+when things are done in this casual and unauthorized way. I felt very
+much annoyed, but Aubrey Herbert was still on board and I saw him before
+breakfast and told him Walker seemed to have taken too much upon himself
+parleying with the Turks and that Birdwood must now make this clear to
+everyone for future guidance. Although Aubrey Herbert is excessively
+unorthodox he quite sees that confabs with enemies must be carried out
+according to Cocker.</p>
+
+<p>After breakfast landed at Cape Helles. Inspected the detachment of the
+Works Department of the Egyptian Army as it was on its way to the French
+Headquarters. Colonel Micklem was in charge. At Sedd-el-Bahr lunched
+with Gouraud and his Staff. General Bailloud rode up just as I was about
+to enter the porch of the old Fort.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span> He was in two minds whether or not
+to embrace me, being in very high feather, his men having this morning
+carried the Haricot redoubt overlooking the Kereves Dere. At lunch he
+was the greatest possible fun, bubbling over with jokes and witty
+sallies. Just as we were finishing, news came through the telephone that
+Bailloud's Brigade had been driven in by a big Turkish counter-attack,
+with a loss of 400 men and some first class officers. Most of us showed
+signs, I will not say of being rattled, but of having stumbled against a
+rattlesnake. Gouraud remained unaffectedly in possession of himself as
+host of a lunch party. He said, "We will not take the trenches by not
+taking the coffee. Let us drink it first, and then we will consider." So
+we drank our coffee; lit our smokes, and afterwards Gouraud, through
+Girodon, issued his orders in the most calm and matter-of-fact way. He
+declares the redoubt will be in our hands again to-morrow.</p>
+
+<p>Our lunch was to furnish us with yet another landmark for bad luck. As
+we were leaving, a message came in to say that an enemy submarine had
+been sighted off Gaba Tepe. The fresh imprint of a tiger's paw upon the
+pathway gives the same sort of feel to the Indian herdsman. Tall stories
+from neighbouring villages have been going the round for weeks, only
+half-believed, but here is the very mark of the beast; the horror has
+suddenly taken shape. He mutters the name of God, wondering what eyes
+may even now be watching his every movement; he wonders whose turn will
+come first&mdash;and when&mdash;and where. This<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span> was the sort of effect of the
+wireless and in a twinkling every transport round the coast was steering
+full steam to Imbros. In less than no time we saw a regatta of
+skedaddling ships. So dies the invasion of England bogey which, from
+first to last, has wrought us an infinity of harm. Born and bred of
+mistrust of our own magnificent Navy, it has led soldiers into heresy
+after fallacy and fallacy after heresy until now it is the cause of my
+Divisions here being hardly larger than Brigades, whilst the men who
+might have filled them are "busy" guarding London! If one rumoured
+submarine can put the fear of the Lord into British transports how are
+German or any other transports going to face up to a hundred British
+submarines? The theory of the War Office has struggled with the theory
+of the Admiralty for the past five years: now there is nothing left of
+the War Office theory; no more than is left of a soap bubble when you
+strike it with a battleaxe. Some other stimulus to our Territorial
+recruiting than the fear of invasion will have to be invented in future.</p>
+
+<p>After lunch went to the Headquarters of the 29th Division where all the
+British Divisional Generals had assembled together to meet me. The same
+story everywhere&mdash;lack of men, meaning extra work&mdash;which again means
+sickness and still greater lack of men. On my return found a letter from
+the Turkish Commander-in-Chief giving his "full consent" to the
+armistice he himself had asked me for! A save-face document, no doubt:
+the wounded are all Turks as our men did not leave<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span> their trenches on
+the 19th; the dead, also, I am glad to say, almost entirely Turks; but
+anyway, one need not be too punctilious where it is a matter of giving
+decent burial to so many men.<br /><br /></p>
+
+
+<div class="blockquot">
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;" class='smcap'>Grand Quartier G&eacute;n&eacute;ral de la 5<sup>me</sup> Arm&eacute;e</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 16em;" class='smcap'>Ottomane.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 15em;"><i>le 22 mai 1915.</i></span><br />
+<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;" class='smcap'>"Excellence!</span>
+</p>
+
+<p>"J'ai l'honneur d'informer Votre Excellence que les propositions
+concernant la conclusion d'un armistice pour enterrer les morts et
+secourir les bless&eacute;s des deux parties adverses, ont trouv&eacute; mon
+plein consentement&mdash;et que seule nos sentiments d'humanit&eacute; nous y
+ont d&eacute;termin&eacute;s.</p>
+
+<p>"J'ai investi le lieutenant-colonel Fahreddin du pouvoir de signer
+en mon nom.</p>
+
+<p>"J'ai l'honneur d'&ecirc;tre avec l'assurance de ma plus haute
+consid&eacute;ration.</p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 8em;">(<i>Sd.</i>) "LIMAN VON SANDERS,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">"Commandant en chef de la 5<sup>me</sup></span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 16em;">Arm&eacute;e Ottomane.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;">"Commandant en chef des Forces Britanniques,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Sir John Hamilton, Excellence."</span><br />
+</p>
+</div>
+
+<p><i>23rd May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Blazing hot. Wrote all day. Had an
+hour and a half's talk with de Robeck&mdash;high politics as well as our own
+rather anxious affairs. No one knows how<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span> the new First Lord will play
+up, but Asquith, for sure, chucks away his mainspring if he parts with
+Winston: as to Fisher, he too has energy but none of it came our way so
+he will have no tears from us, though he has friends here too. The
+submarine scare is full on; the beastly things have frightened us more
+than all the Turks and all their German guns.</p>
+
+<p><i>24th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Vice-Admiral Nicol, French Naval
+Commander-in-Chief, came aboard to pay me a visit.</p>
+
+<p>Armistice from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. for burial of Turkish dead. All
+went off quite smoothly.... This moment, 12.40 p.m. the Captain has
+rushed in to say that H.M.S. <i>Triumph</i> is sinking! He caught the bad
+news on his wireless as it flew. Beyond doubt the German submarine. What
+exactly is about to happen, God knows. The fleet cannot see itself wiped
+out by degrees; and yet, without the fleet, how are we soldiers to
+exist? One more awful conundrum set to us, but the Navy will solve it,
+for sure.</p>
+
+<p><i>25th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Bad news confirmed. The Admiral
+came aboard and between us we tried to size up the new situation and to
+readjust ourselves thereto. Our nicely worked out system for supplying
+the troops has in a moment been tangled up into a hundred knotty
+problems. Instead of our small craft working to and fro in half mile
+runs, henceforth they will have to cover 60 miles per trip. Until now<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span>
+the big ocean going ships have anchored close up to Helles or Anzac; in
+future Mudros will be the only possible harbour for these priceless
+floating depots. Imbros, here, lies quite open to submarine attacks, and
+in a northerly gale, becomes a mere roadstead. The Admiral, who regards
+soldiers as wayward water babes, has insisted on lashing a merchantman
+to each side of the <i>Arcadian</i> to serve as torpedo buffers. There are,
+it seems, at least two German submarines prowling about at the present
+moment between Gaba Tepe and Cape Helles. After torpedoing the <i>Triumph</i>
+the same submarine fired at and missed the <i>Vengeance</i>. The <i>Lord
+Nelson</i> with the Admiral, as well as three French battleships,
+zig-zagged out of harbour and made tracks for Mudros in the afternoon.
+We are left all alone in our glory with our two captive merchantmen. The
+attitude is heroic but not, I think, so dangerous as it is
+uncomfortable. The big ocean liners lashed to port and starboard cut us
+off from air as well as light and one of them is loaded with Cheddar.
+When Mr. Jorrocks awoke James Pigg and asked him to open the window and
+see what sort of a hunting morning it was, it will be remembered that
+the huntsman opened the cupboard by mistake and made the reply, "Hellish
+dark and smells of cheese." Well, that immortal remark hits us off to a
+T. Never mind. Light will be vouchsafed. Amen.</p>
+
+<p>The burial of 3,000 Turks by armistice at Anzac seems to have been
+carried out without a hitch. All these 3,000 Turks were killed between
+the 18th and 20th instant. By the usual averages<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span> this figure implies
+over 12,000 wounded so the Lord has vouchsafed us a signal victory
+indeed. Birdwood's men were all out and his reserves, or rather the lack
+of them, would not permit him to counter-attack the moment the enemy's
+assault was repulsed. When we read of battles in histories we feel, we
+see, so clearly the value of counter-attack and the folly of passive
+defence; but, in the field, the struggle has sometimes been so close
+that the victorious defence are left gasping. The enemy were very polite
+during the armistice, and by way of being highly solemn and correct, but
+they could not refrain from bursting into laughter when the Australians
+held up cigarettes and called out "baksheesh."</p>
+
+<p>Last night the French and the Naval Brigade made a good advance with
+slight loss. The East Lancs also pushed on a little bit.</p>
+
+<p><i>26th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Entertained a small party of
+Australian officers as my private guests for 48 hours, my idea being to
+give them a bit of a rest. Colonel Monash, commanding 4th Australian
+Infantry Brigade, was the senior. He is a very competent officer. I have
+a clear memory of him standing under a gum tree at Lilydale, near
+Melbourne, holding a conference after a man&oelig;uvre, when it had been
+even hotter than it is here now. I was prepared for intelligent
+criticisms but I thought they would be so wrapped up in the cotton wool
+of politeness that no one would be very much impressed. On the contrary,
+he stated his opinions in the most direct, blunt,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span> telling way. The fact
+was noted in my report and now his conduct out here has been fully up to
+sample.</p>
+
+<p>A horrid mishap. Landing some New Zealand Mounted Rifles at Anzac, the
+destroyer anchored within range of the Turkish guns instead of slowly
+steaming about out of range until the picket boats came off to bring the
+men ashore. The Turks were watching and, as soon as she let go her
+anchor, opened fire from their guns by the olive, and before the
+destroyer could get under weigh six of these fine New Zealand lads were
+killed and forty-five wounded. A hundred fair fighting casualties would
+affect me less. To be knocked out before having taken part in a battle,
+or even having set foot upon the Promised Land&mdash;nothing could be more
+cruel.</p>
+
+<p>A special order to the troops:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p class='author'><span class='smcap'>General Headquarters,</span><br />
+<i>25th May, 1915.</i></p>
+
+
+<p>1. Now that a clear month has passed since the Mediterranean
+Expeditionary Force began its night and day fighting with the enemy, the
+General Commanding desires me to explain to officers, non-commissioned
+officers and men the real significance of the calls made upon them to
+risk their lives apparently for nothing better than to gain a few yards
+of uncultivated land.</p>
+
+<p>2. A comparatively small body of the finest troops in the world, French
+and British, have effected a lodgment close to the heart of a great<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span>
+continental empire, still formidable even in its decadence. Here they
+stand firm, or slowly advance, and in the efforts made by successive
+Turkish armies to dislodge them the rotten Government at Constantinople
+is gradually wearing itself out. The facts and figures upon which this
+conclusion is based have been checked and verified from a variety of
+sources. Agents of neutral powers possessing good sources of information
+have placed both the numbers and the losses of the enemy much higher
+than they are set forth here, but the General Commanding prefers to be
+on the safe side and to give his troops a strictly conservative
+estimate.</p>
+
+<p>Before operations began the strength of the defenders of the Dardanelles
+was:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="2" width="60%" cellspacing="0" summary="defenders of the Dardanelles">
+<tr><td align='left'>Gallipoli Peninsula</td><td align='left'>34,000 and about 100 guns.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Asiatic side of Straits</td><td align='left'>41,000</td></tr>
+</table>
+
+
+<p>All the troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula and fifty per cent. of the
+troops on the Asiatic side were Nizam, that is to say, regular first
+line troops. They were transferable, and were actually transferred to
+this side upon which the invaders disembarked. Our Expeditionary Force
+effected its landing it will be seen, in the face of an enemy superior,
+not only to the covering parties which got ashore the first day, but
+superior actually to the total strength at our disposal. By the 12th
+May, the Turkish Army of occupation had been defeated in several
+engagements, and would have been at the end of their resources had they
+not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span> meanwhile received reinforcements of 20,000 infantry and 21
+batteries of Field Artillery.</p>
+
+<p>Still the Expeditionary Force held its own, and more than its own,
+inflicting fresh bloody defeats upon the newcomers and again the Turks
+must certainly have given way had not a second reinforcement reached the
+Peninsula from Constantinople and Smyrna amounting at the lowest
+estimate to 24,000 men.</p>
+
+<p>3. From what has been said it will be understood that the Mediterranean
+Expeditionary Force, supported by its gallant comrades the Fleet, but
+with constantly diminishing effectives, has held in check or wrested
+ground from some 120,000 Turkish troops elaborately entrenched and
+supported by a powerful artillery.</p>
+
+<p>The enemy has now few more Nizam troops at his disposal and not many
+Redif or second class troops. Up to date his casualties are 55,000, and
+again, in giving this figure, the General Commanding has preferred to
+err on the side of low estimates.</p>
+
+<p>Daily we make progress, and whenever the reinforcements close at hand
+begin to put in an appearance, the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
+will press forward with a fresh impulse to accomplish the greatest
+Imperial task ever entrusted to an army.</p>
+
+<p><i>27th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> The <i>Majestic</i> has been torpedoed
+and has sunk off Cape Helles. Got the news at mid-day. Fuller,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span> my
+Artillery Commander, and Ashmead-Bartlett, the correspondent, were both
+on board, and both were saved&mdash;minus kit! About 40 men have gone under.
+Bad luck. A Naval Officer who has seen her says she is lying in shallow
+water&mdash;6 fathoms&mdash;bottom upwards looking like a stranded whale. He says
+the German submarine made a most lovely shot at her through a crowd of
+cargo ships and transports. Like picking a royal stag out of his harem
+of does. To my Staff, they tell me, he delivered himself further but, as
+I said to the Officer who repeated these criticisms to me, "judge not
+that ye be not judged."</p>
+
+<p><i>28th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Went for a walk with the Admiral.
+He refuses any longer to accept the responsibility of keeping us afloat.
+As Helles, Anzac and Tenedos have each been ruled out, we are going to
+doss down on this sandbank opposite us. One thing, it will be central to
+both my theatres of work.</p>
+
+<p><i>29th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> The Commodore, Roger Keyes, arrived
+mid-day and invited me to come over to Helles with him on a destroyer,
+H.M.S. <i>Scorpion.</i> He was crossing in hopes&mdash;<i>in hopes,</i> if you
+please&mdash;of hitting off the submarine. The idea that it might hit him had
+not seemed to occur to him. On the way we were greatly excited to see
+the bladder of an indicator net smoking. So we rushed about the place
+and bombs were got ready to drop. But the net remained motionless and,
+as the water was too deep for the submarine to be lying at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span> the bottom,
+it seemed (although no one dared to say so) that a porpoise had been
+poking fun at the Commodore.</p>
+
+<p><a name="V_BEACH" id="V_BEACH"></a></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+             <img   src="images/img254.jpg"
+             alt="V BEACH" /><br />
+         <b>VIEW OF "V" BEACH, TAKEN FROM S.S. "RIVER CLYDE.<br />
+<i>"Central News" photo.</i></b>
+    </div>
+
+<p>Landing at Helles inspected the various roads, which were in the making.
+Next saw Hunter-Weston. Canvassed plans with him and felt myself
+refreshed. Then went on to Gouraud's Headquarters, taking the Commodore
+with me. My Commanders are an asset which cancels many a debit. Gouraud
+is in excellent form and gave us tea. Walked down to "V" Beach at 6 p.m.</p>
+
+<p>When we got on to the pier, which ends in the <i>River Clyde</i>, we found
+another destroyer, the <i>Wolverine</i>, under Lieutenant-Commander Keyes,
+the brother of the Commodore. She was to take us across, and (of all
+places in the world to select for a berth!) she had run herself
+alongside the <i>River Clyde</i> which was, at that moment, busy playing
+target to the heavy guns of Asia. I imagined that taking aboard a boss
+like the Commander-in-Chief, as well as that much bigger boss (in naval
+estimates) his own big brother, the Commodore, our Lieutenant-Commander
+would nip away presto. Not a bit of it! No sooner had he got us aboard
+than he came out boldly and very, very slowly, stern first, from the lee
+of the <i>River Clyde</i> and began a duel against Asia with 4-inch lyddite
+from the <i>Wolverine's</i> after gun. The fight seems quite funny to me now
+but, at the time, serio-comic would have better described my
+impressions. Shells ashore are part of the common lot; they come in the
+day's work: on the water; <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span>in a cockleshell&mdash;well, you can't go to
+ground, anyway!</p>
+
+<p>Heavy fighting at Anzac. The Turks fired a mine under Quinn's Post and
+then rushed a section of the defence isolated by the explosion. At 6 in
+the morning the crater was, Birdie says, most gallantly retaken with the
+bayonet. There are excursions and alarms; attacks and counter-attacks;
+bomb-showers to which the bayonet charge is our only retort&mdash;but we hold
+fast the crater!</p>
+
+<p>When I tell them at home that if they will give me munitions enough to
+let me advance two miles I will give them Constantinople, that is the
+truth. On paper, the Turks no doubt might assert with equal force that
+if they got forces enough together to drive the Australians back a short
+two hundred yards they could give the Sultan the resounding prestige of
+a Peninsula freed from the Giaour. But that would require more Turks
+than the Turks could feed, whereas we know we could do it now, as we
+are&mdash;given the wherewithal&mdash;trench mortars, hand grenades and bombs, for
+example.</p>
+
+<p>A message from Hanbury Williams, who is with the Grand Duke Nicholas, to
+say that all idea of sending me a Russian Army Corps to land at the
+Bosphorus has been abandoned!!!</p>
+
+<p><i>30th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Went to Anzac in a destroyer. The
+Cove was being heavily shelled, and the troops near the beach together
+with the fatigue parties handling stores<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span> and ammunition, had dashed
+into their dugouts like marmots at the shadow of an eagle. Birdwood came
+out to meet me on this very unhealthy spot; indeed, in spite of my
+waving him back, he walked right on to the end of the deserted pier.
+Just as we were getting near his quarters, a couple of shrapnel burst at
+an angle and height which, by the laws of gravity, momentum and velocity
+ought to have put a fullstop to this chronicle. Actually, we walked
+on&mdash;through the "Valley of Death"&mdash;past the spot where the brave Bridges
+bit the dust, to the Headquarters of the 4th Australian Infantry
+Brigade. Thence I could see the enemy trenches in front of Quinn's Post,
+and also a very brisk bomb combat in full flame where the New Zealand
+Mounted Rifles were making good the Turkish communicating post they had
+seized earlier in the day. Nothing more strange than this inspection.
+Along the path at the bottom of the valley warning notices were stuck
+up. The wayfarer has to be as punctilious about each footstep as
+Christian in the "Pilgrim's Progress." Should he disregard the placards
+directing him to keep to the right or to the left of the track, he is
+almost certainly shot. Half of the pathway may be as safe as Piccadilly,
+whilst he who treads the other had far better be up yonder at hand grips
+with the Turks. Presumably some feature of the ground defilades one
+part, for the enemy cannot see into the valley, although, were they only
+20 yards nearer the edge of the cliff, they would command its whole
+extent. The spirit of the men is invincible. Only lately have we been
+able to give them blankets: as to square<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span> meals and soft sleeps, these
+are dreams of the past, they belonged to another state of being. Yet I
+never struck a more jovial crew. Men staggering under huge sides of
+frozen beef; men struggling up cliffs with kerosine tins full of water;
+men digging; men cooking; men card-playing in small dens scooped out
+from the banks of yellow clay&mdash;everyone wore a Bank Holiday
+air;&mdash;evidently the ranklings and worry of mankind&mdash;miseries and
+concerns of the spirit&mdash;had fled the precincts of this valley. The
+Boss&mdash;the bill&mdash;the girl&mdash;envy, malice, hunger, hatred&mdash;had scooted far
+away to the Antipodes. All the time, overhead, the shell and rifle
+bullets groaned and whined, touching just the same note of violent
+energy as was in evidence everywhere else. To understand that awful din,
+raise the eyes 25 degrees to the top of the cliff which closes in the
+tail end of the valley and you can see the Turkish hand grenades
+bursting along the crest, just where an occasional bayonet flashes and
+figures hardly distinguishable from Mother earth crouch in an irregular
+line. Or else they rise to fire and are silhouetted a moment against the
+sky and then you recognize the naked athletes from the Antipodes and
+your heart goes into your mouth as a whole bunch of them dart forward
+suddenly, and as suddenly disappear. And the bomb shower stops dead&mdash;for
+the moment; but, all the time, from that fiery crest line which is
+Quinn's, there comes a slow constant trickle of wounded&mdash;some dragging
+themselves painfully along; others being carried along on stretchers.
+Bomb wounds all; a ceaseless, silent stream of bandages and blood. Yet<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span>
+three out of four of "the boys" have grit left for a gay smile or a
+cheery little nod to their comrades waiting for their turn as they pass,
+pass, pass, down on their way to the sea.</p>
+
+<p>There are poets and writers who see naught in war but carrion, filth,
+savagery and horror. The heroism of the rank and file makes no appeal.
+They refuse war the credit of being the only exercise in devotion on the
+large scale existing in this world. The superb moral victory over death
+leaves them cold. Each one to his taste. To me this is no valley of
+death&mdash;it is a valley brim full of life at its highest power. Men live
+through more in five minutes on that crest than they do in five years of
+Bendigo or Ballarat. Ask the brothers of these very fighters&mdash;Calgoorlie
+or Coolgardie miners&mdash;to do one quarter the work and to run one
+hundredth the risk on a wages basis&mdash;instanter there would be a riot.
+But here,&mdash;not a murmur, not a question; only a radiant force of
+camaraderie in action.</p>
+
+<p>The Turks have heaps of cartridges and more shells, anyway, than we
+have. They have as many grenades as they can throw; we have&mdash;a dozen per
+Company. There is a very bitter feeling amongst all the troops, but
+especially the Australians, at this lack of elementary weapons like
+grenades. Our overseas men are very intelligent. They are prepared to
+make allowances for lack of shell; lack of guns; lack of high
+explosives. But they know there must be something wrong when the Turks
+carry ten good bombs to our one<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span> bad one; and they think, some of them,
+that this must be my fault. Far from it. <i>Directly</i> after the naval
+battle of the 18th March&mdash;i.e., over two months ago, I wrote out a cable
+asking for bombs. I sent this on my own happy thought, and I had hoped
+for a million by the date of landing five weeks later. But I got,
+practically, none; nor any promise for the future. In default of help
+from home, we have tried to manufacture these primitive but very
+effective projectiles for ourselves with jam pots, meat tins and any old
+rubbish we can scrape together. De Lothbini&egrave;re has shown ingenuity in
+thus making bricks without straw. The Fleet, too, has played up and de
+Robeck has guaranteed me two thousand to be made by the artificers on
+the battleships. Maxwell in Egypt has been improvising a few; Methuen at
+Malta says they can't make them there. But what a shame that the sons of
+a manufacturing country like Great Britain should be in straits for
+engines so simple.</p>
+
+<p>Yesterday and to-day we have fired, for us, a terrible lot of shells
+(1,800 shrapnel) but never was shot better spent. We reckon the enemy's
+casualties between 1,000 and 2,000 mainly caused by our guns playing on
+the columns which came up trying to improve upon their lodgment in
+Quinn's Post. Add this to the 3,000 killed, and, say, 12,000 wounded on
+the 18th instant, and it is clear no troops in the world can stand it
+very long. But we are literally at the end of our shrapnel; and as to
+high explosive, according to the standards of the gunners, we have never
+had any!<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Left on a picket boat with Birdie to board my destroyer to an
+accompaniment of various denominations of projectiles. One or two shells
+burst hard by just as we were scrambling up her side.</p>
+
+<p>Vice-Admiral Nicholls called after my return. Courtauld Thomson, the Red
+Cross man, dined; very helpful; very well stocked with comforts and
+everyone likes him, even the R.A.M.C.</p>
+
+<p><i>31st May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."</i> Worked in the forenoon. Gouraud,
+Girodon and Hunter-Weston lunched and we spent the afternoon at the
+scheme for our next fight. Each of us agreed that Fortune had not been
+over kind. By one month's hard, close hammering we had at last made the
+tough <i>moral</i> of the Turks more pliant, when lo and behold, in broad
+daylight, thousands of their common soldiery see with their own eyes two
+great battleships sink beneath the waves and all the others make an exit
+more dramatic than dignified. Most of the Armada of store ships had
+already cleared out and now the last of the battleships has offed it
+over the offing; a move which the whole of the German Grand Fleet could
+not have forced them to make! What better pick-me-up could Providence
+have provided for the badly-shaken Turks? No more inquisitive cruisers
+ready to let fly a salvo at anything that stirs. No more searchlights by
+night; no more big explosives flying from the Aegean into the
+Dardanelles!</p>
+
+<p><i>1st June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Came ashore and stuck up my 80-lb. tent in the
+middle of a sandbank<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span> whereon some sanguine Greek agriculturalist has
+been trying to plant wheat.</p>
+
+<p>We shall live the simple life; the same life, in fact, as the men, but
+are glad to be off the ship and able to stretch our legs.</p>
+
+<p>Hard fighting in the North zone and the South. Both outposts captured by
+us on the 29th May at Anzac and on the French right at Helles heavily
+attacked. In the North we had to give ground, but not before we had made
+the enemy pay ten times its value in killed and wounded. Had we only had
+a few spare rounds of shrapnel we need never have gone back. The War
+Office have called for a return of my 4.5 howitzer ammunition during the
+past fortnight, and I find that, since the 14th May, we have expended
+477 shell altogether at Anzac and Helles combined. In the South the
+enemy twice recaptured the redoubt taken by the French on the 29th, but
+Gouraud, having a nice little parcel of high explosive on hand, was able
+to drive them out definitely and to keep them out.</p>
+
+<p><i>2nd June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Working all day in camp. Blazing hot, tempered
+by a cool breeze towards evening. De Robeck came ashore and we had an
+hour together in the afternoon. Everything is fixed up for our big
+attack on the 4th. From aeroplane photographs it would appear that the
+front line Turkish trenches are meant more as traps for rash forlorn
+hopes than as strongholds. In fact, the true tug only begins when we try
+to carry the second line and the flanking machine<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span> guns. Gouraud has
+generously lent us two groups of 75s with H.E. shell, and I am cabling
+the fact to the War Office as it means a great deal to us. When I say
+they are lent to us, I do not mean that they put the guns at our
+disposal. They are only ours for defensive purposes; that is to say,
+they remain in their own gun positions in the French lines and are to
+help by thickening the barrage in front of the Naval Division.</p>
+
+<p>De Robeck and Keyes are quite as much at sea as Braithwaite and myself
+about this original scheme of the British Government for treating a
+tearing, raging crisis; i.e., by taking no notice of it. I guess that
+never before in the history of war has a Commander asked urgently that
+his force might be doubled and then got no orders; no answer of any sort
+or kind!</p>
+
+<p>When I sent K. my M.F. 234 of the 17th May asking for two Corps, or for
+Allies, one or the other, I got a reply by return expressing his
+disappointment; since then, nothing. During that fortnight of silence
+the whole of the Turkish Empire has been moving&mdash;closing in&mdash;on the
+Dardanelles. Then, by a side-wind I happen to hear of the abstraction of
+a Russian Army Corps from my supposed command; an Army Corps, who by the
+mere fact of "being," held off a large force of Turks from Gallipoli.</p>
+
+<p>So I have put down a few hard truths. Unpalatable they may be but some
+day they've got to be faced and the sooner the better. Time has slipped
+away, but to-day is still better than to-morrow.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>What a change since the War Office sent us packing with a bagful of
+hallucinations. Naval guns sweeping the Turks off the Peninsula; the
+Ottoman Army legging it from a British submarine waving the Union Jack;
+Russian help in hand; Greek help on the <i>tapis</i>. Now it is our Fleet
+which has to leg it from the German submarine; there is no ammunition
+for the guns; no drafts to keep my Divisions up to strength; my Russians
+have gone to Galicia and the Greeks are lying lower than ever.</p>
+
+<p>"No. M.F. 288. From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. With
+reference to my telegrams No. M.F. 274 of 29th May, and No. M.F. 234 of
+17th May. If the information sent by Hanbury-Williams, to which I
+referred in my No. M.F. 274, is correct it is advisable that I should
+send you a fresh appreciation of the situation.</p>
+
+<p>"I assumed in my No. M.F. 234 that you had adequate forces at your
+disposal, but on the other hand I assumed that some 100,000 Turks would
+be kept occupied by the Russians. By the defection of Russia, 100,000
+Turks are set free in the Caucasus and European Turkey. After deduction
+of casualties there are at least 80,000 Turks now against us in the
+Peninsula. There are 20,000 Turks on the Bulgarian frontier which,
+assuming that Bulgaria remains neutral, are able to reinforce Gallipoli;
+some, in fact, have already arrived showing the restoration of Turkish
+confidence in King Ferdinand. Close by on the Asiatic side there remain
+10,000 Turks, making a total of 210,000,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span> to which must be added 65,000
+who are under training in Europe.</p>
+
+<p>"The movement of the Turkish troops has already begun. There are
+practically no troops left in Smyrna district, and there are already in
+the field numbers of troops from European garrisons, while recently it
+was reported that more are coming.</p>
+
+<p>"The movement of a quarter of a million men against us seems to be well
+under way, and although many of these are ill-trained still with
+well-run supply and ammunition columns and in trenches designed by
+Germans the Turk is always formidable.</p>
+
+<p>"As regards ammunition, the enemy appears to have an unlimited supply of
+small-arm ammunition and as many hand-grenades as they can fling. Though
+there is some indication that gun ammunition is being husbanded, it was
+reported as late as 27th May, that supplies of shells were being
+received <i>via</i> Roumania, and yesterday it was suggested that artillery
+ammunition can be manufactured at Constantinople where it is reported
+that over two hundred engineers have arrived from Krupp's.</p>
+
+<p>"At the same time, the temporary withdrawal of our battleships owing to
+enemy submarines has altered the position to our disadvantage; while not
+of the highest importance materially this factor carries considerable
+moral weight.</p>
+
+<p>"Taking all these factors into consideration, it would seem that for an
+early success some equiva<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span>lent to the suspended Russian co-operation is
+vitally necessary. The ground gained and the positions which we hold are
+not such as to enable me to envisage with soldierly equanimity the
+probability of the large forces adumbrated above being massed against my
+troops without let or hindrance from elsewhere. Fresh light may be shed
+on the matter by the battle now imminent, but I am cabling on reasoned
+existing facts. Time is an object, but if Greece came in, preferably
+<i>via</i> Enos, the problem would be simplified. It is broadly my view that
+we must obtain the support of a fresh ally in this theatre, or else
+there should be got ready British reinforcements to the full extent
+mentioned in my No. M.F. 234, though as stated above the disappearance
+of Russian co-operation was not contemplated in my estimate."</p>
+
+<p><i>3rd June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Meant to go to Anzac; sea too rough; in the
+afternoon saw de Robeck and Roger Keyes. Braithwaite came over and we
+went through my cable of yesterday. The sailors would just as soon I had
+left out that remark about the enemy being bucked up by the retreat of
+our battleships. But the passage implied also that their mere visible
+presence was shown to be most valuable. Both of them agree that I am
+well within the mark in saying what I did about the loss of my Russian
+Army Corps. Roger Keyes next launched a dry land criticism. He rightly
+thinks that the weakness of our <i>present</i> units is <i>the</i> real weakness:
+he thinks we are far more in need of drafts than of fresh units; he
+suggests that a rider be sent now to insist that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span> the estimates in
+yesterday's cable were only made on the assumption that my present force
+is kept up to strength. I did press that very point in my first cable of
+17th May, which is referred to in the opening of this cable; further, we
+keep on saying it every week in our War Office cable giving strengths.
+After all, K. is 65. He still believes "A man's a man and a rifle's a
+rifle"; I still believe that half the value of every human being depends
+upon his environment:&mdash;we are not going to convert one another now.</p>
+
+<p>As we were actually talking, Williams brought over an answer:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"No. 5104, cipher. From Earl Kitchener to General Sir Ian Hamilton. With
+reference to your No. M.F. 288. Owing to the restricted nature of the
+ground you occupy and the experience we have had in Flanders of
+increased forces acting in trench positions, I own I have some doubts of
+an early decisive result being obtained by at once increasing the forces
+at your disposal, but I should like your views as soon as you
+can&mdash;to-day if possible. Are you convinced that with immediate
+reinforcements to the extent you mention you could force the Kilid Bahr
+position and thus finish the Dardanelles operations?</p>
+
+<p>"You mentioned in a previous telegram that you intended to keep
+reinforcements on islands, is this your intention with regard to the
+Lowland Division, now on its way to you, and the other troops when
+sent?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>K.'s brief cable is <i>intensely</i> characteristic. I have taken down
+hundreds of his wires. We are face to face here with his very self at
+<i>first hand</i>. How curiously it reveals the man's instinct, or
+genius&mdash;call it what you will.</p>
+
+<p>K. sees in a flash what the rest of the world does not seem to see so
+clearly; viz., that the piling up of increased forces opposite
+entrenched positions is a spendthrift, unscientific proceeding. He
+wishes to know if I mean to do this. To draw me out he assumes if I get
+the troops, I <i>would</i> at once commit them to trench warfare by crowding
+them in behind the lines of Helles or Anzac. Actually I intend to keep
+the bulk of them on the islands, so as to throw them unexpectedly
+against some key position which is <i>not</i> prepared for defence. But I
+have to be very careful what I say, seeing that the Turks got wind of
+the date of our first landing from London <i>via</i> Vienna. Least said to a
+Cabinet, least leakage.</p>
+
+<p>That is not all. Curt as is the cable it has yet scope to show up a
+little more of our great K.'s outfit. His infernal hurry. "To-day":&mdash;I
+am to reply, to-day! He has taken some two and a half weeks to answer my
+request for two Army Corps and I am to answer a far more obscure
+question in two and a half minutes. Why, since my appeal of 17th May the
+situation has not stood still. A Commander in the field is like a cannon
+ball. If he stops going ahead, he falls dead. You can't stop moving for
+a fortnight and then expect to carry on where you left off; I think the
+Duke<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span> of Wellington said this; if he didn't he should have. To err is to
+be human and the troops, if sent at once, may or may not, fulfil our
+hopes. All we here can say is this:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>(1) If the Army Corps had been sent at once (i.e., two weeks ago) the
+results should have been decisive.</p>
+
+<p>(2) If the Army Corps are not sent at once, there can be no early
+decision.</p>
+
+<p>Braithwaite, De Robeck and Keyes agree to (1) and (2) but the cabled
+answer will not be so simple and, in spite of K.'s sudden impatience, I
+must sleep over it first.</p>
+
+<p>Written whilst Williams waits:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"No. M.F. 292. From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. Secret.
+To-morrow, 4th June, I am fighting a general action. Therefore I feel
+sure that you will wish me to defer my answer to your telegram No. 5104,
+cipher, until I see the result."</p>
+
+<p>These lofty strategical questions must not make me forget an equally
+vital munitions message just to hand. I have cabled K. twice in the past
+day or two about shells. On the 1st instant I had said, "I still await
+the information promised in your x. 4773, A. 5, of 19th instant. In my
+opinion the supply of gun ammunition can hardly be considered adequate
+or safe until the following conditions can be filled:&mdash;(1) That the
+amounts with units and on the Lines of Communication<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span> should be made up
+to the number of rounds per gun which is allowed in War Establishment
+figures of 29th Division. (2) That these full amounts should be
+maintained and despatched automatically without any further application
+from us, beyond a weekly statement of the expenditure which will be
+cabled to you every Saturday. (3) In view of the number and the extent
+of the entrenchments to be dealt with it is necessary that a high
+proportion of high explosive shell for 18 pounder and howitzers be
+included in accordance with the report of my military advisers."</p>
+
+<p>We now have his reply:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"No. 5088, cipher. From Earl Kitchener to Sir Ian Hamilton. With
+reference to your telegrams No. M.F. 281 and No. M.F.G.T. 967. We cannot
+supply ammunition to maintain a 1,000 rounds a gun owing to the demands
+from France, but consignments are being sent which amount to 17 rounds
+per gun per day for the 18 pounder and 4.5.-inch howitzer; this is
+considered by General Joffre and Sir John French as necessary. As much
+as possible of other natures will be sent. As regards quantities, you
+will be informed as early as possible. As available, H.E. shells will be
+sent for 18 pounder guns and howitzers."</p>
+
+<p>If we get 17 rounds per gun per day for the 18 pounders and 4.5
+howitzers we shall indeed be on velvet. To be given what satisfies
+Joffre and French&mdash;that sounds too good to be true. So ran my thoughts
+and Braithwaite's on a first reading.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span> Then came the C.R.A. who puts
+another light on the proposal and points out that the implied comparison
+with France is fallacious. We are undergunned here as compared with
+France in the proportion of 1 to 3. I mean to say that, in proportion to
+"bayonets" we have rather less than one third of the "guns."
+<i>Therefore</i>, if we were really to have munitions on the scale
+"considered necessary by General Joffre and Sir John French," we ought
+to have three times 17 rounds per day per gun; i.e. 51 rounds per day
+per gun. But never mind. <i>If we do get</i> the 17 rounds we shall be
+infinitely better off than we have been: "and so say all of us!" Putting
+this cable together with yesterday's we all of us feel that the home
+folk are beginning to yawn and rub their eyes and that ere long they may
+really be awake.</p>
+
+<p><i>4th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Left camp after breakfast and boarded the
+redoubtable <i>Wolverine</i> under that desperado Lieutenant-Commander Keyes.
+The General Staff came alongside and we made our way to Cape Helles
+through a blinding dust storm&mdash;at least, the dust came right out to sea,
+but it was on shore that it became literally blinding.</p>
+
+<p>On the pier I met Gouraud who walked up with me. Gouraud was very grave
+but confident. My post of command had been "dug out" for me well forward
+on the left flank by Hunter-Weston. In that hole two enormous tarantulas
+and I passed a day that seems to me ten years. The torture of suspense;
+the extremes of exaltation and of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span> depression; the Red Indian necessity
+of showing no sign: all this varied only by the vicious scream of shell
+sailing some 30 feet over our heads on their way towards the 60 pounders
+near the point. A Commander feels desperately lonely at such moments. On
+him, and on him alone, falls the crushing onus of responsibility: to be
+a Corps Commander is child's play in <i>that</i> comparison. The Staff are
+gnawed with anxiety too&mdash;are saying their prayers as fast as they can,
+no doubt, as they follow the ebb and flow of the long khaki line through
+their glasses. Yes, I have done that myself in the old days from
+Charasia onwards. Yet how faintly is my anguish reflected in the mere
+anxiety of their minds.</p>
+
+<p>Chapters could be written about this furious battle fought in a
+whirlwind of dust and smoke; some day I hope somebody may write them.
+After the first short spell of shelling our men fixed bayonets and
+lifted them high above the parapet. The Turks thinking we were going to
+make the assault, rushed troops into their trenches, until then lightly
+held. No sooner were our targets fully manned than we shelled them in
+earnest and went on at it until&mdash;on the stroke of mid-day&mdash;out dashed
+our fellows into the open. For the best part of an hour it seemed that
+we had won a decisive victory. On the left all the front line Turkish
+trenches were taken. On the right the French rushed the <i>"Haricot"</i>&mdash;so
+long a thorn in their flesh; next to them the Anson lads stormed another
+big Turkish redoubt in a slap-dash style reminding me of the best work<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span>
+of the old Regular Army; but the boldest and most brilliant exploit of
+the lot was the charge made by the Manchester Brigade<a name="FNanchor_19_19" id="FNanchor_19_19"></a><a href="#Footnote_19_19" class="fnanchor">[19]</a> in the centre
+who wrested two lines of trenches from the Turks; and then, carrying
+right on; on to the lower slopes of Achi Baba, had <i>nothing</i> between
+them and its summit but the clear, unentrenched hillside. They lay
+there&mdash;the line of our brave lads, plainly visible to a pair of good
+glasses&mdash;there they actually lay! We wanted, so it seemed, but a reserve
+to advance in their support and carry them right up to the top. We
+said&mdash;and yet could hardly believe our own words&mdash;"We are through!"</p>
+
+<p>Alas, too previous that remark. Everything began to go wrong. First the
+French were shelled and bombed out of the <i>"Haricot"</i>; next the right of
+the Naval Division became uncovered and they had to give way, losing
+many times more men in the yielding than in the capture of their ground.
+Then came the turn of the Manchesters, left in the lurch, with their
+right flank hanging in the air. By all the laws of war they ought to
+have tumbled back anyhow, but by the laws of the Manchesters they hung
+on and declared they could do so for ever. How to help? Men! Men, not so
+much now to sustain the Manchesters as to force back the Turks who were
+enfilading them from the <i>"Haricot"</i> and from that redoubt held for
+awhile by the R.N.D. on their right. I implored Gouraud to try and make
+a push and promised that the Naval Division would retake<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span> their redoubt
+if he could retake the <i>"Haricot"</i>. Gouraud said he would go in at 3
+p.m. The hour came; nothing happened. He then said he could not call
+upon his men again till 4 o'clock, and at 4 o'clock he said definitely
+that he would not be able to make another assault. The moment that last
+message came in I first telephoned and then, to make doubly sure, ran
+myself to Hunter-Weston's Headquarters so as not to let another moment
+be lost in pulling out the Manchester Brigade. I had 500 yards to go,
+and, rising the knoll, I would have been astonished, had I had any
+faculty of astonishment left in me, to meet Beetleheim, the Turk, who
+was with French in South Africa. I suppose he is here as an interpreter,
+or something, but I didn't ask. Seeing me alone for the moment he came
+along. He had quite a grip of the battle and seemed to hope I might let
+the Manchesters try and stick it out through the night, as he thought
+the Turks were too much done to do much more. But it was not good
+enough. To fall back was agony; not to do it would have been folly.
+Hunter-Weston felt the same. When Fate has first granted just a sip of
+the wine of success the slip between the cup and lip comes hardest. The
+upshot of the whole affair is that the enemy still hold a strong line of
+trenches between us and Achi Baba. Our four hundred prisoners, almost
+all made by the Manchester Brigade, amongst whom a good number of
+officers, do not console me. Having to make the Manchesters yield up
+their hard won gains is what breaks my heart. Had I known the result of
+our fight before the event, I should<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span> have been happy enough. Three or
+four hundred yards of ground plus four hundred prisoners are distances
+and numbers which may mean little in Russia or France, but here, where
+we only have a mile or two to go, land has a value all its own. Yes, I
+should have been happy enough. But, to have to yield up the best
+half&mdash;the vital half&mdash;of our gains&mdash;to have had our losses trebled on
+the top of a cheaply won victory&mdash;these are the reverse side of our
+medal for the 4th June.</p>
+
+<p>Going back we fell in with a blood-stained crowd from the Hood, Howe and
+Anson Battalions. Down the little gully to the beach we could only walk
+very slowly. At my elbow was Colonel Crauford Stuart, commanding the
+Hood Battalion. He had had his jaw smashed but I have seen men pull
+longer faces at breaking a collar stud. He told me that the losses of
+the Naval Division has been very heavy, the bulk of them during their
+retreat. From the moment the Turks drove the French out of the
+<i>"Haricot"</i> the enfilade fire became murderous.</p>
+
+<p>On the beach was General de Lisle, fresh from France. He is taking over
+the 29th Division from Hunter-Weston who ascends to the command of the
+newly formed 8th Army Corps. De Lisle seemed in very good form although
+it must have been rather an eye-opener landing in the thick of this huge
+stream of wounded. How well I remember seeing him galloping at the head
+of his Mounted Infantry straight for Pretoria; and my rage when, under
+orders from Headquarters,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span> I had to send swift messengers to tell him he
+must rein back for some reason never made clear.</p>
+
+<p><i>5th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Best part of the day occupied in a hundred and
+one sequels of the battle. The enemy have been quiet; they have had a
+belly-full. De Robeck came off to see me at 5.30, to have a final talk
+(amongst other things) as to the Enos and Bulair ideas before I send my
+final answer to K. If we dare not advertise the detail of our proposed
+tactics, we may take the lesser risk of saying what we are <i>not</i> going
+to attempt. The Admiral is perfectly clear against Bulair. There is no
+protection there for the ships against submarines except Enos harbour
+and Enos is only one fathom deep. After all, the main thing they want is
+that I should commit myself to a statement that if I get the drafts and
+troops asked for in my various cables, I will make good. That, I find
+quite reasonable.</p>
+
+<p><i>6th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> A very hot and dusty day. Still sweeping up
+the <i>d&eacute;bris</i> of the battle. Besides my big cable have been studying
+strengths with my A.G. The Battalions are dwindling to Companies and the
+Divisions to Brigades.</p>
+
+<p>The cable is being ciphered: not a very luminous document: how could it
+be? The great men at home seem to forget that they cannot draw wise
+counsels from their servants unless they confide in them and give them
+<i>all</i> the factors of the problem. If a client goes to a lawyer for
+advice the first thing the lawyer asks him to do is to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span> make a clean
+breast of it. Before K. asks me to specify what I can do if he sends me
+these unknown and&mdash;in Great Britain&mdash;most variable quantities,
+Territorial or New Army Divisions, he ought to make a clean breast of it
+by telling me:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(1) What he has.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(2) What Sir John French wants.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(3) Whether Italy will move&mdash;or Greece.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">(4) What is happening in the Balkans,&mdash;in the</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 4em;">Caucasus,&mdash;in Mesopotamia.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>After all, the Armies of the Caucasus and of Mesopotamia are not
+campaigning in the moon. They are two Allied Armies working with me (or
+supposed to be working with me) against a common enemy.</p>
+
+<p>The first part of my cable I discuss the cause which led to the
+disappointing end to the battle of the 4th already described and then go
+on to say, "I am convinced by this action that with my present force my
+progress will be very slow, but in the absence of any further important
+alteration in the situation such as a definite understanding between
+Turkey and Bulgaria, I believe the reinforcements asked for in my No.
+234 will eventually enable me to take Kilid Bahr and will assuredly
+expedite the decision. I entirely agree that the restricted nature of
+the ground I occupy militates against me in success, however much I am
+reinforced; that was why in my Nos. M.F. 214 and M.F. 234 I emphasized
+the desirability of securing co-operation of new Allied Forces acting on
+a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span> second line of operations. I have been very closely considering the
+possibility of opening a new line of operations myself, <i>via</i> Enos, if
+sufficient reinforcements should be available. The Vice-Admiral,
+however, is at present strongly averse to the selection of Enos owing to
+the open and unprotected nature of anchorage and to the presence of
+enemy submarines. Otherwise Enos offers very favourable prospects, both
+strategically and tactically, and is so direct a threat to
+Constantinople as to necessitate withdrawal of Turkish troops from the
+Peninsula to meet it. Smyrna or even Adramyti which are not open to the
+same objections are too far from me, but the effect of entry of a fresh
+Ally at either place would inevitably make itself felt before very long
+in preventing further massing of the Turkish army against me, and
+perhaps even in drawing off troops; a considerable moral and political
+effect might also be produced, and all information points to those
+districts being denuded of troops.</p>
+
+<p>"With regard to the employment of the reinforcements asked for in my No.
+M.F. 234, General Birdwood estimates that four Brigades are necessary to
+clear and extend his front sufficiently to prepare a serious move
+towards Maidos. I should therefore allocate a corps to the
+Australian-New Zealand Army Corps as the other two brigades would be
+required to give weight to his advance. The French Force as at present
+constituted, and the Naval Division which has been roughly handled,
+would be replaced in front of the line by the other corps. This
+reinforcement to be exclusive of any<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span> help we may receive from Allied
+troops operating on a second line of operations so distant as Smyrna.</p>
+
+<p>"With reference to your last paragraph I have no alternative, until Achi
+Baba is in my possession, but to keep reinforcements on islands or
+elsewhere handy. I have made arrangements at present, however, for one
+Infantry Brigade and Engineers of the Lowland Division on the Peninsula,
+one Infantry Brigade at Imbros and the remaining Infantry Brigade at
+Alexandria to be ready to start at 12 hours' notice whenever I telegraph
+for it. Besides all the reasons given above, no troops in existence can
+continue fighting night and day without respite."</p>
+
+<p>Three weeks have passed now since I asked for two British Corps or for
+Allies and still no reply or notice of any sort except that message of
+the 3rd instant expressing doubts as to whether any good purpose will be
+served by sending us help "at once." Well; there hasn't been much "at
+once" about it but I have not played the Sybilline book trick or doubled
+my demand with each delay as I ought perhaps to have done. Now I think
+we are bound to hear something but I can't make out what has come over
+K. of K. In the old days his prime force lay in his faculty of focusing
+every iota of his energy upon the pivotal project, regardless (so it
+used to appear) of the other planks of the platform. A "side show" to
+him meant the non-vital part of the business, <i>at that moment</i>: it was
+not a question of troops or of ranks of Generals. For the time being the
+interests of an enterprise of five thousand would obliterate those<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span> of
+fifty. No man ever went the whole hog better. He would turn the whole
+current of his energy to help the man of the hour. The rest were bled
+white to help him. If they howled they found that K. and his Staff were
+deaf, and for the same reason, as the crew of Ulysses to the Sirens.
+Several times in South Africa K., so doing, carried the Imperial
+Standard to victory through a series of hair's breadth escapes. But
+to-day, though he sees, the power of believing in his own vision and of
+hanging on to it like a bulldog, seems paralysed. He hesitates. Ten
+short years ago, if K.'s heart had been set on Constantinople, why, to
+Constantinople he would have gone. Paris might have screamed; he would
+not have swerved a hair's breadth till he had gripped the Golden Horn.</p>
+
+<p><i>7th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Left camp early and went to Cape Helles on a
+destroyer. On our little sandbag pier, built by Egyptians and Turkish
+prisoners, I met General Wallace and his A.D.C. (a son of Walter
+Long's). Wallace has come here to take up his duty as Inspector-General
+of Communications. About ten days ago he was forced upon us. He is
+reputed a good executive Brigadier of the Indian Army, but we want him,
+not to train Sepoys but to create one of the biggest organizing and
+administrative jobs in the world. His work will comprise the whole of
+the transhipment of stores from the ships to small craft; their dispatch
+over 60 miles of sea to the Peninsula, and the maintenance of all the
+necessary machinery in good running order. The task is tremendous, and
+here is a simple soldier, without any experi<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span>ence of naval men or
+matters, or the British soldier, or of Administration on a large scale,
+or even of superior Staff duties, sent me for the purpose. We want a
+competent business man at Mudros, ready to grapple with millions of
+public money; ready to cable on his own for goods or gear by the ten
+thousand pounds worth. We want a man of tried business courage; a man
+who can tackle contractors. We are sent an Indian Brigadier who has
+never, so far as I can make out, in his longish life had undivided
+responsibility for one hundred pounds of public belongings. I cabled to
+K. my objection as strongly as seemed suitable, but he tells me to carry
+on. He tells me to carry on and, in doing so, throws an amusing
+sidelight upon himself. Into his cable he sticks the words, "Ellison
+cannot be spared." K. believes that my protest <i>re</i> Wallace has, at the
+back of it, a wish to put in the Staff Officer he took from me when I
+started. He doesn't believe in my zeal for efficiency at Mudros; he
+thinks my little plan is to work General Ellison into the billet.
+Certainly, I'd like an organizer of Ellison's calibre, but he had not,
+it so happens, entered my mind till K. put him there!</p>
+
+<p>Landing at "W" Beach, I walked over to the 9th Division and met Generals
+Hunter-Weston, de Lisle and Doran. As we were having our confab, the
+Turkish guns from Asia were steadily pounding the ridge just South of
+Headquarters. One or two big fellows fell within 100 yards of the Mess.
+After an A.1 lunch (for which much glory to Carter, A.D.C.) visited
+Gouraud at French<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span> Headquarters. Going along the coast we were treated
+to an exciting spectacle. The Turkish guns in Asia stopped firing at
+Headquarters and turned on to a solitary French transport containing
+forage, which had braved the submarines and instead of transhipping (as
+is now the order) at Mudros, had anchored close to "V" Beach. After
+several overs and unders they hit her three times running and set her on
+fire. Destroyers and trawlers rushed to her help. Bluejackets boarded
+her; got her fire under control; got her under steam and moved out. The
+amazing part of the affair lay in the conduct of the Turks. Having made
+their three hits, then was the moment to sink the bally ship. But no;
+they switched back once more onto the Peninsula, and left their helpless
+prize to make a leisurely and unmolested escape. Anyone but a Turk would
+have opened rapid fire on seeking his target smoking like a factory
+chimney, ringed round by a crowd of small craft. But these old Turks are
+real freaks. Their fierce courage on the defensive is the only cert
+about them. On all other points it becomes a fair war risk to presume
+upon their happy-go-lucky behaviour. If this crippled ship had been full
+of troops instead of hay they would equally have let her slip through
+their fingers.</p>
+
+<p>I stayed the best part of an hour with Gouraud. He can throw no light
+from the French side upon the reason for the strange hesitations of our
+Governments. As he says, after reporting an entirely unexpected and
+unprepared for situation and asking for the wherewithal to cope with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span>
+it, a Commander should get fresh orders. Either: we cannot give you what
+you ask, so fall back onto the defensive; or, go ahead, we will give you
+the means. Taking leave we came back again by the 29th Headquarters
+where I saw Douglas, commanding the 42nd Division. Got home latish. As I
+was on my way to our destroyer took in a wireless saying that submarine
+E.11 had returned safely after three fruitful weeks in the Marmora.</p>
+
+<p>A most singular message is in:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No. 5199).</p>
+
+<p>"From Earl Kitchener to General Sir Ian Hamilton.</p>
+
+<p>"With reference to your telegram No. M.F. 301, instead of sending such
+telegrams reporting operations, privately to Earl Kitchener, will you
+please send them to the Secretary of State. A separate telegram might
+have been sent dealing with the latter part about Doran."</p>
+
+<p>May the devil fly away with me if I know what that means! Braithwaite is
+as much at a loss as myself. No one knows better than we do how much
+store K. sets on having all these messages addressed to him personally.
+There's more in this than meets the common or garden optic!</p>
+
+<p>Very heavy firing on the Peninsula at 8 o'clock; a ceaseless tremor of
+the air which&mdash;faint here&mdash;denotes tremendous musketry there.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER X</h2>
+
+<h3>A DECISION AND THE PLAN</h3>
+
+
+<p><i>8th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> We are getting "three Divisions of the New
+Army"! The Cabinet "are determined to support" us! And why wouldn't they
+be? Thus runs the cable&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No. 5217, cipher). Your difficulties are fully recognized by the
+Cabinet who are determined to support you. We are sending you three
+divisions of the New Army. The first of these will leave about the end
+of this week, and the other two will be sent as transport is available.</p>
+
+<p>"The last of the three divisions ought to reach you not later than the
+first fortnight in July. By that time the Fleet will have been
+reinforced by a good many units which are much less vulnerable to
+submarine attack than those now at the Dardanelles, and you can then
+count on the Fleet to give you continuous support.</p>
+
+<p>"While steadily pressing the enemy, there seems no reason for running
+any premature risks in the meantime."</p>
+
+<p>In face of K.'s hang-fire cable of the 3rd, and in face of this long
+three weeks of stupefaction,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span> thank God our rulers have got out of the
+right side of their beds and are not going to run away.</p>
+
+<p>The first thing to be done was to signal to the Admiral to come over. At
+2 p.m. he and Roger Keyes turned up. The great news was read out and
+yet, such is the contrariness of human nature that neither the hornpipe
+nor the Highland Fling was danced. Three weeks ago&mdash;two weeks ago&mdash;we
+should have been beside ourselves, but irritation now takes the fine
+edge off our rejoicings. Why not three weeks ago? That was the tone of
+the meeting. At first:&mdash;but why be captious in the very embrace of
+Fortune? So we set to and worked off the broad general scheme in the
+course of an hour and a half.</p>
+
+<p>Just as the Admiral was going, Ward (of the Intelligence) crossed over
+with a nasty little damper. The Turks keep just one lap ahead of us. Two
+new Divisions have arrived and have been launched straightway at our
+trenches. At the moment we get promises that troops asked for in the
+middle of May will arrive by the middle of July the Turks get their
+divisions in the flesh:&mdash;so much so that they have gained a footing in
+the lines of the East Lanes: but there is no danger; they will be driven
+out. We have taken some prisoners.</p>
+
+<p>Dined on board the <i>Triad</i>. Sat up later than usual. Not only had we
+news from home and the news from the Peninsula to thresh out, but there
+was much to say and hear about E.11 and that apple of Roger Keyes' eye,
+the gallant<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span> Nasmith. Their adventures in the sea of Marmora take the
+shine out of those of the Argonauts.</p>
+
+<p>Coming back along the well-beaten sandy track, my heart sank to see our
+mess tent still lit up at midnight. It might be good news but also it
+might not. Fortunately, it was pleasant news; i.e., Colonel Chauvel,
+commanding 1st Australian Light Horse Brigade, waiting to see me. I had
+known him well in Melbourne where he helped me more than anyone else to
+get the hang of the Australian system. He stays the night.</p>
+
+<p><i>9th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> A cable saying the new Divisions will form the
+9th Corps and asking me my opinion of Mahon as Corps Commander. I shall
+reply at once he is good up to a point and brave, but not up to running
+a Corps out here.</p>
+
+<p>Have been sent a gas-mask and a mosquito-net. Quite likely the mask is
+good bizz and may prolong my poor life a little bit, but this is
+problematical whereas there's no blooming error about the net. This
+morning instead of being awakened at 4.30 a.m. by a cluster of
+house-flies having a garden party on my nose I just opened one eye and
+looked at them running about outside my entrenchments, then closed it
+and fell asleep again for an hour.</p>
+
+<p><i>10th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Nothing doing but sheer hard work. The
+sailors the same. Sent one pretty stiff cable as we all agreed that we
+must make ourselves quite clear upon the question of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span> guns and shell.
+After all, any outsider would think it a plain sailing matter enough&mdash;a
+demand, that is to say, from Simpson-Baikie at Helles that he should be
+gunned and shell supplied on the same scale as the formations he quitted
+on the Western Front only a few weeks ago. Simpson-Baikie has been
+specially sent to us by Lord K., who has a high opinion of his merits. A
+deep-thinking, studious and scientific officer. Well, Baikie says that
+to put him on anything like the Western Front footing he wants another
+forty-eight 18-pounders; eight 5-inch hows.; eight 4.5. hows.; eight
+6-inch; four 9.2 hows.; four anti-aircraft guns and a thousand rounds a
+month per field gun; these "wants" he puts down as an absolute minimum.
+He also wishes me at once to cable for an aeroplane squadron of three
+flights of four machines each, one flight for patrol work; the other two
+for spotting.</p>
+
+<p>There is no use enraging people for nothing and "nothing" I am sure
+would be the result of this demand were it shot in quite nakedly. But I
+have pressed Baikie's vital points home all the same, <i>vide</i> attached:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No. M.F. 316).</p>
+
+<p>"Your No. 5088. After a further consideration of the ammunition question
+in light of the expenditure on the 4th and 5th June, I would like to
+point out that I have only the normal artillery complement of two
+divisions, although actually I have five divisions here. Consequently,
+each of my guns has to do the work which two and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span> a half guns are doing
+in Flanders. Any comparison based on expenditure per gun must therefore
+be misleading. Also a comparison based on numbers of troops would prove
+to be beside the point, for conditions cannot be identical. Therefore,
+as I know you will do your best for me and thus leave me contented with
+the decision you arrive at, I prefer to state frankly what amount I
+consider necessary. This amount is at least 30 rounds a day for 18-pr.
+and 4.5 howitzer already ashore, and I hope that a supply on this scale
+may be possible. The number of guns already ashore is beginning to prove
+insufficient for their task, for the enemy have apparently no lack of
+ammunition and their artillery is constantly increasing. Therefore I
+hope that the new divisions may be sent out with the full complement of
+artillery, but, if this is done, the ammunition supply for the artillery
+of the fresh divisions need only be on the normal scale.</p>
+
+<p>"Since the above was written, I have received a report that the enemy
+has been reinforced by 1,300 Germans for fortress artillery; perhaps
+their recent shooting is accounted for by this fact."</p>
+
+<p>As to our Air Service, the way this feud between Admiralty and War
+Office has worked itself out in the field is simply heart-breaking. The
+War Office wash their hands of the air entirely (at the Dardanelles). I
+cannot put my own case to the Admiralty although the machines are wanted
+for overland tactics&mdash;a fatal blind alley. All I could do I did this
+afternoon when the Admiral came to tea and took me for a good stiff walk
+afterwards.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span></p>
+
+<p><i>11th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Sailed over to Anzac with Braithwaite. Took
+Birdwood's views upon the outline of our plan (which originated between
+him and Skeen) for entering the New Army against the Turks. To do his
+share, <i>durch und durch</i> (God forgive me), he wants three new Brigades;
+with them he engages to go through from bottom to top of Sari Bair.
+Well, I will give him four; perhaps five! Our whole scheme hinges on
+these crests of Sari Bair which dominate Anzac and Maidos; the
+Dardanelles and the Aegean. The destroyers next took us to Cape Helles
+where I held a pow wow at Army Headquarters, Generals Hunter-Weston and
+Gouraud being present as well as Birdwood and Braithwaite. Everyone keen
+and sanguine. Many minor suggestions; warm approval of the broad lines
+of the scheme. Afterwards I brought Birdie back to Anzac and then
+returned to Imbros. A good day's work. Half the battle to find that my
+Corps Commanders are so keen. They are all sworn to the closest secrecy;
+have been told that our lives depend upon their discretion. I have shown
+them my M.F. 300 of the 7th June so as to let them understand they are
+being trusted with a plan which is too much under the seal to be sent
+over the cables even to the highest.</p>
+
+<p>Every General I met to-day spoke of the shortage of bombs and grenades.
+The Anzacs are very much depressed to hear they are to get no more bombs
+for their six Japanese trench mortars. We told the Ordnance some days
+ago to put this very strongly to the War Office. After all, bombs<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span> and
+grenades are easy things to make if the tails of the manufacturers are
+well twisted.</p>
+
+<p><i>12th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Stayed in camp where de Robeck came to see
+me. I wonder what K. is likely to do about Mahon and about ammunition.
+When he told me Joffre and French thought 17 rounds per gun per day good
+enough, and that he was going to give me as much, there were several
+qualifications to our pleasure, but we <i>were</i> pleased, because apart
+from all invidious comparisons, we were anyway going to get more stuff.
+But we have not yet tasted this new French ration of 17 rounds per gun.</p>
+
+<p>Are we too insistent? I think not. One dozen small field howitzer
+shells, of 4.5. calibre, save one British life by taking two Turkish
+lives. And although the 4.5. are what we want the old 5-inch are none so
+bad. Where would we be now, I wonder, had not Haldane against Press,
+Public and four soldiers out of five stuck to his guns and insisted on
+creating those 145 batteries of Territorial Field Artillery?</p>
+
+<p>A depressing wire in from the War Office expressing doubt as to whether
+they will be able to meet our wishes by embarking units complete and
+ready for landing; gear, supplies, munitions all in due proportion, in
+the transports coming out here from England. Should we be forced to
+redistribute men and material on arrival, we are in for another spell of
+delay.</p>
+
+<p>Altogether I have been very busy on cables to-day. The War Office having
+jogged my elbow<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span> again about the Bulair scheme, I have once more been
+through the whole series of pros and cons with the Admiral who has
+agreed in the reply I have sent:&mdash;clear negative. Three quarters of the
+objections are naval; either directly&mdash;want of harbours, etc.; or
+indirectly&mdash;as involving three lines of small craft to supply three
+separate military forces. The number of small craft required are not in
+existence.</p>
+
+<p><i>13th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> The War Office forget every now and then
+other things about the coastline above the Narrows. I have replied:</p>
+
+<p>"Your first question as to the fortification of the coast towards
+Gallipoli can be satisfactorily answered only by the Navy as naval
+aeroplane observation is the only means by which I can find out about
+the coast fortifications. From time to time it has been reported that
+torpedo tubes have been placed at the mouth of Soghan Dere and at Nagara
+Point. These are matters on which I presume Admiral has reported to
+Admiralty, but I am telegraphing to him to make sure as he is away
+to-day at Mudros. I will ask him to have aeroplane reconnaissance made
+regarding the coast fortifications you mention, to see if it can be
+ascertained whether your informant's report is correct, but there are
+but few aeroplanes and the few we have are constantly required for
+spotting for artillery, photographing trenches, and for reconnaissances
+of the troops immediately engaged with us."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>I am being forced by War Office questions to say rather more than I had
+intended about plans. The following cable took me the best part of the
+morning. I hope it is too technical to effect a lodgment in the memories
+of the gossips:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No. M.F. 328). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. With
+reference to your No. 5441, cipher. From the outset I have fully
+realized that the question of cutting off forces defending the Peninsula
+lay at the heart of my problem. See my No. M.F. 173, last paragraph, and
+paragraphs 2 and 7 of my instructions to General Officer Commanding
+Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, of 13th April, before landing. I
+still consider, as indicated therein, that the best and most practicable
+method of stopping enemy's communications is to push forward to the
+south-east from Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.</p>
+
+<p>"The attempt to stop Bulair communications further North than the
+Australian and New Zealand Army Corps position would give the Turks too
+much room to pass our guns. An advance of little more than two miles in
+a south-eastern direction would enable us to command the land
+communications between Bulair and Kilid Bahr. This, in turn, would
+render Ak Bashi Liman useless to the enemy as a port of disembarkation
+for either Chanak or Constantinople. It would enable us, moreover, to
+co-operate effectively with the Navy in stopping communication with the
+Asiatic shore, since Kilia Liman and Maidos would be under fire from our
+land guns.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"It was these considerations which decided me originally to land at
+Australian and New Zealand Army Corps position, and in spite of the
+difficulties of advancing thence, I see no reason to expect that a new
+point of departure would make the task any easier. I have recently been
+obliged by circumstances to concentrate my main efforts on pushing
+forward towards Achi Baba so as to clear my main port of disembarkation
+of shell fire. I only await the promised reinforcements, however, to
+enable me to take the next step in the prosecution of my main plan from
+the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.</p>
+
+<p>"I cannot extend the present Australian position until they arrive. See
+my No. M.F. 300, as to estimate of troops required, and my No. 304, 7th
+June, as to state of siege at Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. If
+I succeed the enemy's communications <i>via</i> Bulair and, with the Navy's
+help, <i>via</i> Asiatic coast should both be closed, as far as possible, by
+the one operation. If, in addition, submarines can stop sea
+communications with Constantinople the problem will be solved.</p>
+
+<p>"With regard to supplies and ammunition which can be obtained by the
+enemy across the Dardanelles, since Panderma and Karabingha are normally
+important centres of collection of food supplies, both cereals and meat,
+and since the Panderma-Chanak road is adequate, it would be possible to
+provision the peninsula from a great supply depot at Chanak where there
+are steam mills, steam bakeries and ample shallow draught<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span> craft. If
+land communications were blocked near Bulair, ammunition could only be
+brought by sea to Panderma, and thence by road to Chanak or by sea
+direct to Kilid Bahr.</p>
+
+<p>"Either for supplies or ammunition, however, the difficulty of
+effectively stopping supply by sea may be increased by the large number
+of shallow craft available at Rodosto, Chanak, Constantinople and
+Panderma. But as soon as I can make good advance south-east from
+Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, my guns, plus the submarines,
+should be able to make all traffic from the Asiatic shore very difficult
+for the enemy.</p>
+
+<p>"It is vitally important that future developments should be kept
+absolutely secret. I mention this because, although the date of our
+original landing was known to hardly anyone here before the ships
+sailed, yet the date was cabled to the Turks from Vienna."</p>
+
+<p>The message took some doing and could not, therefore, get clear of camp
+till 11 o'clock when I boarded the destroyer <i>Grampus</i>, and sailed for
+Helles. Lunched with Hunter-Weston at his Headquarters, and then walked
+out along the new road being built under the cliffs from "W" Beach to
+Gurkha Gully. On the way I stopped at the 29th Divisional Headquarters
+where I met de Lisle. Thence along the coast where the 88th Brigade were
+bathing. In the beautiful hot afternoon weather the men were happy as
+sandboys. Their own mothers would hardly know them&mdash;burnt black with the
+sun, in rags or else stark<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span> naked, with pipes in their mouths. But they
+like it! After passing the time of day to a lot of these boys, I climbed
+the cliff and came back along the crests, stopping to inspect some of
+the East Lancashire Division in their rest trenches.</p>
+
+<p><a name="BATHING" id="BATHING"></a></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+             <img   src="images/img294.jpg"
+             alt="MEN BATHING AT HELLES" /><br />
+         <b>MEN BATHING AT HELLES.</b>
+    </div>
+
+
+<p>Got back to Hunter-Weston's about 6 and had a cup of tea. There Cox of
+the Indian Brigade joined me, and I took him with me to Imbros where he
+is going to stay a day or two with Braithwaite.</p>
+
+<p><i>14th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> K. sends me this brisk little pick-me-up:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"Report here states that your position could be made untenable by
+Turkish guns from the Asiatic shore. Please report on this."</p>
+
+<p>No doubt&mdash;no doubt! Yet I was once his own Chief of Staff into whose
+hands he unreservedly placed the conduct of one of the most crucial, as
+it was the last, of the old South African enterprises: I was once the
+man into whose hands he placed the defence of his heavily criticized
+action at the Battle of Paardeburg. There it is: he used to have great
+faith in me, and now he makes me much the sort of remark which might be
+made by a young lady to a Marine. The answer, as K. well knows, depends
+upon too many imponderabilia to be worth the cost of a cable. The size
+and number of the Turkish guns; their supplies of shell; the power of
+our submarines to restrict those supplies; the worth of our own ship and
+shore guns; the depth of our trenches; the <i>moral</i> of our men, and so on
+<i>ad infinitum</i>.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span> The point of the whole matter is this:&mdash;the Turks
+haven't got the guns&mdash;and we know it:&mdash;if ever they do get the guns it
+will take them weeks, months, before they can get them mounted and
+shells in proportion amassed.</p>
+
+<p>K. should know better than any other man in England&mdash;Lord Bobs, alas, is
+gone&mdash;that if there was any real fear of guns from Asia being able to
+make us loosen our grip on the Peninsula, I would cable him quickly.
+Then why does he ask? Well&mdash;and why shouldn't he ask? I must not be so
+captious. Much better turn the tables on him by asking him to enable us
+to knock out the danger he fears&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No. M.F. 331). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. With
+reference to your telegram No. 5460. As already reported in my telegram,
+fire from the Asiatic shore is at times troublesome, but I am taking
+steps to deal with it. Of course another battery of 6-inch howitzers
+would greatly help in this."</p>
+
+<p>By coincidence a letter has come in to me this very night, on the very
+subject; a letter written by a famous soldier&mdash;Gouraud&mdash;the lion of the
+Ardennes, who is, it so happens, much better posted as to the Asiatic
+guns than the Jeremiah who has made K. anxious. The French bear the
+brunt of this fire and Gouraud's cool decision to ignore it in favour of
+bigger issues marks the contrast between the fighter who makes little of
+the enemy and the writer who makes much of him. I look upon Gouraud more
+as a coadjutor<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span> than as a subordinate, so it is worth anything to me to
+find that we see eye to eye at present. For, there is much more in the
+letter than his feelings about the guns of Asia: there is an outline
+sketch, drawn with slight but masterly touches, covering the past,
+present and future of our show&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+
+<div class="blockquot">
+<p class='author'>
+<i>Q.G. le 13 juin 1915.</i></p>
+<p>
+Corps Exp&eacute;ditionnaire d'Orient.<br />
+<br />
+<span class='smcap'  style="margin-left: 2em;">Cabine du G&eacute;n&eacute;ral.</span><br />
+<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 4em;">N. Cab.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 4em;" class='smcap'>Secret.</span></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.5in">Le G&eacute;n&eacute;ral de Division Gouraud, Commandant le
+Corps Exp&eacute;ditionnaire d'Orient, &agrave; Sir Ian
+Hamilton, G.C.B., D.S.O., Commandant le
+Corps Exp&eacute;ditionnaire M&eacute;diterran&eacute;en.</p>
+
+<p class='author'>Quartier G&eacute;n&eacute;ral.</p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 2em;" class='smcap'>Mon G&eacute;n&eacute;ral,</span>
+</p>
+
+<p>Vous avez bien voulu me communiquer une d&eacute;p&ecirc;che de Lord Kitchener
+faisant conna&icirc;tre que le Gouvernement anglais allait envoyer
+incessamment aux Dardanelles trois nouvelles divisions et des
+vaisseaux moins vuln&eacute;rables aux sous-marins. D'apr&egrave;s les
+renseignements qui m'ont &eacute;t&eacute; donn&eacute;s, on annonce 14 de ces monitors;
+4 seraient arm&eacute;s de pi&egrave;ces de 35 &agrave; 38 m/ 4 de pi&egrave;ces de 24, les
+autres de 15.</p>
+
+<p>C'est donc sur terre et sur mer un important renfort.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>J'ai l'honneur de vous soumettre ci-dessous mes id&eacute;es sur son
+emploi.</p>
+
+<p>Jetons d'abord un coup d'oeil sur la situation. Il s'en d&eacute;gage, ce
+me semble, deux faits.</p>
+
+<p>D'une part, le combat du 4 juin, qui, malgr&eacute; une pr&eacute;paration
+s&eacute;rieuse n'a pas donn&eacute; de r&eacute;sultat en balance avec le vigoureux et
+couteux effort fourni par les troupes alli&eacute;es, a montr&eacute; que, guid&eacute;s
+par les Allemands, les Turcs ont donn&eacute; &agrave; leur ligne une tr&egrave;s grande
+force. La presqu'&icirc;le est barr&eacute;e devant notre front de plusieurs
+lignes de tranch&eacute;es fortement &eacute;tablies, pr&eacute;c&eacute;d&eacute;es en plusieurs
+points de fil de fer barbel&eacute;s, flanqu&eacute;es de mitrailleuses,
+communiquant avec l'arri&egrave;re par des boyaux, formant un syst&egrave;me de
+fortification comparable &agrave; celui du grand Front.</p>
+
+<p>Dans ces tranch&eacute;es les Turcs se montrent bons soldats, braves,
+tenaces. Leur artillerie a constamment et tr&egrave;s sensiblement
+augment&eacute; en nombres et en puissance depuis trois semaines.</p>
+
+<p>Dans ces conditions, et &eacute;tant donn&eacute; que les Turcs ont toute libert&eacute;
+d'amener sur ce front &eacute;troite toute leur arm&eacute;e, on ne peut se
+dissimuler que les progr&egrave;s seront lents et que chaque progr&egrave;s sera
+couteux.</p>
+
+<p>Les Allemands appliqueront certainement dans les montagnes et les
+ravins de la presqu'&icirc;le le syst&egrave;me qui leur a r&eacute;ussi jusqu'ici en
+France.</p>
+
+<p>D'autre part l'ennemi parait avoir chang&eacute; de tactique. Il a voulu
+au d&eacute;but nous rejeter &agrave; la mer; apr&egrave;s les pertes &eacute;normes qu'il a
+subi dans<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span> les combats d'avril et de mai, il semble y avoir renonc&eacute;
+du moins pour le moment.</p>
+
+<p>Son plan actuel consiste &agrave; chercher &agrave; nous bloquer de front, pour
+nous maintenir sur l'&eacute;troit terrain que nous avons conquis, et &agrave;
+nous y rendre la vie intenable en bombardant les camps et surtout
+les plages de d&eacute;barquement. C'est ainsi que les quatre batteries de
+grosses pi&egrave;ces r&eacute;cemment install&eacute;es entre Erenkeui et Yenishahr ont
+apport&eacute; au ravitaillement des troupes une g&ecirc;ne qu'on peut dire
+dangereuse, puisque la consommation dans derni&egrave;res journ&eacute;es a
+l&eacute;g&egrave;rement d&eacute;pass&eacute; le ravitaillement.</p>
+
+<p>Au r&eacute;sum&eacute; nous sommes bloqu&eacute;s de front et pris par derri&egrave;re. Et
+cette situation ira en empirant du fait des maladies, r&eacute;sultant du
+climat, de la chaleur, du bivouac continuel, peut &ecirc;tre des
+&eacute;pid&eacute;mies, et du fait que la mer rendra tr&egrave;s difficile tout
+d&eacute;barquement d&egrave;s la mauvaise saison, fin ao&ucirc;t.</p>
+
+<p>Ceci pos&eacute;, comment employer les gros renforts attendus. Plusieurs
+solutions se pr&eacute;sentent &agrave; l'esprit.</p>
+
+<p>Primo, en Asie.</p>
+
+<p>C'est la premi&egrave;re id&eacute;e qui se pr&eacute;sente; &eacute;tant donn&eacute; l'int&eacute;r&ecirc;t de se
+rendre ma&icirc;tre de la r&eacute;gion Yenishahr-Erenkeui, qui prend nos plages
+de d&eacute;barquement &agrave; revers.</p>
+
+<p>Mais c'est l&agrave; une mesure d'un int&eacute;r&ecirc;t d&eacute;fensif, qui ne fera pas
+faire un pas en avant. Il est permis d'autre part de penser que les
+canons des<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span> monitors anglais, qui sont sans doute destin&eacute;s &agrave;
+d&eacute;truire les d&eacute;fenses du d&eacute;troit, commenceront par nous d&eacute;barrasser
+des batteries de l'entr&eacute;e. Enfin nous disposerons d'ici peu d'un
+front de mer Seddul-Bahr Eski Hissarlick, dont les pi&egrave;ces
+puissantes contrebattront efficacement les canons d'Asie.</p>
+
+<p>Secundo, vers Gaba-T&eacute;p&eacute;.</p>
+
+<p>Au Sud de Gaba T&eacute;p&eacute; s'&eacute;tend une plaine que les cartes disent
+accessible au d&eacute;barquement. Des troupes d&eacute;barqu&eacute;es l&agrave; se trouvent &agrave;
+8 kilom&egrave;tres environ de Maidos, c'est &agrave; dire au point o&ugrave; la
+presqu'&icirc;le est la plus &eacute;troite.</p>
+
+<p>Sans nul doute, trouveront elles devant elles les m&ecirc;mes difficult&eacute;s
+qu'ici et il sera n&eacute;cessaire notemment de se rendre ma&icirc;tre des
+montagnes qui dominent la plaine au Nord. Mais alors que la prise
+d'Achi Baba ne sera qu'un grand succ&egrave;s militaire, qui nous mettra
+le lendemain devant les escarpements de Kilid-Bahr, l'occupation de
+la r&eacute;gion Gaba T&eacute;p&eacute;-Maidos nous placerait au del&agrave; des d&eacute;troits,
+nous permettrait d'y constituer une base o&ugrave; les sous-marins de la
+mer de Marmara pourraient ind&eacute;finiment s'approvisionner.</p>
+
+<p>Si le barrage des Dardanelles n'&eacute;tait pas bris&eacute;, il serait tourn&eacute;.</p>
+
+<p>Tertio, vers Boulair.</p>
+
+<p>Cette solution apparait comme le plus radicale, celui qui
+d&eacute;jouerait le plan de l'ennemi. Constantinople serait directement
+menac&eacute; par ce coup retentissant.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Toute la question est de savoir si, avec leurs moyens nouveaux, les
+monitors, les Amiraux sont en mesure de prot&eacute;ger un d&eacute;barquement,
+qui comme celui du 25 avril n&eacute;cessiterait de nombreux bateaux.</p>
+
+<p>En r&eacute;sum&eacute;, j'ai l'honneur d'&eacute;mettre l'avis de poser nettement aux
+Amiraux la question du d&eacute;barquement &agrave; Boulair, d'y faire
+reconna&icirc;tre l'&eacute;tat actuel des d&eacute;fenses par bateaux, avions et si
+possible agents, sans faire d'acte de guerre pour ne pas donner
+l'&eacute;veil.</p>
+
+<p>Au cas o&ugrave; le d&eacute;barquement serait jug&eacute; impossible, j'&eacute;met l'avis
+d'employer les renforts dans la r&eacute;gion Gaba-T&eacute;p&eacute;, o&ugrave; les
+Australiens ont d&eacute;j&agrave; implant&eacute; un solide jalon.</p>
+
+<p>Concurremment, je pense qu'il serait du plus vif int&eacute;r&ecirc;t pour h&acirc;ter
+la d&eacute;cision, de cr&eacute;er au Gouvernement Turc des inqui&eacute;tudes dans
+d'autres parties de l'Empire, pour l'emp&ecirc;cher d'amener ici toutes
+ses forces.</p>
+
+<p>Dans cet ordre d'id&eacute;es on peut envisager deux moyens. L'un, le plus
+efficace, est l'action russe ou bulgare. La Gr&ecirc;ce est mal plac&eacute;e
+g&eacute;ographiquement pour exercer une action sur la guerre. Seule la
+Bulgarie, par sa position g&eacute;ographique, prend les Turcs &agrave; revers.
+Sans doute, &agrave; voir la fa&ccedil;on dont les Turcs am&egrave;nent devant nous les
+troupes et les canons d'Adrianople, ont ils un accord avec la
+Bulgarie, mais la guerre des Balkans prouve que la Bulgarie n'est
+pas embarrass&eacute;e d'un accord si elle voit ailleurs son int&eacute;r&ecirc;t. La
+question est donc d'offrir un prix fort &agrave; la Bulgarie.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>L'autre est de provoquer des agitations dans diff&eacute;rentes parties de
+l'Empire, d'y faire op&eacute;rer des destructions par des bandes,
+d'obliger les Turcs &agrave; y envoyer du monde. Cela encore vaut la peine
+d'y mettre le prix.</p>
+
+<p>Je suis, avec un profond respect, mon G&eacute;n&eacute;ral,</p>
+
+<p><span style="margin-left: 12em;">Votre tr&egrave;s d&eacute;vou&eacute;,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 14em;">(<i>Sd.</i>)<span class='smcap'> Gouraud.</span></span></p></div>
+
+<p>Boarded a destroyer at 11.15 a.m. and sailed straight for Gully Beach.
+Then into dinghy and paddled to shore where I lunched with de Lisle at
+the 29th Divisional Headquarters. Hunter-Weston had come up to meet me
+from Corps Headquarters.</p>
+
+<p>With both Generals I rode a couple of miles up the Gully seeing the 87th
+Brigade as we went. When we got to the mouth of the communication trench
+leading to the front of the Indian Brigade, Bruce of the Gurkhas was
+waiting for us, and led me along through endless sunken ways until we
+reached his firing line.</p>
+
+<p>Every hundred yards or so I had a close peep at the ground in front
+through de Lisle's periscope. The enemy trenches were sometimes not more
+than 7 yards away and the rifles of the Turks moving showed there was a
+man behind the loophole. Many corpses, almost all Turks, lay between the
+two lines of trenches. There was no shelling at the moment, but rifle
+bullets kept flopping into the parapet especially when the periscope was
+moved.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>At the end of the Gurkha line I was met by Colonel Wolley Dod, who took
+me round the fire trenches of the 86th Brigade. The Dublin Fusiliers
+looked particularly fit and jolly.</p>
+
+<p>Getting back to the head of the Gully I rode with Hunter-Weston to his
+Corps Headquarters where I had tea before sailing.</p>
+
+<p>When I got to Imbros the Fleet were firing at a Taube. She was only
+having a look; flying around the shipping and Headquarters camp at a
+great height, but dropping no bombs. After a bit she scooted off to the
+South-east. Cox dined.</p>
+
+<p><i>15th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Yesterday I learned some detail about the
+conduct of affairs the other day&mdash;enough to make me very anxious indeed
+that no tired or nervy leaders should be sent out with the new troops.
+So I have sent K. a cable!&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No. M.F. 334). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener.</p>
+
+<p>"With reference to the last paragraph of your telegram No. 5250, cipher,
+and my No. M.F. 313. I should like to submit for your consideration the
+following views of the qualities necessary in an Army Corps Commander on
+the Gallipoli Peninsula. In that position only men of good stiff
+constitution and nerve will be able to do any good. Everything is at
+such close quarters that many men would be useless in the somewhat
+exposed headquarters they would have to occupy on this limited terrain,
+though they would do quite good work if moderately comfort<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span>able and away
+from constant shell fire. I can think of two men, Byng and Rawlinson.
+Both possess the requisite qualities and seniority; the latter does not
+seem very happy where he is, and the former would have more scope than a
+cavalry Corps can give him in France."</p>
+
+<p>Left camp the moment I got this weight off my chest; boarded the
+<i>Savage</i>, or rather jumped on her ladder like a chamois and scrambled on
+deck like a monkey. It was blowing big guns and our launch was very
+nearly swamped. Crossing to Helles big seas were making a clean sweep of
+the decks. Jolly to look at from the bridge.</p>
+
+<p>After a dusty walk round piers and beaches lunched with Hunter-Weston
+before inspecting the 155th and 156th Brigades. On our road we were met
+by Brigadier-Generals Erskine and Scott-Moncrieff. Walked the trenches
+where I chatted with the regimental officers and men, and found my
+compatriots in very good form.</p>
+
+<p>Went on to the Royal Naval Division Headquarters where Paris met me.
+Together we went round the 3rd Marine Brigade Section under
+Brigadier-General Trotman. These old comrades of the first landing gave
+me the kindliest greetings.</p>
+
+<p>Got back to 8th Corps Headquarters intending to enjoy a cup of tea <i>al
+fresco</i>, but we were reckoning without our host (the Turkish one) who
+threw so many big shell from Asia all about the mound that, (only to
+save the tea cups), we retired with dignified slowness into our dugouts.
+Whilst sitting in these funk-holes, as we used to call<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span> them at
+Ladysmith, General Gouraud ran the gauntlet and made also a slow and
+dignified entry. He was coming back with me to Imbros. As it was getting
+late we hardened our hearts to walk across the open country between
+Headquarters and the beach, where every twenty seconds or so a big
+fellow was raising Cain. Fortune favouring we both reached the sea with
+our heads upon our shoulders.</p>
+
+<p>An answer is in to our plea for a Western scale of ammunition, guns and
+howitzers. They cable sympathetically but say simply they can't. Soft
+answers, etc., but it would be well if they could make up their minds
+whether they wish to score the next trick in the East or in the West. If
+they can't do that they will be doubly done.</p>
+
+<p>A purely passive defence is not possible for us; it implies losing
+ground by degrees&mdash;and we have not a yard to lose. If we are to remain
+we must keep on attacking here and there to maintain ourselves! But; to
+expect us to attack without giving us our fair share&mdash;on Western
+standards&mdash;of high explosive and howitzers shows lack of military
+imagination. A man's a man for a' that whether at Helles or Ypres. Let
+me bring my lads face to face with Turks in the open field, we <i>must</i>
+beat them every time because British volunteer soldiers are superior
+individuals to Anatolians, Syrians or Arabs and are animated with a
+superior ideal and an equal joy in battle. Wire and machine guns prevent
+this hand to hand, or rifle to rifle, style of contest. Well, then the
+decent thing to do is to give us shells enough to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span> clear a fair field.
+To attempt to solve the problem by letting a single dirty Turk at the
+Maxim kill ten&mdash;twenty&mdash;fifty&mdash;of our fellows on the barbed
+wire,&mdash;ten&mdash;twenty&mdash;fifty&mdash;<i>each of whom is worth several dozen Turks</i>,
+is a sin of the Holy Ghost category unless it can be justified by dire
+necessity. But there is no necessity. The supreme command has only to
+decide categorically that the Allies stand on the defensive on the West
+for a few weeks and then Von Donop can find us enough to bring us
+through. Joffre and French, as a matter of fact, would hardly feel the
+difference. If the supreme command can't do that; and can't even send us
+trench mortars as substitutes, let them harden their hearts and wind up
+this great enterprise for which they simply haven't got the nerve.</p>
+
+<p>If only K. would come and see for himself! Failing that&mdash;if only it were
+possible for me to run home and put my own case.</p>
+
+<p><i>16th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Gouraud, a sympathetic guest, left for French
+Headquarters in one of our destroyers at 3.30 p.m. He is a real Sahib; a
+tower of strength. The Asiatic guns have upset his men a good deal. He
+hopes soon to clap on an extinguisher to their fire by planting down two
+fine big fellows of his own Morto Bay way: we mean to add a couple of
+old naval six-inchers to this battery. During his stay we have very
+thoroughly threshed out our hopes and fears and went into the plan which
+Gouraud thinks offers chances of a record-breaking victory. If<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span> the
+character of the new Commanders and the spirit of their troops are of
+the calibre of those on his left flank at Helles he feels pretty
+confident.</p>
+
+<p>Talking of Commanders, my appeal for a young Corps Commander of a "good
+stiff constitution" has drawn a startling reply&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No. 5501, cipher). From Earl Kitchener to Sir Ian Hamilton. Your No.
+M.F. 334. I am afraid that Sir John French would not spare the services
+of the two Generals you mention, and they are, moreover, both junior to
+Mahon, who commands the 10th Division which is going out to you. Ewart,
+who is very fit and well, would I think do. I am going to see him the
+day after to-morrow.</p>
+
+<p>"Mahon raised the 10th Division and has produced an excellent unit. He
+is quite fit and well, and I do not think that he could now be left
+behind."</p>
+
+<p>So the field of selection for the new Corps is to be restricted to some
+Lieutenant-General senior to Mahon&mdash;himself the only man of his rank
+commanding a Division and almost at the top of the Lieutenant-Generals!
+Oh God, if I could have a Corps Commander like Gouraud! But this block
+by "Mahon" makes a record for the seniority fetish. I have just been
+studying the Army List with Pollen. Excluding Indians, Marines and
+employed men like Douglas Haig and Maxwell, there <i>are</i> only about one
+dozen British service Lieutenant-Generals senior to Mahon, and, of that
+dozen only two are <i>possible</i>&mdash;Ewart and Stopford! There <i>are</i> no
+others. Ewart<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span> is a fine fellow, with a character which commands respect
+and affection. He is also a Cameron Highlander whose father commanded
+the Gordons. As a presence nothing could be better; as a man no one in
+the Army would be more welcome. But he would not, with his build and
+constitutional habit, last out here for one fortnight. Despite his
+soldier heart and his wise brain we can't risk it. We are unanimous on
+that point. Stopford remains. I have cabled expressing my deep
+disappointment that Mahon should be the factor which restricts all
+choice and saying,</p>
+
+<p>"However, my No. M.F. 334<a name="FNanchor_20_20" id="FNanchor_20_20"></a><a href="#Footnote_20_20" class="fnanchor">[20]</a> gave you what I considered to be the
+qualities necessary in a Commander, so I will do my best with what you
+send me.</p>
+
+<p>"With regard to Ewart. I greatly admire his character, but he positively
+could not have made his way along the fire trenches I inspected
+yesterday. He has never approached troops for fifteen years although I
+have often implored him, as a friend, to do so. Would not Stopford be
+preferable to Ewart, even though he does not possess the latter's calm?"</p>
+
+<p>I begin to think I shall be recalled for my importunity. But, in for a
+penny in for a pound, and I have fired off the following protest to a
+really disastrous cable from the War Office saying that the New Army is
+to bring <i>no</i> 4.5-inch howitzers with it; no howitzers at all, indeed,
+except sixteen of the old, inaccurate 5-inch Territorial howitzers, some
+of which "came out" at Omdur<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span>man and were afterwards&mdash;the whole
+category&mdash;found so much fault with in South Africa. Unless they are
+going to have an August push in France they might at least have lent us
+forty-eight 4.5 hows. from France to see the New Army through their
+first encounter with the enemy. They could all be run back in a fast
+cruiser and would only be loaned to us for three weeks or a month. If
+the G.S. at Whitehall can't do those things, they have handed over the
+running of a world war to one section of the Army. I attach my
+ultimatum: I cannot make it more emphatic; instead of death or victory
+we moderns say howitzers or defeat&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No. 5489, cipher, M.G.O.) From War Office to General Officer
+Commanding-in-Chief, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Your No. M.F.
+316. It is impossible to send more ammunition than we are sending you.
+528 rounds per 18-pr will be brought out by each Division. Instead of
+4.5-inch howitzers we are sending 16 5-inch howitzers with the 13th
+Division, as there is more 5-inch ammunition available. By the time that
+the last of the three Divisions arrive we hope to have supplied a good
+percentage of high explosive shells, but you should try to save as much
+as you can in the meantime. Until more ammunition is available for them,
+we cannot send you any 4.5-inch howitzers with the other two Divisions,
+and even if more 5-inch were sent the fortnightly supply of ammunition
+for them would be very small."</p>
+
+<p>"(No. M.F. 337). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. With
+reference to your No.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span> 5489, cipher. I am very sorry that you cannot
+send the proper howitzers, and still more sorry for the reason, that of
+ammunition. The Turkish trenches are deep and narrow, and only effective
+weapon for dealing with them is the howitzer. I realize your
+difficulties, and I am sure that you will supply me with both howitzers
+and ammunition as soon as you are able to do so. I shall be glad in the
+meantime of as many more trench mortars and bombs as you can possibly
+spare. We realize for our part that in the matter of guns and ammunition
+it is no good crying for the moon, and for your part you must recognize
+that until howitzers and ammunition arrive it is no good crying for the
+Crescent."</p>
+
+<p>The Admiral and Godley paid me a visit; discussed tea and sea transport,
+then a walk.</p>
+
+<p>There is quite a break in the weather. Very cold and windy with a little
+rain in the forenoon.</p>
+
+<p><i>17th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Smoother sea, but rough weather in office. A
+cable from the Master General of the Ordnance in reply to my petition
+for another battery of 6-inch howitzers&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No. 5537, cipher, M.G.O.) From War Office to the General Officer
+Commanding-in-Chief, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Your telegram
+No. M.F. 331. We can send out another battery of 6-inch howitzers, but
+cannot send ammunition with it. Moreover, we cannot increase the present
+periodical supply, so that if we send the additional howitzers you must
+not complain of the small<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span> number of rounds per gun sent to you, as
+experience has shown is sometimes done in similar cases. It is possible
+that the Navy may help you with 6-inch ammunition. Please say after
+consideration of the above if you want the howitzers sent."</p>
+
+<p>My mind plays agreeably with the idea of chaining the M.G.O. on to a
+rock on the Peninsula whilst the Asiatic batteries are pounding it. That
+would learn him to be an M.G.O.; singing us Departmental ditties whilst
+we are trying to hold our Asiatic wolf by the ears. I feel very
+depressed; we are too far away; so far away that we lie beyond the grasp
+of an M.G.O.'s imagination. That's the whole truth. Were the Army in
+France to receive such a message, within 24 hours the
+Commander-in-Chief, or at the least his Chief of the Staff, would walk
+into the M.G.O.'s office and then proceed to walk into the M.G.O. I
+can't do that; a bad tempered cable is useless; I have no weapon at my
+disposal but very mild sarcasm&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No. M.F. 343). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. Your No.
+5537, cipher, M.G.O. Please send the battery of 6-inch howitzers. Your
+admonition will be borne in mind. Extra howitzers will be most useful to
+replace pieces damaged by enemy batteries on the Asiatic side of the
+Dardanelles. No doubt in time the ammunition question will improve. Only
+yesterday prisoners reported that 14 more Turkish heavy guns were coming
+to the Peninsula."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Have written another screed to French. As it gives a sort of summing up
+of the state of affairs to-day I spatchcock (as Buller used to say) the
+carbon&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p class='author'>
+<span class='smcap'>"General Headquarters,<br />
+"Mediterranean Expeditionary Force,</span><br />
+<i>17th June, 1915.</i></p>
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;" class='smcap'>"My Dear French,</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>"It must be fully a month since I wrote you but no one understands
+better than you must do, how time flies under the constant strain of
+these night and day excursions and alarms. Between the two letters there
+has been a desperate lot of fighting, mostly bomb and bayonet work, and,
+except for a good many Turks gone to glory, there is only a few hundred
+yards of ground to show for it all at Anzac, and about a mile perhaps in
+the southern part of the Peninsula. But taking a wider point of view, I
+hope our losses and efforts have gained a good deal for our cause
+although they may not be so measurable in yards. First, the Turks are
+defending themselves instead of attacking Egypt and over-running Basra;
+secondly, we are told on high authority, that the action of the Italians
+in coming in was precipitated by our entry into this part of the
+theatre; thirdly, if we can only hold on and continue to enfeeble the
+Turks, I think myself it will not be very long before some of the Balkan
+States take the bloody plunge.</p>
+
+<p>"However all that may be, we must be prepared at the worst to win
+through by ourselves,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span> and it is, I assure you, a tough proposition. In
+a man&oelig;uvre battle of old style our fellows here would beat twice
+their number of Turks in less than no time, but, actually, the
+restricted Peninsula suits the Turkish tactics to a 'T.' They have
+always been good at trench work where their stupid men have only simple,
+straightforward duties to perform, namely, in sticking on and shooting
+anything that comes up to them. They do this to perfection; I never saw
+braver soldiers, in fact, than some of the best of them. When we
+advance, no matter the shelling we give them, they stand right up firing
+coolly and straight over their parapets. Also they have unlimited
+supplies of bombs, each soldier carrying them, and they are not half bad
+at throwing them. Meanwhile they are piling up a lot of heavy artillery
+of very long range on the Asiatic shore, and shell us like the devil
+with 4.5, 6-inch, 8, 9.2 and 10-inch guns&mdash;not pleasant. This
+necessitates a very tough type of man for senior billets. X&mdash;Y&mdash;, for
+instance, did not last 24 hours. Everyone here is under fire, and really
+and truly the front trenches are safer, or at least fully as safe, as
+the Corps Commander's dugout. For, if the former are nearer the
+Infantry, the latter is nearer the big guns firing into our rear.</p>
+
+<p>"Another reason why we advance so slowly and lose so much is that the
+enemy get constant reinforcements. We have overcome three successive
+armies of Turks, and a new lot of 20,000 from Syria are arriving here
+now, with 14 more heavy guns, so prisoners say, but I hope not.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"I have fine Corps Commanders in Birdwood, Hunter-Weston and Gouraud.
+This is very fortunate. Who is to be Commander of the new corps I cannot
+say, but we have one or two terrifying suggestions from home.</p>
+
+<p>"Last night a brisk attack headed by a senior Turkish Officer and a
+German Officer was made on the 86th Brigade. Both these Officers were
+killed and 20 or 30 of their men, the attack being repulsed. Against the
+South Wales Borderers a much heavier attack was launched. Our fellows
+were bombed clean out of their trenches, but only fell back 30 yards and
+dug in. This morning early we got maxims on to each end of the place
+they had stormed, and then the Dublins retook it with the bayonet. Two
+hundred of their dead were left in the trench, and we only had 50
+casualties&mdash;not so bad! A little later on in the day a d&mdash;&mdash;d submarine
+appeared and had some shots at our transports and store ships. Luckily
+she missed, but all our landing operations of supplies were suspended.
+These are the sort of daily anxieties. All one can do is to carry on
+with determination and trust in providence.</p>
+
+<p>"I hope you are feeling fit and that things are going on well generally.
+Give my salaams to the great Robertson, also to Barry. Otherwise please
+treat this letter as private. With all kind remembrance.</p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 10em;">"Believe me,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 12em;">"Yours very sincerely,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 14em;">"(<i>Sd.</i>) <span class='smcap'>Ian Hamilton."</span></span><br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER XI</h2>
+
+<h3>BOMBS AND JOURNALISTS</h3>
+
+
+<p>Our beautiful East Lancs. Division is in a very bad way. One more month
+of neglect and it will be ruined: if quickly filled up with fresh drafts
+it will be better than ever. Have cabled&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(M.F.A. 871). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. The
+following is the shortage of officers and rank and file in each Brigade
+of the XLIInd East Lancashire Division including the reinforcements
+reported as arriving&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="2" width="65%" cellspacing="0" summary="East Lancashire Division">
+<tr><td align='left'>125th Brigade</td><td align='left'>50 Officers, 1,852 rank and file.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>126th Brigade</td><td align='left'>31 Officers, 1,714 rank and file.</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>127th Brigade</td><td align='left'>50 Officers, 2,297 rank and file.</td></tr>
+</table>
+
+
+<p>"A stage of wastage has now been reached in this Division, especially in
+the 127th Manchester Brigade, when filling up with drafts will make it
+as good or better than ever. If, however, they have to go on fighting in
+their present condition and suffer further losses, the remnants will not
+offer sufficiently wide foundation for reconstituting cadres.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"Lord Kitchener might also like to know this, that a satisfactory
+proportion of the officers recently sent out to fill casualties are
+shaping very well indeed."</p>
+
+<p>An amalgam of veterans and fresh keen recruits, cemented by a common
+county feeling as well as by war tradition, makes the best fighting
+formation in the world. The veterans give experience and
+steadiness;&mdash;when the battle is joined the old hands feel bound to make
+good their camp-fire boastings to the recruits. The recruits bring
+freshness and the spirit of competition;&mdash;they are determined to show
+that they are as brave as the old fighters. But, if the East Lancs. go
+on dwindling, the cadre will not retain strength enough to absorb and
+shape the recruits who will, we must suppose, some day be poured into
+it. A perishing formation loses moral force in more rapid progression
+than the mere loss of members would seem to warrant. When a battalion
+which entered upon a campaign a thousand strong,&mdash;all keen and
+hopeful,&mdash;gets down to five hundred, comrades begin to look round at one
+another and wonder if any will be left. When it falls to three hundred,
+or less, the unit, in my experience, is better drawn out of the line.
+The bravest men lose heart when, on parade, they see with their own eyes
+that their Company&mdash;the finest Company in the Army&mdash;has become a
+platoon,&mdash;and the famous battalion a Company. A mould for shaping young
+enthusiasms into heroisms has been scrapped and it takes a desperate
+long time to recreate it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>I want to be sure K. himself takes notice and that is why I refer to him
+at the tail end of the cable. We have also cabled saying that the idea
+of sending so many rounds per gun per day was excellent, but that "we
+have received no notice of any despatch later than the S.S. <i>Arabian</i>,
+which consignment" (whenever it might arrive?) "was only due to last
+until the day before yesterday"! So this is what our famous agreement to
+have munitions on the scale deemed necessary by Joffre and French pans
+out at in practice. Two-fifths of their amount and that not delivered!</p>
+
+<p>Dined with the Admiral on board the <i>Triad</i>. A glorious dinner. The
+sailormen have a real pull over us soldiers in all matters of messing.
+Linen, plate, glass, bread, meat, wine; of the best, are on the spot,
+always: even after the enemy is sighted, if they happen to feel a sense
+of emptiness they have only to go to the cold sideboard.</p>
+
+<p>Coming back found mess tent brilliantly lit up and my staff entertaining
+their friends. So I put on my life-saving waistcoat and blew it out;
+clapped my new gas-mask on my head and entered. They were really
+startled, thinking the devil had come for them before their time.</p>
+
+<p>Just got a telegram saying that M. Venezelos has gained a big majority
+in the Greek Election. Also, that the King of Greece is dying, and that,
+therefore, the Greek Army can't join us until he has come round or gone
+under.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span></p>
+
+<p><i>18th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Went over to Kephalos Camp to inspect
+Rochdale's 127th (Manchester) Brigade. The Howe Battalion of the 2nd
+Naval Brigade were there (Lieutenant-Colonel Collins), also, the 3rd
+Field Ambulance R.N.D. All these were enjoying an easy out of the
+trenches and, though only at about half strength, had already quite
+forgotten the tragic struggles they had passed through. In fattest peace
+times, I never saw a keener, happier looking lot. I drew courage from
+the ranks. Surely these are the faces of men turned to victory!</p>
+
+<p>Some twenty unattached officers fresh from England were there: a likely
+looking lot. One of the brightest a Socialist M.P.</p>
+
+<p>The inspection took me all forenoon so I had to sweat double shifts
+after lunch. Hunter-Weston came over from Helles at 7.15 p.m. and we
+dined off crayfish. He was in great form.</p>
+
+<p>The War Office can get no more bombs for our Japanese trench mortars! A
+catastrophe this! Putting the French on one side, we here, in this great
+force, possess only half a dozen good trench mortars&mdash;the Japanese.
+These six are worth their weight in gold to Anzac. Often those fellows
+have said to me that if they had twenty-five of them, with lots of
+bombs, they could render the Turkish trenches untenable. Twice, whilst
+their six precious mortars have been firing, I have stood for half an
+hour with Birdie, watching and drinking in encouragement. About one bomb
+a minute was the rate of fire and as it buzzed over our own<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span> trenches
+like a monstrous humming bird all the naked Anzacs laughed. Then, <i>such</i>
+an explosion and a sort of long drawn out ei-ei-ei-ei cry of horror from
+the Turks. It was fine,&mdash;a real corpse-reviving performance and now the
+W.O. have let the stock run out, because some ass has forgotten to order
+them in advance. Have cabled a very elementary question: "Could not the
+Japanese bombs be copied in England?"</p>
+
+<p>Being the Centenary of Waterloo, the thoughts and converse of
+Hunter-Weston and myself turned naturally towards the lives of the
+heroes of a hundred years ago whose monument had given us our education,
+and from that topic, equally naturally, to the boys of the coming
+generation. Then wrote out greetings to be sent by wire on my own behalf
+and on behalf of all Wellingtonians serving under my command here: this
+to the accompaniment of unusually heavy shell fire on the Peninsula.</p>
+
+<p><i>Later.</i>&mdash;Have just heard that after a heavy bombardment the Turks made
+an attack and that fighting is going on now.</p>
+
+<p><i>19th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> The Turks expended last night some 500 H.E.
+shells; 250 heavy stuff from Asia and some thousands of shrapnel. They
+then attacked; we counter-attacked and there was some confused
+in-and-out Infantry fighting. We hear that the South Wales Borderers,
+the Worcesters, the 5th Royal Scots and the Naval Division all won
+distinction. Wiring home I say, "If Lord Kitchener could tell the Lord
+Provost<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span> of Edinburgh how well the 5th Bn. Royal Scots have done, the
+whole of this force would be pleased." The Turks have left 1,000 dead
+behind them. Prisoners say they thought so much high explosive would
+knock a hole in our line: the bombardment was all concentrated on the
+South Wales Borderers' trench.</p>
+
+<p>Writing most of the day. Lord K. has asked the French Government to send
+out extra quantities of H.E. shell to their force here; also, he has
+begged them to order Gouraud to lend me his guns. In so far as the
+French may get more H.E. this is A.1. But if K. thinks the British will
+<i>directly</i> benefit&mdash;I fear he is out of his reckoning: it would be fatal
+to my relations with Gouraud, now so happy, were he even to suspect that
+I had any sort of lien on his guns. Unless I want to stir up jealous
+feelings, now entirely quiescent, I cannot use this cable as a lever to
+get French guns across into our area. Gouraud's plans for his big attack
+are now quite complete. A million pities we cannot attack
+simultaneously. That we should attack one week and the French another
+week is rotten tactically; but, practically, we have no option. We
+British want to go in side by side with the French&mdash;are burning to do
+so&mdash;but we cannot think of it until we can borrow shell from Gouraud;
+and, naturally, he wants every round he has for his own great push on
+the 21st. Walked down in the evening to see what progress was being made
+with the new pier. Colonel Skeen, Birdwood's Chief of Staff, dined and
+seems clever, as well as a very pleasant fellow.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span></p>
+
+<p><i>20th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Rose early. Did a lot of business. The King's
+Messenger's bag closed at 8 a.m. Told K. about the arrival of fresh
+Turkish troops and our fighting on the 18th. The trenches remain as
+before, but the Turks, having failed, are worse off.</p>
+
+<p>I have also written him about war correspondents. He had doubted whether
+my experiences would encourage me to increase the number to two or
+three. But, after trial, I prefer that the public should have a
+multitude of councillors. "When a single individual," I say, "has the
+whole of the London Press at his back he becomes an unduly important
+personage. When, in addition to this, it so happens, that he is inclined
+to see the black side of every proposition, then it becomes difficult to
+prevent him from encouraging the enemy, and from discouraging all our
+own people, as well as the Balkan States. If I have several others to
+counterbalance, then I do not care so much."</p>
+
+<p>Fired off a second barrel through Fitz from whom I have just heard that
+my Despatch cannot be published as it stands but must be bowdlerized
+first, all the names of battalions being cut out. Instead of saying,
+"The landing at 'W' had been entrusted to the 1st Bn. Lancashire
+Fusiliers (Major Bishop) and it was to the complete lack of the sense of
+danger or of fear of this daring battalion that we owed our astonishing
+success," I am to say, "The landing, etc., had been entrusted to a
+certain battalion."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The whole of this press correspondence; press censorship; despatch
+writing and operations cables hang together and will end by hanging the
+Government.</p>
+
+<p>My operations cables are written primarily for K., it is true, but they
+are meant also to let our own people know what their brothers and sons
+are up against and how they are bearing up under unheard of trials.
+There is not a word in those cables which would help or encourage the
+enemy. I am best judge of that and I see to it myself.</p>
+
+<p>What is the result of my efforts to throw light upon our proceedings? A
+War Office extinguisher from under which only a few evil-smelling
+phrases escape. As I say to Fitz&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"You seem to see nothing beyond the mischief that may happen if the
+enemy gets to know too much about us; you do not see that this danger
+can be kept within bounds and is of small consequence when compared with
+the keenness or dullness of our own Nation."</p>
+
+<p>The news that the War Office were going to send us no more Japanese
+bombs spread so great a consternation at Anzac that I have followed up
+my first remonstrance with a second and a stronger cable&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No. M.F. 348). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. Your No.
+5272, A.2.<a name="FNanchor_21_21" id="FNanchor_21_21"></a><a href="#Footnote_21_21" class="fnanchor">[21]</a> I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span> particularly request that you may reconsider your
+proposal not to order more Japanese bombs. These bombs are most
+effective and in high favour with our troops whose locally-made weapons,
+on which they have frequently to rely, are far inferior to the bombs
+used by the Turks. Our great difficulty in holding captured trenches is
+that the Turks always counter-attack with a large number of powerful
+bombs. Apparently their supply of these is limitless. Unless the delay
+in arrival is likely to extend over several months, therefore, I would
+suggest that a large order be sent to Japan. We cannot have too many of
+these weapons, and this should not cancel my No. M.F.Q.T. 1321, which
+should be treated as additional."</p>
+
+<p>Drafted also a long cable discussing a diversion on the Asiatic shore of
+the Dardanelles. So some work had been done by the time we left camp at
+9.15 a.m., and got on board the <i>Triad</i>. After a jolly sail reached
+Mudros at 2 p.m., landing on the Australian pier at 3 p.m. Mudros is a
+dusty hole; <i>ein trauriges Nest</i>, as our German friends would say.</p>
+
+<p>Worked like a nigger going right through Nos. 15 and 16 Stationary
+Hospitals. Colonel Maher, P.M.O., came round, also Colonel Jones,
+R.A.M.C., and Captain Stanley, R.A.M.C. Talked with hundreds of men:
+these are the true philosophers.</p>
+
+<p><i>21st June, 1915. Mudros.</i> Went at it again and overhauled No. 2
+Stationary Hospital under<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span> Lieutenant-Colonel White, as well as No. 1
+Stationary Hospital commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Bryant. The doctors
+praised me for inventing something new to say to each man. But all the
+time in my mind was the thought of Gouraud. I have wanted him to do it
+absolutely on his own, and I could not emphasize this better than by
+coming right away to Mudros. Back to the <i>Triad</i> by 1 p.m. No news.
+Weighed anchor at once, steaming for Imbros, where we cast anchor at
+about 6 p.m. Freddie Maitland has arrived here, like a breath of air
+from home, to be once more my A.D.C.; his features wreathed in the
+well-known, friendly smile. The French duly attacked at dawn and the 2nd
+Division have carried a series of redoubts and trenches. The 1st
+Division did equally well but have been driven back again by
+counter-attacks. Fighting is still going on.</p>
+
+<p>While I have been away Braithwaite has cabled home in my name asking
+which of the new Divisions is the best, as we shall have to use them
+before we can get to know them.</p>
+
+<p><i>22nd June, 1915. Imbros.</i> An anxious night. Gouraud has done
+splendidly; so have his troops. This has been a serious defeat for the
+Turks; a real bad defeat, showing, as it does, that given a modicum of
+ammunition we can seize the strongest entrenchments of the enemy and
+stick to them.</p>
+
+<p>"(No. M.F. 357). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Secretary of State for
+War. After 24 hours' heavy and continuous fighting a substantial
+success<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</a></span> has been achieved. As already reported, the battle of 4th-5th
+June resulted in a good advance of my centre to which neither my right
+nor my left were able to conform, the reason being that the Turkish
+positions in front of the flanks are naturally strong and exceedingly
+well fortified. At 4.30 a.m. yesterday, General Gouraud began an attack
+upon the line of formidable works which run along the Kereves Dere. By
+noon the second French Division had stormed and captured all the Turkish
+first and second line trenches opposite their front, including the
+famous Haricot Redoubt, with its subsidiary maze of entanglements and
+communication trenches. On their right, the first French Division, after
+fierce fighting, also took the Turkish trenches opposite their front,
+but were counter-attacked so heavily that they were forced to fall back.
+Again, this Division attacked, again it stormed the position, and again
+it was driven out. General Gouraud then, at 2.55 p.m., issued the
+following order:"</p>
+
+<p>'From Colonel Viont's report it is evident that the preparation for the
+attack at 2.15 p.m. was not sufficient.</p>
+
+<p>'It is indispensable that the Turkish first line of trenches in front of
+you should be taken, otherwise the gains of the 2nd Division may be
+rendered useless. You have five hours of daylight, take your time, let
+me know your orders and time fixed for preparation, and arrange for
+Infantry assault to be simultaneous after preparation.'<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"As a result of this order, the bombardment of the Turkish left was
+resumed, the British guns and howitzers lending their aid to the French
+Artillery as in the previous attacks. At about 6 p.m., a fine attack was
+launched, 600 yards of Turkish first line trenches were taken, and
+despite heavy counter-attacks during the night, especially at 3.20 a.m.,
+all captured positions are still in our hands. Am afraid casualties are
+considerable, but details are lacking. The enemy lost very heavily. One
+Turkish battalion coming up to reinforce, was spotted by an aeroplane,
+and was practically wiped out by the seventy-fives before they could
+scatter.</p>
+
+<p>"Type of fighting did not lend itself to taking prisoners, and only some
+50, including one officer, are in our hands. The elan and contempt of
+danger shown by the young French drafts of the last contingent,
+averaging, perhaps, 20 years of age, was much admired by all. During the
+fighting, the French battleship <i>St. Louis</i> did excellent service
+against the Asiatic batteries. All here especially regret that Colonel
+Girodon, one of the best staff officers existing, has been severely
+wounded whilst temporarily commanding a brigade. Colonel Nogu&eacute;s, also an
+officer of conspicuous courage, already twice wounded, at Kum Kale, has
+again been badly hit."</p>
+
+<p>Girodon is one in ten thousand; serious, brave and far sighted. The
+bullet went through his lung. We are said to have suffered nearly 3,000
+casualties.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>They say that the uproar of battle was tremendous, especially between
+midnight and 4 a.m. Some of our newly arrived troops stood to their arms
+all night thinking the end of the world had come.</p>
+
+<p>At 6 p.m. de Robeck, Keyes, Ormsby Johnson and Godfrey came over from
+the flagship to see me.</p>
+
+<p>Have got an answer about the Japanese trench mortars and bombs. In two
+months' time a thousand bombs will be ready at the Japanese Arsenal, and
+five hundred the following month. The trench mortars&mdash;bomb guns they
+call them&mdash;will be ready in Japan in two and a half months' time. Two
+and a half months, plus half a month for delay, plus another month for
+sea transit, makes four months! There are some things speak for
+themselves. Blood, they say, cries out to Heaven. Well, let it cry now.
+Over three months ago I asked&mdash;<i>my first request</i>&mdash;for these primitive
+engines and as for the bombs, had Birmingham been put to it, Birmingham
+could have turned them out as quick as shelling peas.</p>
+
+<p>Am doing what I can to fend for myself. This Dardanelles war is a war,
+if ever there was one, of the ingenuity and improvised efforts of man
+against nature plus machinery. We are in the desert and have to begin
+very often at the beginning of things. The Navy <i>now</i> assure me that
+their Dockyard Superintendent at Malta could make us a fine lot of hand
+grenades in his workshops if Lord Methuen will give him the order.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>So I have directed a full technical specification of the Turkish hand
+grenades being used against us with effects so terrible, to be sent on
+to Methuen telling him it is simple, effective, that I hope he can make
+them and will be glad to take all he can turn out.</p>
+
+<p><i>23rd June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Another day in camp. De Robeck and Keyes came
+over from the <i>Triad</i> to unravel knotty points.</p>
+
+<p>Am enraged to recognize in Reuter one of my own cables which has been
+garbled in Egypt. The press censorship is a negative evil in London; in
+Cairo there is no doubt it is positive. After following my wording
+pretty closely, a phrase has been dovetailed in to say that the Turks
+have day and night to submit to the capture of trenches. These cables
+are repeated to London and when they get back here what will my own men
+think me? If, as most of us profess to believe, it is a mistake to tell
+lies, what a specially fatal description of falsehood to issue
+short-dated bulletins of victory with only one month to run. I have
+fired off a remonstrance as follows&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No M.F. 359). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. A Reuter
+telegram dated London, 16th June, has just been brought to my notice in
+which it is stated that the Press Bureau issues despatch in which the
+following sentence occurs: 'Day and night they (the Turks) have to
+submit to capture of trenches.' This information is incorrect, and as
+far as we are<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</a></span> aware, has not been sent from here. This false news puts
+me in a false position with my troops, who know it to be untrue, and I
+should be glad if you would trace whence it emanates.</p>
+
+<p>"Repeated to General Officer Commanding, Egypt."</p>
+
+<p><i>24th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Three days ago we asked the War Office to let
+us know the merits of the three new Divisions. The War Office replied
+placing them in the order XIth; XIIth; Xth, and reminding me that the
+personality of the Commander would be the chief factor for deciding
+which were to be employed in any particular operation. K. now
+supplements this by a cable in which he sizes up the Commanders.
+Hammersley gets a good <i>chit</i> but the phrase, "he will have to be
+watched to see that the strain of trench warfare is not too much for
+him" is ominous. I knew him in October, '99, and thought him a fine
+soldier. Mahon, "without being methodical," is praised. Shaw gets a
+moderate eulogy, but we out here are glad to have him for we know him.
+On these two War Office cables Hammersley and the 11th Division should
+be for it.</p>
+
+<p>After clearing my table, embarked with Braithwaite and Mitchell aboard
+the <i>Basilisk</i> (Lieutenant Fallowfield) and made her stand in as close
+as we dared at Suvla Bay and the coast to the North of it. We have kept
+a destroyer on patrol along that line, and we were careful to follow the
+usual track and time, so as to rouse no suspicions.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>To spy out the land with a naval telescope over a mile of sea means
+taking a lot on trust as we learned to our cost on April 25th. We can't
+even be sure if the Salt Lake <i>is</i> a lake, or whether the glister we see
+there is just dry sand. We shall have to pretend to do some gun
+practice, and drop a shell on to its surface to find out. No sign of
+life anywhere, not even a trickle of smoke. The whole of the Suvla Bay
+area looks peaceful and deserted. God grant that it may remain so until
+we come along and make it the other thing.</p>
+
+<p>On my return the Admiral came to hear what I thought about it all. Our
+plan is bold, but there never was a state of affairs less suited to half
+and half, keep-in-the-middle-of-the-road tactics than that with which
+the Empire is faced to-day. If we get through here, now, the war will,
+must be, over next year. My Manchurian Campaign and two Russian
+Man&oelig;uvres have taught me that, from Grand Duke to Moujiks, our Allies
+need just that precise spice of initiative which we, only we in the
+world, can lend them. Advice, cash, munitions aren't enough; our
+palpable presence is the point. The arrival of Birdwood, Hunter-Weston
+and Gouraud at Odessa would electrify the whole of the Russian Army.</p>
+
+<p>As to the plan, I have had the G.S. working hard upon it for over a
+fortnight (ever since the Cabinet decided to support us). Secrecy is so
+ultra-vital that we are bound to keep the thing within a tiny circle. I
+am not the originator. Though I have entirely fathered it, the idea was
+born at Anzac. We have not yet got<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</a></span> down to precise dates, units or
+commanders but, in those matters, the two cables already entered this
+morning should help. The plan is based upon Birdwood's confidence that,
+if only he can be strengthened by another Division, he can seize and
+hold the high crest line which dominates his own left, and in my own
+concurrence in that confidence. Sari Bair is the "keep" to the Narrows;
+Chunuk Bair and Hill 305 are its keys: i.e., from those points the
+Turkish trenches opposite Birdwood can be enfiladed: the land <i>and</i> sea
+communications of the enemy holding Maidos, Kilid Bahr and Krithia can
+be seen and shelled and, in fact, any strong force of Turks guarding the
+European side of the Narrows can then be starved out, whilst a weak
+force will not long resist Gouraud and Hunter-Weston. As to our tactical
+scheme for producing these strategical results, it is simple in outline
+though infernally complicated in its amphibious and supply aspects. The
+French and British at Helles will attack so as to draw the attention of
+the Turks southwards. To add to this effect, we are thinking of asking
+the Anzacs to exert a preliminary pressure on the Gaba Tepe alarum to
+the southwards. We shall then give Birdwood what he wants, an extra
+division, and it will be a problem how to do so without letting the
+enemy smell a rat. Birdwood's Intelligence are certain that no trenches
+have been dug by the enemy along the high ridge from Chunuk Bair to Hill
+305. He is sure that with one more Division under his direct command,
+plus the help of a push from Helles to ease his southern flank, he can
+make good these dominating heights.</p>
+
+<p><br /></p>
+<p><a name="CHUNUK" id="CHUNUK"></a></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+             <img   src="images/img422.jpg"
+             alt="THE NARROWS" /><br />
+         <b>THE NARROWS FROM CHUNUK BAIR.</b>
+    </div>
+<p><br /></p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</a></span></p>
+
+<p><i>But</i>,&mdash;here comes the second half of the plan: the balance of the
+reinforcements from home are also to be thrown into the scale so as at
+the same time to give further support to Birdwood on his <i>northern</i>
+flank and to occupy a good harbour (Suvla Bay) whence we can run a light
+railway line and more effectively feed the troops holding Sari Bair than
+they could be fed from the bad, cramped beaches of Anzac Cove. This will
+be the more necessary as the process of starving out the Turks to the
+south must take time. Suvla Bay should be an easy base to seize as it is
+weakly held and unentrenched whilst, tactically, any troops landed there
+will, by a very short advance, be able to make Birdwood's mind easy
+about his left. Altogether, the plan seems to me simple in outline, and
+sound in principle. The ground between Anzac and the Sari Bair crestline
+is worse than the Khyber Pass but both Birdwood and Godley say that
+their troops can tackle it. There are one or two in the know who think
+me "venturesome" but, after all, is not "nothing venture nothing win" an
+unanswerable retort?</p>
+
+<p>De Robeck is excited over some new anti-submarine nets. They are so
+strong and he can run them out so swiftly that they open, he seems to
+think, new possibilities of making landings,&mdash;not on open coasts like
+the North of the Aegean but at places like Yukeri Bay, where the nets
+could be spread from the North and South ends of Tenedos to shoals
+connecting with Asia so as to make a torpedo proof basin for transports.
+The Navy, in fact, suddenly seem rather bitten with the idea<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</a></span> of landing
+opposite Tenedos. But whereas, this very afternoon, our own eyes
+confirmed the aeroplane reports that Suvla Bay is unentrenched, weakly
+held and quiescent, only yesterday a division of the enemy were reputed
+to be busy along the whole of the coastline to the South of Besika Bay.</p>
+
+<p>I have raised a hornet's nest by my objection to faked cables; but I
+will not have it done. They may suppress but they shall not invent.</p>
+
+<p>"(No. M.F. 366). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. Your No.
+12431. I do not object to General Officer Commanding, Egypt, publishing
+any telegram I send him, as I write them for that purpose. But I do
+object to the addition of news which is untrue, and which can surely be
+seen through by any reading public. If we can take trenches at our will,
+why are we still on this side of Achi Baba?</p>
+
+<p>"In compliance with Lord Kitchener's instructions I send a telegram to
+the Secretary of State for War and repeat it to Egypt; also to Australia
+and New Zealand if it affect these Dominions. Please see your No.
+10,475, code, and my No. M.F. 285, instructing me to do this. These
+telegrams are practically identical when they leave here, and are
+intended to be used as a communique and to be published. Instead of this
+I find a mutilated and misleading Cairo telegram reproduced in London
+Press in place of the true version I sent to the Secretary of State for
+War."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>General Paris crossed from Helles to dine and stay the night. After
+dinner, Commodore Backhouse came over to make his salaams to his
+Divisional Chief.</p>
+
+<p>Gouraud has sent me his reply to Lord K.'s congratulations on his
+victory of the 21st. He says,</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"<i>Vous prie exprimer &agrave; Lord Kitchener mes respectueux remerciements
+nous n'avons, eu qu'&agrave; prendre exemple sur les h&eacute;ro&iuml;ques r&eacute;giments
+anglais qui ont d&eacute;barqu&eacute; dans les fils de fer sur la plage de
+Seddulbahr</i>."</p></div>
+
+<p><i>25th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> At 8 a.m. walked down with Paris to see him
+off. Worked till 11 a.m. and then crossed over to "K" Beach where
+Backhouse, commanding the 2nd Naval Brigade, met me. Inspected the Hood,
+Howe and Anson Battalions into which had been incorporated the
+Collingwood and Benbow units&mdash;too weak now to carry on as independent
+units. The Hood, Howe and Anson are suffering from an acute attack of
+indigestion, and Collingwoods and Benbows are sick at having been
+swallowed. But I had to do it seeing there is no word of the cruel
+losses of the battle of the 4th being made good by the Admiralty. The
+Howe, Hood and Anson attacked on our extreme right, next the French.
+They did most gloriously&mdash;most gloriously! As to the Collingwoods, they
+were simply cut to pieces, losing 25 officers out of 28 in a few
+minutes. Down at the roots of this unhappiness<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</a></span> lie the neglect to give
+us our fair share of howitzers and trench mortars&mdash;in fact stupidity!
+The rank and file all round looked much better for their short rest, and
+seemed to like the few halting words of praise I was able to say to
+them. Lunched with Backhouse in a delicious garden under a spreading fig
+tree; then rode back.</p>
+
+<p>At 5 p.m. Ashmead-Bartlett had an appointment, K. himself took trouble
+to send me several cables about him a little time ago. Referring in one
+of them to the dangers of letting Jeremiah loose in London, K. said,
+"Ashmead-Bartlett has promised verbally to speak to no one but his
+Editor, who can be trusted." Verbally, or in writing, my astonishment at
+K.'s confidence can only find expression in verse&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">"Oft expectation fails, and most oft there</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Where most it promises;"</span><br />
+</p>
+
+<p>He, Ashmead-Bartlett, came to-day to beg me to deliver him out of the
+hands of the Censor. He wants certain changes made and I have agreed.</p>
+
+<p>Next, he fully explained to me the importance of the Bulair Lines and
+urged me to throw the new Divisions against them. He seems to think he
+is mooting to me a spick and span new idea&mdash;that he has invented
+something. Finally, he suggests ten shillings and a free pardon be
+offered to every Turk who deserts to our lines with his rifle and kit:
+he believes we should thus get rid of the whole of the enemy army very
+quickly.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>This makes one wonder what would Ashmead-Bartlett himself do if he were
+offered ten shillings and a good supper by a Mahommedan when he was
+feeling a bit hungry and hard up amongst the Christians. Anyway, there
+is no type of soldier man fighting in the war who is more faithful to
+his salt than the Osmanli Turk. Were we to offer fifty pounds per head,
+instead of ten shillings, the bid would rebound in shame upon ourselves.</p>
+
+<p>Colonel Sir Mark Sykes was my next visitor. He is fulfilling the promise
+of his 'teens when he was the shining light of the Militia; was as keen
+a Galloper as I have had on a list which includes Winston and F.E., and,
+generally, gained much glory, martial, equestrian, histrionic,
+terpsichorean at our Militia Training Camp on Salisbury Plain in '99.
+Now he has mysteriously made himself (heaven knows how) into our premier
+authority on the Middle East and is travelling on some ultra-mysterious
+mission, very likely, <i>en passant</i>, as a critic of our doings: never
+mind, he is thrice welcome as a large-hearted and generous person.</p>
+
+<p>Dined with de Robeck on board the <i>Triad</i>. He is <i>most</i> hospitable and
+kind. I have not here the wherewithal to give back cutlet for cutlet,
+worse luck.</p>
+
+<p><i>26th June, 1915.</i> Worked till past 11 o'clock, then started for Anzac
+with Braithwaite per destroyer <i>Pincher</i> (Lieutenant-Commander Wyld).
+After going a short way was shifted to the <i>Mosquito</i>
+(Lieutenant-Commander Clarke). We had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</a></span> biscuits in our pockets, but the
+hospitable Navy stood us lunch.</p>
+
+<p>When the Turks saw a destroyer come bustling up at an unusual hour they
+said to themselves, "fee faw fum!" and began to raise pillars of water
+here and there over the surface of the cove. As we got within a few
+yards of the pier a shell hit it, knocking off some splinters. I jumped
+on to it&mdash;had to&mdash;then jumped off it nippier still and, turning to the
+right, began to walk towards Birdie's dugout. As I did so a big fellow
+pitched plunk into the soft shingle between land and water about five or
+six yards behind me and five or six yards in front of Freddie. The slush
+fairly smothered or blanketed the shell but I was wetted through and was
+stung up properly with small gravel. The hardened devils of Anzacs, who
+had taken cover betwixt the shell-proofs built of piles of stores,
+roared with laughter. Very funny&mdash;to look at!</p>
+
+<p>As the old Turks kept plugging it in fairly hot, I sat quiet in
+Birdwood's dugout for a quarter of an hour. Then they calmed down and we
+went the rounds of the right trenches. In those held by the Light Horse
+Brigade under Colonel G. de L. Ryrie, encountered Lieutenant Elliot,
+last seen a year ago at Duntroon.</p>
+
+<p>Next, met Colonel Sinclair Maclagan commanding 3rd (Australian) Infantry
+Brigade. After that saw the lines of Colonel Smith's Brigade, where
+Major Browne, R.A., showed me a fearful sort of bomb he had just
+patented.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>At last, rather tired by my long day, made my way back, stopping at
+Birdie's dugout en route. Boarded the <i>Mosquito</i>; sailed for and reached
+camp without further adventure. General Douglas of the East Lancs
+Division is here. He has dined and is staying the night. A melancholy
+man before whose eyes stands constantly the tragic melting away without
+replacement of the most beautiful of the Divisions of Northern England.</p>
+
+<p><i>27th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Blazing hot; wound up my mail letters; fought
+files, flies and irritability; tackled a lot of stuff from Q.M.G. and
+A.G.; won a clear table by tea time. In the evening hung about waiting
+for de Robeck who had signalled over to say he wanted to talk business.
+At the last he couldn't come.</p>
+
+<p>The sequel to the letter telling me I'd have to cut the names of
+battalions out of my Despatch has come in the shape of a War Office
+cable telling me that, if I agree, it is proposed "to have the despatch
+reviewed and a slightly different version prepared for publication." I
+hope my reply to Fitz may arrive in time to prevent too much titivation.</p>
+
+<p>An imaginative War Office (were such a thing imaginable) would try first
+of all to rouse public enthusiasm by letting them follow quite closely
+the brave doings of their own boys' units whatever these might be. Next,
+they would try and use the Press to teach the public that there are
+three kinds of war, (<i>a</i>) military war, (<i>b</i>) economic war<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</a></span> and (<i>c</i>)
+social war. Lastly, they would explain to the Cabinet that this war of
+ours is a mixture of (<i>a</i>) and (<i>b</i>) with more of (<i>b</i>) than (<i>a</i>) in
+it.</p>
+
+<p>How can economic victory be won? (1) by enlisting the sympathy of
+America; (2) by taking Constantinople.</p>
+
+<p>The idea that we can hustle the Kaiser back over the Rhine and march on
+to Berlin at the double emanates from a school of thought who have
+devoted much study to the French Army, not so much to that of the
+Germans. But we <i>can</i> (no one denies it) hustle the Turks out of
+Constantinople if we will make an effort, big, no doubt, in itself but
+not very big compared to that entailed by a few miles' advance in the
+West. Let us do that and, forthwith, we enlist economics on our side.</p>
+
+<p>None of these things can be carried through without the help of the
+Press. Second only to enthusiasm of our own folk comes the sweetening of
+the temper of the neutral. Hard to say at present whether our Censorship
+has done most harm in the U.K. or the U.S.A. Before leaving for the
+Dardanelles I begged hard for Hare and Frederick Palmer, the Americans,
+knowing they would help us with the Yanks just as much as aeroplanes
+would help us with the Turks, but I was turned down on the plea that the
+London Press would be jealous.</p>
+
+<p>These are the feelings which have prompted my pen to-day. Writing one of
+the few great men I know I put the matter like this:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</a></span>&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"From my individual point of view a hideous mistake has been made on the
+correspondence side of the whole of this Dardanelles business. Had we
+had a dozen good newspaper correspondents here, the vital life-giving
+interest of these stupendous proceedings would have been brought right
+into the hearths and homes of the humblest people in Britain....</p>
+
+<p>"As for information to the enemy, this is too puerile altogether. The
+things these fellows produce are all read and checked by competent
+General Staff Officers. To think that it matters to the Turks whether a
+certain trench was taken by the 7th Royal Scots or the 3rd Warwicks is
+just really like children playing at secrets. The Censors who are by way
+of keeping everyone in England in darkness allow extremely accurate
+outline panoramas of the Australian position from the back; trenches,
+communication tracks, etc., all to scale; a true military sketch, to
+appear in the <i>Illustrated London News</i> of 5th June. The wildest
+indiscretions in words could not equal this."</p>
+
+<p>Again I say the Press must win. On no subject is there more hypocrisy
+amongst big men in England. They pretend they do not care for the Press
+and <i>sub rosa</i> they try all they are worth to work it. How well I
+remember my Chief of the General Staff coming up to me at a big
+conference on Salisbury Plain where I had spent five very useful minutes
+explaining the inwardness of things to old Bennett Burleigh, the War
+Correspondent. He (the C.G.S.) begged me to see Burleigh privately,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</a></span>
+afterwards, as it would "create a bad impression" were I seen by
+everyone to be on friendly terms with the old man! He meant it very
+kindly: from his point of view he was quite right. I lay no claim to be
+more candid than the rest of them: quite the contrary. Only, over that
+particular line of country, I am more candid. Whenever anyone
+ostentatiously washes his hands of the Press in my hearing I chuckle
+over the memory of the administrator who was admonishing me as to the
+unsuitability of a public servant having a journalistic acquaintance
+when, suddenly, the door opened; the parlour-maid entered and said,
+"Lord Northcliffe is on the 'phone."</p>
+
+<p>Have told Lord K. in my letter we have just enough shell for one more
+attack. After that, we fold our hands and wait the arrival of the new
+troops and the new outfit of ammunition:&mdash;not "wait and see" but "wait
+and suffer." A month is a desperate long halt to have in a battle. A
+month, at least, to let weariness and sickness spread whilst new armies
+of enemies replace those whose hearts we have broken,&mdash;at a cost of how
+many broken hearts, I wonder, in Australasia and England?</p>
+
+<p>This enforced pause in our operations is a desperate bad business: for
+to-day there is a feeling in the air&mdash;thrilling through the ranks&mdash;that
+<i>at last</i> the upper hand is ours. Now is the moment to fall on with
+might and main,&mdash;to press unrelentingly and without break or pause until
+we wrest victory from Fortune. Morally, we are confident<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</a></span>
+but,&mdash;materially? Alas, to-morrow, for our last "dart" before
+reinforcements arrive a month hence, my shell only runs to a forty
+minutes' bombardment of some half a mile of the enemy's trenches. We
+simply have not shell wherewith to cover more or keep it up any longer.</p>
+
+<p>A General laying down the law to a Field Marshal is as obnoxious to
+military "form" as a vacuum was once supposed to be to the sentiments of
+nature. The child, who teaches its grandmother to suck eggs, commits a
+venial fault in comparison. So I have had to convey my precepts
+insensibly to Milord K.&mdash;to convey them in homeopathic doses of parable.
+The brilliant French success of the 21st-22nd, I explain to him, was due
+to the showers of shell wherewith they deluged the Turkish lines until
+their defenders were sitting dazed with their dugouts in ruins about
+them. Also, in the same epistle, I have tried to explain Anzac.</p>
+
+<p>In the domain of tactics our landing at Helles speaks for itself. Since
+gunpowder was invented nothing finer than the 29th Division has been
+achieved. But it will be a long time yet before people grasp that the
+landing at Anzac is just as remarkable in the imaginative domain of
+strategy. The military student of the future will, I hope and believe,
+realize the significance of the stroke whereby we are hourly forcing a
+great Empire to commit <i>hari kiri</i> upon these barren, worthless
+cliffs&mdash;whereby we keep pressing a dagger exactly over the black heart
+of the Ottoman Raj. Only skin deep&mdash;so far; only through the skin. Yet
+already how freely bleeds the wound. Daily the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</a></span> effort to escape this
+doom; to push away the threat of that painful point will increase. Even
+if we were never to make another yard's advance,&mdash;here&mdash;in the cove of
+Anzac&mdash;is the cup into which the life blood of the Caliphat shall be
+pressed. And on the whole Gallipoli Peninsula this little cove is the
+one and only spot whereon a base could have been established, which is
+sheltered (to a bearable extent) from the force of the enemy's fire.
+Dead ground; defiladed from inland batteries; deep water right close to
+the shore!</p>
+
+<p>Enver dares not leave Anzac alone. We are too near his neck; the
+Narrows!! So on this most precarious, God-forsaken spot he must maintain
+an Army of his best troops, mostly supplied by sea,&mdash;by sea whereon our
+submarines swallow 25 per cent. of their drafts, munitions and food,
+just as a pike takes down the duckling before the eyes of their mother
+on a pond. Hold fast's the word. We have only to keep our grip firm and
+fast; Turkey will die of exhaustion trying to do what she can't do;
+drive us into the sea!</p>
+
+<p>Braithwaite and Amery dined. Great fun seeing Amery again. <i>What</i>
+memories of his concealment in the Autocrat's "Special" going to the
+Vereeniging Conference; of our efforts to create a strategical training
+ground for British troops in South Africa; of our battles against one
+another over the great Voluntary Service issue.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</a></span></p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CHAPTER XII</h2>
+
+<h3>A VICTORY AND AFTER</h3>
+
+
+<p><i>28th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> The fateful day.</p>
+
+<p>Left camp with Braithwaite, Dawnay and Ward. Embarked on the destroyer
+<i>Colne</i> (Commander Seymour) and sailed for Helles. The fire fight was
+raging. From the bridge we got a fine view as our guns were being
+focused on and about the north-west coast. The cliff line and half a
+mile inland is shrouded in a pall of yellow dust which, as it twirls,
+twists and eddies, blots out Achi Baba himself. Through this curtain
+appear, dozens at a time, little balls of white,&mdash;the shrapnel searching
+out the communication trenches and cutting the wire entanglements. At
+other times spouts of green or black vapour rise, mix and lose
+themselves in the yellow cloud. The noise is like the rumbling of an
+express train&mdash;continuous; no break at all. The Turks sitting there in
+their trenches&mdash;our men 100 yards away sitting in <i>their</i> trenches! What
+a wonderful change in the art,&mdash;no not the art, in the mechanism&mdash;of
+war. Fifteen years ago armies would have stood aghast at our display of
+explosive energy; to-day we know that our shortage is pitiable and that
+we are very short of stuff; perilously short.&mdash;(Written in the cabin of
+the <i>Colne</i>.)<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Jimmy Watson met me on the pier. He is Commandant Advance Base. Deedes
+also met me and the whole band of us made our way inland to my battle
+dugout. This is probably our last onslaught before the new troops and
+new supplies of shell come to hand in about a month from now. We have
+just enough stuff to deal with one narrow strip by the coast. Had it not
+been for some help from the French, we could not have entered upon this
+engagement at all, but must have continued to sit still and be shot
+at&mdash;rather an expensive way of fighting if John Bull could only be told
+the truth. Now, although the area is limited the battle is a big one,
+fairly entitled to be called a general action. As I said, the French are
+helping Simpson-Baikie in his bombardment; the Fleet are helping us with
+the fire of the <i>Scorpion</i>, <i>Talbot</i> and <i>Wolverine</i>, and Birdwood has
+been asked to try and help us from Anzac by making a push there to hold
+the enemy and prevent him sending reinforcements south. On their side
+the Turks are making a very feeble reply. Looks as if we had caught them
+with their ammunition parks empty.</p>
+
+<p>I went into the dugout indescribably slack; hardly energy to struggle
+against the heat and the myriads of flies. I came out of it radiant. The
+Turks are beat. Five lines of their best trenches carried (or, at least,
+four regular lines plus a bit extra); the Boomerang Redoubt rushed, and
+in two successive attacks we have advanced 1,000 yards. Our losses are
+said to be moderate. The dreaded Boomerang collapsed and was stormed
+with hardly a casualty. This was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</a></span> owing partly to the two trench mortars
+lent us by the French and partly to the extraordinary fine shooting of
+our own battery of 4.5 howitzers. The whole show went like
+clockwork&mdash;like a Field Day. First the 87th Brigade took three lines of
+trenches; then our guns lengthened their range and fuses and the 86th
+Brigade, with the gallant Royal Fusiliers at their head, scrambled over
+the trenches already taken by the 87th, and took the last two lines in
+splendid style. We could have gone right on but we had nothing to go on
+with. How I wish the whole world and his wife could have been here to
+see our lines advancing under fire quite steadily with intervals and
+dressing as on parade. A wonderful show!</p>
+
+<p>As the 87th Brigade left the trenches at 11 a.m., the enemy opened a hot
+shrapnel fire on them but although some men fell, none faltered as we
+could see very well owing to the following device. The 29th attackers
+had sewn on to their backs triangles cut out of kerosine tins. The idea
+was to let these bright bits of metal flash in the sunlight and act as
+helios. Thus our guns would be able to keep an eye on them. The
+spectacle was extraordinary. From my post I could follow the movements
+of every man. One moment after 11 a.m. the smoke pall lifted and moved
+slowly on with a thousand sparkles of light in its wake: as if someone
+had quite suddenly flung a big handful of diamonds on to the landscape.</p>
+
+<p>At 11.30 the 86th Brigade likewise advanced; passed through the 87th and
+took two more lines of trenches.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>At mid-day I signalled, "Well done 29th Division and 156th Brigade. Am
+watching your splendid attack with admiration. Stick to it and your
+names will become famous in your homes."</p>
+
+<p>At 1.50 I got a reply, "Thanks from all ranks 29th. We are here to
+stay."</p>
+
+<p>At 3.15 I ran across and warmly congratulated Hunter-Weston, staying
+with him reading the messages until about 4 p.m. when I went on to see
+Gouraud. Hunter-Weston, Gouraud and Braithwaite agree that:&mdash;<i>had we
+only shell to repeat our bombardment of this morning, now, we could go
+on another 1,000 yards before dark,&mdash;result, Achi Baba to-morrow, or, at
+the latest, the day after; Achi Baba</i> and fifty guns perhaps with, say,
+10,000 prisoners.</p>
+
+<p>At 5 p.m. Gouraud and I walked back to Hunter-Weston's G.H.Q. A load was
+off our minds&mdash;we were wonderfully happy. At 5.30 a message from Birdie
+to say the Queenslanders had thrust out towards Gaba Tepe and had
+"drawn" the Turkish reserves who had been badly hammered by our guns.
+With this crowning mercy in my pocket, walked down and boarded the
+destroyer <i>Scourge</i> (Lieutenant Tupper) and got back to camp before
+seven. What a day! May our glorious Infantry gain everlasting
+<i>Kudos</i>&mdash;and the Gunners, too, may the good use they made of their shell
+ration create a legend.</p>
+
+<p>The French official photographer has fixed a moment by snapping Gouraud
+and myself overlooking the Hellespont from the old battlements.</p>
+
+<p><br /></p>
+<p><a name="GOURAUD" id="GOURAUD"></a></p>
+<div class="figcenter">
+             <img   src="images/img423.jpg"
+             alt="GENERAL GOURAUD" /><br />
+         <b>GENERAL GOURAUD.<br />'Central News' photo.</b>
+    </div>
+<p><br /></p>
+
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</a></span></p>
+
+<p><i>Midnight.</i>&mdash;When I lay down in my little tent two hours ago the canvas
+seemed to make a sort of sounding board. No sooner did I try to sleep
+than I heard the musketry rolling up and dying away; then rolling up
+again in volume until I could stick it no longer and simply had to get
+up and pick a path, through the brush and over sandhills, across to the
+sea on the East coast of our island. There I could hear nothing. Was the
+firing then an hallucination&mdash;a sort of sequel to the battle in my
+brain? Not so; far away I could see faint corruscations of sparks; star
+shells; coloured fire balls from pistols; searchlights playing up and
+down the coast. Our fellows were being hard beset to hold on to what
+they had won; there, where the horizon stood out with spectral
+luminosity. What a contrast; the direct fear, joy, and excitement of the
+fighting men out there in the searchlights and the dull anguish of
+waiting here in the darkness; imagining horrors; praying the Almighty
+our men may be vouchsafed valour to stick it through the night;
+wondering, waiting until the wire brings its colourless message!</p>
+
+<p>One thought I have which is in the end a sure sleep-getter&mdash;the
+advancing death. Whether by hours or by years, by inches or by leagues,
+by bullets or bacilli, we struggle-for-lifers will very soon struggle no
+more. My last salaams are well-nigh due to my audience and to the stage.
+That rare and curious being called I is more fragile than any porcelain
+jar. How on earth it has preserved itself so long, heaven only knows.
+One pellet of lead, it falls in a heap of dust; the Peninsula<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</a></span>
+disappears; the fighting men fall asleep; the world and its glories
+become a blank&mdash;not even a dream&mdash;nothing!</p>
+
+<p><i>29th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Sunlight has scattered the spectres of the
+night,&mdash;they have fled, leaving behind them only the matter-of-fact
+residuum of heavy Turkish counter-attacks against our fresh-won ground.
+The fighting took place along the coastline, and the stillness of the
+night seems to have helped the sounds of musketry across the twelve
+miles of sea. The attack was most determined: repulsed by bombs and with
+the bayonet: at daylight the enemy came under a cross-fire of machine
+guns and rifles and were shot to pieces.</p>
+
+<p>Very early approved the revise of my long cable (for the Cabinet)
+outlining my hopes and fears&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No. M.F. 381). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. With
+reference to your telegram No. 5770, cipher. As the Cabinet are anxious
+to consider my situation in all its bearings, it is necessary I should
+open to you all my mind. In my No. M.F. 328 of 13th June, I gave you an
+outline of my plan, based on the news that I was to be given new
+divisions, and I told you what I should do with a possible fourth
+division in my No. M.F. 364 of 23rd June. I am now asked whether I
+consider a fifth division advisable and necessary.</p>
+
+<p>"I have taken time to answer this question, as the addition of each new
+division necessitates, in such a theatre of war as this, a
+reconsideration<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</a></span> of the whole strategical and tactical situation as well
+as of the power of the Fleet to work up to the increased demands that
+would be placed upon it. The scheme which might tempt me (Naval
+considerations permitting) of landing the 4th and 5th Divisions together
+with the three divisions and one or two divisions from Cape Helles and
+Anzac on flank of shore of Gulf of Saros to march on Rodosto and
+Constantinople I reject because the 4th and 5th Divisions cannot reach
+me simultaneously with all their transport.</p>
+
+<p>"But assuming that reinforcements can only reach me in echelon of
+divisions I have decided that the best policy would be to adhere to my
+original plan of endeavouring to turn the enemy's right at Anzac with
+the first three divisions and to gain a position from Gaba Tepe to
+Maidos. I should then use the 4th and 5th Divisions, in case of
+non-success at first to reinforce this wing, and in case of success
+possibly to effect a landing on the southern shore of the Dardanelles;
+and since the enemy's forces south of the Straits would probably have
+been reduced to a minimum in order to oppose my reinforced strength on
+the Peninsula I should in the latter case count upon these two divisions
+doing more than hold a bridge-head (see my M.F. 349 of 19th June), and
+should expect them, reinforced from the northern wing if necessary, to
+press forward to Chanak and thus to cut off this enemy's sole remaining
+line of supply.<a name="FNanchor_22_22" id="FNanchor_22_22"></a><a href="#Footnote_22_22" class="fnanchor">[22]</a> By these means I should hope to compel<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</a></span> the
+surrender of the whole Gallipoli Army. Meanwhile, with my force on the
+Asiatic side I would be enabled to establish in Morto Bay a base safe
+from the bad weather which must be expected later on.</p>
+
+<p>"With regard to ammunition, the more we can get the more easy will our
+task be, but I hope we may be able to achieve success at the end of July
+with the amount available. As we are so far from home, however, we
+cannot afford to run things too fine, and we shall always be obliged to
+keep up a large reserve until the arrival of further supply. I should,
+therefore, like as much as you can spare, particularly high explosive.
+So far as this question affects sending a 4th and 5th Division I would
+not refuse them on the score of ammunition alone, because with the
+Artillery of three new divisions complete I think we shall have as many
+guns as the terrain will allow us to use in the operations towards
+Maidos, and also sufficient to compete with any Artillery which the
+enemy could bring against the detachment operating on the Asiatic shore.</p>
+
+<p>"To summarize&mdash;I think I have reasonable prospects of eventual success
+with three divisions, with four the risks of miscalculation would be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</a></span>
+minimized, and with five, even if the fifth division had little or no
+gun ammunition, I think it would be a much simpler matter to clear the
+Asiatic shore subsequently of big guns, etc., Kilid Bahr would be
+captured at an earlier date and success would be generally assured."</p>
+
+<p>Next, I boiled down yesterday's battle into telegraphic dispatch form:&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"(No. M.F. 383). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Secretary of State for
+War. In continuation of my Nos. M.F. 379 and 382. Plan of operations
+yesterday was to throw forward left of my line south-east of Krithia,
+pivoting on point about one mile from the sea, and after advancing
+extreme left for about half a mile, to establish new line facing east on
+ground thus gained. This plan entailed the capture in succession of two
+lines of the Turkish trenches east of the Saghir Dere and five lines of
+trenches west of it. Australian Corps was ordered to co-operate by
+making vigorous demonstration. The action opened at 9 a.m. with
+bombardment by heavy artillery of the trenches to be captured.</p>
+
+<p>"Assistance rendered by French in this bombardment was most valuable. At
+10.20 our field artillery opened fire to cut wire in front of Turkish
+trenches and this was effectively done. Great effect on enemy's trench
+near sea and in keeping down his artillery fire from that quarter was
+produced by very accurate fire of H.M.S. <i>Talbot</i>, <i>Scorpion</i>, and
+<i>Wolverine</i>. At 10.45 a small Turkish advanced work in the Saghir Dere,
+known as the Boomerang<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</a></span> Redoubt, was assaulted. This little fort was
+very strongly sited, protected by extra strong wire entanglements and
+has long been a source of trouble. After special bombardment by trench
+mortars and while bombardment of surrounding trenches was at its height
+part of Border Regiment, at the exact moment prescribed, leapt from
+their trenches like a pack of hounds pouring out of cover, raced across
+and took the work most brilliantly.</p>
+
+<p>"Artillery bombardment increased in intensity till 11 a.m. when range
+was lengthened and infantry advanced. Infantry attack was carried out
+with great dash along whole line. West of Saghir Dere 87th Brigade
+captured three lines of trenches with little opposition. Trenches full
+of dead Turks, many buried by bombardment, and 100 prisoners were taken
+in them. East of Ravine two battalions Royal Scots made fine attack,
+capturing the two lines of trenches assigned as their objective, but
+remainder of 156th Brigade on their right met severe opposition and were
+unable to get forward. At 11.30, 86th Brigade led by 2nd Bn. Royal
+Fusiliers started second phase of attack West of Ravine. They advanced
+with great steadiness and resolution through trenches already captured
+and on across the open, and taking two more lines of trenches reached
+objective allotted to them, Lancashire Fusiliers inclining half right
+and forming line to connect with our new position East of Ravine.</p>
+
+<p>"The northernmost objective I had set out to reach had now been
+attained, but the Gurkhas pressing on under the cliffs captured an
+important<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[Pg 353]</a></span> knoll still further forward, actually due west of Krithia.
+This they fortified and held during the night, making our total gain on
+the left precisely 1,000 yards. During afternoon 88th Brigade attacked
+trenches, small portion of which remained uncaptured on right, but enemy
+held on stubbornly, supported by machine guns and artillery, and attacks
+did not succeed. During night enemy counter-attacked furthest trenches
+gained but was repulsed with heavy loss. Party of Turks who penetrated
+from flank between two lines of captured trenches, subjected to
+machine-gun fire at daybreak, suffered very heavily and survivors
+surrendered.</p>
+
+<p>"Except for small portion of trench already mentioned which is still
+held by enemy, all, and more than we hoped for, from operations has been
+gained. On extreme left, line has been pushed forward to specially
+strong point well beyond limit of advance originally contemplated. Our
+casualties about 2,000, the greater proportion of which are slight cases
+of which 250 at Anzac, in the useful demonstration made simultaneously
+there. All engaged did well, but certainly the chief factor in the
+success was the splendid attack carried out by XXIXth Division, whose
+conduct in this as on previous occasions was beyond praise."</p>
+
+<p>Lastly, I wrote out a special Force Order thanking the incomparable
+29th.</p>
+
+<p>Winter brought me over a letter just received from Wallace. He is
+quarrelling with Elliot. For that I don't blame him. At the end of his
+letter Wallace says, "I feel that the organization of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</a></span> Lines of
+Communication and making it work is such a task that I sometimes doubt
+myself whether I am equal to it." Wallace is a good fellow and a
+sensible man placed, by British methods, out of his element and out of
+his depth. Have told Winter to tell him I sympathize and will help him
+and support him all I know; that if it turns out his strong points lie
+in another direction than administering a huge business machine, I will
+try and find a handsome way out for him.</p>
+
+<p>Had been writing, writing, writing since cockcrow so when I heard a
+trawler was going over with two of the General Staff at mid-day, I could
+not resist the chance of another visit to the scene of yesterday's
+victorious advance. Went to see Hunter-Weston but he was up at the front
+where I had no time to follow him. His Chief of Staff says all goes
+well, but they have just had cables from my own Headquarters to tell
+them that heavy columns of Turks are massing behind Achi Baba for a
+fresh counter-attack. Thought, therefore, the wisest thing was to get
+back quickly. Reached camp again about 7 p.m., and found more news in
+office than I got on the spot. Last night's firing on the Peninsula
+meant close and desperate fighting. Several heavy columns of Turks
+attacked with bomb and bayonet, and in places some of their braves broke
+through into our new trenches where the defence had not yet been put on
+a stable footing. When daylight came we got them enfiladed by machine
+guns and every single mother's son of them was either killed or
+captured. So we still hold every yard we had gained.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>The attack by a part of the Lowland Division seems to have been
+mishandled. A Brigade made the assault East of the Ravine; the men
+advanced gallantly but there was lack of effective preparation. Two
+battalions of the Royal Scots carried a couple of the enemy's trenches
+in fine style and stuck to them, but the rest of the Brigade lost a
+number of good men to no useful purpose in their push against H.12. One
+thing is clear. If the bombardment was ineffective, from whatever cause,
+then the men should not have been allowed to break cover.<a name="FNanchor_23_23" id="FNanchor_23_23"></a><a href="#Footnote_23_23" class="fnanchor">[23]</a></p>
+
+<p><i>30th June, 1915. Imbros.</i> Writing in camp.</p>
+
+<p>More good news. It never rains but it pours. The French have made a fine
+push and got the Quadrilateral by 8 a.m. with but little loss. The Turks
+seemed discouraged, they say, and did not offer their usual firm
+resistance.</p>
+
+<p>At 10.30 a.m. wired Gouraud:&mdash;"Warm congratulations on this morning's
+work which will compensate for the loss of your 2,000 quarts of wine.
+Your Government should now replace it with vintage claret. Please send
+me quickly a sketch of the ground you have gained."</p>
+
+<p>Gouraud now replies:&mdash;"Best thanks for congratulations. Sketch being
+made. If our Government is pleased to send a finer brand of wine to
+replace what was wasted by the guns of Asia, we Frenchmen will drink it
+to the very good health of our British comrades in arms."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>How lucky I signalled de Robeck 8 p.m. yesterday to let us keep the
+<i>Wolverine</i> and <i>Scorpion</i> "in case of a night attack!" Sure enough
+there was another onslaught made against our northernmost post. Two
+Turkish Regiments were discovered in mass creeping along the top of the
+cliffs by the searchlights of the <i>Scorpion</i>. They were so punished by
+her guns that they were completely broken up and the Infantry at
+daylight had not much to do except pick up the fragments. 300 Turks lay
+dead upon the ground. Also, hiding in furze, have gleaned 180 prisoners
+belonging to the 13th, 16th and 33rd Regiments. A Circassian prisoner
+carried in a wounded Royal Scot on his back under a heavy fire.</p>
+
+<p>Three wires from Helles; the first early this morning; the last just to
+hand (11 p.m.) saying that the lack of hand grenades is endangering all
+our gains. The Turks are much better armed in this respect. De Lisle
+says that where we have hand grenades we can advance still further;
+where we have not, we lose ground. At mid-day, we wired our reply saying
+we had no more hand grenades we feared but that we would do our best to
+scrape up a few; also that several trench mortars had just arrived from
+home and that they would be sent over forthwith.</p>
+
+<p>Have returned some interesting minutes on the Dardanelles, sent me from
+home, with this remark:&mdash;"Looking back I see now clearly that the one
+fallacy which crept into your plans was non-recognition of the pride and
+military <i>moral</i> of the Turk. There was never any question of the Turk<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[Pg 357]</a></span>
+being demoralized or even flustered by ships sailing past him or by
+troops landing in his rear. <i>At last, I believe</i>, this <i>moral</i> is
+beginning to crack up a little (not much) but nothing less than
+murderous losses would have done it. In their diaries their officers
+speak of this Peninsula as the Slaughterhouse."</p>
+
+<p>Brigadier-General de Lothbini&egrave;re and Major Ruthven lunched and young
+Brodrick and I dined together on board the <i>Triad</i> with the hospitable
+Vice-Admiral. We were all very cheery at the happy turn of our fortunes;
+outwardly, that is to say, for there was a skeleton at the feast who
+kept tap, tap, tapping on the mahogany with his bony knuckles; tap, tap,
+tap; the gunfire at Helles was insistent, warning us that the Turks had
+not yet "taken their licking." But when I get back, although there is
+nothing in from Hunter-Weston there is an officer from Anzac who has
+just given me the complete story of Birdwood's demonstration on the
+28th. The tide of war is indeed racing full flood in our favour.</p>
+
+<p>When we were working out our scheme for the attack of the 29th Division
+and 156th Brigade the day before yesterday, as well as Gouraud's attack
+of yesterday, we had reckoned that the Turkish High Command would get to
+realize by about 11 a.m. on the 28th that an uncommon stiff fight had
+been set afoot to the sou'-west of Krithia. L. von S. would then, it
+might be surmised, draw upon his reserves at Maidos and upon his forces
+opposite Anzac: they would get their orders about mid-day: they would be
+starting about 1 p.m.: they would reach<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[Pg 358]</a></span> Krithia about dusk: they would
+use their "pull" in the matter of hand grenades to counter-attack by
+moonlight. So we asked Birdie to make one of his most engaging gestures
+just to delay these reinforcements a little bit; and now it turns out
+that the Australians and New Zealanders in their handsome, antipodean
+style went some 50 per cent. better than their bargain&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>(1) At 1 p.m. on the 28th the Queensland giants darted out of their
+caves and went for the low ridge covering Gaba Tepe, that tenderest spot
+of the Turks. They got on to the foot of it and, by their dashing
+onslaught, drew the fire of all the enemy guns; but, what was still
+better, heavy Turkish columns, on the march, evidently, from Maidos to
+the help of Krithia, turned back northwards and closed in for the
+defence of Gaba Tepe. As they drew near they came under fire of our
+destroyers and of the Anzac guns and were badly knocked about and broken
+up. So both Krithia and the French Quadrilateral have had to do without
+the help of these reinforcements from the reserves of Liman von Sanders.
+One of the neatest of strokes and the credit of it lies with the
+Queenslanders who were not content to flourish their fists in the
+enemy's face but ran out and attacked him at close quarters.</p>
+
+<p>(2) Now comes the sequel! Birdie has just sent in word of the best
+business done at Anzac since May 19th!! The success of his demonstration
+towards Gaba Tepe had given the Turks a bad attack of the jumps,
+followed by a thirst for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[Pg 359]</a></span> vengeance. Yesterday, they got <i>very</i> nervy
+during a dust storm and for two hours the whole of their Army kept up
+high pressure fire from every rifle and machine gun they could bring to
+bear. They simply poured out bullets by the million into the blinding
+dust. Things then gradually quieted down till 1.30 this morning when a
+very serious assault&mdash;very serious for the enemy&mdash;was suddenly launched
+against the Anzac left, the brunt of it falling on Russell's New Zealand
+Mounted Rifles and Chauvel's Australian Light Horse; a bad choice too!
+Our victory complete; bloodless for us. Their defeat complete; very
+bloody. Nine fresh enemy battalions smashed to bits: fighting went on
+until dawn: five hundred Turks laid out and counted: no more detail but
+that is good enough to go to sleep upon.</p>
+
+<p><i>1st July, 1915. Imbros.</i> Good news from Helles continues. In the early
+hours of last night an attack was made on the Gurkhas in J trenches.
+When they ran out of bombs the Turks bombed them out. Headed by Bruce
+their Colonel, whom they adore, they retook the trench and, for the
+first time, got into the enemy with their <i>kukris</i> and sliced off a
+number of their heads. At dawn half a battalion of Turks tried to make
+the attack along the top of the cliff and were entirely wiped out.</p>
+
+<p>Against this I must set down cruel bad news about Gouraud. An accursed
+misadventure. He has been severely wounded by a shell. Directly I heard
+I got the Navy to run me over. He was already in the Hospital ship; I
+saw him there.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[Pg 360]</a></span> A pure toss up whether he pulls round or not; luckily he
+has a frame of iron. I was allowed to speak to him for half a minute and
+he is full of pluck. The shell, an 8-incher from Asia, landed only some
+half a dozen yards away from him as he was visiting his wounded and sick
+down by "V" Beach. By some miracle none of the metal fragments touched
+him, but the sheer force of the explosion shot him up into the air and
+over a wall said to be seven feet high. His thigh, ankle and arm are all
+badly smashed, simply by the fall. We could more easily spare a Brigade.
+His loss is irreparable. By personal magnetism he has raised the ardour
+of his troops to the highest power. Have cabled to Lord K. expressing my
+profound sorrow and assuring him that "the grave loss suffered by the
+French, and indirectly by my whole force," is really most serious, as I
+know, I say, "the French War Minister cannot send us another General
+Gouraud."</p>
+
+<p><i>2nd July, 1915. Imbros.</i> Worked all day in camp. Birdie, with Onslow,
+his A.D.C&mdash;<i>such</i> a nice boy&mdash;came over from Anzac in the morning and
+stayed with me the day, during which we worked together at our plan. At
+night we all went over together to H.M.S. <i>Triad</i> to dine with the
+Vice-Admiral.</p>
+
+<p>Birdwood is quite confident that with a fresh Division and a decent
+supply of shell he can get hold of the heights of Sari Bair, whereby he
+will enfilade the whole network of Turkish trenches, now hedging him
+round. The only thing he bargains for is that G.H.Q. so work the whole
+affair from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[Pg 361]</a></span> orders down to movements, that the enemy get no inkling of
+our intentions. The Turks so far suspect nothing, and Koja Chemen Tepe
+and Chunuk Bair, with all the intervening ridge, are still unentrenched
+and open to capture by a <i>coup-de-main</i>. Even if the naval objections to
+Bulair could be overcome, Sari Bair remains the better move of the two.
+With the high ridges of Sari Bair in our hands we could put a stop to
+the Turkish sea transport from Chanak which we could neither see nor
+touch from Bulair. The tugs with their strings of lighters could not run
+by day, and as soon as we could get searchlights fixed up, they would
+find it very awkward to show themselves in the Straits by night. As to
+the enemy land communications, as soon as we can haul up our big guns we
+should command, and be able to search, all the ground between the Aegean
+and the Dardanelles. Now is the moment. Birdwood says that he and his
+men have exactly the same feeling that we have down at Helles&mdash;the
+feeling, namely, that now at last, we have got a right moral pull over
+the Turks. All we want is enough material to turn that faith into a mile
+or two of mountains.</p>
+
+<p>Making full use of their advantage in hand grenades, the Turks again won
+their trench back from the Gurkhas last night; a trench which was the
+key to a whole system of earthworks. Bruce had been wounded and they had
+no officers left to lead them, so de Lisle had to call once more on the
+29th Division and the bold Inniskilling Fusiliers retook that trench at
+a cost of all their officers save two.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">[Pg 362]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>There are some feats of arms best left to speak for themselves and this
+is one of them.</p>
+
+<p>Wrote Lord K. as follows&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p class='author'>
+<span class='smcap'>"General Headquarters,<br />
+"Medtn. Expeditionary Force.</span><br />
+"<i>2nd July, 1915.</i></p>
+<p>
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;">"Dictated.</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;" class='smcap'>"My Dear Lord Kitchener,</span>
+</p>
+
+<p>"There seems to be a lull in this tooth-and-nail struggle which has kept
+me on tenterhooks during the past four days and nights. But we have on
+our maps little blue arrows showing the movements of at least a Division
+of troops in various little columns from above Kereves Dere, from Soghon
+Dere river, from Kilid Bahr and even from within gun-shot of Achi Baba,
+all converging on a point a mile or two north-west of Krithia. So it
+looks as if they were going to have one more desperate go at the Gurkha
+knoll due west of Krithia, and at the line of trench we call J.13
+immediately behind it which was also held by the Gurkhas.</p>
+
+<p>"Last night they bombed the Gurkhas out of the eastern half of J.13 and
+the Inniskilling Fusiliers had to take it again at the point of the
+bayonet just as day broke.</p>
+
+<p>"You can have small idea of what the troops are going through. The same
+old battalions being called on again and again to do the forlorn hope
+sort of business. However, each day that passes,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">[Pg 363]</a></span> these captured
+positions get better dug in, and make the Turks' counter-attack more
+costly.</p>
+
+<p>"The cause of the attack made the night before last on Anzac has been
+made quite clear to us by a highly intelligent Armenian prisoner we have
+taken. The strictest orders had been issued by His Excellency
+Commanding-in-Chief on the Peninsula that no further attacks against our
+works were to be made unless, of course, we took any ground from them
+when we must be vigorously countered. But it was explained to the men
+that the losses in attack had proved too heavy, whereas, if they had
+patience and waited a week or ten days in their trenches, then at last
+we would come out and try to attack them when they would kill us in
+great quantities. However, Enver Pasha appeared in person amongst the
+troops at Anzac, and ordered three regiments to attack whilst the whole
+of the rest of the line supported them by demonstrations and by fire. It
+was objected this was against the command of their local chief. He
+brushed this objection aside, and told them never to look him in the
+face again if they failed to drive the Australians into the sea. So off
+they went and they certainly did not drive the Australians into the sea
+(although they got into their support trenches at one time) and
+certainly most of them never looked Enver in the face again, or anyone
+else for that matter.</p>
+
+<p>"The old battle tactics have clean vanished. I have only quite lately
+realized the new conditions. Whether your entrenchments are on the top
+of a hill or at the bottom of a valley matters precious<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[Pg 364]</a></span> little: whether
+you are outflanked matters precious little&mdash;you may hold one half of a
+straight trench and the enemy may hold the other half, and this
+situation may endure for weeks. The only thing is by cunning or
+surprise, or skill, or tremendous expenditure of high explosives, or
+great expenditure of good troops, to win some small tactical position
+which the enemy may be bound, perhaps for military or perhaps for
+political reasons, to attack. Then you can begin to kill them pretty
+fast."</p>
+
+<p><i>3rd July, 1915. Imbros.</i> Very hot; very limp with the prevalent disease
+but greatly cheered up by the news of yesterday evening's battle at
+Helles. The Turks must have got hold of a lot of fresh shell for, at
+5.30 p.m., they began as heavy a bombardment as any yet seen at Helles,
+concentrating on our extreme left. We could only send a feeble reply. At
+6 o'clock the enemy advanced in swarms, but before they had covered more
+than 100 yards they were driven back again into the Ravine some 800
+yards to our front. H.M.S. <i>Scorpion</i> and our machine guns played the
+chief hand. At 7 p.m. the Turkish guns began again, blazing away as if
+shells were a drug in the market, whilst, under cover of this very
+intense fire, another two of their battalions had the nerve to emerge
+from the Ravine to the north-east of our forward trenches and to move in
+regular lines&mdash;shoulder to shoulder&mdash;right across the open. Hardly had
+they shown themselves when the 10th Battery R.F.A. sprayed them
+beautifully with shrapnel. The Gurkha supports were rushed up, and as
+there was no room for them in the fire trenches they<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_365" id="Page_365">[Pg 365]</a></span> crept into shell
+craters and any sort of hole they could find from which to rake the
+Turks as they made their advance. The enemy's officers greatly
+distinguished themselves, waving their swords and running well out into
+the open to get the men forward. The men also had screwed up their
+courage to the sticking point and made a big push for it, but, in the
+end, they could not face our fire, and fell back helter-skelter to their
+mullah. Along the spot where they had stood wavering awhile before they
+broke and ran, there are still two clearly marked lines of corpses.</p>
+
+<p>Wrote a letter to Sclater saying I cannot understand his request for
+fuller information about the drafts needed to make my units up to
+strength. We have regularly cabled strengths; the figures are correct
+and it is the A.G. himself who has ordered us to furnish the optimistic
+"ration" strengths instead of the customary "fighting" strengths. The
+ration strength are for the Q.M.G., but unless the A.G. wishes to go on
+living in a fool's paradise, why should he be afraid of knowing the
+numbers we cannot put into the line of battle!</p>
+
+<p>Have also written Cowans protesting once more that we should have
+business brains to run the most intricate business proposition at
+present on tap in the world&mdash;our communications. During the past month
+the confusion at Mudros, our advanced base, becomes daily worse
+confounded. Things meant for Anzac go to Helles, and <i>vice versa</i>: or,
+not infrequently, stores, supplies or luxuries arrive and are sent off
+on a little tour to Alexandria and Malta before delivery. The system
+would be<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_366" id="Page_366">[Pg 366]</a></span> perfect for the mellowing of port or madeira, but when it is
+applied to plum and apple jam or, when 18 pr. shell are sent to
+howitzers, the system needs overhauling. I know the job is out of the
+way difficult. There is work here for Lesseps, Goethals and Morgan
+rolled into one:&mdash;work that may change the face of the world far, far
+more than the Suez or Panama Canals and, to do it, they have put in a
+good fighting soldier, quite out of his setting, and merely because they
+did not know what to do with him in Egypt! In case Cowans shares K.'s
+suspicions about my sneaking desire for Ellison, I say, "I assure you;
+most solemnly I assure you, that the personal equation does not, even in
+the vaguest fashion, enter into my thoughts. Put the greatest enemy I
+possess in the world, and the person I most dislike, into that post, and
+I would thank God for his appointment, on my knees, provided he was a
+competent business man."</p>
+
+<p>Again&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"I am in despair myself over it. Perhaps that is putting it rather
+strong as I try never to despair, but seriously I worry just as much
+over things behind me as I do over the enemy in front of me. What I want
+is a really big man there, and I don't care one D. who he is. A man I
+mean who, if he saw the real necessity, would wire for a great English
+contractor and 300 navvies without bothering or referring the matter to
+anyone."</p>
+
+<p>A cable to say that the editing of my despatch is ended, and that the
+public will be let into its<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_367" id="Page_367">[Pg 367]</a></span> dreadful secrets in a day or two. But, I am
+informed there are passages in it whose "secret nature will be
+scrupulously observed." What passages? I cannot remember any secrets in
+my despatch.</p>
+
+<p>Have been defending myself desperately against the War Office who want
+to send out a Naval Doctor to take full charge and responsibility for
+the wounded (including destination) the moment they quit dry land. But
+we must have a complete scheme of evacuation <i>by land and sea</i>, not two
+badly jointed schemes. So I have asked, who is to be "Boss"? Who is to
+see to it that the two halves fit together? The answer is that the War
+Office are confident "there will be no friction" (bless them!); they
+say, "nothing could be simpler than this arrangement and no difficulty
+is anticipated. Neither is boss and the boundary between the different
+spheres of activity of the two officers might be laid down as the
+high-water mark." (Bless them again!). Have replied&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"I have struggled with your high-water mark silently for weeks and know
+something about it. Had I bothered you with all my troubles you would, I
+respectfully submit, realize that your proposal is not simple but
+extraordinarily complicated, even pre-supposing seraphic dispositions on
+either side. If you determine finally that these two officers are to be
+independent, I foresee that you will greatly widen the scope of dual
+control which is now only applicable to my great friend the Admiral and
+myself.</p>
+
+<p>"Either Babtie must order up the ships when and where he wants them, or
+Porter must order<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_368" id="Page_368">[Pg 368]</a></span> the wounded down when he is ready for them. This is
+my considered opinion."<a name="FNanchor_24_24" id="FNanchor_24_24"></a><a href="#Footnote_24_24" class="fnanchor">[24]</a></p>
+
+<p>Have also sent an earnest message to K.&mdash;just the old, old story&mdash;saying
+that what I want <i>first</i> is drafts, and only <i>second</i> fresh divisions.
+My old Chief has been his kind self again:&mdash;so very considerate has he
+been in his recent messages that I feel it almost brutal to press him or
+to seem to wish to take advantage of his goodness. But we are dealing
+with lives of men and I <i>must</i> try and make myself clear&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"I am anxious with regard to the question of reinforcements for units.
+During the period 28th to 30th June, the Brigades of the XXIXth and
+Lowland Divisions dropped in strengths approximately as follows:&mdash;86th
+from 71 officers, 2,807 others to 36 and 1,994; 87th from 65 and 2,724
+to 48 and 2,075; 88th from 63 and 2,139 to 46 and 1,765; 156th from 102
+and 2,839 to 30 and 1,399. All Officers who have arrived from England to
+date are included in the above figures. Maxwell has agreed to let me
+have 80 young Officers from Egypt. Of the other ranks I have no
+appreciable reinforcements to put in. This is the situation after an
+operation carried out by the XXIXth and two brigades of LIInd Divisions,
+which was not only successful but even more successful than we
+anticipated; wherein the initial losses on 28th June were comparatively
+small, namely 2,000, but as the result of numerous counter-attacks day
+and night, have since swelled to some 3,500.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_369" id="Page_369">[Pg 369]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"The drafts promised in your No. 5793, A.G.2a, would, provided there
+were no more casualties, bring the units of the XXIXth Division to
+approximately 75 per cent. of establishment, but would leave none
+available as further reinforcements.</p>
+
+<p>"In view of the operations on a larger scale, with increased forces, I
+feel I should draw your attention to the risk introduced by the theatre
+of operations being so far from England. I have no reserves in base
+depots now, while the operations we are engaged in are such that heavy
+casualties are to be expected. The want of drafts ready on the spot to
+fill up units which have suffered heavily might prevent me pressing to
+full advantage as the result of a local success. At a critical moment I
+might find myself compelled to suspend operations until the arrival of
+drafts from England. This might involve a month and in the meantime the
+enemy would have time to consolidate his position. The difficulty of the
+drafts question is fully realized, but I think you should know exactly
+how I am placed and that I should reflect and make clear the essential
+difference between the Dardanelles and France in so far as the necessity
+of mobilizing first reinforcements for each unit is concerned. Our real
+need is a system which will enable me to maintain drafts for the
+deficiencies in depots on my lines of communications with Egypt."</p>
+
+<p>If K. did not want brief spurts sandwiched between long waits, all he
+had to do was to tell his A.G. to see to it that the XXIXth Division was
+kept up to strength. A word and a frown<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_370" id="Page_370">[Pg 370]</a></span> would have done it. But he has
+not said the word, or scowled, and the troops have by extraordinary
+efforts and self-sacrifice carried through the work of strong battalions
+with weak ones&mdash;but only to some extent. That is the whole story.</p>
+
+<p><i>4th July, 1915. Imbros.</i> Church Parade this morning. Made a close
+inspection of the Surrey Yeomanry under Major Bonsor. Even with as free
+a hand as the Lord Almighty, it would be hard to invent a better type of
+fighting man than the British Yeomanry; only, they have never been
+properly appreciated by the martinets who have ruled our roost, and
+chances have never been given to them to make the most of themselves as
+soldiers.</p>
+
+<p>The Escort was made up of men of the 29th Division under Lieutenant
+Burrell of the South Wales Borderers&mdash;that famous battalion which
+stormed so brilliantly de Tott's battery at the first landing,&mdash;also of
+a detachment of Australians under Lieutenant Edwards and a squad of New
+Zealanders under Lieutenant Sheppard, fine men all of them, but very
+different (despite the superficial resemblance imparted by their slouch
+hats) when thus seen shoulder to shoulder on parade. The Australians
+have the pull in height and width of chest; the New Zealanders are
+thicker all through, chests, waists, thighs.</p>
+
+<p>After Church Parade, boarded H.M.S. <i>Basilisk</i> (Lieutenant Fallowfield)
+and steamed to Helles. The Turks, inconsiderate as usual, were shelling<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_371" id="Page_371">[Pg 371]</a></span>
+Lancashire Landing as we got ashore. Every living soul had gone to
+ground. Strolled up the deserted road with an air of careless
+indifference, hopped casually over a huge splosh of fresh blood, and
+crossed to Hunter-Weston's Headquarters. Had I only been my simple self,
+I would have out-stripped the hare for swiftness, as it was, I, as
+C.-in-C, had to play up to the dugouts. As Hunter-Weston and I were
+starting lunch, an orderly rushed in to say that a ship in harbour had
+been torpedoed. So we rushed out with our glasses and watched. She was a
+French transport, the <i>Carthage</i>, and she took exactly four minutes to
+sink. The destroyers and picket boats were round her as smart as flies
+settle on a lump of sugar, and there was no loss of life. Sad to see the
+old ship go down. I knew her well at Malta and Jean once came across in
+her from Tunis. She used to roll like the devil and was always said,
+with what justice I do not know, to be the sister ship to the <i>Waratah</i>
+which foundered so mysteriously somewhere off the Natal coast with a
+very good chap, a M.F.H., Percy Brown, on board. At 2.30 General
+Bailloud, now commanding the French, came over to see me. When he had
+finished his business which he handles in so original a manner as to
+make it a recreation, I went off with Hunter-Weston and Staffs to see
+General Egerton of the Lowland Division. Egerton introduced me to
+Colonel Mudge, A.A.G., Major Maclean, D.A.A.G. (an old friend), Captain
+Tollemashe, G.S.O.3, and to his A.D.C., Lieutenant Laverton. We then
+went on and saw the 156th Brigade. Passed the time of day to a lot of
+the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_372" id="Page_372">[Pg 372]</a></span> Officers and men. Among those whose names I remember were Colonel
+Pallin, acting Brigadier; Captain Girdwood, Brigade Major; Captain Law,
+Staff Captain; Colonel Peebles, 7th Royal Scots; Captain Sinclair, 4th
+Royal Scots; Lieutenant McClay, 8th Scottish Rifles. The last Officer
+was one of the very few&mdash;I am not sure they did not say the only one&mdash;of
+his Battalion who went into the assault and returned untouched.</p>
+
+<p>The whole Brigade had attacked H. 12 on the 28th ult. and lost a number
+of good men. The rank and file seemed very nice lads but&mdash;there was no
+mistaking it&mdash;they have been given a bad shake and many of them were
+down on their luck. As we came to each Battalion Headquarters we were
+told, "These are the remnants of the&mdash;&mdash;," whatever the unit was. Three
+times was this remark repeated but the fourth time I had to express my
+firm opinion that in no case was the use of the word "remnant," as
+applied to a fighting unit "in being," an expression which authority
+should employ in the presence of the men.</p>
+
+<p>Re-embarked in H.M.S. <i>Basilisk</i> and got back to Imbros fairly late.</p>
+
+<p>A set of Turkish Divisional orders sent by the Turkish General to the
+Commander of their right zone at Helles has been taken from a wounded
+Turkish officer. They bear out our views of the blow that the 29th
+Division have struck at the enemy's <i>moral</i> by their brilliant attack on
+the 28th inst.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_373" id="Page_373">[Pg 373]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>"There is nothing that causes us more sorrow, increases the courage of
+the enemy and encourages him to attack more freely, causing us great
+losses, than the losing of these trenches. Henceforth, commanders who
+surrender these trenches from whatever side the attack may come before
+the last man is killed will be punished in the same way as if they had
+run away. Especially will the commanders of units told off to guard a
+certain front be punished if, instead of thinking about their work
+supporting their units and giving information to the higher command,
+they only take action after a regrettable incident has taken place.</p>
+
+<p>"I hope that this will not occur again. I give notice that if it does, I
+shall carry out the punishment. I do not desire to see a blot made on
+the courage of our men by those who escape from the trenches to avoid
+the rifle and machine gun fire of the enemy. Henceforth, I shall hold
+responsible all Officers who do not shoot with their revolvers all the
+privates who try to escape from the trenches on any pretext. Commander
+of the 11th Division, Colonel Rifaat."</p>
+
+<p>In sending on this order to his battalions, the Colonel of the 127th
+Regiment adds&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"To Commander of the 1st Battalion. The contents will be communicated to
+the Officers and I promise to carry out the orders till the last drop of
+our blood has been shed."</p>
+
+<p>Then followed the signatures of the company commanders of the Battalion.
+There is a savage<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_374" id="Page_374">[Pg 374]</a></span> ring about these orders but they are, I am sure, more
+bracing to the recipients than laments and condolences over their
+losses.</p>
+
+<p><i>5th July, 1915. Imbros.</i> Spent a long, hot day hanging at the end of
+the wire. Heavy firing on the Peninsula last night under cover of which
+the Turks at dawn made, or tried to make, a grand, concerted attack. Not
+a soul in England, outside the Ordnance, realizes, I believe, that
+barring the guns of the 29th Division and the few guns of the Anzacs,
+our field artillery consists of the old 15-prs., relics of South Africa,
+and of 5-inch hows., some of them Omdurman veterans. Quite a number of
+these guns are already unserviceable and, in the 42nd Division, to keep
+one and a half batteries fully gunned, we have had to use up every piece
+in the Brigade. The surplus personnel are thus wasted. To take on new
+Skoda or Krupp guns with these short-range veterans is rough on the
+gunners. Still, but for the Territorial Force we should have nothing at
+all, and but for those guns to-day some of the enemy might have got
+home.</p>
+
+<p>A sort of professional gossip turned up to-day from G.H.Q. France. We do
+not seem to be so popular as we deserve to be in <i>la belle France!</i> But
+what I would plead were I only able to get at Joffre and French is that
+we are "such a little one." Were we all to be set down in the West
+to-morrow with our shattered, torn formations, they'd put us back into
+reserve for a month's rest and training. As for the guns, they'd scrap
+the lot. <i>They</i> don't<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_375" id="Page_375">[Pg 375]</a></span> want ancient 15-prs. and 5-inch hows. out there.
+They picture us feasting upon their munitions, but half of what we use
+they would not touch with a barge pole and, of the good stuff, one
+Division in France will fire away in one day what would serve to take
+the Peninsula.</p>
+
+<p>Braithwaite has a letter from the D.M.I. telling him that 5,000 Russians
+sailed from Vladivostock on the 1st inst. to join us here. One Regiment
+of four Battalions plus one Sotnia of Cossacks. A reinforcement of 5,000
+stout soldiers tumbling out of the skies! Russians placed here are worth
+twice their number elsewhere, not only because we need rifles so badly,
+but because of the moral effect their presence should have in the
+Balkans.</p>
+
+<p>This little vodka pick-me-up has come in the nick of time to hearten me
+against the tenor of the news of to-day which is splendid indeed in one
+sense; ominous in another. The Turks are being heavily reinforced. All
+the enemy troops who made the big attack last night were fresh arrivals
+from Adrianople. I do not grumble at the attack (on the contrary we like
+it), but at the reason they had for making it, which is that two fresh
+Divisions, newly arrived, asked leave to show their muscle by driving us
+into the sea. Full details are only just in. The biggest bombardment
+took place at Anzac. A Turkish battleship joined in from the Hellespont,
+dropping about twenty 11.2-inch shells into our lines. At Helles, all
+night, the Turks blazed away from their trenches. At 4 a.m. they opened
+fire on our trenches and beaches with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_376" id="Page_376">[Pg 376]</a></span> every gun they could bring to
+bear from Asia or Achi Baba. Their Asiatic Batteries alone fired 1,900
+rounds, of which 700 fell on Lancashire Landing. At least 5,000 shell
+were loosed off on to Helles. A lot of the stuff was 6-inch and over.
+The bombardment was very wild and seemed almost unaimed. Soon after 4
+a.m. very heavy columns of Turks tried to emerge from the Ravine against
+the left of the 29th Division. "It wanted to be the hell of a great
+attack," as one of the witnesses, a moderate spoken young gentleman,
+states. When the Commanders saw what was impending they sent messages to
+Simpson-Baikie begging him to send some 4.5 H.E. shell into the Ravine
+which was beginning to overflow. He was adamant. He had only a few
+rounds of H.E. and he would not spend them, feeling sure his 18 prs.
+with their shrapnel were masters of the field. At 6 a.m. out came the
+Turks, not in lines, but just like a swarm of bees. Our fellows never
+saw the like and began to wonder whenever they were going to stop, and
+what on earth <i>could</i> stop them! Thousands of Turks in a bunch, so the
+boys say, swarmed out of their trenches and the Gully Ravine. Well, they
+were stopped <i>dead</i>. There they lie, <i>still</i>. The guns ate the life out
+of them.</p>
+
+<p>It was our central group of artillery who did it. As that big oblong
+crowd of Turks showed their left flank to Baikie's nine batteries they
+were swept in enfilade by shrapnel. The fall of the shell was corrected
+by the two young R.A. subalterns at the front, neither of whom would
+observe in the usual way through his periscope. They looked<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_377" id="Page_377">[Pg 377]</a></span> over the
+parapet because that method was more sure and quick, and the stress of
+the battle was great. There is a rumour that both were shot through the
+head: I pray it may be but a rumour. Out of all these Turks some thirty
+only reached our parapets. The sudden destruction which befell them was
+due in the main to the devotion of these two young heroes. At 7.30 a.m.
+the Turks tried to storm again. Some of them got in amongst the Royal
+Naval Division, who brought up their own supports and killed 300,
+driving out the rest. Ninety dead Turks are laid out on their parapet.
+Another, later, enemy effort against the right of the 29th Division was
+clean wiped out. 150 Turks are dead there. But it is on the far
+crestline they lie thick.</p>
+
+<p>Every one of these attacking Turks were <i>fresh</i>&mdash;from Adrianople! Full
+of fight as compared with their thrice beaten brethren. If the Turks are
+given time to swap troops in the middle of fighting, we can't really
+tell how we stand. Still; they are not now as fresh as they were. They
+have lost a terrible lot of men since the 28th. The big Ravine and all
+the small nullahs are chock-a-block with corpses. Their casualties in
+these past few days are put at very high figures by both Birdie and H.W.
+and it is probable that 5,000 are actually lying dead on the ground. I
+have on my table a statement made by de Lisle; endorsed by Hunter-Weston
+and dated 4th instant, saying that 1,200 Turkish dead can be counted
+corpse by corpse from the left front. The actual numbers de Lisle
+estimates as between 2,000 and 3,000.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_378" id="Page_378">[Pg 378]</a></span> Now we have to-day's losses to
+throw in. The Turks are burning their candle fast at the Anzac as well
+as the Helles end. Ten days of this and they are finished.<a name="FNanchor_25_25" id="FNanchor_25_25"></a><a href="#Footnote_25_25" class="fnanchor">[25]</a></p>
+
+<p>Naturally, my mind dwells happily just now upon our incoming New Army
+formations. Yet every now and then I feel compelled to look back to
+regret the lack of systematic flow of drafts and munitions which have
+turned our fine victory of the 28th into a pyrrhic instead of a fruitful
+affair. When Pyrrhus gained his battle over the Romans and exclaimed,
+"One more such victory and I am done in," or words to that effect, he
+had no organized system of depots behind him from which the bloody gaps
+in his ranks could be filled. A couple of thousand years have now passed
+and we are still as unscientific as Pyrrhus. A splendid expeditionary
+force sails away; invades an Empire, storms the outworks and in doing so
+knocks itself to bits. Then a second expeditionary force is sent, but
+that would have been unnecessary had any sort of arrangement been
+thought out for promptly replacing first wastages in men and in shell.</p>
+
+<p><i>6th July, 1915.</i> From early morning till 5 p.m. stuck as persistently
+to my desk as the flies stuck<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_379" id="Page_379">[Pg 379]</a></span> persistently to me. After tea went riding
+with Maitland. Then with Pollen to dine on board H.M.S. <i>Triad</i>. The two
+Territorial Divisions are coming. What with them and the Rooskies we
+ought to get a move on this time. Discoursed small craft with the
+Admiral. The French hate the overseas fire&mdash;small blame to them&mdash;and
+Bailloud agrees with his predecessor Gouraud in thinking that one man
+hit in the back from Asia affects the <i>moral</i> of his comrades as badly
+as half a dozen bowled over by the enemy facing them. The Admiral's idea
+of landing from Tenedos would help us here, but it is admitted on all
+hands now that the Turks have pushed on with their Asiatic defences, and
+it is too much to ask of either the New Army or of the Territorials that
+they should start off with a terrible landing.</p>
+
+
+<p><i>7th July, 1915.</i> No escape from the steadily rising flood of letters
+and files,&mdash;none from the swarms of filthy flies. General Bailloud and
+Colonel Pi&eacute;pape (Chief of Staff) came across with Major Bertier in a
+French torpedo boat to see me. They stayed about an hour. Bailloud's
+main object was to get me to put off the attack planned by General
+Gouraud for to-morrow. Gouraud has worked out everything, and I greatly
+hoped in the then state of the Turks the French would have done a very
+good advance on our right. The arrival of these fresh Turkish Divisions
+from Adrianople does make a difference. Still, I am sorry the attack is
+not to come off. Girodon is a heavy loss to Bailloud. Pi&eacute;pape has never
+been a General Staff Officer before; by training, bent<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_380" id="Page_380">[Pg 380]</a></span> of mind and
+experience he is an administrator. He is very much depressed by the loss
+of the 2,000 quarts of wine by the Asiatic shell. Since Gouraud and
+Girodon have left them the French seem to be less confident. When
+Bailloud entered our Mess he said, in the presence of four or five young
+Officers, "If the Asiatic side of the Straits is not held by us within
+fifteen days our whole force is <i>vou&eacute; &agrave; la destruction</i>." He meant it as
+a jest, but when those who prophesy destruction are <i>gros bonnets</i>; big
+wigs; it needs no miracle to make them come off&mdash;I don't mean the wigs
+but the prophecies. Fortunately, Bailloud soon made a cheerier class of
+joke and wound up by inviting me to dine with him in an extra chic
+restaurant at Constantinople.</p>
+
+<p>Have told K. plainly that the employment of an ordinary executive
+soldier as Boss of so gigantic a business as Mudros is suicidal&mdash;no
+less. Heaven knows K. himself had his work cut out when he ran the
+communications during his advance upon Khartoum. Heaven knows I myself
+had a hard enough job when I became responsible for feeding our troops
+at Chitral, two hundred miles into the heart of the Himalayas from the
+base at Nowshera. Breaking bulk at every stage&mdash;it was heart-breaking.
+First the railway, then the bullock cart, the camel, the mules&mdash;till, at
+the Larram Pass we got down to the donkey. But here we have to break
+bulk from big ships to small craft; to send our stuff not to one but to
+several landings, to run the show with a mixed staff of Naval and
+Military Officers. No, give me deserts or precipices,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_381" id="Page_381">[Pg 381]</a></span>&mdash;anything fixed
+and solid is better than this capricious, ever-changing sea. The problem
+is a real puzzler, demanding experience, energy, good temper as well as
+the power of entering into the point of view of sailors as well as
+soldiers, and of being (mentally) in at least three places at once&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"<i>From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener.<br /><span style="margin-left: 2em;">(No. M.F. 424).</span></i></p>
+
+<p>"Private. I am becoming seriously apprehensive about my Lines of
+Communication and am forced to let you know the state of affairs.</p>
+
+<p>"Much of the time of General Headquarters has been taken up during the
+last few days considering matters relating to Mudros and Lines of
+Communication generally. The Inspector-General of Communications must be
+a man of energy and ideas. The new Divisions will find the Mudros
+littoral on arrival better prepared for their reception than it was a
+month ago. The present man is probably excellent in his own line, but he
+himself in writing doubts his own ability to cope with one of the most
+complicated situations imaginable. Please do not think for a moment that
+I am still hankering after Ellison, I only want a man of that type,
+someone, for instance, like Maxwell or Sir Edward Ward. Unless I can
+feel confident in the Commandant of my Lines of Communication I shall
+always be looking behind me. Wallace could remain as Deputy
+Inspector-General of Communications. Something, however, must be done
+meanwhile, and I am sending Brigadier-General Hon. H.A. Lawrence, a man
+of tried business<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_382" id="Page_382">[Pg 382]</a></span> capacity and great character, to Mudros to-day as
+dry-nurse."</p>
+
+<p>I have followed up this cable in my letter to Lord K. of date, where I
+say, "I have just seen Bertie Lawrence who I am sending to reinforce
+Wallace. He is bitterly disappointed at losing his Brigade, but there is
+no help for it. He is a business man of great competence, and I think he
+ought to be able to do much to get things on to a ship-shape footing.
+General Douglas is very sorry too and says that Lawrence was one of the
+best Brigadiers imaginable."</p>
+
+<p>The last sentence has been written, I confess, with a spice of malice.
+When, about a month ago, I had hurriedly to lay my hands on a Commander
+for the 127th Brigade, I bethought me of Bertie Lawrence, then G.S.O. to
+the Yeomanry in Egypt. The thrust of a Lancer and the circumspection of
+a Banker do not usually harbour in the same skull, but I believed I knew
+of one exception. So I put Lawrence in. By return King's Messenger came
+a rap over the knuckles. To promote a dugout to be a Brigadier of
+Infantry was risky, but to put in a Cavalry dugout as a Brigadier of
+Infantry was outrageous! Still, I stuck to Lorenzo, and lo and behold!
+Douglas, the Commander of the East Lancs. Division, is fighting tooth
+and nail for his paragon Brigadier!<a name="FNanchor_26_26" id="FNanchor_26_26"></a><a href="#Footnote_26_26" class="fnanchor">[26]</a><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_383" id="Page_383">[Pg 383]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Since 19th March we have been asking for bombs&mdash;any kind of bombs&mdash;and
+we have not even got answers. Now they offer us some speciality bombs
+for which France, they say, has no use.</p>
+
+<p>I have replied&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>"I shall be most grateful for as many bombs of this and any other kind
+as you can spare. Anything made of iron and containing high explosive
+and detonator will be welcome. I should be greatly relieved if a large
+supply could be sent overland via Marseilles, as the bomb question is
+growing increasingly urgent. The Turks have an unlimited supply of
+bombs, and our deficiencies place our troops at a disadvantage both
+physically and morally and increase our difficulties in holding captured
+trenches.</p>
+
+<p>"Could you arrange for a weekly consignment of 10,000 to be sent to us
+regularly?"</p>
+
+<p>De Lisle came over to dine and stay the night.</p>
+
+<p><i>8th July, 1915. H.M.S. "Triad." Tenedos.</i> Started off in H.M.S. <i>Triad</i>
+with Freddie Maitland, Aspinall and our host, the Admiral.</p>
+
+<p>Had a lovely sail to Tenedos where Colonel Nuillion (acting Governor)
+and Commander Samson, now Commandant of the Flying Camp, came on board.
+After lunch, rowed ashore. There was some surf on and I jumped short,
+landing (if such<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_384" id="Page_384">[Pg 384]</a></span> an expression may pass) in the sea. Wet feet rather
+refreshing than otherwise on so hot a day. Tenedos is lovely. Each of
+these islands has its own type of coasts, vegetation and colouring: like
+rubies and diamonds they are connected yet hardly akin. Climbed Tenedos
+Hill, our ascent ending in a desperate race for the crest. My long legs
+and light body enabled me to win despite the weight of age. Very hot,
+though, and the weight of age has got even less now.</p>
+
+<p>From the top we had an hour's close prospecting of the opposite coasts,
+where the Turks have done too much digging to make landing anything but
+a very bloody business. Half a mile to the South looks healthier, but
+they are sure to have a lot of machine guns there now. The landing would
+be worse than on the 25th April. Anyway, <i>I am not going to do it</i>.</p>
+
+<p>On the ground we now have a fair showing of aeroplanes, but mostly of
+the wingless sort. At this precise moment only two are really fit. K.
+has stuck to his word and is not going to help us here, and I can't
+grumble as certainly I was forewarned. Had he only followed Neville
+Usborne's &pound;10,000,000 suggestion, we might now be bombing the Turks'
+landing places and store depots, as well as spotting every day for our
+gunners. But these naval airmen, bold fellows, always on for an
+adventurous attack, are hardly in their element when carrying out the
+technical gunnery part of our work.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_385" id="Page_385">[Pg 385]</a></span></p>
+
+<p>Re-embarked, and during our sail back saw a trawler firing at a
+submarine, whilst other trawlers and picket boats were skurrying up from
+all points of the compass. Nets were run out in a jiffy, but I fear the
+big fish had already given them the slip. Cast anchor about 7 o'clock.</p>
+
+<p>Colonel Dick and Mr. Graives dined.</p>
+
+<p><i>9th July, 1915.</i> Spent the morning writing for the King's Messenger. My
+letter to K. (an answer to that of Fitz to me) tells him&mdash;<br /><br /></p>
+
+<p>(1) That we have passed through the most promising week since the first
+landing. The thousand yards' advance on the left and the rows of dead
+Turks left by the receding tide of their counter-attack are solid
+evidences to the results of the 28th ult., and of the six very heavy
+Turkish assaults which have since broken themselves to pieces against
+us.</p>
+
+<p>(2) That Gouraud's loss almost wipes out our gains. Bailloud does not
+attack till next week when he hopes to have more men and more
+ammunition, but will this help us so much if the Turks also have more
+men and more ammunition?</p>
+
+<p>(3) That the Asiatic guns are giving us worry, but that I hope to knock
+them out with our own heavy guns (the French 9.4s and our own 9.2s) just
+being mounted. When the new Monitors come they ought to help us here.</p>
+
+<p>(4) That "<i>power of digestion, sleeping and nerve power are what are
+essential above all things to anyone<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_386" id="Page_386">[Pg 386]</a></span> who would command successfully at
+the Dardanelles. Compared with these qualifications most others are
+secondary.</i>"</p>
+
+<p>(5) That the British and Australians are marvels of endurance, but that
+I am having to pull the Indian Brigade right out and send them to
+Imbros. Their Commander, fine soldier though he be, is too old for the
+post of Brigadier; he ought to be commanding a Division; and the men are
+morally and physically tired and have lost three-fourths of their
+officers: with rest they will all of them come round.</p>
+
+<p>(6) That Baldwin's Brigade of the 13th Division have been landed on the
+Peninsula and are now mixed up by platoons with the 29th Division where
+they are tumbling to their new conditions quite quickly. They have
+already created a very good impression at Helles.</p>
+
+<p>Godley and his New Zealander A.D.C. (Lieutenant Rhodes), both old
+friends, came over from H.M.S. <i>Triad</i> to lunch. Hunter-Weston crossed
+from Helles to dine and stay the night.</p>
+
+<p><i>10th July, 1915. Imbros.</i> These Imbros flies actually drink my fountain
+pen dry! Hunter-Weston left for Helles in the evening.</p>
+
+<p>Yesterday a cable saying there were no men left in England to fill
+either the 42nd Division or the 52nd. We have already heard that the
+Naval Division must fade away. Poor old Territorials! The War Office are
+behaving like an architect<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_387" id="Page_387">[Pg 387]</a></span> who tries to mend shaky foundations by
+clapping on another storey to the top of the building. Once upon a time
+President Lincoln and the Federal States let their matured units starve
+and thought to balance the account by the dispatch of untried
+formations. Why go on making these assurances to the B.P. that we have
+as many men coming in voluntarily as we can use?</p>
+
+<p>Have refused the request made by His Excellency, Weber Pasha, who signs
+himself Commandant of the Ottoman Forces, to have a five hours' truce
+for burying their piles of dead. The British Officers who have been out
+to meet the Turkish parlementaires say that the sight of the Turkish
+dead lying in thousands just over the crestline where Baikie's guns
+caught them on the 5th inst. is indeed an astonishing sight. Our
+Intelligence are clear that the reason the Turks make this request is
+that they cannot get their men to charge over the corpses of their
+comrades. Dead Turks are better than barbed wire and so, though on
+grounds of humanity as well as health, I should like the poor chaps to
+be decently buried, I find myself forced to say no.</p>
+
+<p>Patrick Shaw Stewart came to see me. I made Peter take his photo. He was
+on a rat of a pony and sported a long red beard. How his lady friends
+would laugh!</p>
+
+<p><a name="CAPE_HELLES" id="CAPE_HELLES"></a></p>
+<div class="figcenter"><a href="images/img-map.jpg"><img src="images/img-map-tb.jpg" alt="Fig. 2" title="Fig. 2" /></a></div>
+
+<h4>CAPE HELLES AND THE SOUTHERN AREA</h4>
+
+<h4>END OF VOL. I.</h4>
+
+
+<hr style='width: 45%;' />
+
+
+<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> Except in a small way at some foreign man&oelig;uvres.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> The letters, cables, etc., published here have either:
+(<i>a</i>) been submitted to the Dardanelles Commission; or, (<i>b</i>) have been
+printed by permission.&mdash;<i>Ian H.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> I.e. after the others had come in.&mdash;<i>Ian H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> More than four years after this was written a member of a British
+Commission sent out to collect facts at the Dardanelles was speaking to
+the Turkish Commander-in-Chief, Djavad Pasha. In the course of the
+conversation His Excellency said, "I prefer the British to the Germans
+for they resemble us so closely&mdash;the Germans do not. The Germans are
+good organisers but they do not love fighting for itself as we do&mdash;and
+as you do. Then again, although the Turks and British are so fond of
+righting they are never ready for it:&mdash;in that respect also the
+resemblance between our nations is extraordinary."&mdash;<i>Ian H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> Arrangements.&mdash;<i>Ian H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> Since these early days, Birdwood has told me he does not
+think a scheme of an immediate landing could have been carried
+out.&mdash;<i>Ian H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> Para. 2. "Before any serious undertaking is carried out in
+the Gallipoli Peninsula all the British military forces detailed for the
+expedition should be assembled so that their full weight can be thrown
+in."</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> An Indian word denoting anxious thought.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_9_9" id="Footnote_9_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> Enemy.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_10_10" id="Footnote_10_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> Kudos.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_11_11" id="Footnote_11_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_11_11"><span class="label">[11]</span></a> The 1st Manchesters.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_12_12" id="Footnote_12_12"></a><a href="#FNanchor_12_12"><span class="label">[12]</span></a> This was my original draft; it was slightly condensed for
+cyphering home.&mdash;<i>Ian H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_13_13" id="Footnote_13_13"></a><a href="#FNanchor_13_13"><span class="label">[13]</span></a> I wanted very much to get this brave fellow a decoration
+but we were never able to trace him.&mdash;<i>Ian H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_14_14" id="Footnote_14_14"></a><a href="#FNanchor_14_14"><span class="label">[14]</span></a> Quoted on pp. <a href='#Page_62'><b>62-63</b></a>.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_15_15" id="Footnote_15_15"></a><a href="#FNanchor_15_15"><span class="label">[15]</span></a> Captured by the Gurkhas five days later&mdash;by
+surprise.&mdash;<i>Ian H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_16_16" id="Footnote_16_16"></a><a href="#FNanchor_16_16"><span class="label">[16]</span></a> This was by General Hunter-Weston's order: the machine
+guns of the enemy had too good a field of fire.&mdash;<i>Ian. H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_17_17" id="Footnote_17_17"></a><a href="#FNanchor_17_17"><span class="label">[17]</span></a> Long afterwards I heard that a responsible naval officer,
+being determined that this instance of lack of method should be brought
+to my personal notice, had hit upon the plan of ordering the
+Fleet-sweeper crew to do what they did.&mdash;<i>Ian H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_18_18" id="Footnote_18_18"></a><a href="#FNanchor_18_18"><span class="label">[18]</span></a> I learnt afterwards that great play had been made with
+this third paragraph of my cable by the opponents of the Dardanelles
+idea; in doing so they slurred over the words "at present," also the
+fifth paragraph of the same cable, overleaf.&mdash;<i>Ian H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_19_19" id="Footnote_19_19"></a><a href="#FNanchor_19_19"><span class="label">[19]</span></a> The Fifth Lancs Fusiliers were also working with this
+Brigade and behaved with great bravery.&mdash;<i>Ian H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_20_20" id="Footnote_20_20"></a><a href="#FNanchor_20_20"><span class="label">[20]</span></a> See page <a href='#Page_302'><b>302</b></a>.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_21_21" id="Footnote_21_21"></a><a href="#FNanchor_21_21"><span class="label">[21]</span></a> Stated no more Japanese bombs could be supplied.</p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_22_22" id="Footnote_22_22"></a><a href="#FNanchor_22_22"><span class="label">[22]</span></a> All this was based, be it remembered, upon a complete
+misconception of the state these two divisions, formerly, good,
+afterwards destined to become splendid, had been allowed to fall into.
+No one at the Dardanelles, least of all myself, had an inkling that
+since I had inspected them late in 1914 and found them good, they had
+passed into a squeezed-lemon stage of existence and had ceased to be
+able "to press forward to Chanak." The fact that they were at half
+strength and that the best of their officers and men had been picked out
+for the Western theatre was unknown to us at the Dardanelles.&mdash;<i>Ian H.,
+1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_23_23" id="Footnote_23_23"></a><a href="#FNanchor_23_23"><span class="label">[23]</span></a> See Appendix I for the exact facts which were not known to
+me until long afterwards.&mdash;<i>Ian H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_24_24" id="Footnote_24_24"></a><a href="#FNanchor_24_24"><span class="label">[24]</span></a> The considered opinion proved right.&mdash;<i>Ian H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_25_25" id="Footnote_25_25"></a><a href="#FNanchor_25_25"><span class="label">[25]</span></a> This period fell between two of my despatches. As most
+writers have naturally based themselves on those despatches, the full
+understanding of the blows inflicted on the Turks between June 29th and
+July 13th has never yet been grasped; nor, it may be added, the effect
+which would have been produced had the August offensive been undertaken
+three weeks earlier.&mdash;<i>Ian H., 1920.</i></p></div>
+
+<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_26_26" id="Footnote_26_26"></a><a href="#FNanchor_26_26"><span class="label">[26]</span></a> Lawrence never looked back. After his good work at Mudros
+I put him in to command the 53rd Division, and the War Office made no
+objection, I suppose because they were beginning to hear about him. As
+is well known, he went on then from one post to another till he wound up
+gloriously as Chief of the General Staff on the Western Front.&mdash;<i>Ian H.,
+1920.</i></p></div>
+
+</div>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Gallipoli Diary,  Volume I, by Ian Hamilton
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+</body>
+</html>
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Gallipoli Diary,  Volume I, by Ian Hamilton
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Gallipoli Diary,  Volume I
+
+Author: Ian Hamilton
+
+Release Date: September 19, 2006 [EBook #19317]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GALLIPOLI DIARY,  VOLUME I ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Suzanne Shell, Janet Blenkinship and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+GALLIPOLI DIARY
+
+
+BY GENERAL SIR IAN HAMILTON, G.C.B.
+
+AUTHOR OF "A STAFF-OFFICER'S SCRAP-BOOK," ETC.
+
+WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND MAPS
+
+
+IN TWO VOLUMES
+
+VOL. I
+
+
+
+
+NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 1920
+PRINTED BY UNWIN BROTHERS, LTD.--WOKING--ENGLAND
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+
+On the heels of the South African War came the sleuth-hounds pursuing
+the criminals, I mean the customary Royal Commissions. Ten thousand
+words of mine stand embedded in their Blue Books, cold and dead as so
+many mammoths in glaciers. But my long spun-out intercourse with the
+Royal Commissioners did have living issue--my Manchurian and Gallipoli
+notes. Only constant observation of civilian Judges and soldier
+witnesses could have shown me how fallible is the unaided military
+memory or have led me by three steps to a War Diary:--
+
+(1) There is nothing certain about war except that one side won't win.
+
+(2) The winner is asked no questions--the loser has to answer for
+everything.
+
+(3) Soldiers think of nothing so little as failure and yet, to the
+extent of fixing intentions, orders, facts, dates firmly in their own
+minds, they ought to be prepared.
+
+Conclusion:--In war, keep your own counsel, preferably in a note-book.
+
+The first test of the new resolve was the Manchurian Campaign, 1904-5;
+and it was a hard test. Once that Manchurian Campaign was over I never
+put pen to paper--in the diary sense[1]--until I was under orders for
+Constantinople. Then I bought a note-book as well as a Colt's automatic
+(in fact, these were the only two items of special outfit I did buy),
+and here are the contents--not of the auto but of the book. Also, from
+the moment I took up the command, I kept cables, letters and copies
+(actions quite foreign to my natural disposition), having been taught in
+my youth by Lord Roberts that nothing written to a Commander-in-Chief,
+or his Military Secretary, can be private if it has a bearing on
+operations. A letter which may influence the Chief Command of an Army
+and, therefore, the life of a nation, may be "Secret" for reasons of
+State; it cannot possibly be "Private" for personal reasons.[2]
+
+At the time, I am sure my diary was a help to me in my work. The
+crossings to and from the Peninsula gave me many chances of reckoning up
+the day's business, sometimes in clear, sometimes in a queer cipher of
+my own. Ink stands with me for an emblem of futurity, and the act of
+writing seemed to set back the crisis of the moment into a calmer
+perspective. Later on, the diary helped me again, for although the
+Dardanelles Commission did not avail themselves of my formal offer to
+submit what I had written to their scrutiny, there the records were.
+Whenever an event, a date and a place were duly entered in their actual
+coincidence, no argument to the contrary could prevent them from falling
+into the picture: an advocate might just as well waste eloquence in
+disputing the right of a piece to its own place in a jig-saw puzzle.
+Where, on the other hand, incidents were not entered, anything might
+happen and did happen; _vide_, for instance, the curious misapprehension
+set forth in the footnotes to pages 59, 60, Vol. II.
+
+So much for the past. Whether these entries have not served their turn
+is now the question. They were written red-hot amidst tumult, but
+faintly now, and as in some far echo, sounds the battle-cry that once
+stopped the beating of thousands of human hearts as it was borne out
+upon the night wind to the ships. Those dread shapes we saw through our
+periscopes are dust: "the pestilence that walketh in darkness" and "the
+destruction that wasteth at noonday" are already images of speech: only
+the vastness of the stakes; the intensity of the effort and the grandeur
+of the sacrifice still stand out clearly when we, in dreams, behold the
+Dardanelles. Why not leave that shining impression as a martial cloak to
+cover the errors and vicissitudes of all the poor mortals who, in the
+words of Thucydides, "dared beyond their strength, hazarded against
+their judgment, and in extremities were of an excellent hope?"
+
+Why not? The tendency of every diary is towards self-justification and
+complaint; yet, to-day, personally, I have "no complaints." Would it not
+be wiser, then, as well as more dignified, to let the Dardanelles
+R.I.P.? The public will not be starved. A Dardanelles library exists---
+nothing less--from which three luminous works by Masefield, Nevinson and
+Callwell stand out; works each written by a man who had the right to
+write; each as distinct from its fellow as one primary colour from
+another, each essentially true. On the top of these comes the Report of
+the Dardanelles Commission and the Life of Lord Kitchener, where his
+side of the story is so admirably set forth by his intimate friend, Sir
+George Arthur. The tale has been told and retold. Every morsel of the
+wreckage of our Armada seems to have been brought to the surface. There
+are fifty reasons against publishing, reasons which I know by heart. On
+the other side there are only three things to be said:--
+
+(1) Though the bodies recovered from the tragedy have been stripped and
+laid out in the Morgue, no hand has yet dared remove the masks from
+their faces.
+
+(2) I cannot destroy this diary. Before his death Cranmer thrust his own
+hand into the flames: "his heart was found entire amidst the ashes."
+
+(3) I will not leave my diary to be flung at posterity from behind the
+cover of my coffin. In case anyone wishes to challenge anything I have
+said, I must be above ground to give him satisfaction.
+
+Therefore, I will publish and at once.
+
+A man has only one life on earth. The rest is silence. Whether God will
+approve of my actions at a moment when the destinies of hundreds of
+millions of human beings hung upon them, God alone knows. But before I
+go I want to have the verdict of my comrades of all ranks at the
+Dardanelles, and until they know the truth, as it appeared to me at the
+time, how can they give that verdict?
+                                                         IAN HAMILTON.
+
+LULLENDEN FARM,
+   DORMANSLAND.
+  _April_ 25, 1920.
+
+
+
+
+LETTER FROM GENERAL D'AMADE TO THE AUTHOR
+
+
+MON GENERAL,
+
+Dans la guerre Sud Africaine, ensuite en Angleterre, j'avais en
+spectateur vecu avec votre armee. Avec elle je souhaitais revivre en
+frere d'armes, combattant pour la meme cause.
+
+Les Dardanelles ont realise mon reve. Mais le lecteur ne doit pas
+s'attarder avec moi. Lire le recit de celui meme qui a commande: quel
+avantage! L'Histoire, comme un fleuve, se charge d'impuretes en
+s'eloignent de ses sources. En en remontant le cours, dans votre
+Journal, j'ai decouvert les causes de certains effets demeure, pour moi
+des enigmes.
+
+Au debut je n'avais pas cru a la possibilite de forcer les Dardanelles
+sans l'intervention de l'armee. C'est pour cela que, si la decision
+m'eut appartenus et avant d'avoir ete place sous vos ordres, j'avais
+songe a debarquer a Adramit, dans les eaux calmes de Mithylene, a courir
+ensuite a Brousse et Constantinople, pour y saisir les clefs du detroit.
+
+En presence de l'opiniatre confiance de l'amiral de Robecq j'abaissai
+mon pavillion de terrien et l'inclinai devant son autorite de marin
+Anglais. Nous fumes conquis par cette confiance.
+
+Notre theatre de guerre de Gallipoli etait tres borne sur le terrain. Ce
+front restreint a permis a chacun de vos soldats de vous connaitre.
+Autant qu'avec leurs armes, ils combattaient avec votre ardeur de grand
+chef et votre inflexible volonte.
+
+Dans le passe ce theatre qui etait la Troade, venait se souder aux
+eternels recommencements de l'Histoire.
+
+Dans l'avenir son domaine etait aussi vaste. "Si nos navires avaient pu
+franchir les detroits, a dit le Premier Ministre Loyd Georges le 18
+decembre 1919 aux Communes, la guerre aurait ete raccourcie de 2 ou 3
+ans."
+
+Il y a pire qu'une guerre, c'est une guerre qui se prolonge. Car les
+devastations s'accumulent. Le vaincu qui a eu l'habilete de les eviter a
+son pays, se donnera, sur les ruines, des manieres de vainqueur. Le
+premier but de guerre n'est il pas d'infliger a l'adversaire plus de mal
+qu'il ne vous en fait?
+
+Si nous avions atteint Constantinople dans l'ete 1915 c'etait alors
+terminer la guerre, eviter la tourmente russe et tous les obstacles
+dresses par ce cataclysme devant le retablissement de la paix du monde.
+C'etait epargner a nos Patries des milliards de depenses et des
+centaines de milliers de deuils.
+
+Que nous n'ayons pas atteint ce but ne saurait etablir qu'il n'ait ete
+juste et sage de le poursuivre.
+
+Voila pour quelle cause sont tombes les soldats des Dardanelles.
+"Honneur a vous, soldats de France et soldats du Roi! ainsi que vous
+les adjuriez en les lancant a l'attaque.
+
+"Morts heroiques! il n'a rien manque a votre gloire, pas meme une
+apparence d'oubli. Des triomphes des autres vous n'avez recueilli que
+les rayons extremes: ceux qui ont franchi la cime des arcs de triomphe
+pour aller au loin, coups egares de la grande gerbe, eclairer vos
+tombes.
+
+"Mais 'Ne jugez pas avant le temps.' Le crepuscule eteint, laissez
+encore passer la nuit. Vous aurez pour vous le soleil Levant."
+
+Vous, Mon General, vous aurez ete l'ouvrier de cette grande idee, et
+l'annonciateur de cette aurore.
+                                                      Gen. A. d'Amade.
+
+  Fronsac,
+     Gironde, France.
+  22 decembre, 1919.
+
+
+
+  CONTENTS
+
+
+                                                                    PAGE
+
+  PREFACE                                                              v
+
+  LETTER FROM GENERAL D'AMADE TO THE AUTHOR                            x
+
+  CHAPTER
+
+  I. THE START                                                         1
+
+  II. THE STRAITS                                                     21
+
+  III. EGYPT                                                          54
+
+  IV. CLEARING FOR ACTION                                             86
+
+  V. THE LANDING                                                     127
+
+  VI. MAKING GOOD                                                    159
+
+  VII. SHELLS                                                        196
+
+  VIII. TWO CORPS OR AN ALLY?                                        219
+
+  IX. SUBMARINES                                                     243
+
+  X. A DECISION AND THE PLAN                                         283
+
+  XI. BOMBS AND JOURNALISTS                                          314
+
+  XII. A VICTORY AND AFTER                                           343
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+SIR ROGER KEYES, VICE-ADMIRAL DE ROBECK, SIR IAN HAMILTON, GENERAL
+BRAITHWAITE _Frontispiece_
+
+LIEUT.-GEN. SIR J.G. MAXWELL, G.C.B., K.C.M.G                         58
+
+REVIEW OF FRENCH TROOPS AT ALEXANDRIA                                 78
+
+S.S. "RIVER CLYDE"                                                   132
+
+"W" BEACH                                                            176
+
+GENERAL D'AMADE                                                      222
+
+VIEW OF "V" BEACH, TAKEN FROM S.S. "RIVER CLYDE"                     254
+
+MEN BATHING AT HELLES                                                294
+
+THE NARROWS FROM CHUNUK BAIR                                         330
+
+GENERAL GOURAUD                                                      346
+
+
+MAPS
+
+KEY MAP _Inside front cover_
+
+CAPE HELLES AND THE SOUTHERN AREA _At end of volume_
+
+
+
+
+GALLIPOLI DIARY
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I
+
+THE START
+
+
+_In the train between Paris and Marseilles, 14th March, 1915._
+
+Neither the Asquith banquet, nor the talk at the Admiralty that midnight
+had persuaded me I was going to do what I am actually doing at this
+moment. K. had made no sign nor waved his magic baton. So I just kept as
+cool as I could and had a sound sleep.
+
+Next morning, that is the 12th instant, I was working at the Horse
+Guards when, about 10 a.m., K. sent for me. I wondered! Opening the door
+I bade him good morning and walked up to his desk where he went on
+writing like a graven image. After a moment, he looked up and said in a
+matter-of-fact tone, "We are sending a military force to support the
+Fleet now at the Dardanelles, and you are to have Command."
+
+Something in voice or words touched a chord in my memory. We were once
+more standing, K. and I, in our workroom at Pretoria, having just
+finished reading the night's crop of sixty or seventy wires. K. was
+saying to me, "You had better go out to the Western Transvaal." I asked
+no question, packed up my kit, ordered my train, started that night. Not
+another syllable was said on the subject. Uninstructed and unaccredited
+I left that night for the front; my outfit one A.D.C., two horses, two
+mules and a buggy. Whether I inspected the columns and came back and
+reported to K. in my capacity as his Chief Staff Officer; or, whether,
+making use of my rank to assume command in the field, I beat up de la
+Rey in his den--all this rested entirely with me.
+
+So I made my choice and fought my fight at Roodewal, last strange battle
+in the West. That is K.'s way. The envoy goes forth; does his best with
+whatever forces he can muster and, if he loses;--well, unless he had
+liked the job he should not have taken it on.
+
+At that moment K. wished me to bow, leave the room and make a start as I
+did some thirteen years ago. But the conditions were no longer the same.
+In those old Pretoria days I had known the Transvaal by heart; the
+number, value and disposition of the British forces; the characters of
+the Boer leaders; the nature of the country. But my knowledge of the
+Dardanelles was nil; of the Turk nil; of the strength of our own forces
+next to nil. Although I have met K. almost every day during the past six
+months, and although he has twice hinted I might be sent to Salonika;
+never once, to the best of my recollection, had he mentioned the word
+Dardanelles.
+
+I had plenty of time for these reflections as K., after his one
+tremendous remark had resumed his writing at the desk. At last, he
+looked up and inquired, "Well?"
+
+"We have done this sort of thing before, Lord K." I said; "we have run
+this sort of show before and you know without saying I am most deeply
+grateful and you know without saying I will do my best and that you can
+trust my loyalty--but I must say something--I must ask you some
+questions." Then I began.
+
+K. frowned; shrugged his shoulders; I thought he was going to be
+impatient, but although he gave curt answers at first he slowly
+broadened out, until, at the end, no one else could get a word in
+edgeways.[3]
+
+My troops were to be Australians and New Zealanders under Birdwood (a
+friend); strength, say, about 30,000. (A year ago I inspected them in
+their own Antipodes and no finer material exists); the 29th Division,
+strength, say 19,000 under Hunter-Weston--a slashing man of action; an
+acute theorist; the Royal Naval Division, 11,000 strong (an excellent
+type of Officer and man, under a solid Commander--Paris); a French
+contingent, strength at present uncertain, say, about a Division, under
+my old war comrade the chivalrous d'Amade, now at Tunis.
+
+Say then grand total about 80,000--probably panning out at some 50,000
+rifles in the firing line. Of these the 29th Division are
+extras--_division de luxe._
+
+K. went on; he was now fairly under weigh and got up and walked about
+the room as he spoke. I knew, he said, his (K.'s) feelings as to the
+political and strategic value of the Near East where one clever tactical
+thrust delivered on the spot and at the spot might rally the wavering
+Balkans. Rifle for rifle, _at that moment_, we could nowhere make as
+good use of the 29th Division as by sending it to the Dardanelles, where
+each of its 13,000 rifles might attract a hundred more to our side of
+the war. Employed in France or Flanders the 29th would at best help to
+push back the German line a few miles; at the Dardanelles the stakes
+were enormous. He spoke, so it struck me, as if he was defending himself
+in argument: he asked if I agreed. I said, "Yes." "Well," he rejoined,
+"You may just as well realize at once that G.H.Q. in France do not
+agree. They think they have only to drive the Germans back fifty miles
+nearer to their base to win the war. Those are the same fellows who used
+to write me saying they wanted no New Army; that they would be amply
+content if only the old Old Army and the Territorials could be kept up
+to strength. Now they've been down to Aldershot and seen the New Army
+they are changing their tune, but I am by no means sure, _now_, that
+I'll give it to them. French and his Staff believe firmly that the
+British Imperial Armies can pitch their camp down in one corner of
+Europe and there fight a world war to a finish. The thing is absurd but
+French, plus France, are a strong combine and they are fighting tooth
+and nail for the 29th Division. It must clearly be understood then:--"
+
+(1) That the 29th Division are only to be a loan and are to be returned
+the moment they can be spared.
+
+(2) That all things ear-marked for the East are looked on by powerful
+interests both at home and in France as having been stolen from the
+West.
+
+Did I take this in? I said, "I take it from you." Did I myself, speaking
+as actual Commander of the Central Striking Force and executively
+responsible for the land defence of England, think the 29th Division
+could be spared at all? "Yes," I said, "and four more Territorial
+Divisions as well." K. used two or three very bad words and added, with
+his usual affability, that I would find myself walking about in civilian
+costume instead of going to Constantinople if he found me making any
+wild statements of that sort to the politicians. I laughed and reminded
+him of my testimony before the Committee of Imperial Defence about my
+Malta amphibious manoeuvres; about the Malta Submarines and the way
+they had destroyed the battleships conveying my landing forces. If there
+was any politician, I said, who cared a hang about my opinions he knew
+quite well already my views on an invasion of England; namely, that it
+would be like trying to hurt a monkey by throwing nuts at him. I didn't
+want to steal what French wanted, but now that the rifles had come and
+the troops had finished their musketry, there was no need to squabble
+over a Division. Why not let French have two of my Central Force
+Territorial Division at once,--they were jolly good and were wasting
+their time over here. That would sweeten French and he and Joffre would
+make no more trouble about the 29th.
+
+K. glared at me. I don't know what he was going to say when Callwell
+came into the room with some papers.
+
+We moved to the map in the window and Callwell took us through a plan of
+attack upon the Forts at the Dardanelles, worked out by the Greek
+General Staff. The Greeks had meant to employ (as far as I can remember)
+150,000 men. Their landing was to have taken place on the North-west
+coast of the Southern part of the Peninsula, opposite Kilid Bahr. "But,"
+said K., "half that number of men will do you handsomely; the Turks are
+busy elsewhere; I hope you will not have to land at all; if you _do_
+have to land, why then the powerful Fleet at your back will be the prime
+factor in your choice of time and place."
+
+I asked K. if he would not move the Admiralty to work a submarine or two
+up the Straits at once so as to prevent reinforcements and supplies
+coming down by sea from Constantinople. By now the Turks must be on the
+alert and it was commonsense to suppose they would be sending some sort
+of help to their Forts. However things might pan out we could not be
+going wrong if we made the Marmora unhealthy for the Turkish ships. Lord
+K. thereupon made the remark that if we could get one submarine into the
+Marmora the defences of the Dardanelles would collapse. "Supposing," he
+said, "one submarine pops up opposite the town of Gallipoli and waves a
+Union Jack three times, the whole Turkish garrison on the Peninsula will
+take to their heels and make a bee line for Bulair."
+
+In reply to a question about Staff, Lord K., in the gruff voice he puts
+on when he wants no argument, told me I could not take my own Chief of
+Staff, Ellison, and that Braithwaite would go with me in his place.
+Ellison and I have worked hand in glove for several years; our qualities
+usefully complement one another; there was no earthly reason I could
+think of why Ellison should _not_ have come with me, but; I like
+Braithwaite; he had been on my General Staff for a time in the Southern
+Command; he is cheery, popular and competent.
+
+Wolfe Murray, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, was then called
+in, also Archie Murray, Inspector of Home Forces, and Braithwaite. This
+was the first (apparently) either of the Murrays had heard of the
+project!!! Both seemed to be quite taken aback, and I do not remember
+that either of them made a remark.
+
+Braithwaite was very nice and took a chance to whisper his hopes he
+would not give me too much cause to regret Ellison. He only said one
+thing to K. and that produced an explosion. He said it was vital that we
+should have a better air service than the Turks in case it came to
+fighting over a small area like the Gallipoli Peninsula: he begged,
+therefore, that whatever else we got, or did not get, we might be fitted
+out with a contingent of up-to-date aeroplanes, pilots and observers. K.
+turned on him with flashing spectacles and rent him with the words,
+_"Not one_!"
+
+_15th March, 1915. H.M.S. "Phaeton." Toulon Harbour._ Embarked at
+Marseilles last night at 6 p.m. and slept on board. Owing to some
+mistake no oil fuel had been taken aboard so we have had to come round
+here this morning to get it. Have just breakfasted with the Captain,
+Cameron by name, and have let the Staff go ashore to see the town. We do
+not sail till 2 p.m.: after special trains and everything a clean
+chuck-away of 20 hours.
+
+I left off in the S. of S.'s room at the War Office. After the bursting
+of the aeroplane bomb K. did most of the talking. I find it hard to
+remember all he said: here are the outstanding points:--
+
+(1) We soldiers are to understand we are string Number 2. The sailors
+are sure they can force the Dardanelles on their own and the whole
+enterprise has been framed on that basis: we are to lie low and to bear
+in mind the Cabinet does not want to hear anything of the Army till it
+sails through the Straits. But if the Admiral fails, then we will have
+to go in.
+
+(2) If the Army has to be used, whether on the Bosphorus or at the
+Dardanelles, I am to bear in mind his order that no serious operation is
+to take place until the whole of my force is complete; ready;
+concentrated and on the spot. No piecemeal attack is to be made.
+
+(3) If we do start fighting, once we _have_ started we are to burn our
+boats. Once landed the Government are resolved to see the enterprise
+through.
+
+(4) Asia is out of bounds. K. laid special stress on this. Our sea
+command and the restricted area of Gallipoli would enable us to
+undertake a landing on the Peninsula with clearly limited liabilities.
+Once we began marching about continents, situations calling for heavy
+reinforcements would probably be created. Although I, Hamilton, seemed
+ready to run risks in the defence of London, he, K., was not, and as he
+had already explained, big demands would make his position difficult
+with France; difficult everywhere; and might end by putting him (K.) in
+the cart. Besika Bay and Alexandretta were, therefore, taboo--not to be
+touched! Even after we force the Narrows no troops are to be landed
+along the Asian coastline. Nor are we to garrison any part of the
+Gallipoli Peninsula excepting only the Bulair Lines which had best be
+permanently held, K. thinks, by the Naval Division.
+
+When we get into the Marmora I shall be faced by a series of big
+problems. What would I do? From what quarter could I attack
+Constantinople? How would I hold it when I had taken it? K. asked me
+the questions.
+
+With the mud of prosaic Whitehall drying upon my boots these remarks of
+K.'s sounded to me odd. But, knowing Constantinople, and--what was more
+to the point at the moment--knowing K.'s hatred of hesitation, I managed
+to pull myself together so far as to suggest that if the city was weakly
+held and if, as he had said, (I forgot to enter that) the bulk of the
+Thracian troops were dispersed throughout the Provinces, or else moving
+to re-occupy Adrianople, why then, possibly, by a _coup de main_, we
+might pounce upon the Chatalja Lines from the South before the Turks
+could climb back into them from the North. Lord K. made a grimace; he
+thought this too chancy. The best would be if we did not land a man
+until the Turks had come to terms. Once the Fleet got through the
+Dardanelles, Constantinople could not hold out. Modern Constantinople
+could not last a week if blockaded by sea and land. That was a sure
+thing; a thing whereon he could speak with full confidence. The Fleet
+could lie off out of sight and range of the Turks and with their guns
+would dominate the railways and, if necessary, burn the place to ashes.
+The bulk of the people were not Osmanli or even Mahomedan and there
+would be a revolution at the mere sight of the smoke from the funnels of
+our warships. But if, for some cause at present non-apparent, we were
+forced to put troops ashore against organized Turkish opposition, then
+he advocated a landing on the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus to hold out
+a hand to the Russians, who would simultaneously land there from the
+Black Sea. He only made the suggestion, for the man on the spot must be
+the best judge. Several of the audience left us here, at Lord K.'s
+suggestion, to get on with their work. K. went on:--
+
+The moment the holding of Constantinople comes along the French and the
+Russians will be very jealous and prickly. Luckily we British have an
+easy part to play as the more we efface ourselves at that stage, the
+better he, K., will be pleased. The Army in France have means of making
+their views work in high places and pressure is sure to be put on by
+them and by their friends for the return of the 29th and Naval Divisions
+the moment we bring Turkey to book. Therefore, it will be best in any
+case to "let the French and Russians garrison Constantinople and sing
+their hymns in S. Sophia," whilst my own troops hold the railway line
+and perhaps Adrianople. Thus they will be at a loose end and we shall be
+free to bring them back to the West; to land them at Odessa or to push
+them up the Danube, without weakening the Allied grip on the waterway
+linking the Mediterranean with the Black Sea.
+
+This was the essence of our talk: as it lasted about an hour and a half,
+I can only have put down about one tenth of it.
+
+At odd times I have been recipient of K.'s reveries but always,
+_always_, he has rejected with a sort of horror the idea of being War
+Minister or Commander-in-Chief. Now by an extreme exercise of its ironic
+spirit, Providence has made him both.
+
+In pre-war days, when we met in Egypt and at Malta, K. made no bones
+about what he wanted. He wanted to be Viceroy of India or Ambasssador at
+Constantinople.
+
+I remember very well one conversation we had when I asked him why he
+wanted to hang on to great place, and whether he had not done enough
+already. He said he could not bear to see India being mismanaged by
+nincompoops or our influence in Turkey being chucked out of the window
+with both hands: I answered him, I remember, by saying there were only
+two things worth doing as Viceroy and they would not take very long. One
+was to put a huge import duty on aniline dyes and so bring back the
+lovely vegetable dyes of old India, the saffrons, indigoes, madders,
+etc.; the other was to build a black marble Taj at Agra opposite the
+white and join the two by a silver bridge. I expected to get a rise, but
+actually he took the ideas quite seriously and I am sure made a mental
+note of them. Anyway, as Viceroy, K. would have flung the whole vast
+weight of India into the scale of this war; he would have poured Army
+after Army from East to West. Under K. India could have beaten Turkey
+single-handed; aye, and with one arm tied behind her back. With K. as
+Ambassador at Constantinople he would have prevented Turkey coming into
+the war. There is no doubt of it. Neither Enver Pasha nor Talaat would
+have dared to enrage K., and as for the idea of their deporting him, it
+is grotesque. They might have shot him in the back; they could never
+have faced him with a war declaration in their hands. As an impresser
+of Orientals he is a nonesuch. So we put him into the War Office in the
+ways of which he is something of an amateur, with a big prestige and a
+big power of drive. Yes, we remove the best experts from the War Office
+and pop in K. like a powerful engine from which we have removed all
+controls, regulators and safety valves. Yet see what wonders he has
+worked!
+
+Still, he remains, in the War Office sense, an amateur. The Staff left
+by French at the W.O. may not have been von Moltke's, but they were K.'s
+only Councillors. An old War Office hand would have used them. But in no
+case, even had they been the best, could K. have had truck or parley
+with any system of decentralization of work--of semi-independent
+specialists each running a show of his own. As late (so-called) Chief of
+Staff to Lord K. in South Africa, I could have told them that whatever
+work K. fancies at the moment he must swipe at it, that very moment, off
+his own bat. The one-man show carried on royally in South Africa and all
+the narrow squeaks we had have been completely swallowed up in the final
+success; but how will his no-system system work now? Perhaps he may pull
+it through; anyway he is starting with a beautifully cleaned slate. He
+has surpassed himself, in fact, for I confess even with past experience
+to guide me, I did not imagine our machinery could have been so
+thoroughly smashed in so short a time. Ten long years of General Staff;
+Lyttelton, Nicholson, French, Douglas; where are your well-thought-out
+schemes for an amphibious attack on Constantinople? Not a sign!
+Braithwaite set to work in the Intelligence Branch at once. But beyond
+the ordinary text books those pigeon holes were drawn blank. The
+Dardanelles and Bosphorus might be in the moon for all the military
+information I have got to go upon. One text book and one book of
+travellers' tales don't take long to master and I have not been so free
+from work or preoccupation since the war started. There is no use trying
+to make plans unless there is some sort of material, political, naval,
+military or geographical to work upon.
+
+Winston had been in a fever to get us off and had ordered a special
+train for that very afternoon. My new Staff were doubtful if they could
+get fixed up so quickly and K. settled the matter by saying there was no
+need to hustle. For myself, I was very keen to get away. The best plan
+to save slips between cup and lip is to swallow the liquor. But K.
+thought it wisest to wait, so I 'phoned over to Eddie to let Winston
+know we should not want his train that day.
+
+Next morning, the 13th, I handed over the Central Force Command to
+Rundle and then, at 10.30 went in with Braithwaite to say good-bye. K.
+was standing by his desk splashing about with his pen at three different
+drafts of instructions. One of them had been drafted by Fitz--I suppose
+under somebody's guidance; the other was by young Buckley; the third K.
+was working on himself. Braithwaite, Fitz and I were in the room; no one
+else except Callwell who popped in and out. The instructions went over
+most of the ground of yesterday's debate and were too vague. When I
+asked the crucial question:--the enemy's strength? K. thought I had
+better be prepared for 40,000. How many guns? No one knows. Who was in
+command? Djavad Pasha, it is believed. But, K. says, I may take it that
+the Kilid Bahr Plateau has been entrenched and is sufficiently held.
+South of Kilid Bahr to the point at Cape Helles, I may take it that the
+Peninsula is open to a landing on very easy terms. The cross fire from
+the Fleet lying part in the Aegean and part in the mouth of the Straits
+must sweep that flat and open stretch of country so as to render it
+untenable by the enemy. Lord K. demonstrated this cross fire upon the
+map. He toiled over the wording of his instructions. They were headed
+"Constantinople Expeditionary Force." I begged him to alter this to
+avert Fate's evil eye. He consented and both this corrected draft and
+the copy as finally approved are now in Braithwaite's despatch box more
+modestly headed "Mediterranean Expeditionary Force." None of the drafts
+help us with facts about the enemy; the politics; the country and our
+allies, the Russians. In sober fact these "instructions" leave me to my
+own devices in the East, almost as much as K.'s laconic order "git" left
+me to myself when I quitted Pretoria for the West thirteen years ago.
+
+So I said good-bye to old K. as casually as if we were to meet together
+at dinner. Actually my heart went out to my old Chief. He was giving me
+the best thing in his gift and I hated to leave him amongst people who
+were frightened of him. But there was no use saying a word. He did not
+even wish me luck and I did not expect him to, but he did say, rather
+unexpectedly, _after_ I had said good-bye and just as I was taking up my
+cap from the table, "If the Fleet gets through, Constantinople will fall
+of itself and you will have won, not a battle, but the war."
+
+At 5 o'clock that afternoon we bade adieu to London. Winston was
+disappointed we didn't dash away yesterday but we have not really let
+much grass grow under our feet. He and some friends came down to Charing
+Cross to see us off. I told Winston Lord K. would not think me loyal if
+I wrote to another Secretary of State. He understood and said that if I
+wanted him to be aware of some special request all I had to say was,
+"You will agree perhaps that the First Lord should see." Then the S. of
+S. for War would be bound to show him the letter:--which proves that
+with all his cleverness Winston has yet some points to learn about his
+K. of K.!
+
+My Staff still bear the bewildered look of men who have hurriedly been
+snatched from desks to do some extraordinary turn on some unheard of
+theatre. One or two of them put on uniform for the first time in their
+lives an hour ago. Leggings awry, spurs upside down, belts over shoulder
+straps! I haven't a notion of who they all are: nine-tenths of my few
+hours of warning has been taken up in winding up the affairs of the
+Central Force.
+
+At Dover embarked on H.M.S. _Foresight_,--a misnomer, for we ran into a
+fog and had to lie-to for a devil of a time. Heard far-off guns on
+French front,--which was cheering.
+
+At 10.30 p.m. we left Calais for Marseilles and during the next day the
+French authorities caused me to be met by Officers of their Railway
+Mobilization Section. Had my first breathing space wherein to talk over
+matters with Braithwaite, and he and I tried to piece together the
+various scraps of views we had picked up at the War Office into a
+pattern which should serve us for a doctrine. But we haven't got very
+much to go upon. A diagram he had drawn up with half the spaces unfilled
+showing the General Staff. Another diagram with its blank spaces only
+showed that our Q. branch was not in being. Three queried names,
+Woodward for A.G., Winter for Q.M.G. and Williams for Cipher Officer.
+The first two had been left behind, the third was with us. The following
+hurried jottings by Braithwaite:--"Only 1600 rounds for the 4.5
+Howitzers!!! High Explosive essential. Who is to be C.R.E.? Engineer
+Stores? French are to remain at Tunis until the day comes that they are
+required. Egyptian troops also remain in Egypt till last moment.
+Everything we want by 30th (it is hoped). Await arrival of 29th Division
+before undertaking anything big. If Carden wants military help it is for
+Sir Ian's consideration whether to give or to withhold it." These rough
+notes; the text book on the Turkish Army, and two small guide books: not
+a very luminous outfit. Braithwaite tells me our force are not to take
+with them the usual 10 per cent. extra margin of reserves to fill
+casualties. Wish I had realised this earlier. He had not time to tell
+me he says. The General Staff thought we ought certainly to have these
+and he and Wolfe Murray went in and made a personal appeal to the A.G.
+But he was obdurate. This seems hard luck. Why should we not have our
+losses quickly replaced--supposing we do lose men? I doubt though, if I
+should have been able to do very much even if I had known. To press K.
+would have been difficult. Like insisting on an extra half-crown when
+you've just been given Fortunatus' purse. Still, fair play's a jewel,
+and surely if formations destined for the French front cross the Channel
+with 10 per cent. extra, over and above their establishment, troops
+bound for Constantinople ought to have a 25 per cent. margin over
+establishment?
+
+_17th March, 1915. H.M.S. "Phaeton." At sea._ Last night we raced past
+Corfu--my birthplace--at thirty knots an hour. My first baby breath was
+drawn from these thyme scented breezes. This crimson in the Eastern sky,
+these waves of liquid opal are natal, vital.
+
+Thirty miles an hour through Paradise! Since the 16th January, 1853, we
+have learnt to go the pace and as a result the world shrinks; the
+horizons close in upon us; the spacious days are gone!
+
+Thoughts of my Mother, who died when I was but three. Thoughts of her
+refusal as she lay dying--gasping in mortal pain--her refusal to touch
+an opiate, because the Minister, Norman Macleod, had told her she so
+might dim the clearness of her spiritual insight--of her thoughts
+ascending heavenwards. What pluck--what grit--what faith--what an
+example to a soldier.
+
+Exquisite, exquisite air; sea like an undulating carpet of blue velvet
+outspread for Aphrodite. Have been in the Aegean since dawn. At noon
+passed a cruiser taking back Admiral Carden invalided to Malta. One week
+ago the thunder of his guns shook the firm foundations of the world. Now
+a sheer hulk lies poor old Carden. _Vanitas vanitatum_.
+
+Have got into touch with my staff. They are all General Staff: no
+Administrative Staff. The Adjutant-General-to-be (I don't know him) and
+the Chief Medico (I don't know who he is to be) could not get ready in
+time to come off with us, and the Q.M.G., too, was undecided when I
+left. There are nine of the General Staff. I like the looks of them.
+Quite characteristic of K., though, that barring Braithwaite, not one of
+the associates he has told off to work hand in glove with me in this
+enterprise should ever have served with me before.
+
+Only two sorts of Commanders-in-Chief could possibly find time to
+scribble like this on their way to take up an enterprise in many ways
+unprecedented--a German and a Britisher. The first, because every
+possible contingency would have been worked out for him beforehand; the
+second, because he has nothing--literally nothing--in his portfolio
+except a blank cheque signed with those grand yet simple words--John
+Bull. The German General is the product of an organising nation. The
+British General is the product of an improvising nation. Each army would
+be better commanded by the other army's General. Sounds fantastic but is
+true.[4]
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II
+
+THE STRAITS
+
+
+Cast anchor at Tenedos at 3 p.m., 17th March, 1915, having entered the
+harbour at the very same instant as le general d'Amade.
+
+Hurried over at once to a meeting aboard that lovely sea monster, H.M.S.
+_Queen Elizabeth_.
+
+Present:--
+
+  Admiral de Robeck,
+  Commodore Roger Keyes,
+  Admiral Guepratte, cmdg. French Fleet,
+  General d'Amade,
+  General Braithwaite,
+  Admiral Wemyss,
+  Captain Pollen,
+  Myself.
+
+De Robeck greeted me in the friendliest fashion. He is a fine looking
+man with great charm of manner. After a word or two to d'Amade and being
+introduced to Wemyss, Guepratte and Keyes, we sat down round a table and
+the Admiral began. His chief worry lies in the clever way the enemy are
+now handling their mobile artillery. He can silence the big fortress
+ordnance, but the howitzers and field guns fire from concealed
+positions and make the clearing of the minefields something of a V.C.
+sort of job for the smaller craft. Even when the Fleet gets through,
+these moveable guns will make it very nasty for store ships or
+transports which follow. The mine-sweepers are slow and bad with worn
+out engines. Some of the civilian masters and crews of the trawlers have
+to consider wives and kids as well as V.C.s. The problem of getting the
+Fleet through or of getting submarines through is a problem of clearing
+away the mines. With a more powerfully engined type of mine-sweeper and
+regular naval commanders and crews to man them, the business would be
+easy. But as things actually stand there is real cause for anxiety as to
+mines.
+
+The Peninsula itself is being fortified and many Turks work every night
+on trenches, redoubts and entanglements. Not one single living soul has
+been seen, since the engagement of our Marines at the end of February,
+although each morning brings forth fresh evidences of nocturnal
+activity, in patches of freshly turned up soil. All landing places are
+now commanded by lines of trenches and are ranged by field guns and
+howitzers, which, thus far, cannot be located as our naval seaplanes are
+too heavy to rise out of rifle range. There has been a muddle about
+these seaplanes. Nominally they possess very powerful Sunbeam engines;
+actually the d----d things can barely rise off the water. The naval
+guns do not seem able to knock the Turkish Infantry out of their deep
+trenches although they can silence their fire for awhile. This was
+proved at that last landing by Marines. The Turkish searchlights are
+both fixed and mobile. They are of the latest pattern and are run by
+skilled observers. He gave us, in fact, to understand that German
+thoroughness and forethought have gripped the old go-as-you-please Turk
+and are making him march to the _Parade-schritt_.
+
+The Admiral would prefer to force a passage on his own, and is sure he
+can do so. Setting Constantinople on one side for the moment, _if_ the
+Fleet gets through and the Army _then_ attacks at Bulair, we would have
+the Turkish Army on the Peninsula in a regular trap. Therefore, whether
+from the local or the larger point of view, he has no wish to call us in
+until he has had a real good try. He means straightway to put the whole
+proposition to a practical test.
+
+His views dovetail in to a hair's breadth with K.'s views. The Admiral's
+"real good try" leads up towards K.'s "after every effort has been
+exhausted."
+
+That's a bit of luck for our kick-off, anyway. What we soldiers have to
+do now is to hammer away at our band-o-bast[5] whilst the Navy pushes as
+hard, as fast and as far as its horsepower, manpower and gunpower will
+carry it.
+
+The Admiral asked to see my instructions and Braithwaite read them out.
+When he stopped, Roger Keyes, the Commodore, inquired, "Is that all?"
+And when Braithwaite confessed that it was, everyone looked a little
+blank.
+
+Asked what I meant to do, I said I proposed to get ready for a landing,
+as, whether the Fleet forces the passage and disembarked us on the
+Bosphorus; or, whether the Fleet did not force the passage and we had to
+"go for" the Peninsula, the _band-o-bast_ could be made to suit either
+case.
+
+The Admiral asked if I meant to land at Bulair? I replied my mind was
+open on that point: that I was a believer in seeing things for myself
+and that I would not come to any decision on the map if it were possible
+to come to it on the ground. He then said he would send me up to look at
+the place through my own glasses in the Phaeton to-morrow; that it would
+not be possible to land large forces on the neck of Bulair itself as
+there were no beaches, but that I should reconnoitre the coast at the
+head of the Gulf as landing would be easier with every few miles we drew
+away towards the North. I told him it would be useless to land at any
+distance from my objective, for the simple reason that I had no
+transport, mechanical or horse, wheeled or pack, to enable me to support
+myself further than five or six miles from the Fleet and it would take
+many weeks and many ships to get it together; however, I ended, I would
+to-morrow see for myself.
+
+The air of the Aegean hardly differs so much from the North Sea haze as
+does the moral atmosphere of Tenedos differ from that of the War Office.
+This is always the way. Until the plunge is taken, the man in the arm
+chair clamps rose coloured spectacles on to his nose and the man on the
+spot is anxious; _but_, once the men on the spot jump off they become
+as jolly as sandboys, whilst the man in the arm chair sits searching for
+a set-back with a blue lens telescope.
+
+Here, the Peninsula looks a tougher nut to crack than it did on Lord K.'s
+small and featureless map. I do not speak for myself for I have so far
+only examined the terrain through a field glass. I refer to the tone of
+the sailors, which strikes me as being graver and less irresponsible
+than the tone of the War Office.
+
+The Admiral believes that, at the time of the first bombardment, 5000
+men could have marched from Cape Helles right up to the Bulair lines.
+(Before leaving the ship I learnt that some of the sailors do not
+agree). Now that phase has passed. Many more troops have come down,
+German Staff Officers have grappled with the situation, and have got
+their troops scientifically disposed and heavily entrenched. This
+skilful siting of the Turkish trenches has been admired by all competent
+British observers; the number of field guns on the Peninsula is now many
+times greater than it was.
+
+After this the discussion became informal. Referring again to my
+instructions, I laid stress on the point that I was a waiting man and
+that it was the Admiral's innings for so long as he could keep his
+wicket up. Braithwaite asked a question or two about the trenches and
+all of us deplored the lack of aeroplanes whereby we were blinded in our
+attack upon an enemy who espied every boat's crew moving over the
+water.
+
+The more I revolve these matters in my mind, the more easy does it seem
+to accept K.'s order not to be in too great a hurry to bring the Army to
+the front. I devoutly hope indeed (and I think the fiercest of our
+fellows agree) that the Navy will pull us out the chestnuts from the
+fire.
+
+At the close of the sitting I made these notes of what had happened and
+drafted a first cable to Lord K., giving him an epitome of the Admiral's
+opening statement about the enemy's clever use of field guns to hinder
+the clearing of the minefields; his good entrenchments and the nightly
+work thereon; our handicap in all these matters because the type of
+seaplanes sent us "are too heavy to rise out of effective rifle
+range"--(one has to put these things mildly). I add that the Admiral,
+"while not making light of dangers was evidently determined to exhaust
+every effort before calling upon the soldiers for their help on a large
+scale"; and I wind up by telling him Lemnos seems a bad base and that I
+am off to-morrow on an inspection of the coasts of the Peninsula. Having
+got these matters off my chest on to the chest of K., was then taken
+round the ship by the Flag Captain, G.P.W. Hope. By this time it was
+nearly 7 so I stayed and dined with the Admiral--a charming host. After
+dinner got back here.
+
+_18th March, 1915._ _H.M.S. "Phaeton."_ Cleared Tenedos Harbour at 4
+a.m. and reached Lemnos at 6 a.m. I never saw so many ships collected
+together in my life; no, not even at Hong Kong, Bombay or New York.
+Filled up with oil fuel and at 7 a.m. d'Amade and Major-General Paris,
+commanding the Royal Naval Division, came on board with one or two Staff
+Officers. After consulting these Officers as well as McLagan, the
+Australian Brigadier, cabled Lord K. to say Alexandria _must_ be our
+base as "the Naval Division transports have been loaded up as in peace
+time and they must be completely discharged and every ship reloaded," in
+war fashion. At Lemnos, where there are neither wharfs, piers, labour
+nor water, the thing could not be done. Therefore, "the closeness of
+Lemnos to the Dardanelles, as implying the rapid transport of troops, is
+illusory."
+
+The moment I got this done, namely, at 8.30 a.m., we worked our way out
+of the long narrow neck of Mudros Harbour and sailed for the Gulf of
+Saros. Spent the first half of the sixty mile run to the Dardanelles in
+scribbling. Wrote my first epistle to K., using for the first time the
+formal "Dear Lord Kitchener." My letters to him will have to be formal,
+and dull also, as he may hand them around. I begin, "I have just sent
+you off a cable giving my first impressions of the situation, and am now
+steaming in company with Generals d'Amade and Paris to inspect the
+North-western coast of the Gallipoli Peninsula." I tell him that the
+real place "looks a much tougher nut to crack than it did over the
+map,"--I say that his "impression that the ground between Cape Helles
+and Krithia was clear of the enemy," was mistaken. "Not a bit of it." I
+say, "The Admiral tells me that there is a large number of men tucked
+away in the folds of the ground there, not to speak of several field
+Batteries." Therefore, I conclude, "If it eventually becomes necessary
+to take the Gallipoli Peninsula by military force, we shall have to
+proceed bit by bit." This will vex him no doubt. He likes plans to move
+as fast as his own wishes and is apt to forget, or to pretend he has
+forgotten, that swiftness in war comes from slow preparations. It is
+fairer to tell K. this now, when the question has not yet arisen, than
+hereafter if it does then arise.
+
+Passing the mouth of the Dardanelles we got a wonderful view of the
+stage whereon the Great Showman has caused so many of his amusing
+puppets to strut their tiny hour. For the purpose it stands matchless.
+No other panorama can touch it. There, Hero trimmed her little lamp;
+yonder the amorous breath of Leander changed to soft sea form. Far away
+to the Eastwards, painted in dim and lovely hues, lies Mount Ida. Just
+so, on the far horizon line she lay fair and still, when Hector fell and
+smoke from burning Troy blackened the mid-day sun. Against this
+enchanted background to deeds done by immortals and mortals as they
+struggled for ten long years five thousand years ago,--stands forth
+formidably the Peninsula. Glowing with bright, springtime colours it
+sweeps upwards from the sea like the glacis of a giant's fortress.
+
+So we sailed on Northwards, giving a wide berth to the shore. When we
+got within a mile of the head of the Gulf of Saros, we turned, steering
+a South-westerly course, parallel to, and one to two miles distant from,
+the coastline. Then my first fears as to the outworks of the fortress
+were strengthened. The head of the Gulf is filled in with a horrible
+marsh. No landing there. Did we land far away to the Westward we must
+still march round the marsh, or else we must cross it on one single road
+whose long and easily destructible bridges we could see spanning the bog
+holes some three miles inland. Opposite the fortified lines we stood in
+to within easy field gun range, trusting that the Turks would not wish
+prematurely to disclose their artillery positions. So we managed a peep
+at close quarters, and were startled to see the ramifications and extent
+of the spider's web of deep, narrow trenches along the coast and on
+either front of the lines of Bulair. My Staff agree that they must have
+taken ten thousand men a month's hard work from dark to dawn. In advance
+of the trenches, Williams in the crow's nest reported that with his
+strong glasses he could pick out the glitter of wire over a wide expanse
+of ground. To the depth of a mile the whole Aegean slope of the neck of
+the Peninsula was scarred with spade work and it is clear to a tiro that
+to take these trenches would take from us a bigger toll of ammunition
+and life than we can afford: especially so seeing that we can only see
+one half of the theatre; the other half would have to be worked out of
+sight and support of our own ships and in view of the Turkish Fleet.
+Only one small dent in the rockbound coast offered a chance of landing
+but that was also heavily dug in. In a word, if Bulair had been the only
+way open to me and I had no alternative but to take it or wash my hands
+of the whole business, I should have to go right about turn and cable
+my master he had sent me on a fool's errand.
+
+Between Bulair and Suvla Bay the coastline was precipitous; high cliffs
+and no sort of creeks or beaches--impracticable. Suvla Bay itself seems
+a fine harbour but too far North were the aim to combine a landing there
+together with an attack on the Southern end of the Peninsula. Were we,
+on the other hand, to try to work the whole force ashore from Suvla Bay,
+the country is too big; it is the broadest part of the Peninsula; also,
+we should be too far from its waist and from the Narrows we wish to
+dominate. Merely to hold our line of Communications we should need a
+couple of Divisions. All the coast between Suvla Bay and for a little
+way South of Gaba Tepe seems feasible for landing. I mean we could get
+ashore on a calm day if there was no enemy. Gaba Tepe itself would be
+ideal, but, alas, the Turks are not blind; it is a mass of trenches and
+wire. Further, it must be well under fire of guns from Kilid Bahr
+plateau, and is entirely commanded by the high ridge to the North of it.
+To land there would be to enter a defile without first crowning the
+heights.
+
+Between Gaba Tepe and Cape Helles, the point of the Peninsula, the
+coastline consists of cliffs from 100 to 300 feet high. But there are,
+in many places, sandy strips at their base. Opinions differ but I
+believe myself the cliffs are not unclimbable. I thoroughly believe also
+in going for at least one spot that _seems_ impracticable.
+
+Sailing Southwards we are becoming more and more conscious of the
+tremendous bombardment going on in the Straits. Now and then, too, we
+can see a huge shell hit the top of Achi Baba and turn it into the
+semblance of a volcano. Everyone excited and trying to look calm.
+
+At 4 p.m., precisely, we rounded Cape Helles. I had promised de Robeck
+not to take his fastest cruiser, fragile as an egg, into the actual
+Straits, but the Captain and the Commander (Cameron and Rosomore), were
+frightfully keen to see the fight, and I thought it fair to allow one
+mile as being the _mouth_ of the Straits and not _the_ Straits. Before
+we had covered that mile we found ourselves on the outskirts of--dream
+of my life--a naval battle! Nor did the reality pan out short of my
+hopes. Here it was; we had only to keep on at thirty knots; in one
+minute we should be in the thick of it; and who would be brave enough to
+cry halt!
+
+The world had gone mad; common sense was only moonshine after all; the
+elephant and the whale of Bismarckian parable were at it tooth and nail!
+Shells of all sizes flew hissing through the skies. Before my very eyes,
+the graves of those old Gods whom Christ had risen from the dead to
+destroy were shaking to the shock of Messrs. Armstrong's patent thunder
+bolts!
+
+Ever since the far-away days of Afghanistan and Majuba Hill friends have
+been fond of asking me what soldiers feel when death draws close up
+beside them. Before he charged in at Edgehill, Astley (if my memory
+serves me) exclaimed, "O, God, I've been too busy fixing up this battle
+to think much about you, but, for Heaven's sake, don't you go and
+forget about me," or words to that effect.
+
+The Yankee's prayer for fair play just as he joined issue with the
+grizzly bear gives another glimpse of these secrets between man and his
+Maker. As for myself, there are two moments; one when I think I would
+not miss the show for millions; another when I think "what an ass I am
+to be here"; and between these two moments there _is_ a border land when
+the mind runs all about Life's workshop and tries to do one last bit of
+stock-taking.
+
+But the process can no more be fixed in the memory than the sequence of
+a dream when the dew is off the grass. All I remember is a sort of
+wonder:--why these incredible pains to seek out an amphibious battle
+ground whereon two sets of people who have no cause of quarrel can blow
+one another to atoms? Why are these Straits the cockpit of the world?
+What is it all about? What on earth has happened to sanity when the
+whale and elephant are locked in mortal combat making between them a
+picture which might be painted by one of H.M.'s Commissioners in Lunacy
+to decorate an asylum for homicides.
+
+Whizz--flop--bang--what an ass I am to be here. If we keep on another
+thirty seconds we are in for a visit to Davy Jones's Locker.
+
+Now above the _Queen Elizabeth_, making slowly backwards and forwards up
+in the neck of the Narrows, were other men-o'-war spitting tons of hot
+metal at the Turks. The Forts made no reply--or none that we could make
+out, either with our ears or with glasses. Perhaps there was an attempt;
+if so, it must have been very half-hearted. The enemy's fixed defences
+were silenced but the concealed mobile guns from the Peninsula and from
+Asia were far too busy and were having it all their own way.
+
+Close to us were steam trawlers and mine-sweepers steaming along with
+columns of spray spouting up close by them from falling field gun
+shells, with here and there a biggish fellow amongst them, probably a
+five or six inch field howitzer. One of them was in the act of catching
+a great mine as we drew up level with her. Some 250 yards from us was
+the _Inflexible_ slowly coming out of the Straits, her wireless cut away
+and a number of shrapnel holes through her tops and crow's nest.
+Suddenly, so quickly did we turn that, going at speed, the decks were at
+an angle of 45 deg. and several of us (d'Amade for one) narrowly escaped
+slipping down the railless decks into the sea. The _Inflexible_ had
+signalled us she had struck a mine, and that we must stand by and see
+her home to Tenedos. We spun round like a top (escaping thereby a salvo
+of four from a field battery) and followed as close as we dared.
+
+My blood ran cold--for sheer deliberate awfulness this beat everything.
+We gazed spellbound: no one knew what moment the great ship might not
+dive into the depths. The pumps were going hard. We fixed our eyes on
+marks about the water line to see if the sea was gaining upon them or
+not. She was very much down by the bows, that was a sure thing. Crew and
+stokers were in a mass standing strictly at attention on the main deck.
+A whole bevy of destroyers crowded round the wounded warrior. In the
+sight of all those men standing still, silent, orderly in their ranks,
+facing the imminence of death, I got my answer to the hasty moralizings
+about war, drawn from me (really) by a regret that I would very soon be
+drowned. On the deck of that battleship staggering along at a stone's
+throw was a vindication of war in itself; of war, the state of being,
+quite apart from war motives or gains. Ten thousand years of peace would
+fail to produce a spectacle of so great virtue. Where, in peace,
+passengers have also shown high constancy, it is because war and martial
+discipline have lent them its standards. Once in a generation a
+mysterious wish for war passes through the people. Their instinct tells
+them that _there is no other way_ of progress and of escape from habits
+that no longer fit them. Whole generations of statesmen will fumble over
+reforms for a lifetime which are put into full-blooded execution within
+a week of a declaration of war. There is _no other way_. Only by intense
+sufferings can the nations grow, just as the snake once a year must with
+anguish slough off the once beautiful coat which has now become a strait
+jacket.
+
+How was it going to end? How touching the devotion of all these small
+satellites so anxiously forming escort? Onwards, at snail's pace, moved
+our cortege which might at any moment be transformed into a funeral
+affair, but slow as we went we yet went fast enough to give the go-by
+to the French battleship _Gaulois_, also creeping out towards Tenedos in
+a lamentable manner attended by another crowd of T.B.s and destroyers
+eager to stand to and save.
+
+The _Inflexible_ managed to crawl into Tenedos under her own steam but
+we stood by until we saw the _Gaulois_ ground on some rocks called
+Rabbit Island, when I decided to clear right out so as not to be in the
+way of the Navy at a time of so much stress. After we had gone ten miles
+or so, the _Phaeton_ intercepted a wireless from the _Queen Elizabeth_,
+ordering the _Ocean_ to take the _Irresistible_ in tow, from which it
+would appear that she (the _Irresistible_) has also met with some
+misfortune.
+
+Thank God we were in time! That is my dominant feeling. We have seen a
+spectacle which would be purchased cheap by five years of life and, more
+vital yet, I have caught a glimpse of the forces of the enemy and of
+their Forts. What with my hurried scamper down the Aegean coast of the
+Peninsula and the battle in the Straits, I begin to form some first-hand
+notion of my problem. More by good luck than good guidance I have got
+into personal touch with the outer fringes of the thing we are up
+against and that is so much to the good. But oh, that we had been here
+earlier! Winston in his hurry to push me out has shown a more soldierly
+grip than those who said there was no hurry. It is up to me now to
+revolve to-day's doings in my mind; to digest them and to turn myself
+into the eyes and ears of the War Office whose own so far have
+certainly not proved themselves very acute. How much better would I be
+able to make them see and hear had I been out a week or two; did I know
+the outside of the Peninsula by heart; had I made friends with the
+Fleet! And why should I not have been?
+
+Have added a P.S. to K.'s letter:--
+
+"Between Tenedos and Lemnos. 6 p.m.--This has been a very bad day for us
+judging by what has come under my own personal observation. After going
+right up to Bulair and down again to the South-west point looking at the
+network of trenches the Turks have dug commanding all possible landing
+places, we turned into the Dardanelles themselves and went up about a
+mile. The scene was what I believe Naval writers describe as 'lively.'"
+(Then follows an account based on my Diary jottings). I end:
+
+"I have not had time to reflect over these matters, nor can I yet
+realise on my present slight information the extent of these losses.
+Certainly it looks at present as if the Fleet would not be able to carry
+on at this rate, and, if so, the soldiers will have to do the trick.":
+
+"Later.
+
+"The _Irresistible_, the _Ocean_ and the _Bouvet_ are gone! The
+_Bouvet_, they say, just slithered down like a saucer slithers down in a
+bath. The _Inflexible_ and the _Gaulois_ are badly mauled."
+
+_19th March, 1915._ _H.M.S. "Franconia."_--Last night I left H.M.S.
+_Phaeton_ and went on board the _Franconia_. To-day, we have been busy
+fixing things up. The chance sailors, seen by the Staff, have been using
+highly coloured expletives about the mines. Sheer bad luck they swear;
+bad luck that would not happen once in a hundred tries. They had knocked
+out the Forts, they claim, and one, three-word order, "Full steam
+ahead," would have cut the Gordian Knot the diplomats have been fumbling
+at for over a hundred years by slicing their old Turkey in two. Then
+came the big delay owing to ships changing stations during which mines
+set loose from up above had time to float down the current, when, by the
+Devil's own fluke, they impinge upon our battleships, and blow de Robeck
+and his plans into the middle of next week--or later! These are
+ward-room yarns. De Robeck was working by stages and never meant, so far
+as we know, to run through to the Marmora yesterday.
+
+Cabled to Lord K. telling him of yesterday's reconnaissance by me and
+the battle by de Robeck. Have said I have no official report to go upon
+but from what I saw with my own eyes "I am being most reluctantly driven
+to the conclusion that the Straits are not likely to be forced by
+battleships as at one time seemed probable and that, if my troops are to
+take part, it will not take the subsidiary form anticipated. The Army's
+part will be more than mere landings of parties to destroy Forts, it
+must be a deliberate and progressive military operation carried out at
+full strength so as to open a passage for the Navy."
+
+To be able, if necessary, to act up to my own words I sent another
+message to the Admiral and told him, if he could spare the troops from
+the vicinity of the Straits, I would like to take them right off to
+Alexandria so as to shake them out there and reship them ready for
+anything. He has wirelessed back asking me, on political grounds, to
+delay removing the troops "until our attack is renewed in a few days'
+time."
+
+Bravo, the Admiral! Still; if there are to be even a few days' delay I
+must land somewhere as mules and horses are dying. And, practically,
+Alexandria is the only port possible.
+
+Wemyss has just sent me over the following letter. It confirms
+officially the loss of the three battleships:--
+
+                                                              _Friday._
+
+  "My Dear General,
+
+"The enclosed is a copy of a Signal I have received from de Robeck. I
+sincerely hope that the word disastrous is too hard. It depends upon
+what results we have achieved I think. I gather from intercepted signals
+that the _Ocean_ also is sunk, but of this I am not quite certain. I am
+off in _Dublin_ immediately she comes in and expect I may be back
+to-night. This of course depends a good deal upon what de Robeck wants.
+Captain Boyle brings this and will be at your disposal. He is the Senior
+Naval Officer here in my absence.
+
+                "Believe me, Sir,
+                   "Yours sincerely,
+                       (_Sd._) "R. Wemyss."
+
+           Copy of Telegram enclosed:--
+
+  "_From_ V.A.E.M.S.
+  "_To_ S.N.O. Mudros.
+  "_Date, 18th March, 1915._
+
+"Negative demonstration at Gaba Tepe, 19th. Will you come to Tenedos and
+see me to-morrow. We have had disastrous day owing either to floating
+mines or torpedoes from shore tubes fired at long range. H.M.S.
+_Irresistible_ and _Bouvet_ sunk. H.M.S. _Ocean_ still afloat, but
+probably lost. H.M.S. _Inflexible_ damaged by mine. _Gaulois_ badly
+damaged by gunfire. Other ships all right, and we had much the best of
+the Ports."
+
+_20th March, 1915._ _H.M.S. "Franconia." Mudros Harbour._ Stormy
+weather, and even here, inside Mudros harbour, touch with the shore is
+cut off.
+
+After I was asleep last night, an answer came in from K., straight,
+strong and to the point. He says, "You know my view that the Dardanelles
+passage must be forced, and that if large military operations on the
+Gallipoli Peninsula by your troops are necessary to clear the way, those
+operations must be undertaken after careful consideration of the local
+defences and must be carried through."
+
+Very well: all hinges on the Admiral.
+
+_21st March, 1915._ _H.M.S. "Franconia."_ A talk with Admiral Wemyss and
+General d'Amade. Wemyss is clear that the Navy must not admit a check
+and must get to work again as quickly as they can. Wemyss is Senior
+Naval Officer at the Dardanelles and is much liked by everyone. He has
+put his seniority in his pocket and is under his junior--fighting first,
+rank afterwards!
+
+A letter from de Robeck, dated "Q.E. the 19th," has only just come to
+hand:--
+
+"Our men were splendid and thank heaven our loss of life was quite
+small, though the French lost over 100 men when _Bouvet_ struck a mine.
+
+"How our ships struck mines in an area that was reported clear and swept
+the previous night I do not know, unless they were floating mines
+started from the Narrows!
+
+"I was sad to lose ships and my heart aches when one thinks of it; one
+must do what one is told and take risks or otherwise we cannot win. We
+are all getting ready for another 'go' and not in the least beaten or
+downhearted. The big forts were silenced for a long time and everything
+was going well, until _Bouvet_ struck a mine. It is hard to say what
+amount of damage we did, I don't know, there were big explosions in the
+Forts!"
+
+Little Birdie, now grown up into a grand General, turned up at 3 p.m. I
+was enchanted to see him. We had hundreds and thousands of things to
+talk over. Although the confidence of the sailors seems quite unshaken
+by the events of the 18th, Birdie seems to have made up his mind that
+the Navy have shot their bolt for the time being and that we have no
+time to lose in getting ready for a landing. But then he did not see the
+battle and cannot, therefore, gauge the extent to which the Turkish
+Forts were beaten.
+
+_22nd March, 1915._ _H.M.S. "Franconia."_ At 10 a.m. we had another
+Conference on board the _Queen Elizabeth_.
+
+Present:--
+
+  Admiral de Robeck,
+  Admiral Wemyss,
+  General Birdwood,
+  General Braithwaite,
+  Captain Pollen,
+  Myself.
+
+The moment we sat down de Robeck told us _he was now quite clear he
+could not get through without the help of all my troops_.
+
+Before ever we went aboard Braithwaite, Birdwood and I had agreed that,
+whatever we landsmen might think, we must leave the seamen to settle
+their own job, saying nothing for or against land operations or
+amphibious operations until the sailors themselves turned to us and said
+they had abandoned the idea of forcing the passage by naval operations
+alone.
+
+They have done so. The fat (that is us) is fairly in the fire.
+
+No doubt we had our views. Birdie and my own Staff disliked the idea of
+chancing mines with million pound ships. The hesitants who always make
+hay in foul weather had been extra active since the sinking of the three
+men-of-war. Suppose the Fleet _could_ get through with the loss of
+another battleship or two--how the devil would our troopships be able to
+follow? And the store ships? And the colliers?
+
+This had made me turn contrary. During the battle I had cabled that the
+chances of the Navy pushing through on their own were hardly fair
+fighting chances, but, since then, de Robeck, the man who should know,
+had said twice that he _did_ think there was a fair fighting chance. Had
+he stuck to that opinion at the conference, then I was ready, as a
+soldier, to make light of military croaks about troopships.
+Constantinople must surrender, revolt or scuttle within a very few hours
+of our battleships entering the Marmora. Memories of one or two obsolete
+six inchers at Ladysmith helped me to feel as Constantinople would feel
+when her rail and sea communications were cut and a rain of shell fell
+upon the penned-in populace from de Robeck's terrific batteries. Given a
+good wind that nest of iniquity would go up like Sodom and Gomorrah in a
+winding sheet of flame.
+
+But once the Admiral said his battleships could not fight through
+without help, there was no foothold left for the views of a landsman.
+
+So there was no discussion. At once we turned our faces to the land
+scheme. Very sketchy; how could it be otherwise? On the German system
+plans for a landing on Gallipoli would have been in my pocket,
+up-to-date and worked out to a ball cartridge and a pail of water. By
+the British system (?) I have been obliged to concoct my own plans in a
+brace of shakes almost under fire. Strategically and tactically our
+method may have its merits, for though it piles everything on to one
+man, the Commander, yet he is the chap who has got to see it through.
+But, in matters of supply, transport, organisation and administration
+our way is the way of Colney Hatch.
+
+Here am I still minus my Adjutant-General; my Quartermaster-General and
+my Medical Chief, charged with settling the basic question of whether
+the Army should push off from Lemnos or from Alexandria. Nothing in the
+world to guide me beyond my own experience and that of my Chief of the
+General Staff, whose sphere of work and experience lies quite outside
+these administrative matters. I can see that Lemnos is practically
+impossible; I fix on Alexandria in the light of Braithwaite's advice and
+my own hasty study of the map. Almost incredible really, we should have
+to decide so tremendous an administrative problem off the reel and
+without any Administrative Staff. But time presses, the responsibility
+cannot be shirked, and so I have cabled K. that Lemnos must be a
+wash-out and that I am sending my troops to get ship-shape at Alexandria
+although, thereby, I upset every previous arrangement. Then I have had
+to cable for Engineers, trench mortars, bombs, hand grenades,
+periscopes. Then again, seeing things are going less swimmingly than K.
+had thought they would, I have had to harden my heart against his horror
+of being asked for more men and have decided to cable for leave to bring
+over from Egypt a Brigade of Gurkhas to complete Birdwood's New Zealand
+Division. Last, and worst, I have had to risk the fury of the Q.M.G. to
+the Forces by telling the War Office that their transports are so loaded
+(water carts in one ship; water cart horses in another; guns in one
+ship; limbers in another; entrenching tools anyhow) that they must be
+emptied and reloaded before we can land under fire.
+
+These points were touched upon at the Conference. I told them too that
+my Intelligence folk fix the numbers of the enemy now at the Dardanelles
+as 40,000 on the Gallipoli Peninsula with a reserve of 30,000 behind
+Bulair: on the Asiatic side of the Straits there are at least a
+Division, but there _may_ be several Divisions. The Admiral's
+information tallies and, so Birdie says, does that of the Army in Egypt.
+The War Office notion that the guns of the Fleet can sweep the enemy off
+the tongue of the Peninsula from Achi Baba Southwards is moonshine. My
+trump card turns out to be the Joker; best of all cards only it don't
+happen to be included in this particular pack!
+
+As ideas for getting round this prickly problem were passing through my
+mind, two suggestions for dealing with it were put forward. The sailors
+say some lighters were being built, and probably by now are built, for
+the purpose of a landing in the North: they would carry five hundred
+men; had bullet-proof bulwarks and are to work under their own gas
+engines. If I can possibly get a petition for these through to Winston
+we would very likely be lent some and with their aid the landing under
+fire will be child's play to what it will be otherwise. But the cable
+must get to Winston: if it falls into the hands of Fisher it fails, as
+the sailors tell me he is obsessed by the other old plan and grudges us
+every rope's end or ha'porth of tar that finds its way out here.
+
+Rotten luck to have cut myself off from wiring to Winston: still I see
+no way out of it: with K. jealous as a tiger--what can I do? Also,
+although the sailors want me to pull this particular chestnut out of the
+fire, it is just as well they should know I am not going to speak to
+their Boss even under the most tempting circs.: but they won't cable
+themselves: frightened of Fisher: so I then and there drafted this to K.
+from myself:--
+
+"Our first step of landing under fire will be the most critical as well
+as the most vital of the whole operations. If the Admiralty will
+improvise and send us out post haste 20 to 30 large lighters difficulty
+and duration of this phase will be cut down to at least one half. The
+lighters should each be capable of conveying 400 to 500 men or 30 to 40
+horses. They should be protected by bullet-proof armour."
+
+Everyone agreed but Birdwood pointed out that, by sending this message,
+we implied in so many words, that we would not land until the lighters
+came out from England. He assumed that we had definitely turned down any
+plan of scrambling ashore forthwith, as best we could? I said, "Yes,"
+and that the Navy were with me in that view, a statement confirmed by de
+Robeck and Wemyss who nodded their heads. Birdwood said he only wanted
+to be quite clear about it, and there the matter dropped.
+
+Actually I had thought a lot about that possibility. To a man of my
+temperament there was every temptation to have a go in and revenge the
+loss of the battleships forthwith. We might sup to-morrow night on Achi
+Baba. With luck we really might. Had I been here for ten days instead of
+five, and had I had any time to draft out any sort of scheme, I might
+have had a dart. But the operation of landing in face of an enemy is the
+most complicated and difficult in war. Under existing conditions the
+whole attempt would be partial, _decousu_, happy-go-lucky to the last
+degree. There are no small craft to speak of. There is no provision for
+carrying water. There is no information _at all_ about springs or wells
+ashore. There is no arrangement for getting off the wounded and my
+Principal Medical Officer and his Staff won't be here for a fortnight.
+My orders against piecemeal occupation are specific. But the 29th
+Division is our _piece de resistance_ and it won't be here, we
+reckon--not complete--for another three weeks.
+
+All the same, I might chance it, for, by taking all these off chances we
+_might_ pull off the main chance of stealing a march upon the Turks.
+What puts me off is not the chances of war but the certainties of
+commonsense. If I did so handle my troops on the spot as to sup on Achi
+Baba to-morrow night, I still could not counter the inevitable reaction
+of numbers, time and space. The Turks would have at least a fortnight to
+concentrate their whole force against my half force; to defeat them and
+then to defy the other half.
+
+I must wait for the 29th Division. By the time they come I can get
+things straight for a smashing simultaneous blow and I am resolved that,
+so far as in me lies, the orders and preparations will then be so
+thoroughly worked out--so carefully rehearsed as to give every chance to
+my men.[6]
+
+If the 29th Division were here--or near at hand--I could balance
+shortage against the obvious evils of giving the Turks time to reinforce
+and to dig. Could I hope for the 29th Division within a week it might be
+worth my while to fly in the face of K. by grasping the Peninsula firmly
+by her toe: or,--had my staff and self been here ten days ago, we could
+have already got well forward with our plans and orders, as well as with
+the laying of our hands upon the thousand odds and ends demanded by the
+invasion of a barren, trackless extremity of an Empire--odds and ends
+never thought of by anyone until the spur of reality brought them
+galloping to the front. Then the moment the Fleet cried off, we might
+have had a dash in, right away, with what we have here. The onslaught
+could have been supported from Egypt and the 29th Division might have
+been treated as a reserve.
+
+But, taking things as they are:--
+
+(1). No detail thought out, much less worked out or practised, as to
+form or manner of landing;
+
+(2). Absence of 29th Division;
+
+(3). Lack of gear (naval and military) for any landing on a large scale
+or maintenance thereafter;
+
+(4). Unsettled weather; my ground is not solid enough to support me
+were I to put it to K. that I had broken away from his explicit
+instructions.
+
+The Navy, i.e., de Robeck, Wemyss and Keyes, entirely agree. They see as
+well as we do that the military force ought to have been ready before
+the Navy began to attack. What we have to do now is to repair a first
+false step. The Admiral undertakes to keep pegging away at the Straits
+whilst we in Alexandria are putting on our war paint. He will see to it,
+he says, that they think more of battleships than of landings. He is
+greatly relieved to hear _I_ have practically made up my mind to go for
+the South of the Peninsula and to keep in closest touch with the Fleet.
+The Commodore also seems well pleased: he told us he hoped to get his
+Fleet Sweeps so reorganised as to do away with the danger from mines by
+the 3rd or 4th of April; then, he says, with us to do the spotting for
+the naval guns, the battleships can smother the Forts and will alarm the
+Turkish Infantry as to that tenderest part of an Army--its rear. So I
+may say that all are in full agreement,--a blessing.
+
+Have cabled home begging for more engineers, a lot of hand grenades,
+trench mortars, periscopes and tools. The barbed wire bothers me! Am
+specially keen about trench mortars; if it comes to close fighting on
+the Peninsula with its restricted area trench mortars may make up for
+our lack of artillery and especially of howitzers. Luckily, they can be
+turned out quickly.
+
+_23rd March, 1915. H.M.S. "Franconia."_ At 9 a.m. General d'Amade and
+his Staff came aboard. D'Amade had been kept yesterday by his own
+pressing business from attending the Conference. I have read him these
+notes and have shown him my cable of yesterday to Lord K. in which I say
+that "The French Commander is equally convinced that a move to
+Alexandria is a practical necessity, although a point of honour makes it
+impossible for him to suggest turning his back to the Turks to his own
+Government." But, I say, "he will be enchanted if they give him the
+order." D'Amade says I have not quite correctly represented his views.
+Not fantastic honour, he says, caused him to say we had better, for a
+while, hold on, but rather the sense of prestige. He thought the
+departure of the troops following so closely on the heels of the naval
+repulse would have a bad moral effect on the Balkans. But he agrees
+that, in practice, the move has now become imperative; the animals are
+dying; the men are overcrowded, whilst Mudros is impossible as a base.
+My cable, therefore, may stand.
+
+At 10 o'clock he, Birdie and myself landed to inspect a Battalion of
+Australians (9th Battalion of the 3rd Brigade). I made them carry out a
+little attack on a row of windmills, and really, they did not show much
+more imagination over the business than did Don Quixote in a similar
+encounter. But the men are superb specimens.
+
+Some of the troop transports left harbour for Egypt during the
+afternoon. Bad to see these transports sailing the wrong way. What a
+d----d pity! is what every soldier here feels--and says. But to look
+on the bright side, our fellows will be twice as well trained to boat
+work, and twice as well equipped by the time the 29th turn up, and by
+then the weather will be more settled. As d'Amade said too, it will be
+worth a great deal to us if the French troops get a chance of working a
+little over the ground together with their British comrades before they
+go shoulder to shoulder against the common enemy. All the same, if I had
+my men and guns handy, I'd rather get at the Turks quick than be sure of
+good weather and good _band-o-bast_ and be sure also of a well-prepared
+enemy.
+
+In the afternoon Braithwaite brought me a draft cable for Lord K. _re_
+yesterday's Conference. I have approved. In it I say, "on the
+thoroughness with which I can make the preliminary arrangements, of
+which the proper allocation of troops, etc., to transports is not the
+least important, the success of my plans will largely depend."
+Therefore, I am going to Alexandria, as a convenient place for this work
+and, "the Turks will be kept busy meanwhile by the Admiral."
+
+_24th March, 1915. H.M.S. "Franconia."_ D'Amade and Staff came aboard at
+10 a.m. He has got leave to move and will sail to Alexandria forthwith.
+Roger Keyes from the Flagship came shortly afterward. He is sick as a
+she-bear robbed of her cubs that his pets: battleships, T.B.s,
+destroyers, submarines, etc., should have to wait for the Army. Well, we
+are not to blame! Keyes has been shown my cables to K. and is pleased
+with them. He accepts the fact, I think, that the Army must tackle the
+mobile artillery of the Turks before the Navy can expect to silence the
+light guns protecting the mine fields and then clear out the mines with
+the present type of mine sweeper. But the Admiral's going to fix up the
+mine sweeper question while we are away. Once he has done that, Keyes
+believes the Fleet can knock out the Forts; wipe out the protective
+batteries and sweep up the mines quite comfortably. He said one
+illuminating and encouraging thing to Braithwaite; viz., that he had
+never felt so possessed of the power of the Navy to force a passage
+through the Narrows as in the small hours of the 19th when he got back
+to the Flagship after trying in vain to salve the _Ocean_ and the
+_Irresistible_.
+
+Keyes brought me a first class letter from the Admiral--very much to the
+point:--
+
+                                                "H.M.S. _Q.E._
+                                                     _24th March, 15._
+
+  "My Dear General,
+
+"I hear the Authorities at 'Home' have been sending hastening telegrams
+to you. They most unfortunately did the same to us and probably if our
+work had been slower and more thorough it would have been better. If
+only they were on the _spot_, they would realise that to hurry would
+write failure. In my very humble opinion, good co-operation and
+organisation means everything for the future. A great triumph is much
+better than scraping through and poor results! We are entirely with you
+and can be relied on to give any assistance in our power. We will not be
+idle!
+
+                             "Believe me,
+                                 "Yours sincerely,
+                                    (_Sd._) "J.M. de Robeck."
+
+11-15. Admiral Thursby (just arrived with the _Queen_ and _Implacable_)
+came to make his salaams. We served together at Malta and both broke
+sinews in our calves playing lawn tennis--a bond of union.
+
+Have cabled to Lord K. telling him I am just off to Alexandria. Have
+said that the ruling factor of my date of landing must be the arrival of
+the 29th Division "(see para. 2 of your formal instructions to me the
+foresight of which appeals to me with double force now we are at close
+quarters with the problem[7])." I have pointed out that Birdwood's
+Australians are very weak in artillery; that the Naval Division has none
+at all and that the guns of the 29th Division make that body even more
+indispensable than he had probably realised. I would very much like to
+add that these are no times for infantry divisions minus artillery
+seeing that they ought to have three times the pre-war complement of
+guns, but Braithwaite's good advice has prevailed. As promised at the
+Conference I express a hope that I may be allowed "to complete
+Birdwood's New Zealand Division with a Brigade of Gurkhas who would work
+admirably in the terrain" of the Peninsula. In view of what we have
+gathered from Keyes, I wind up by saying, "The Admiral, whose confidence
+in the Navy seems to have been raised even higher by recent events, and
+who is a thruster if ever there was one, is in agreement with this
+telegram."
+
+Actually Keyes will show him a copy; we will wait one hour before
+sending it off and, if we don't hear then, we may take it de Robeck will
+have endorsed the purport. Of course, if he does not agree the last
+sentence must come out, and he will have to put his own points to the
+Admiralty.
+
+_Later_.--Have sent Doughty Wylie to Athens to do "Intelligence": the
+cable was approved by Navy; duly despatched; and now--up anchor!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III
+
+EGYPT
+
+
+_25th March, 1915. H.M.S. "Franconia." At Sea._ A fine smooth sea and a
+flowing tide. Have written to K. and Mr. Asquith. Number two has caused
+me _fikr_.[8] The P.M. lives in another plane from us soldiers. So it
+came quite easily to his lips to ask _me_ to write to him,--a high
+honour, likewise an order. But K. is my soldier chief. As C.-in-C. in
+India he refused point blank to write letters to autocratic John Morley
+behind the back of the Viceroy, and Morley never forgave him. K. told me
+this himself and he told me also that he resented the correspondence
+which was, he knew, being carried on, behind his (K.'s) back, between
+the army in France and his (K.'s) own political Boss: that sort of
+action was, he considered, calculated to undermine authority.
+
+I have had a long talk with Braithwaite _re_ this quandary. He strongly
+holds that my first duty is to K. and that it is for us a question of K.
+and no one but K. Were the S. of S. only a civilian (instead of being a
+Field Marshal) the case _might_ admit of argument; as things are, it
+does not. So have written the P.M. on these lines and shall send K. the
+carbons of all my letters to him. To K. himself I have written backing
+up my cable and begging for a Brigade of Gurkhas. Really, it is like
+going up to a tiger and asking for a small slice of venison: I remember
+only too well his warning not to make his position impossible by
+pressing for troops, etc., but Egypt is not England; the Westerners
+don't want the Gurkhas who are too short to fit into their trenches and,
+last but not least, our landing is not going to be the simple,
+row-as-you-please he once pictured. The situation in fact, is not in the
+least what he supposed it to be when I started; therefore, I am
+justified, I think, in making this appeal:--"I am very anxious, if
+possible, to get a Brigade of Gurkhas, so as to complete the New Zealand
+Divisional organisation with a type of man who will, I am certain, be
+most valuable on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The scrubby hillsides on the
+South-west face of the plateau are just the sort of terrain where those
+little fellows are at their brilliant best. There is already a small
+Indian commissariat attached to the Mountain Batteries, so there would
+be no trouble on the score of supply."
+
+"As you may imagine, I have no wish to ask for anything the giving of
+which would seriously weaken our hold on Egypt, but you will remember
+that four Mounted Brigades belonging to Birdwood's force are being left
+behind to look after the land of the Pharaohs, and a Mounted Brigade for
+a battalion seems a fair exchange. Egypt, in fact, so far as I can make
+out, seems stiff with troops, and each little Gurkha might be worth his
+full weight in gold at Gallipoli."
+
+Wrote Fitz in much the same sense:--"We are desperately keen to extract
+a Gurkha Brigade out of Egypt and you might lend a hand, not only to us,
+but to all your own Sikh and Dogra Regiments, by making K. see that the
+Indian Army was never given a dog's chance in the mudholes. They were
+benumbed: _it was not their show_. Here, in the warm sun; pitted against
+the hereditary _dushman_[9] who comes on shouting 'Allah!' they would
+gain much _izzat_.[10] _Now mind_, if you see any chance of an Indian
+contingent for Constantinople, do everyone a good turn by rubbing these
+ideas into K."
+
+Braithwaite has already picked up a number of useful hints from Roger
+Keyes. His old friendship with the Commodore should be a help. Keyes is
+a fine fellow; radiating resolve to do and vigour to carry
+through--hereditary qualities. His Mother, of whom he is an ugly
+likeness, was as high-spirited, fascinating, clever a creature as ever I
+saw. Camel riding, hawking, dancing, making good _band-o-bast_ for a
+picnic, she was always at the top of the hunt; the idol of the Punjab
+Frontier Force. His Father, Sir Charles, grim old Paladin of the
+Marshes, whose loss of several fingers from a sword cut earned him my
+special boyish veneration, was really the devil of a fellow. My first
+flutter out of the sheltered nest of safe England into the outer sphere
+of battle, murder and sudden death, took place under the auspices of
+that warrior so famoused in fight when I was aged twenty. Riding
+together in the early morning from the mud fort of Dera Ismail Khan
+towards the Mountain of Sheikh Budin, we suddenly barged into a mob of
+wild Waziri tribesmen who jumped out of the ditch and held us up--hand
+on bridle. The old General spoke Pushtu fluently, and there was a
+parley, begun by him, ordinarily the most silent of mankind. Where were
+they going to? To buy camels at Dera Ghazi Khan. How far had they come?
+Three days' march; but they had no money. The General simulated
+amazement--"You have come all that distance to buy camels without money?
+Those are strange tales you tell me. I fear when you pass through Dera
+Ismail you will have to raise the wind by selling your nice pistols and
+knives: oh yes, I see them quite well; they are peeping at me from under
+your poshteens." The Waziris laughed and took their hands off our reins.
+Instantly, the General shouted to me, "Come on--gallop!" And in less
+than no time we were going hell for leather along the lonely frontier
+road towards our next relay of horses. "That was a narrow squeak," said
+the General, "but _you may take liberties with a Waziri if only you can
+make him laugh_."
+
+_26th March, 1915. H.M.8. "Franconia." At Sea._ Inspected troops on
+board. A keen, likely looking lot. All Naval Division; living monuments,
+these fellows, to Winston Churchill's contempt for convention.
+
+Reached Port Said about 3.30 p.m. Nipped into a "Special" which seems to
+have become my "ordinary" vehicle and left for Cairo. Opened despatches
+from London. "Bullet-proof lighters cannot be provided." "I quite agree
+that the 29th Division with its artillery is necessary." Not a word
+about the Gurkhas. Arrived at 10 p.m., and was met by Maxwell.
+
+_27th March, 1915 Cairo._ Working hard at Headquarters all day till 6.15
+p.m., when I made my salaam to the Sultan at the Abdin Palace. A real
+Generals' dinner--what we used to call a _burra khana_--at Maxwell's
+hospitable board:--
+
+  General Birdwood,
+  General Godley,
+  General Bridges,
+  General Douglas,
+  General Braithwaite,
+  Myself.
+
+_28th March, 1915. Cairo._ Inspected East Lancashire Division and a
+Yeomanry Brigade (Westminster Dragoons and Herts). How I envied Maxwell
+these beautiful troops. They will only be eating their heads off here,
+with summer coming up and the desert getting as dry as a bone. The
+Lancashire men especially are eye-openers. How on earth have they
+managed to pick up the swank and devil-may-care airs of crack regulars?
+They _are_ Regulars, only they are bigger, more effective specimens than
+Manchester mills or East Lancashire mines can spare us for the Regular
+Service in peace time. Anyway, no soldier need wish to see a finer lot.
+On them has descended the mantle of my old comrades[11] of
+Elandslaagte and Caesar's Camp, and worthily beyond doubt they will wear
+it.
+
+[Illustration: Lieut.-Gen. the Rt. Hon. Sir J. G. Maxwell, G.C.B.,
+K.C.M.G.]
+
+The enthusiasm of the natives was a pleasing part of the show. During
+four years of Egyptian Inspections I recall no single instance of any
+manifestation of friendliness to our troops, or even of interest in
+them, by Gyppies. But the Territorials seem, somehow, to have conquered
+their goodwill. As each stalwart company swung past there was a
+spontaneous effervescence of waving hands along the crowded street and
+murmurs of applause from Bedouins, Blacks and Fellaheen.
+
+Maxwell will have a fit if I ask for them! He will fall down in a fit, I
+am sure. Already he is vexed at my having cabled and written Lord K. for
+_his_ (Maxwell's) Brigade of Gurkhas. To him I appear careless of his
+(Maxwell's) position and of the narrowness of his margin of safety. For
+the life of him K. can't help putting his Lieutenants into this
+particular cart. The same old story as the eight small columns in the
+Western Transvaal: co-equal and each thinking his own beat on the veldt
+the only critical spot in South Africa: and the funny thing is that
+Maxwell was then running the base at Vryberg and I was in command in the
+field! But _there_ my word was law; _here_ Maxwell is entirely
+independent of me, which is as much as to say, that the feet are not
+under control of the head; i.e., that the expedition must move like a
+drunken man. That is my fear: Maxwell will do what lies in him to help,
+but in action it is better to order than to ask.
+
+Grand lunch at the Abdin Palace with the Sultan. Most of the Cabinet
+present. The Sultan spoke French well and seems clever as well as most
+gracious and friendly. He assured me that the Turkish Forts at the
+Dardanelles were absolutely impregnable. The words "absolute" and
+"impregnable" don't impress me overmuch. They are only human opinions
+used to gloss over flaws in the human knowledge or will. Nothing is
+impregnable either--that's a sure thing. No reasons were given me by His
+Highness.
+
+Have just written home about these things: midnight.
+
+_29th March, 1915. 9.30 p.m. Palace Hotel, Alexandria._ Early start to
+the Mena Camp to see the Australians. A devil of a blinding storm gave a
+foretaste of dust to dust. That was when they were marching past, but
+afterwards I inspected the Infantry at close quarters, taking a good
+look at each man and speaking to hundreds. Many had been at my
+inspections in their own country a year ago, but most were new hands who
+had never worn uniform till they 'listed for the war. The troops then
+marched back to Camp in mass of quarter columns--or rather swept by like
+a huge yellow cloud at the heart of which sparkled thousands of
+bayonets.
+
+Next I reviewed the Artillery, Engineers and Cavalry; winding up with
+the overhaul of the supply and transport column. This took time, and I
+had to make the motor travel getting across twelve miles or so to
+inspect a mixed Division of Australians and New Zealanders at
+Heliopolis. Godley commanded. Great fun seeing him again. These fellows
+made a real good show; superb physique: numbers of old friends
+especially amongst the New Zealanders. Another scurry in the motor to
+catch the 4.15 for Alexandria. Tiring day if I had it in my mind to be
+tired, but this 30,000 crowd of Birdwood's would straighten up the back
+of a pacifist. There is a bravery in their air--a keenness upon their
+clean cut features--they are spoiling for a scrap! Where they have
+sprung from it is hard to say. Not in Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney,
+Melbourne or Perth--no, nor in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington or
+Auckland, did I meet specimens like unto these. The spirit of War has
+breathed its fires into their hearts; the drill sergeant has taken
+thought and has added one cubit to their stature.
+
+D'Amade has just been to make me known to a couple of Frenchmen about to
+join my Staff. They seem to be nice fellows. The French have been here
+some days and they are getting on well. Hunter-Weston landed this
+morning; his first batch of transports are in the harbour. I am to see
+the French troops in four days' time; Hunter-Weston's 29th Division on
+the fifth day. Neither Commander has yet worked out how long it will
+take before he has reloaded his transports. They declare it takes three
+times as long to repack a ship loaded at haphazard as it would have
+taken to have loaded her on a system in the first instance. Six days per
+ship is their notion of what they can do, but I trust to improve a bit
+on that.
+
+Hunter-Weston had written me a letter from Malta (just to hand) putting
+it down in black and white that we have not a reasonable prospect of
+success. He seemed keen and sanguine when we met and made no reference
+to this letter: so it comes in now as rather a startler. But it is best
+to have the black points thrust upon one's notice beforehand--so long
+always as I keep it fixed in the back of my mind that there was never
+yet a great thought or a great deed which was not cried down as
+unreasonable before the fact by a number of reasonable people!
+
+_30th March, 1915. Alexandria._ Have just dictated a long letter to Lord
+K. in the course of which I have forced myself to say something which
+may cause the great man annoyance. I feel it is up to me to risk that.
+One thing--he knows I am not one of those rotters who ask for more than
+they can possibly be given so that, if things go wrong, they may
+complain of their tools. I have promised K. to help him by keeping my
+demands down to bedrock necessities. I make no demand for ammunition on
+the France and Flanders scale but--we must have _some_! There must be a
+depot somewhere within hail. Here is the crucial para.:--
+
+"I realise how hard up you must be for ammunition, but I hope the M.G.O.
+will have by now put in hand the building up of some reserves at our
+base in Alexandria. If our batteries or battalions now serving in France
+run short, something, at a pinch, can always be scraped together in
+England and issued to them within 24 hours. Here it would be a question
+of almost as many days, and, if it were to turn out that we have a long
+and severe struggle, with no reserves nearer us than Woolwich--well--it
+would not be pleasant! Moreover the number of howitzers, guns and rifles
+in France is so enormous that it is morally impossible they should all
+be hotly engaged at the same time. Thus they automatically form their
+own reserves. In other words, a force possessing only ten howitzers
+ought to have at least twice the reserves of a force possessing a
+hundred howitzers. So at least it seems to me."
+
+In the same letter I tell him about "Birdwood's crowd" and of their
+splendid physique; their growing sense of discipline, their exceeding
+great keenness, and wind up by saying that, given a fair chance, they
+will, for certain, "render a very good account of themselves."
+
+Confabs with d'Amade and Hunter-Weston. Hunter-Weston's "appreciation"
+of the situation at the Dardanelles is to be treated as an _ad interim_
+paper; he wrote it, he says now, without the fuller knowledge he is
+daily acquiring--knowledge which is tending to make him more sanguine.
+His stay at Malta and his talks with Officers there had greatly
+impressed him with the hardness of the nut we have to try and crack; so
+much so that his paper suggests an indefinite putting off of the attempt
+to throw open the Straits. I asked him if he had laid his view before K.
+in London and he said, No; that he had not then come to it and that he
+had not definitely come to it now.
+
+D'Amade's own inclinations would have led him to Asia. When he left
+France he did not know he was to be under me and he had made up his mind
+to land at Adramiti. But now he waives all preconceived ideas and is
+keen to throw himself heart and soul into Lord K.'s ideas and mine. He
+would rather I did not even refer to his former views as he sees they
+are expressly barred by the tenor of my instructions. The French are
+working to time in getting ship-shape. The 29th Division are arriving up
+to date and about one-third of them have landed. We are fixing up our
+gear for floating and other piers and are trying to improvise ways and
+means of coping with the water problem--this ugly nightmare of a water
+problem. The question of the carriage and storage of water for thousands
+of men and horses over a roadless, mainly waterless track of country
+should have been tackled before we left England.
+
+To solve these conundrums we have had to recreate for ourselves a
+special field service system of food, water and ammunition supply. As an
+instance we have had to re-organise baggage sections of trains and fit
+up store ships as substitutes for additional ammunition columns and
+parks. We are getting on fairly fast with our work of telling off troops
+to transports so that each boat load of men landed will be, so to say,
+on its own; victualled, watered and munitioned. But it takes some doing.
+Greatly handicapped by absence of any Administrative, or Q. Staff. The
+General Staff are working double shifts, at a task for which they have
+never been trained:--
+
+  It's a way we have in the Aaarmy!
+  It's a way we have in the NAAAAvy!!
+  It's a way we have in the Eeeeeempire!!!
+     That nobody can deny!!!!
+
+What would my friends on the Japanese General Staff say--or my quondam
+friends on the German General Staff--if they knew that a
+Commander-in-Chief had been for a fortnight in touch with his troops,
+engaged with them upon a huge administrative job, and that he had not
+one administrative Staff Officer to help him, but was willynilly using
+his General Staff for the work? They would say "mad Englishmen" and this
+time they would be right. The British public services are poisoned by
+two enormous fallacies: (_a_) if a man does well in one business, he
+will do equally well or better in another; (_b_) if a man does badly in
+one business he will do equally badly or worse in another. There is
+nothing beyond a vague, floating reputation or public opinion to enable
+a new Minister to know his subordinates. The Germans have tabulated the
+experiences and deficiencies of our leaders, active and potential, in
+peace and war--we have not! Every British General of any note is
+analysed, characterised and turned inside out in the bureau records of
+the great German General Staff in Berlin. We only attempt anything of
+that sort with burglars. My own portrait is in those archives and is
+very good if not very flattering; so a German who had read it has told
+me. This is organisation: this is business; but official circles in
+England are so remote in their methods from these particular notions of
+business that I must turn to a big newspaper shop to let anyone even
+begin to understand what it is to run Q. business with a G.S. team.
+Suppose Lord Northcliffe decided to embark upon a journalistic campaign
+in Canada and that his scheme turned upon time; that it was a question
+of Northcliffe catching time by the forelock or of time laying
+Northcliffe by the heels. Suppose, further, that he had no first-hand
+knowledge of Canada and had decided to place the conduct of the campaign
+in the hands of his brother who would spy out the land; choose the best
+site; buy a building; order the printing press; engage hands and start
+the paper. Well; what staff would he send with him? A couple of leader
+writers, a trio of special correspondents and half a dozen reporters?
+Probably; but would there not also be berths taken in the Cunarder for a
+manager trained in the business side of journalism? Quite a fair way of
+putting the present case, although, on the other side, it is also fair
+to add that British Officers have usually had to play so many parts in
+the charade of square pegs in round holes, that they can catch a hold
+anywhere, at any time, and carry on somehow.
+
+_31st March, 1915. Alexandria._--Quill driving and dictating. Have made
+several remonstrances lately at the way McMahon is permitting the
+Egyptian Press to betray our intentions, numbers, etc. It is almost
+incredible and Maxwell doesn't see his way clear to interfere. For the
+last day or two they have been telling the Turks openly where we are
+bound for. So I have written McMahon the following:--
+
+                   "General Headquarters,
+                        "18 RUE EL CAIED GOHAR,
+                            "ALEXANDRIA, 31/3/15.
+
+  "DEAR HIGH COMMISSIONER,
+
+"I was somewhat startled a couple of mornings ago by an article in the
+_Egyptian Gazette_ giving away the arrival of the French troops, and
+making open references to the Gallipoli Peninsula. The very frankness of
+such communications may of course mislead the Turk into thinking we mean
+thereby to take his mind off some other place which is our real
+objective, but I doubt it. He knows our usual methods too well.
+
+"Consequently as it is very important at least to throw him into some
+state of bewilderment as to our movements, I propose sending the
+following cable to Lord Kitchener:--
+
+"'Whether of set purpose or through inadvertence articles have appeared
+in Egyptian Press openly discussing arrival of French and British troops
+and naming Gallipoli as their destination. Is there any political
+objection to my cautiously spreading rumour that our true objective is,
+say, Smyrna?'
+
+"Before I despatch the wire, however, I think I should like you to see
+it, in case you have any objections. I have all the facilities for
+spreading any rumour I like through my Intelligence Branch, which would
+be less suspected than information leaking out from political sources.
+
+"Could you kindly send me a wire on receipt of this?
+
+                                            "Yours sincerely,
+                                               (_Sd._) "IAN HAMILTON."
+
+"I only propose to ask Lord K. in case there may be political reasons
+why I should not select any particular place about which to spread a
+rumour of our landing."
+
+Forgot to note a step taken yesterday--to nowhere perhaps--perhaps to
+Constantinople. Yesterday the _Doris_ brought me a copy of a long cable
+sent by Winston to de Robeck six days ago, together with a copy of the
+V.A.'s reply. The First Lord is clearly in favour of the Fleet going on
+knocking the Forts to pieces whilst the Army are getting on with their
+preparations; clearly also he thinks that, under rough handling from
+Q.E. & Co., the Turkish resistance might at any moment collapse. Then we
+should sail through as per Lord K.'s programme. Well; nothing would suit
+me so well. If we are to have an opposed landing better kill two birds
+with one stone and land bang upon the Bosphorus. The nearer to the heart
+I can strike my first blow, the more telling it will be. Cable 140 puts
+the case very well. Winston hits the nail on the head, so it seems to
+me, when he points out that the Navy is not tied to the apron strings of
+the Army but that it is the other way about: i.e., if the Fleet makes
+another big push whilst we are getting ready, they can still fall back
+on the combined show with us if they fail; whereas, if they succeed they
+will save us all the loss of life and energy implied by an opposed
+landing at the Dardanelles. Certainly Braithwaite and I had understood
+that de Robeck would work to that end; that this is what he was driving
+at when he said he would not be idle but would keep the Turks busy
+whilst we were getting ready. Nothing will induce me to volunteer
+opinions on Naval affairs. But de Robeck's reply to Winston might be
+read as if I _had_ expressed an opinion, so I am bound to clear up that
+point--definitely.
+
+  "_From_ GENERAL SIR IAN HAMILTON.
+  "_To_ VICE-ADMIRAL SIR JOHN DE ROBECK.
+
+"Copy of number 140 from Admiralty received AAA I had already
+communicated outline of our plan to Lord Kitchener and am pushing on
+preparations as fast as possible AAA War Office still seems to cherish
+hope that you may break through without landing troops AAA Therefore, as
+regards yourself I think wisest procedure will be to push on
+systematically though not recklessly in attack on Forts AAA It is always
+possible that opposition may crumple up AAA If you should succeed be
+sure to leave light cruisers enough to see me through my military attack
+in the event of that being after all necessary AAA If you do not succeed
+then I think we quite understand one another AAA
+                                                       "IAN HAMILTON."
+
+_1st April, 1915. Alexandria._ The _Arcadian_ has arrived bringing my
+A.G. and Q.M.G. with the second echelon of the Staff. God be praised for
+this immense relief! The General Staff can now turn to their legitimate
+business--the enemy, instead of struggling night and day with A.G. and
+Q.M.G. affairs; allocating troops and transports; preparing for water
+supply; tackling questions of procedure and discipline. We are all sorry
+for the Q. Staff who, through no fault of their own, have been late for
+the fair, _their_ special fair, the preparation, and find the show is
+practically over. On paper at least, the Australians and New Zealanders
+and the 29th Division are properly fixed up. We should begin embarking
+these formations within the next three days. After that will come the
+Naval Division from Port Said and the French Division from here.
+
+_2nd April, 1915. Alexandria._ Hard at it all day in office. Am leaving
+to-night by special train for Port Said to hurry things along.
+
+A cable in from the Foreign Office telling me that the Russian part of
+my force consists of a complete Army Corps under General
+Istomine--evidently War and Foreign Offices still work in watertight
+compartments!
+
+Left Alexandria last night at 11 and came into Port Said at dawn. After
+breakfast mounted an Arab charger which seems to have emerged out of the
+desert to meet my wishes just as do special trains and banquets: as if I
+wore on my finger the magic ring of the Arabian fairy tale: so I do I
+suppose, in the command it has pleased K., Imperial Grand Vizier, to
+bestow upon this humble but lively speck of dust. Mounting we cantered
+through the heavy sand towards the parade ground near the docks. Here,
+like a wall, stood Winston's far-famed Naval Division drawn up in its
+battle array. General Paris received me backed by Olivant and Staff.
+After my inspection the Division marched past, and marched past very
+well indeed, much better than they did when I saw them some months ago
+in Kent, although the sand was against them, muffling the stamp of feet
+which binds a Company together and telling unevenly on different parts
+of the line. Admiral Pierce and his Flag Captain, Burmeister, honoured
+the occasion: they were on foot and so, not to elevate the stature of
+the Army above that of the Senior Service, I took the salute dismounted.
+
+Next had a look round camp. Found things so, so. Saw Arthur Asquith and
+Rupert Brooke of the Howe Battalion, both sick, neither bad. Asked
+Brooke to join my personal Staff, not as a fire insurance (seeing what
+happened to Ronnie Brooke at Elandslaagte and to Ava at Waggon Hill) but
+still as enabling me to keep an eye on the most distinguished of the
+Georgians. Young Brooke replied, as a _preux chevalier_ would naturally
+reply,--he realised the privileges he was foregoing, but he felt bound
+to do the landing shoulder-to-shoulder with his comrades. He looked
+extraordinarily handsome, quite a knightly presence, stretched out there
+on the sand with the only world that counts at his feet.
+
+Lunched on the _Franconia_ and conversed with Lieutenant-Colonel
+Matthews and Major Mewes of the Plymouth Battalion; also with Major
+Palmer. To see with your eyes; to hear with your ears; to touch with
+your fingers enables you to bring the truth home to yourself. Five
+minutes of that personal touch tells a man more than five weeks of
+report reading. In five minutes I gained from these Officers five times
+more knowledge about Sedd-el-Bahr and Kum Kale than all their own bald
+despatches describing their own landings and cutting-out enterprises had
+given me. Paris' account had not helped me much either, the reason being
+that it was not first hand,--was only so many words that he had
+heard,--was not what he had _felt_. Now, I do really, at last and for
+the first time, realistically grasp the lie of the land and of the
+Turks. The prospect is not too rosy, but Wolfe, I daresay, saw blue as
+he gazed over the water at his problem, without map or General Staff
+plan to help him. There lay Quebec; within cannon shot; but that enemy
+was thrice his strength; entrenched in a fortress--there they lay
+confident--a landing was "impossible!" But all things are possible--to
+faith. He had faith in Pitt; faith in his own bright particular star;
+faith in the British Fleet standing resolute at his back:--he launched
+his attack; he got badly beaten at the landing; he pulled himself
+together; he met a thousand and one mishaps and delays, and when, at the
+long last, he fell, he had the plum in his pocket.
+
+The Turks lie close within a few yards of the water's edge on the
+Peninsula. Matthews smiled sarcastically at the War Office idea that no
+Turks can exist South of Achi Baba! At Sedd-el-Bahr, the first houses
+are empty, being open to the fire of the Fleet, but the best part of the
+other houses are defiladed by the ground and a month ago they were held.
+Glad I did not lose a minute after seeing the ground in asking Maxwell
+and Methuen to make me some trench mortars. Methuen says he can't help,
+but Maxwell's Ordnance people have already fixed up a sample or
+two--rough things, but better than nothing. We have too little shrapnel
+to be able to spare any for cutting entanglements. Trench mortars may
+help where the Fleet can't bring their guns to bear. The thought of all
+that barbed wire tucked away into the folds of the ground by the shore
+follows me about like my shadow.
+
+Left Port Said for Kantara and got there in half an hour. General Cox,
+an old Indian friend of the days when I was A.D.C. to Sir Fred., met me
+at the station. He commands the Indian troops in Egypt. We nipped into a
+launch on the Canal, and crossed over to inspect the Companies of the
+Nelson, Drake, Howe and Anson Battalions in their Fort, whilst Cox
+hurried off to fix up a parade of his own.
+
+The Indian Brigade were drawn up under Brigadier-General Mercer. After
+inspection, the troops marched past headed by the band of the 14th
+Sikhs. No one not a soldier can understand what it means to an old
+soldier who began fighting in the Afghan War under Roberts of Kandahar
+to be in touch once again with Sikhs and Gurkhas, those splendid
+knights-errant of India.
+
+After about eighteen years' silence, I thought my Hindustani would fail
+me, but the words seemed to drop down from Heaven on to my tongue. Am
+able now to understand the astonishment of St. Paul when he found
+himself jabbering nineteen to the dozen in lingo, Greek to him till
+then. But he at least was exempt from my worst terror which was that at
+any moment I might burst into German!
+
+After our little _durbar_, the men were dismissed to their lines and I
+walked back to the Fort. There I suddenly ordered the alarm to be
+sounded (I had not told anyone of my intention) so the swift yet smooth
+fall-in to danger posts was a feather in Cox's helmet.
+
+Back to main camp and there saw troops not manning the Fort. There were
+the:--
+
+  Queen Victoria's Own
+    Sappers                Captain Hogg, R.E.,
+  69th Punjabis            Colonel Harding,
+  89th Punjabis            Colonel Campbell,
+  14th K.G.O. Sikhs        Colonel Palin,
+  1st Bn. 6th Gurkhas      Colonel Bruce,
+  29th Mountain Battery
+    and the Bikaner Camel
+    Corps                  Major Bruce.
+
+Had a second good talk to the Native Officers, shaking hands all round.
+Much struck with the turn-out of the 29th Mountain Battery which is to
+come along with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps to the
+Dardanelles.
+
+From the platform of the Fort the lines of our defences and the way the
+Turks attacked them stood out very clearly to a pair of field glasses.
+Why, with so many mounted men some effort was not made to harry the
+enemy's retreat, Cox cannot tell me. There were no trenches and the
+desert had no limits.
+
+_Now_ (in the train on my way back to Alexandria) I must have one more
+try at K. about these Gurkhas! My official cable and letter asking for
+the Gurkha Brigade have fallen upon stony ground. No notice of any sort
+has been vouchsafed to my modest request. Has _any_ action been taken
+upon them? Possibly the matter has been referred to Maxwell for opinion?
+If so, he has said nothing about it, which does not promise well. Cox
+has heard nothing from Cairo; only no end of camp rumours. Most likely
+K. is vexed with me for asking for these troops at all, and thinks I am
+already forgetting his warning not to put him in the cart by asking for
+too many things. France must not be made jealous and Egypt ditto, I
+suppose. I cannot possibly repeat my official cable and my demi-official
+letter. The whole is _most_ disappointing. Here is Cox and here are his
+men, absolutely wasted and frightfully keen to come. There are the
+Dardanelles short-handed; there is the New Zealand Division short of a
+Brigade. If surplus and deficit had the same common denominator, say
+"K." or "G.S." they would wipe themselves out to the instant
+simplification of the problem. As it is, they are kept on separate
+sheets of paper;
+
+  too many troops        too few troops
+      Maxwell               Hamilton
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Have just finished dictating a letter to K., giving him an account of my
+inspection of the Indian troops and of how "they made my mouth water,
+especially the 6th Gurkhas." I ask him if I could not anyway have _them_
+"as a sort of escort to the Mountain Battery," and go on to say, "The
+desert is drying up, Cox tells me; such water as there is is becoming
+more and more brackish and undrinkable; and no other serious raid, in
+his opinion, will be possible this summer." I might have added that once
+we open the ball at the Dardanelles the old Turks must dance to our
+tune, and draw in their troops for the defence of Constantinople but it
+does not do to be too instructive to one's Grandmother. So there it is:
+I have done the best I can.
+
+_4th April, 1915. Alexandria._ Busy day in office. Things beginning to
+hum. A marvellous case of "two great minds." K. has proffered his advice
+upon the tactical problem, and how it should be dealt with, and, as I
+have just cabled in answer, "No need to send you my plan as you have got
+it in one, even down to details, only I have not shells enough to cut
+through barbed wire with my field guns or howitzers." I say also, "I
+should much like to have some hint as to my future supply of gun and
+rifle ammunition. The Naval Division has only 430 rounds per rifle and
+the 29th Division only 500 rounds which means running it fine."
+
+What might seem, to a civilian, a marvellous case of coincidence or
+telepathy were he ever to compare my completed plan with K.'s cabled
+suggestion is really one more instance of the identity of procedure born
+of a common doctrine between two soldiers who have worked a great deal
+together. Given the same facts the odds are in favour of these facts
+being seen eye to eye by each.
+
+Forgot to note that McMahon answered my letter of the 31st personally,
+on the telephone, saying he had no objection to my cabling K. or
+spreading any reports I liked through my Intelligence, but that he is
+not keeper of the _Egyptian Gazette_ and must not quarrel with it as
+Egypt is not at war! No wonder he prefers the telephone to the telegram
+I begged him to send me if he makes these sort of answers. Egypt is in
+the war area and, if it were not, McMahon can do anything he likes. The
+_Gazette_ continues to publish full details of our actions and my only
+hope is that the Turks will not be able to believe in folly so
+incredible.
+
+_5th April, 1915. Alexandria._ Motored after early breakfast to French
+Headquarters at the Victoria College. Here I was met by d'Amade and an
+escort of Cuirassiers, and, getting on to my Australian horse, trotted
+off to parade.
+
+Coming on to the ground, the French trumpeters blew a lively fanfare
+which was followed by a roll of drums. Never was so picturesque a
+parade, the verdict of one who can let his mind rove back through the
+military pageants of India, Russia, Japan, Germany, Austria,
+Switzerland, China, Canada, U.S.A., Australia, and New Zealand. Yes,
+Alexandria has seen some pretty shows in its time; Cleopatra had an eye
+to effect and so, too, had the great Napoleon. But I doubt whether the
+townsfolk have ever seen anything to equal the _coup d'oeil_ engineered
+by d'Amade. Under an Eastern sun the colours of the French uniforms,
+gaudy in themselves, ran riot, and the troops had surely been posted by
+one who was an artist in more than soldiering. Where the yellow sand was
+broken by a number of small conical knolls with here and there a group,
+and here and there a line, of waving palms, there, on the knolls, were
+clustered the Mountain Batteries and the Batteries of Mitrailleuses. The
+Horse, Foot and Guns were drawn up, Infantry in front, Cavalry in rear,
+and the Field Artillery--the famous 75s--at right angles.
+
+Infantry of the Line in grey; Zouaves in blue and red; Senegalese wore
+dark blue and the Foreign Legion blue-grey. The Cavalry rode Arabs and
+barbs mostly white stallions; they wore pale blue tunics and bright
+scarlet breeches.
+
+I rode down the lines of Infantry first and then galloped through the
+heavy sand to the right of the Cavalry and inspected them, by d'Amade's
+request, at a trot, winding up with the six Batteries of Artillery. On
+reaching the Saluting Base, I was introduced to the French Minister
+whilst d'Amade presented colours to two Regiments (175th Regiment de
+marche d'Afrique and the 4th Colonial Regiment) making a short and
+eloquent speech.
+
+He then took command of the parade and marched past me at the head of
+his forces. Were all the Houris of Paradise waving lily hands on the one
+side, and were these French soldiers on the other side, I would give my
+cold shoulder to the Houris.
+
+The Cavalry swung along at the trot to the cadence of the trumpets and
+to the clink-clank and glitter of steel. The beautiful, high-stepping
+barbs; the trembling of the earth beneath their hoofs; the banner
+streaming; the swordsmen of France sweeping past the saluting base;
+breaking into the gallop; sounding the charge; charging; _ventre a
+terre_; out into the desert where, in an instant, they were snatched
+from our sight and changed into a pillar of dust!
+
+High, high soared our hopes. Jerusalem--Constantinople? No limit to what
+these soldiers may achieve. The thought passed through the massed
+spectators and set enthusiasm coursing through their veins. Loudly they
+cheered; hats off; and hurrah for the Infantry! Hurrah, hurrah for the
+Cavalry!! Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah for the 75s!!!
+
+At the end I said a few farewell words to the French Minister and then
+galloped off with d'Amade. The bystanders gave us, too, the warmest
+greetings, the bulk of them (French and Greek) calling out "d'Amade!"
+and the Britishers also shouting all sorts of things at the pitch of
+their voices.
+
+Almost lost my temper with Woodward, my new A.G., and this was the
+thusness thereof:--
+
+Time presses: K. prods us from the rear: the Admiral from the front. To
+their eyes we seem to be dallying amidst the fleshpots of Egypt whereas,
+really, we are struggling like drowning mariners in a sea of chaos;
+chaos in the offices; chaos on the ships; chaos in the camps; chaos
+along the wharves; chaos half seas over rolling down the Seven Sisters
+Road. The powers of Maxwell as C.-in-C., Egypt; of the Sultan and
+McMahon, High Commissioner of Egypt, and of myself, C.-in-C., M.E.F.,
+not to speak of the powers of our police civil and military, have all to
+be defined and wheeled into line. We cannot go rushing off into space
+leaving Pandemonium behind us as our Base! I know these things from a
+very long experience. Braithwaite believes in the principle as a student
+and ex-teacher of students. And yet that call to the front!
+
+We've _got_ to tackle the landing scheme on the spot and quick. Luckily
+the problems at Alexandria are _all_ non-tactical; pure A.G. and Q.M.G.
+Staff questions; whereas, at present, the problems awaiting me at the
+Dardanelles are mainly tactical; G.S. questions. So I am going to treat
+G.H.Q. as Solomon threatened to treat the baby; i.e., leave the
+Administrative Staff here until they knock their pidgin more or less
+into shape and send off the G.S. to pluck _their_ pidgin at the Straits.
+The Q. people have still to commandeer offices for Woodward's men, three
+quarters of whom stay here permanently to do the casualty work; they
+have to formulate a local code of discipline; take up buildings for base
+hospitals and arrange for their personnel and equipment; outline their
+schemes for getting sick and wounded back from the front; finish up the
+loading of the ships, etc., etc., etc., _ad infinitum_. Whilst the Q.
+Staff are thus pulling their full weight, the G. Staff will sail off
+quickly and put their heads together with the Admiral and his Staff. As
+to myself, I'm off: I cannot afford to lose more time in getting into
+touch with the sailors, and the scene of action.
+
+All was well until the Commander-in-Chief said he was going, but that
+moment arose the good old trouble--the trouble which muddled our start
+for the Relief of Chitral and ruined the Tirah Campaign. Everyone wants
+to rush off to the excitement of the firing line--(a spasm usually cured
+by the first hard fight), and to leave the hum-drum business of the Base
+and Line of Communication to shift for itself. Braithwaite, of all
+people, was good natured enough to plead for the Administration. He came
+to tell me that it might tend towards goodwill amongst the charmed
+circle of G.H.Q. if even now, at the eleventh hour, I would sweeten
+Woodward by bringing him along. I said, yes, if he, Braithwaite, would
+stand surety that he, Woodward, had fixed up his base hospitals and
+third echelon, but if not, no! Next came Woodward himself. With great
+pertinacity he represented that his subordinates could do all that had
+to be done at the base. He says he speaks for the Q.M.G., as well as for
+the Director General of Medical Services, and that they all want to
+accompany me on my reconnaissance of the coasts of the Peninsula. I was
+a little sharp with him. These heads of Departments think they must be
+sitting in the C.-in-C.'s pocket lest they lose caste. But I say the
+Departments must be where their work lies, or else the C.-in-C. will
+lose caste, and luckily he can still put his own Staff where he will.
+Finally, I agreed to take with me the Assistant to the Director of
+Medical Services to advise his own Chief as to the local bearings of his
+scheme for clearing out the sick and wounded; the others stay here until
+they get their several shows into working order, and with that my A.G.
+had fain to be content.
+
+D'Amade and two or three Frenchmen are dining with me to-night. Sir John
+Maxwell has just arrived.
+
+_6th April, 1915. Alexandria._ Started out at 9.15 with d'Amade and Sir
+John to review the Mounted troops of the 29th Division. We first saw
+them march down the road in column of route. What a contrast between
+these solid looking men on their magnificent weight-carrying horses and
+our wiry little Allies on their barbs and Arabs. The R.H.A. were superb.
+
+After seeing the troops I motored to Mex Camp and inspected the 86th and
+87th Infantry Brigades. There was a strong wind blowing which tried to
+spoil the show, but could not--that Infantry was too superb! Alexander,
+Hannibal, Caesar, Napoleon; not one of them had the handling of
+legionaries like these. The Fusilier Brigade were the heavier. If we
+don't win, I won't be able to put it on the men.
+
+Maxwell left at 4 p.m. for Cairo. I have pressed him hard about Cox's
+Indian Brigade and told him of my conversation with Cox himself and of
+how keen all ranks of the Brigade are to come. No use. He expects, so he
+says, a big attack on the Canal any moment; he has heard nothing from
+K.; the fact that K. has ignored my direct appeal to him shows he would
+not approve, etc., etc., etc. All this is just the line I myself would
+probably take--I admit it--if asked by another General to part with my
+troops. The arrangement whereby I have to sponge on Maxwell for men if I
+want them is a detestable arrangement. At the last he consented to cable
+K. direct on the point himself and then he is to let me know. Two things
+are quite certain; the Brigade are not wanted in Egypt. Old campaigners
+versed in Egyptian war lore tell me that the drying up of the wells must
+put the lid on to any move across the desert until the winter rains,
+and, apart from this, how in the name of the beard of their own false
+prophet can the Turks attack Egypt whilst we are at the gates of
+Constantinople?
+
+But if the Brigade are not wanted on the Canal, we are bound to be the
+better for them at the Dardanelles, whatever course matters there may
+take. Concentration is the cue! The German or Japanese General Staffs
+would tumble to these truths and act upon them presto. K. sees them too,
+but nothing can overcome his passion for playing off one Commander
+against another, whereby K. of K. keeps all reins in his hands and
+remains sole arbiter between them.
+
+Birdwood has just turned up. We're off to-morrow evening.
+
+'Phoned Maxwell last thing telling him to be sure not to forget to jog
+K.'s elbow about Cox and his Gurkhas.
+
+_7th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." 10 p.m._ D'Amade looked in to say
+good-bye.
+
+On my way down to the harbour I overhauled the Assyrian Jewish Refugee
+Mule Corps at the Wardian Camp. Their Commander, author of that
+thrilling shocker, "The Man-killers of Tsavo," finds Assyrians and mules
+rather a mouthful and is going to tabloid bipeds and quadrupeds into
+"The Zion Corps." The mules look very fit; so do the Assyrians and,
+although I did not notice that their cohorts were gleaming with purple
+or gold, they may help us to those habiliments: they may, in fact, serve
+as ground bait to entice the big Jew journalists and bankers towards our
+cause; the former will lend us the colour, the latter the coin. Anyway,
+so far as I can, I mean to give the chosen people a chance.
+
+Got aboard at 5.15, but owing to some hitch in the arrangements for
+filling up our tanks with fresh water, we are held up and won't get off
+until to-morrow morning.
+
+If there drops a gnat into the ointment of the General, be sure there
+are ten thousand flies stinking the ointment of the troops.
+
+_8th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."_ Sailing free to the Northwards. A
+fine day and a smooth sea. What would not Richard Coeur de Lion or
+Napoleon have given for the _Arcadian_ to take them to St. Jean d'Acre
+and Jerusalem?
+
+As we were clearing harbour a letter was brought out to us by a launch:
+
+                                                       "UNION CLUB,
+                                                          "ALEXANDRIA.
+
+"The following telephone received from General Maxwell, Cairo:--Your
+message re Cox, I will do my best to meet your wishes. Will you in your
+turn assist me in getting the seaplanes arriving here in _Ganges_? I
+have wired to Admiral de Robeck, I want them badly, so please help me if
+you can.
+
+                 "_Forwarded by_ ADMIRAL ROBINSON."
+
+Cutlet for cutlet! I wish it had occurred to me sooner to do a deal with
+some aeroplanes. But, then I have none. No matter: I should have
+promised him de Robeck's! South Africa repeats itself! Egypt and Mudros
+are not one but two. Maxwell and I are co-equal allies; _not_ a combine
+under a Boss!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV
+
+CLEARING FOR ACTION
+
+
+_9th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."_ Isles of the Aegean; one more lovely
+than the other; weather warm; wireless off; a great ship steaming fast
+towards a great adventure--why do I walk up and down the deck feeling a
+ton's weight of trouble weighing down upon my shoulders? Never till
+to-day has solicitude become painful. This is the fault of Birdwood,
+Hunter-Weston and Paris. I read their "appreciations of the situation"
+some days ago, but until to-day I have not had the unbroken hour needed
+to digest them. Birdwood begins by excusing himself in advance against
+any charge of vacillation. At our first meeting he said he was convinced
+our best plan would be to go for the South of the Gallipoli Peninsula.
+Now he has, in fact, very much shifted his ground under the influence of
+a new consideration, "(which I only learned after leaving Lemnos) that
+the Turks now have guns or howitzers on the Asiatic side which could
+actually command our transports should they anchor off Morto Bay." "As I
+told you," he says, "after thinking it out thoroughly, I was convinced
+our best plan would be to go for the South of the Gallipoli Peninsula,"
+but now he continues, he finds his Staff "all seem to be keen on a
+landing somewhere between Saros Bay and Enos. For this I have no use, as
+though I think we should doubtless be able to effect a landing there
+pretty easily, yet I do not see that we shall be any 'forrarder' by
+doing so. We might put ourselves in front of the Bulair Lines, but there
+would be far less object in attacking them and working South-west with
+the Navy only partially able to help us, than by working up from the
+other end with the Navy on either flank."
+
+Birdwood himself rather inclines towards a landing on the Asiatic side,
+for preference somewhere South of Tenedos. The attractive part of his
+idea is that if we did this the Turks must withdraw most of their mobile
+artillery from the Peninsula to meet us, which would give the Navy just
+the opportunity they require for mine-sweeping and so forcing the
+Narrows forthwith. They know they can give the superstition of old Forts
+being stronger than new ships its quietus if only they can clear a
+passage through the minefield. There are forts and forts, ships and
+ships, no doubt. But from what we have done already the sailors know
+that our ships here can knock out those forts here. But first they must
+tackle the light guns which protect the minefield from the sweepers.
+Birdwood seems to think we might dominate the Peninsula from the country
+round Chunuk. In his P.S. he suggests that anyway, if we are beaten off
+in our attempt to land on the Peninsula we may have this Asiatic scheme
+in our mind as a second string. Disembarkation plans already made would
+"probably be suitable _anywhere_ with very slight modifications. We
+might perhaps even think of this--if we try the other first and can't
+pull it off?"
+
+In my answer, I say I am still for taking the shortest, most direct
+route to my objective, the Narrows.
+
+First, because "I have no roving commission to conquer Asia Minor." My
+instructions deny me the whole of that country when they lay down as a
+principle that "The occupation of the Asiatic side by military forces is
+to be strongly deprecated."
+
+Secondly, because I agree that a landing between Saros Bay and Enos
+would leave us no "forrarder." There we should be attacked in front from
+Rodosto; in flank from Adrianople; in rear from Bulair; whilst, as we
+advanced, we would lose touch with the Fleet. But if our scheme is to be
+based on severance from the Fleet we must delay another month or six
+weeks to collect pack transport.
+
+Thirdly, the Asiatic side _does not_ dominate the Peninsula whereas the
+Kilid Bahr plateau _does_ dominate the Asiatic narrows.
+
+Fourthly, the whole point of our being here is to work hand-in-glove
+with the Fleet. We are here to help get the Fleet through the
+Dardanelles in the first instance and to help the Russians to take
+Constantinople in the second. The War Office, the Admiralty, the
+Vice-Admiral and the French Commander-in-Chief all agree now that the
+Peninsula is the best place for our first step towards these objects.
+
+Hunter-Weston's appreciation, written on his way out at Malta, is a
+masterly piece of work. He understands clearly that our true objective
+is to let our warships through the Narrows to attack Constantinople.
+"The immediate object," he says, "of operations in the Dardanelles is to
+enable our warships, with the necessary colliers and other unarmoured
+supply ships--without which capital ships cannot maintain themselves--to
+pass through the Straits in order to attack Constantinople."
+
+And again:--
+
+"It is evident that land operations at this stage must be directed
+entirely towards assisting the Fleet; and no operations should be
+commenced unless it is clear that their result will be to enable our
+warships, with their necessary colliers, etc., to have the use of the
+Straits."
+
+The Fleet, he holds, cannot do this without our help because of:--
+
+  (1). Improvement of the defences.
+  (2). The mobile howitzers.
+  (3). The Leon floating mines.
+
+Things being so, he sets himself to consider how far the Army can help,
+in the light of the following premises:--
+
+"The Turkish Army having been warned by our early bombardments and by
+the landings carried out some time ago, has concentrated a large force
+in and near the Gallipoli Peninsula."
+
+"It has converted the Peninsula into an entrenched camp, has, under
+German direction, made several lines of entrenchments covering the
+landing places, with concealed machine gun emplacements and land mines
+on the beach; and has put in concealed positions guns and howitzers
+capable of covering the landing places and approaches with their fire."
+
+"The Turkish Army in the Peninsula is being supplied and reinforced from
+the Asiatic side and from the Sea of Marmora and is not dependent on the
+Isthmus of Bulair. The passage of the Isthmus of Bulair by troops and
+supplies at night cannot be denied by the guns of our Fleet."
+
+After estimates of our forces and of the difficulties they may expect to
+encounter, Hunter-Weston comes to the conclusion that, "the only landing
+places worth serious consideration are:
+
+  "(1). Those near Cape Suvla,
+   (2). Those near Cape Helles."
+
+Of these two he advises Helles, because:--"the Fleet can also surround
+this end of the Peninsula and bring a concentrated fire on any Turks
+holding it. We, therefore, should be able to make sure of securing the
+Achi Baba position." Also, because our force is too weak to hold the big
+country round Suvla Bay and at the same time operate against Kilid Bahr.
+
+If this landing at Helles is successful, he considers the probable
+further course of the operations. Broadly, he thinks that we are so
+short of ammunition and particularly of high explosive shell that there
+is every prospect of our getting tied up on an extended line across the
+Peninsula in front of the Kilid Bahr trenches. Should the enemy
+submarines arrive we should be "up a tree."
+
+The cards in the game of life are the characters of men. Staking on
+those cards I take my own opinions--always. But when we play the game of
+death, things are our counters--guns, rivers, shells, bread, roads,
+forests, ships--and in totting up the values of these my friend
+Hunter-Weston has very few equals in the Army.
+
+Therefore, his conclusion depresses me very much, but not so much as it
+would have done had I not seen him. For certainly during his conference
+on the 30th March with d'Amade and myself he never said or implied in
+any way that under conditions as he found them and as they were then set
+before him, there was no reasonable prospect of success:--quite the
+contrary. Here are the conclusions as written at Malta:--
+
+"Conclusion. The information available goes to show that if this
+Expedition had been carefully and secretly prepared in England, France
+and Egypt, and the Naval and Military details of organisation, equipment
+and disembarkation carefully worked out by the General Staff and the
+Naval War Staff, and if no bombardment or other warning had been given
+till the troops, landing gear, etc., were all ready and despatched, (the
+troops from England ostensibly for service in Egypt and those in Egypt
+ostensibly for service in France) the capture of the Gallipoli
+Peninsula and the forcing of the Dardanelles would have been successful.
+
+"Von der Goltz is reported to have visited the Dardanelles on 11th
+February and before that date it appears that very little had been done.
+
+"Now big guns have been brought from Chatalja, Adrianople and
+elsewhere,--roads have been made,--heavy movable armaments
+provided,--troops and machine guns have been poured into the
+Peninsula,--several lines of trenches have been dug,--every landing
+place has been trenched and mined, and all that clever German Officers
+under Von der Goltz can design, and hard working diggers like the Turks
+can carry out, has been done to make the Peninsula impregnable.
+
+"The prizes of success in this Expedition are very great.
+
+"It was indeed the most hopeful method of finishing the war.
+
+"No loss would be too heavy and no risks too great if thereby success
+would be attained.
+
+"But if the views expressed in this paper be sound, there is not in
+present circumstances a reasonable chance of success. (The views are
+founded on the information available to the writer at the time of
+leaving Malta, and may be modified by further information at first hand
+on arrival at Force Head Quarters.)
+
+"The return of the Expedition when it has gone so far will cause
+discontent, much talk, and some laughter; will confirm Roumania and
+Greece in the wisdom of their neutrality, and will impair the power of
+our valuable friend M. Venezelos. It will be a heavy blow to all of us
+soldiers, and will need great strength and moral courage on the part of
+the Commander and Government.
+
+"But it will not do irreparable harm to our cause, whereas to attempt a
+landing and fail to secure a passage through the Dardanelles would be a
+disaster to the Empire.
+
+"The threat of invasion by the Allies is evidently having considerable
+effect on the Balkan States.
+
+"It is therefore advisable to continue our preparations;--to train our
+troops for landing, and to get our expedition properly equipped and
+organised for this difficult operation of war; so as to be ready to take
+advantage of any opportunity for successful action that may occur.
+
+"But I would repeat; no action should be taken unless it has been
+carefully thought out in all its possibilities and details and unless
+there is a reasonable _probability_ of success.
+
+                                              "A. HUNTER-WESTON, M.G."
+
+Paris's appreciation gives no very clear lead. "The enemy is of strength
+unknown," he says, "but within striking distance there must be 250,000."
+He also lays stress on the point that the enemy are expecting
+us--"Surprise is now impossible--.... The difficulties are now increased
+a hundredfold.... To land would be difficult enough if surprise was
+possible but hazardous in the extreme under present conditions." He
+discusses Gaba Tepe as a landing place; also Smyrna, and Bulair. On the
+whole, he favours Sedd-el-Bahr as it "is the only place where transports
+could come in close and where the actual landing may be unopposed. It is
+open to question whether a landing could be effected elsewhere. With the
+aid of the Fleet it may be possible to land near Cape Helles almost
+unopposed and an advance of ten miles would enormously facilitate the
+landing of the remainder South of Gaba Tepe."
+
+The truth is, every one of these fellows agrees in his heart with old
+Von der Goltz, the Berlin experts, and the Sultan of Egypt that the
+landing is impossible. Well, we shall see, D.V., we shall see!! One
+thing is certain: we must work up our preparations to the _n_th degree
+of perfection: the impossible can only be overborne by the
+unprecedented; i.e., by an original method or idea.
+
+_10th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Cast anchor at 7 a.m. After
+breakfast went on board the _Queen Elizabeth_ where Braithwaite and I
+worked for three hours with Admiral de Robeck, Admiral Wemyss and
+Commodore Roger Keyes.
+
+Last time the Admiral made the running; to-day it was my turn for I had
+to unfold my scheme and go through it point by point with the sailors.
+But first I felt it my duty to read out the appreciations of
+Hunter-Weston, Birdwood and Paris. Then I gave them my own view that
+history had never offered any nation so clean cut a chance of bringing
+off an immeasurably big coup as she had done by putting our Fleet and
+Army precisely where it was at present on the map of the war world. Half
+that unique chance had already been muddled away by the lack of secrecy
+and swiftness in our methods. With check mate within our grasp we had
+given two moves to the enemy. Still, perhaps; nay, probably, there was
+time. Were we to prolong hesitation, or, were we, now that we had done
+the best we could with the means under our hands, to go boldly forward?
+Here was the great issue: there was no use discussing detail until the
+principle was settled. By God's mercy the Vice-Admiral, Wemyss and Keyes
+were all quite clear and quite determined. They rejected Bulair; they
+rejected Asia; most of all they spurned the thought of further delay or
+of hanging about hoping for something to turn up.
+
+So I then told them my plan. The more, I said, I had pondered over the
+map and reflected upon the character, probable numbers and supposed
+positions of the enemy, the more convinced I had become that the first
+and foremost step towards a victorious landing was to upset the
+equilibrium of Liman von Sanders, the enemy Commander who has succeeded
+Djavad in the Command of the Fifth Army. I must try to move so that he
+should be unable to concentrate either his mind or his men against us.
+Here I was handicapped by having no knowledge of my opponent whereas the
+German General Staff is certain to have transferred the "life-like
+picture" Schroeder told me they had of me to Constantinople. Still, sea
+power and the mobility it confers is a great help, and we ought to be
+able to rattle the enemy however imperturbable may be his nature and
+whatever he knows about us if we throw every man we can carry in our
+small craft in one simultaneous rush against selected points, whilst
+using all the balance in feints against other likely places. Prudence
+here is entirely out of place. There will be and can be no
+reconnaissance, no half measures, no tentatives. Several cautious
+proposals have been set before me but this is neither the time nor the
+place for paddling about the shore putting one foot on to the beaches
+with the idea of drawing it back again if it happens to alight upon a
+land mine. No; we've got to take a good run at the Peninsula and jump
+plump on--both feet together. At a given moment we must plunge and stake
+everything on the one hazard.
+
+I would like to land my whole force in one,--like a hammer stroke--with
+the fullest violence of its mass effect--as close as I can to my
+objective, the Kilid Bahr plateau. But, apart from lack of small craft,
+the thing cannot be done; the beach space is so cramped that the men and
+their stores could not be put ashore. I have to separate my forces and
+the effect of momentum, which cannot be produced by cohesion, must be
+reproduced by the simultaneous nature of the movement. From the South,
+Achi Baba mountain is our first point of attack, and the direct move
+against it will start from the beaches at Cape Helles and Sedd-el-Bahr.
+As it is believed that the Turks are there in some force to oppose us,
+envelopment will be attempted by landing detachments in Morto Bay and
+opposite Krithia village. At the same time, also, the A. and N.Z. Corps
+will land between Gaba Tepe and Fisherman's Hut to try and seize the
+high backbone of the Peninsula and cut the line of retreat of the enemy
+on the Kilid Bahr plateau. In any case, the move is bound to interfere
+with the movements of Turkish reinforcements towards the toe of the
+Peninsula. While these real attacks are taking place upon the foot and
+at the waist of the Peninsula, the knife will be flourished at its neck.
+Transports containing troops which cannot be landed during the first two
+days must sail up to Bulair; make as much splash as they can with their
+small boats and try to provide matter for alarm wires to Constantinople
+and the enemy's Chief.
+
+So much for Europe. Asia is forbidden but I hold myself free, as a
+measure of battle tactics, to take half a step Troywards. The French are
+to land a Brigade at Kum Kale (perhaps a Regiment may do) so as, first,
+to draw the fire of any enemy big guns which can range Morto Bay;
+secondly, to prevent Turkish troops being shipped across the Narrows.
+
+With luck, then, within the space of an hour, the enemy Chief will be
+beset by a series of S.O.S. signals. Over an area of 100 miles, from
+five or six places; from Krithia and Morto Bay; from Gaba Tepe; from
+Bulair and from Kum Kale in Asia, as well as, if the French can manage
+it, from Besika Bay, the cables will pour in. I reckon Liman von
+Sanders will not dare concentrate and that he will fight with his local
+troops only for the first forty-eight hours. But what is the number of
+these local troops? Alas, there is the doubtful point. We think forty
+thousand rifles and a hundred guns, but, if my scheme comes off, not a
+tenth of them should be South of Achi Baba for the first two days. Hints
+have been thrown out that we are asking the French cat to pull the
+hottest chestnut out of the fire. Not at all. At Kum Kale, with their
+own ships at their back, and the deep Mendere River to their front,
+d'Amade's men should easily be able to hold their own for a day or
+two,--all that we ask of them.
+
+The backbone of my enterprise is the 29th Division. At dawn I intend to
+land the covering force of that Division at Sedd-el-Bahr, Cape Helles
+and, D.V., in Morto Bay. I tack my D.V. on to Morto Bay because the
+transports will there be under fire from Asia unless the French succeed
+in silencing the guns about Troy or in diverting their aim. Whether then
+our transports can stick it or not is uncertain, like everything else in
+war, only more so. They must if they can and if they can they must; that
+is all that can be said at present.
+
+As to the effort to be made to envelop the enemy's right flank along the
+coast between Helles and Krithia, I have not yet quite fixed on the
+exact spot, but I am personally bent upon having it done as even a small
+force so landed should threaten the line of retreat and tend to shake
+the confidence of any Turks resisting us at the Southernmost point.
+Some think these cliffs along that North-west coast unclimbable, but I
+am sure our fellows will manage to scramble up, and I think their losses
+should be less in doing so than in making the more easy seeming lodgment
+at Sedd-el-Bahr or Helles. The more broken and precipitous the glacis,
+the more the ground leading up to the objective is dead. The guns of the
+Fleet can clear the crest of the cliffs and the strip of sand at their
+foot should then be as healthy as Brighton. If the Turks down at Helles
+are nervous, even a handful landing behind their first line (stretching
+from the old Castle Northwards to the coast) should make them begin to
+look over their shoulders.
+
+As to the A. and N.Z. landing, that will be of the nature of a strong
+feint, which may, and we hope will, develop into the real thing. My
+General Staff have marked out on the maps a good circular holding
+position, starting from Fisherman's Hut in the North round along the
+Upper Spurs of the high ridges and following them down to where they
+reach the sea, a little way above Gaba Tepe. If only Birdwood can seize
+this line and fix himself there for a bit, he should in due course be
+able to push on forward to Kojah Dere whence he will be able to choke
+the Turks on the Southern part of the Peninsula with a closer grip and a
+more deadly than we could ever hope to exercise from far away Bulair.
+
+We are bound to suffer serious loss from concealed guns, both on the sea
+and also during the first part of our landing before we can win ground
+for our guns. That is part of the hardness of the nut. The landings at
+Gaba Tepe and to the South will between them take up all our small craft
+and launches. So I am unable to throw the Naval Division into action at
+the first go off. They will man the transports that sail to make a show
+at Bulair.
+
+This is the substance of my opening remarks at the meeting: discussion
+followed, and, at the end, the Navy signified full approval. Neither de
+Robeck, Wemyss nor Roger Keyes are men to buy pigs in pokes; they wanted
+to know all about it and to be quite sure they could play their part in
+the programme. Their agreement is all the more precious. They (the
+Admirals and the Commodore) are also, I fancy, happier in their minds
+now that they know for sure what we soldiers are after. Rumours had been
+busy in the Fleet that we were shaping our course for Bulair. Had that
+been the basis of my plan, we should have come to loggerheads, I think.
+As it is, the sailors seem eager to meet us in every possible way. So
+now we've got to get our orders out.
+
+On maps and charts the scheme may look neat and simple. On land and
+water, the trouble will begin and only by the closest thought and
+prevision will we find ourselves in a position to cope with it. To throw
+so many men ashore in so short a time in the teeth of so rapid a current
+on to a few cramped beaches; to take the chances of finding drinking
+water and of a smooth sea; these elemental hazards alone would suffice
+to give a man grey hairs were we practising a manoeuvre exercise on
+the peaceful Essex coast. So much thought; so much _band-o-bast_; so
+much dove-tailing and welding together of naval and military methods,
+signals, technical words, etc., and the worst punishment should any link
+in the composite chain give way. And then--taking success for
+granted--on the top of all this--comes the Turk; "unspeakable" he used
+to be, "unknowable" now. But we shall give him a startler too. If only
+our plans come off the Turk won't have time to turn; much less to bring
+into play all the clever moves foreseen for him by some whose stomachs
+for the fight have been satisfied by their appreciation of its dangers.
+
+Units of the 29th Division have been coming along in their transports
+all day. The bay is alive with ships.
+
+_11th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."_ One of those exquisite days when
+the sunlight penetrates to the heart. Admiral Guepratte, commanding the
+French Fleet, called at 9.45 and in due course I returned his visit,
+when I was electrified to find at his cabin door no common sentry but a
+Beefeater armed with a large battleaxe, dating from about the period of
+Charlemagne. The Admiral lives quite in the old style and is a
+delightful personage; very gay and very eager for a chance to measure
+himself against the enemy. Guepratte, though he knows nothing
+officially, believes that his Government are holding up their sleeve a
+second French Division ear-marked Gallipoli! But why bottle up trumps;
+trumps worth a King's ransome, or a Kaiser's? He gives twice who gives
+quickly (in peace); he gives tenfold who gives quickly (in war). The
+devil of it is the French dare not cable home to ask questions, and as
+for myself, I have not been much encouraged--so far!
+
+During the afternoon Admirals de Robeck and Wemyss came on board to work
+together with the General Staff on technical details. They too have
+heard these rumours about the second French Division, and Wemyss is in
+dismay at the thought of having to squeeze more ships into Mudros
+harbour. His anxiety has given me exactly the excuse I wanted, so I have
+dropped this fly just in front of K.'s nose, telling him that "There are
+persistent rumours here amongst the French that General d'Amade's
+Command is to be joined by another French Division. Just in case there
+is truth in the report you should know that Mudros harbour is as full as
+it will hold until our dash for the Peninsula has been made." We will
+see what he says. If the Division exists, then the Naval people will
+recommend Bizerta for their base; the ships can sail right up to the
+Peninsula from there and land right away until things on Lemnos and
+Tenedos have shaken themselves down.
+
+Our first Taube: it passed over the harbour at a great height. One of
+our lumbering seaplanes went up after it like an owl in sunlight, but
+could rise no higher than the masts of the Fleet.
+
+_12th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ The _Queen Elizabeth_ has
+been having some trouble with her engines and in the battle of the 18th
+was only able to use one of her propellers. Now she has been overhauled
+and the Admiral has asked me to come on board for her steam trials.
+These are to take place along the coastline of the Peninsula and I have
+got leave to bring with me a party selected from Divisions and Brigades.
+So when I went aboard this morning at 8.30 there were about thirty-five
+Officers present. Starting at once, we steamed at great pace half way up
+the Gulf of Saros and about 1 o'clock turned to go back, slowing down
+and closing in to let me take a second good look at the coast. Our
+studies were enlivened by an amusing incident. Nearing Cape Helles, the
+_Queen Elizabeth_ went astern, so as to test her reverse turbines. The
+enemy, who must have been watching us like a mouse does a cat, had the
+ill-luck to select just this moment to salute us with a couple of
+shells. As they had been allowing for our speed they were ludicrously
+out of it, the shot striking the water half a mile ahead. We then lay
+off Cape Helles whilst a very careful survey of the whole of that
+section was being made. The Turks, disgusted by their own bad aim, did
+not fire again. On our way back we passed three fakes, old liners
+painted up, funnelled and armed with dummy guns to take off the _Tiger_,
+the _Inflexible_ and the _Indomitable_. Riding at anchor there, they had
+quite the man-o'-war air and if they draw the teeth of enemy submarines
+(their torpedoes), as they are meant to do, the artists should be given
+decorations. At 6 p.m. dropped anchor and I transhipped myself to the
+_Arcadian_. Birdwood and Hunter-Weston had turned up during the day; the
+latter dined and is now more sanguine than myself. He has been getting
+to know his new command better and he says that he did not appreciate
+the 29th Division when he wrote his appreciation!
+
+_13th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian."_ Heavy squalls of rain and wind last
+night. _Band-o-bast_ badly upset; boats also bottoms upwards and at
+dawn--here in harbour--we found ourselves clean cut off from the shore.
+What a ticklish affair the great landing is going to be! How much at the
+mercy of the winds and waves! Aeolus and Neptune have hardly lost power
+since Greeks and Trojans made history out yonder!
+
+Have sent K. an electrical pick-me-up saying that the height of the
+_Queen Elizabeth_ fire control station had enabled me to see the lie of
+the land better than on my previous reconnaissance, and that, given good
+luck, we hope to get ashore without too great a loss.
+
+In the afternoon the wind moderated and I spent an hour or two watching
+practice landings by Senegalese. Our delay is loss, but yet not clear
+loss; that's a sure thing. These niggy-wigs were as awkward as
+golly-wogs in the boats. Every extra hour's practice will save some
+lives by teaching them how to make short work of the ugliest bit of
+their job.
+
+_14th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian," Lemnos._ A day so exquisitely lovely
+that it should be chronicled in deathless verse. But we gaze at the
+glassy sea and turn to the deep blue cloudless sky, victory our only
+thought.
+
+Colonel Dick, King's Messenger, has arrived bringing letters up to 3rd
+instant. Or rather, he was supposed to have brought them, and it was
+hoped the abundance of his intelligence would have borne some relation
+to the cost of his journey,--about L80 it has been reckoned. As a matter
+of fact, apart from some rubbish, he brings _one_ letter for me; none
+for any of the others. Not even a file of newspapers; not even a
+newspaper! In India many, many years ago, we used to call Dick _Burra
+dik hai_, Hindustani for, _it is a great worry_. So he is only playing
+up to his sobriquet. The little ewe lamb is an epistle from Fitz giving
+me a lively sketch of the rumpus at the War Office when its pontiffs
+grasped for the first time the true bearing of their own orders. There
+was a rush to saddle poor us with the delay as soon as the Cabinet began
+to show impatience. They seem to have expected the 29th Division to
+arrive at top speed in a united squadron to rush straightway ashore.
+They don't yet quite realise, I daresay, that not one of their lovely
+ships has yet put in an appearance. That the men who packed the
+transports and fixed their time tables should say we are too slow is
+hardly playing the game.
+
+Never lose your hair: that is a good soldier's motto. My cable of last
+night, wherein I tried to calm their minds by telling them the sea was
+rough and that, even if every one had been here with gaiter buttons
+complete, I must have waited for a change in the weather, has answered
+Fitz's letter by anticipation.
+
+Worked all day in my office like a nigger and by mid-day had got almost
+as black as my simile! We are coaling and life has grown dark and noisy.
+In the middle of it, Ashmead-Bartlett came aboard to see me. He has his
+quarters on the _Queen Elizabeth_ as one of the Admiralty authorised
+Press Correspondents, or rather, as the only authorised correspondent.
+In Manchuria he was known and his writing was well liked. When he had
+gone, de Robeck and I put through a good lot of business very smoothly.
+A little later on, Captain Ivanoff, commanding H.I.M.S. _Askold_, (a
+Russian cruiser well-known to fame in Manchurian days), did me the
+honour to call.
+
+After lunch went ashore and saw parties of Australians at embarking and
+disembarking drill. Colonel Paterson, the very man who bear-led me on
+tour during my Australian inspection, was keeping an eye on the "Boys."
+The work of the Australians and Senegalese gave us a good object lesson
+of the relative brain capacities of the two races. Next I went and
+inspected the Armoured Car Section of the Royal Naval Division under
+Lieutenant-Commander Wedgwood. He is a mighty queer chap. Took active
+part in the South African War. Afterwards became a pacifist M.P.; here
+he is again with war paint and tomahawk. Give me a Pacifist in peace and
+a Jingo in war. Too often it is the other way about.
+
+All this took me on to 5.30 p.m. and when I came back on board,
+Hunter-Weston was here. He has been out since last night on H.M.S.
+_Dartmouth_ to inspect the various landing places. His whole tone about
+the Expedition has been transformed. Now he has become the most sanguine
+of us all. He has great hopes that we shall have Achi Baba in our hands
+by sunset on the day of landing. If so he thinks we need have no fear
+for the future.
+
+All is worked out now and I do not quite see how we could improve upon
+our scheme with the means at our disposal. If these "means" included a
+larger number of boats and steam launches, then certainly, by
+strengthening our forces on either flank, viz., at Morto Bay (where we
+are sending only one Battalion) and at a landing under the cliffs a mile
+West of Krithia (where we are sending one Battalion), we should greatly
+better our chances. Also, a battery of field guns attached to the Morto
+Bay column, and a couple of mountain guns added to the Krithia column
+would add to our prospects of making a real big scoop. But we cannot
+spare the sea transport except by too much weakening and delaying the
+landing at the point of the Peninsula; nor dare I leave myself without
+any reserve under my own hand. I am inclined, all the same, to squeeze
+one Marine Battalion out of the Naval Division to strengthen our threat
+to Krithia. Hunter-Weston will be in executive command of everything
+South of Achi Baba; Birdwood of everything to the North.
+
+I went very closely with Hunter-Weston into the question of a day or
+night attack. My own leanings are in favour of the first boat-loads
+getting ashore before break of dawn, but Hunter-Weston is clear and
+strong for daylight. There is a very strong current running round the
+point; the exact lie of the beaches is unknown and he thinks the
+confusion inseparable from any landing will be so aggravated by
+attempting it in the dark that he had rather face the losses the men in
+boats must suffer from aimed fire. Executively he is responsible and he
+is backed by his naval associates.
+
+Birdwood, on the other hand, is of one mind with me and is going to get
+his first boat-loads ashore before it is light enough to aim. He has no
+current to trouble him, it is true, but he is not landing on any
+surveyed beach and the opposition he will meet with is even more unknown
+than in the case of Helles and Sedd-el-Bahr.
+
+When a sportsman goes shark fishing, he should beware lest he be
+mistaken for the bait. Gaily I cast my fly over K. and now he has
+snapped off my head. That story about a second French Division was
+false. K. merely quotes the number of my question and adds, "The rumour
+is baseless." Well, "_tant pis_," as Guepratte would say with a shrug of
+his shoulders. Our first step won't have the weight behind it we had
+permitted ourselves for some hours to hope. _Everywhere_ the first is
+the step that counts but _nowhere_ more so than in an Oriental War.
+
+Now that the French Division has been snuffed out, how about the Grand
+Duke Nicholas, General Istomine and their Russian Divisions? Are they
+also to prove phantoms? Certainly, in some form or another, they ought
+to be brought into our scheme and, even if only at a distance, bring
+some pressure to bear upon the Turks at the time of our opening move. I
+think my best way of getting into touch will be by wireless from de
+Robeck to the Russian Admiral in the Black Sea.
+
+Dick dines, also Birdwood.
+
+_15th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Boarded H.M.S. _Dublin_
+(Captain Kelly) at 9.30 this morning, where Admiral de Robeck met me.
+Sailed at once and dropped anchor off Tenedos at noon.
+
+Landed and made a close inspection of the Aerodrome where we were taken
+round by two young friends of mine, Commander Samson and Captain Davies,
+Naval Air Service. By a queer fluke these are the very two men with whom
+I did my very first flight! On that never to be forgotten day Samson
+took up Winston and Davies took me. Like mallards we shot over the
+Medway and saw the battleships as if they were little children's
+playthings far away down below us. Now the children are going to use
+their pretty toys and will make a nice noise with them in the world.
+
+After lunch spent the best part of two hours in a small cottage with
+Samson and Keyes trying to digest the honey brought back by our busy
+aeroplane bees from their various flights over Gallipoli. The Admiral
+went off on some other naval quest.
+
+Samson and Davies are fliers of the first water--and not only in the
+air. They carry the whole technique of their job at their finger tips.
+The result of K.'s washing his hands of the Air is that the Admiralty
+run that element entirely. Samson is Boss. He has brought with him two
+Maurice Farmans and three B.E.2s. The Maurice Farmans with 100 H.P.
+Renaults; the B.E.2s with 70 Renaults. These five machines are good
+although one of the B.E.2s is dead old.
+
+Also, he brought eight Henri Farmans with 80 Gnome engines. He took them
+because they were new and there was nothing else new; but they are no
+use for war.
+
+Two B.E.2C.s with 70 Renaults: these are absolutely useless as they
+won't take a passenger.
+
+One Broguet 200 H.P. Canton engine; won't fly.
+
+Two Sopwith Scouts: 80 Gnome engines; very old and can't be used owing
+to weakness of engine mounting.
+
+One very old but still useful Maurice Farman with 140 Canton engine.
+That is the demnition total and it pans out at five serviceable
+aeroplanes for the Army. There are also some seaplanes with us but they
+are not under Samson, and are purely for naval purposes. Amongst those
+are two good "Shorts," but the others are no use, they say, being wrong
+type and underpowered.
+
+The total nominal strength of Samson's Corps is eleven pilots and one
+hundred and twenty men. As everyone knows, no Corps or Service is ever
+up to its nominal strength; least of all an Air Corps. The dangerous
+shortage is that in two-seater aeroplanes as we want our Air Service now
+for spotting and reconnaissances. If, _after_ that requirement had been
+met, we had only a bombing force at our disposal, the Gallipoli
+Peninsula, being a very limited space with only one road and two or
+three harbours on it, could probably be made untenable.
+
+Commander Samson's estimate of a minimum force for this "stunt," as he
+calls our great enterprise, is 30 good two-seater machines; 24 fighters;
+40 pilots and 400 men. So equipped he reckons he could take the
+Peninsula by himself and save us all a vast lot of trouble.
+
+But, strange as it may seem, flying is not my "stunt." I dare not even
+mention the word "aeroplane" to K., and I have cut myself off from
+correspondence with Winston. I did this thing deliberately as
+Braithwaite reminds me every time I am tempted to sit down and unbosom
+myself to one who would sympathise and lend us a hand if he could: in
+truth, I am torn in two about this; but I still feel it is wiser and
+better so; not only from the K. point of view but also from de Robeck's.
+He (de Robeck) might be quite glad I should write once to Winston on one
+subject but he would never be sure afterwards I was not writing on
+others. On the way back I spoke to the Admiral, but I don't know whether
+he will write himself or not. Ventured also a little bit out of my own
+element in another direction, and begged him not to put off sending the
+submarine through the Straits until the day of our landing, but to let
+her go directly she was ready. He does not agree. He has an idea (I hope
+a premonition) that the submarine will catch Enver hurrying down to the
+scene of action if we wait till the day of the attack.
+
+Even more than in the Fleet I find in the Air Service the profound
+conviction that, if they could only get into direct touch with Winston
+Churchill, all would be well. Their faith in the First Lord is, in every
+sense, _touching_. But they can't get the contact and they are
+thoroughly imbued with the idea that the Sea Lords are at the best
+half-hearted; at the worst, actively antagonistic to us and to the whole
+of our enterprise. The photographs, etc., I have studied make it only
+too clear that the Turks have not let the grass grow under their feet
+since the first bombardment; the Peninsula, in fact, is better defended
+than it was. _Per contra_ the momentum, precision, swiftness and staying
+power of our actual attack will be at least twice as great now as it
+would have been at the end of March.
+
+Returned to Lemnos about 7.30 p.m.
+
+While we were away my Staff got aboard the destroyer _Colne_ and steamed
+in her to the mouth of the Dardanelles. There the whole precious load of
+red tabs transshipped to H.M.S. _Triumph_ (Captain Fitzmaurice), who
+forthwith took up her station opposite Morto Bay and began firing salvos
+with her 6-inch guns at the trenches on the face of the hill. At first
+the Staff watched the show with much enjoyment from the bridge, but
+when howitzers from the Asiatic side began to lob shell over the ship,
+the Captain hustled them all into the conning tower. The Turks seem to
+have shot pretty straight. The first three fell fifty yards short of the
+ship; the fourth shell about twenty yards over her. The next three got
+home. One cut plumb through the bridge (where all my brains had been
+playing about two minutes previously) and burst on the deck just outside
+the conning tower. Some cordite cartridges were lying outside of it and
+these went off with a great flare. Another struck the funnel and the
+third came in on the waterline. Fifteen more shells were then fired with
+just a little bit too much elevation and passed over. Only two men were
+wounded,--fractured legs. Captain Fitzmaurice now decided that honour
+and dignity were satisfied and so fell back slowly towards Cape Helles
+to try the effect of his guns on the barbed wire entanglements. A good
+deal of ammunition was expended but only one hit on the entanglement was
+registered, and that did not seem to do any harm. The fire was described
+to me as inaccurate. The fact is, as was agreed between the two services
+at Malta, the whole principle of naval gunnery is different from the
+principles of garrison or field artillery shooting. Before they will be
+much good at landmarks, the sailors will have to take lessons in the
+art.
+
+Passed a very interesting evening, every one excited, I with my
+aeroplane reports; the Staff with the powder they had smelt.
+
+Two of the Australian Commanding Officers dined and I showed them the
+aerial photographs of the enemy trenches, etc. The face of one of them
+grew very long; so long, in fact, that I feared he was afraid; for I own
+these photos are frightening. So I said, "You don't seem to like the
+look of that barbed wire, Colonel?" To which he replied, "I was worrying
+how and where I would feed and water the prisoners."
+
+_16th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Spent the forenoon in
+interviews beginning at 10 a.m. with de Robeck and Mr. Fitzmaurice, late
+dragoman at the Embassy at Constantinople. Mr. Fitzmaurice says the
+Turks will put up a great fight at the Dardanelles. They had believed in
+the British Navy, and, a month ago, they were shaking in their shoes.
+But they had not believed in the British Army or that a body so
+infinitely small would be so saucy as to attack them on their own chosen
+ground. Even now, he says, they can hardly credit their spies, or their
+eyes, and it ought to be easy enough to make them think all this is a
+blind, and that we are really going to Smyrna or Adramiti. They are fond
+of saying, "If the English are fools enough to enter our mouth we only
+have to close it." Enver especially brags he will make very short work
+with us if we set foot so near to the heart of his Empire, and gives it
+out that the whole of us will be marching through the streets of
+Constantinople, not as conquerors, but as prisoners, within a week from
+the date of our making the attempt. All the same, despite this bragging,
+the Turks realise that if we were to get the Fleet through the Narrows;
+or, if it were to force its own way through whilst we absorb the
+attention of their mobile guns, the game would be up. So they are
+straining every nerve to be ready for anything. The moral of all these
+rather contradictory remarks is just what I have said time and again
+since South Africa. The fact that war has become a highly scientific
+business should not blind us to the other fact that its roots still draw
+their nutriment from primitive feelings and methods; the feelings and
+methods of boy scouts and Red Indians. It is a huge handicap to us here
+that our great men keep all their tricks for their political friends and
+have none to spare for their natural enemies. There has been very little
+attempt to disguise our aims in England, and Maxwell and McMahon in
+Egypt have allowed their Press to report every arrival of French and
+British troops, and to announce openly that we are about to attack at
+Gallipoli. I have protested and reported the matter to K. but nothing in
+the strategic sphere can be done now although, in the tactical sphere,
+we have several deceptions ready for them.
+
+Colonel Napier, Military Attache at Sofia, and Braithwaite came in after
+these pseudo-secrets had been discussed and joined in the conversation.
+I doubt whether either Fitzmaurice or Napier have solid information as
+to what is in front of us, and their yarns about Balkan politics are
+neither here nor there. John Bull is quite out of his depth in the
+defiles of the Balkans. With just so much pull over the bulk of my
+compatriots as has been given me by my having spent a little time with
+their Armies, I may say that the Balkan nations loathe and mistrust one
+another to so great a degree that it is sheer waste of time to think of
+roping them all in on our side, as Fitzmaurice and Napier seem to
+propose. We may get Greece to join us, and Russia may get Roumania to
+join her--_if we win here_--but then we make an enemy of Bulgaria, and
+_vice versa_. If they will unearth my 1909 report at the War Office they
+will see that, at that time, one Bulgarian Battalion of Infantry was
+worth two Battalions of Roumanian Infantry--which may be a help to them
+in making their choice. The Balkan problem is so intricate that it must
+be simply handled. The simple thing is to pay your money and pick the
+best card, knowing you can't have a full hand. So let us have no more
+beating about the bush and may we be inspired to make use of the big
+boom this Expedition has given to Great Britain in the Balkans to pick
+out a partner straightway.
+
+Birdie came later and we took stock together of ways and means. We see
+eye to eye now on every point. Just before lunch we heard the transport
+_Manitou_ had been attacked by a Turkish torpedo boat from Smyrna. The
+first wireless came in saying the enemy had made a bad shot and only a
+few men had been drowned lowering the boats. Admiral Rosy Wemyss and
+Hope, the Flag-Captain, of the Q.E. were my guests and naturally they
+were greatly perturbed. Late in the evening we heard that the Turkish
+T.B. had been chased by our destroyers and had run ashore on a Greek
+Island where she was destroyed (international laws notwithstanding) by
+our landing parties.
+
+At 7.30 p.m. Hunter-Weston came along and I had the best part of an hour
+with him.
+
+_17th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Hunter-Weston came over
+early to finish off business left undone last night. Admiral Wemyss also
+took part in our discussions over the landing. Picture puzzles are
+child's play compared with this game of working an unheard of number of
+craft to and fro, in and out, of little bits of beaches. At mid-day the
+_Manitou_ steamed into harbour and Colonel Peel, Commander of the
+troops, came on board and reported fully to me about the attack by the
+Turkish torpedo boat. The Turks seem to have behaved quite decently
+giving our men time to get into their boats and steaming some distance
+off whilst they did so. During the interval the Turks must have got wind
+of British warships, for they rushed back in a great hurry and fired
+torpedoes at so short a range that they passed under the ship. Very
+exciting, we were told, watching them dart beneath the keel through the
+crystal clear water. I can well believe it.
+
+Went ashore in the afternoon to watch the Australian Artillery embark.
+Spoke to a lot of the men, some of whom had met me during my tour
+through Australia last year.
+
+General Paris came to see me this evening.
+
+_18th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Working all morning in
+office. In the afternoon inspected embarkation of some howitzers.
+D'Amade turned up later from the _Southland_. We went over the landing
+at Kum Kale. He is in full sympathy and understands. Winter, Woodward
+and their administrative Staffs also arrived in the _Southland_ and have
+taken up their quarters on this ship. They report everything fixed up at
+Alexandria before they sailed. We are all together now and their coming
+will be a great relief to the General Staff.
+
+Quite hot to-day. Sea dead smooth. The usual ebb and flow of visitors.
+Saw the three Corps Commanders and many Staff Officers. We are rather on
+wires now that the time is drawing near; Woodward, though he has only
+been here one night, is on barbed wires. His cabin is next the
+signallers and he could not get to sleep. He wants some medical
+detachments sent up post haste from Alexandria. I have agreed to cable
+for them and now he is more calm. A big pow-wow on the "Q.E." (d'Amade,
+Birdie, Hunter-Weston, Godley, Bridges, Guepratte, Thursby, Wemyss,
+Phillimore, Vyvian, Dent, Loring), whereat the 23rd was fixed for our
+attack and the naval landing orders were read and fully threshed out. I
+did not attend as the meeting was rather for the purpose of going point
+by point into orders already approved in principle than of starting any
+fresh hares. Staff Officers who have only had to do with land operations
+would be surprised, I am sure, at the amount of original thinking and
+improvisation demanded by a landing operation. The Naval and Military
+Beach Personnel is in itself a very big and intricate business which
+has no place in ordinary soldier tactics. The diagrams of the ships and
+transports; the lists of tows; the action of the Destroyers; tugs;
+lighters; signal arrangements for combined operations: these are
+unfamiliar subjects and need very careful fitting in. Braithwaite came
+back and reported all serene; everyone keen and cooperating very
+loyally. D'Amade has now received the formal letter I wrote him
+yesterday after my interview and sees his way clear about Kum Kale.
+
+Went ashore in the afternoon and saw big landing by Australians, who
+took mules and donkeys with them and got them in and out of lighters.
+These Australians are shaping into Marines in double quick time and
+Cairo high jinks are wild oats sown and buried. Where everyone wants to
+do well and to do it in the same way, discipline goes down as slick as
+Mother's milk. Action is a discipline in itself.
+
+The three Officers forming the French Mission to my Headquarters made
+salaams, viz., Captain Bertier de Sauvigny, Lieutenant Pelliot and
+Lieutenant de la Borde. The first is a man of the world, with manners
+suave and distinguished; the second is a savant and knows the habits of
+obscure and out of the way people. What de la Borde's points may be, I
+do not know: he is a frank, good looking young fellow and spoke perfect
+English.
+
+_20th April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ A big wind rose in the
+night.
+
+A clerk from my central office at the Horse Guards developed small pox
+this morning. No doubt he has been in some rotten hole in Alexandria and
+this is the result,--a disgusting one to all of us as we have had to be
+vaccinated.
+
+Ready now, but so long as the wind blows, we have to twiddle our thumbs.
+
+Got the full text of d'Amades' orders for his Kum Kale landing as well
+as for the Besika Bay make-believe.
+
+_21st April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Blowing big guns. The event
+with which old mother time is in labour is so big that her pains are
+prodigious and prolonged out of all nature. So near are we now to our
+opening that the storm means a twenty four hours' delay.
+
+Have issued my orders to the troops. Yesterday our plans were but plans.
+To-day the irrevocable steps out on to the stage.
+
+                                                General Headquarters,
+                                                   _21st April, 1915._
+
+    _Soldiers of France and of the King._
+
+Before us lies an adventure unprecedented in modern war. Together with
+our comrades of the Fleet, we are about to force a landing upon an open
+beach in face of positions which have been vaunted by our enemies as
+impregnable.
+
+The landing will be made good, by the help of God and the Navy; the
+positions will be stormed, and the War brought one step nearer to a
+glorious close.
+
+"Remember," said Lord Kitchener when bidding adieu to your Commander,
+"Remember, once you set foot upon the Gallipoli Peninsula, you must
+fight the thing through to a finish."
+
+The whole world will be watching your progress. Let us prove our selves
+worthy of the great feat of arms entrusted to us.
+                                              IAN HAMILTON, _General_.
+
+_22nd April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ Wind worse than ever, but
+weather brighter. Another twenty four hours' delay. Russian Military
+Attache from Athens (Makalinsky) came to see me at 2.30 p.m. He cannot
+give me much idea of how the minds of the Athenians are working. He says
+our Russian troops are of the very best. Delay is the worst
+nerve-cracker.
+
+Charley Burn, King's Messenger, came; with him a Captain Coddan, to be
+liaison between me and Istomine's Russians.
+
+The King sends his blessing.
+
+                       SPECIAL ORDER,
+
+                                  General Headquarters,
+                                         _22nd April, 1915._
+
+The following gracious message has been received to-day by the General
+Commanding:--
+
+"The King wishes you and your Army every success, and you are
+constantly in His Majesty's thoughts and prayers."
+
+_23rd April, 1915. S.S. "Arcadian." Lemnos._ A gorgeous day at last;
+fitting frame to the most brilliant and yet touching of pageants.
+
+All afternoon transports were very, very slowly coming out of harbour
+winding their way in and out through the other painted ships lying thick
+on the wonderful blue of the bay. The troops wild with enthusiasm and
+tremendously cheering especially as they passed the warships of our
+Allies.
+
+_Nunc Dimittis_, O Lord of Hosts! Not a man but knows he is making for
+the jaws of death. They know, these men do, they are being asked to
+prove their enemies to have lied when they swore a landing on
+Gallipoli's shore could never make good. They know that lie must pass
+for truth until they have become targets to guns, machine guns and
+rifles--huddled together in boats, helpless, plain to the enemy's sight.
+And they are wild with joy; uplifted! Life spins superbly through their
+veins at the very moment they seek to sacrifice it for a cause. O death,
+where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
+
+A shadow has been cast over the wonders of the day by a wireless to say
+that Rupert Brooke is very dangerously ill--from the wording we fear
+there can be no hope.
+
+Dent, principal Naval Transport Officer, left to-day to get ready.
+Wemyss said good-bye on going to take up command of his Squadron.
+
+Have got d'Amade's revised orders for the landing at Kum Kale and also
+for the feint at Besika Bay. Very clear and good.
+
+At 7.15 p.m. we got this message from K.:--
+
+"Please communicate the following messages at a propitious moment to
+each of those concerned.
+
+"(1) My best wishes to you and all your force in carrying to a
+successful conclusion the operations you have before you, which will
+undoubtedly have a momentous effect on the war. The task they have to
+perform will need all the grit Britishers have never failed to show, and
+I am confident your troops will victoriously clear the way for the Fleet
+to advance on Constantinople.
+
+"(2) Convey to the Admiral my best wishes that all success may attend
+the Fleet. The Army knows they can rely on their energy and effective
+co-operation while dealing with the land forces of the enemy.
+
+"(3) Assure General d'Amade and the French troops of our entire
+confidence that their courage and skill will result in the triumph of
+their arms.
+
+"(End of message)--" Personal:
+
+"All my thoughts will be with you when operations begin."
+
+We, here, think of Lord K. too. May his shadow fall dark upon the
+Germans and strike the fear of death into their hearts.
+
+Just got following from the Admiral:--
+
+                                            "H.M.S. _Queen Elizabeth_,
+                                                 "_23rd April, 1915._
+
+  "My dear General,
+
+"I have sent orders to all Admirals that operations are to proceed and
+they are to take the necessary measures to have their commands in their
+assigned positions by Sunday morning, April 25th!
+
+"I pray that the weather may be favourable and nothing will prevent our
+proceeding with the scheme. 'May heaven's light be our guide' and God
+give us the victory.
+
+"Think everything is ready and in some ways the delay has been useful,
+as we have now a few more lighters and tugs available.
+
+                        "Yours sincerely,
+                            (_Sd._) "J. M. de Robeck."
+
+I have sent a reply:--
+
+                                      "S.S. _Arcadian_,
+                                    _23rd April, 1915._
+
+  "My dear Admiral,
+
+"Your note just received gives expression to my own sentiments. The
+sooner we get to work now the better and may the best cause win.
+
+                        "Yours sincerely,
+                              (_Sd._) "Ian Hamilton."
+
+Rupert Brooke is dead. Straightaway he will be buried. The rest is
+silence.
+
+Twice was "the sight" vouchsafed me:--in London when I told Eddie I
+would bespeak the boy's services; at Port Said when I bespoke them.
+
+Death on the eve of battle, death on a wedding day--nothing so tragic
+save that most black mishap, death in action after peace has been
+signed. Death grins at my elbow. I cannot get him out of my thoughts. He
+is fed up with the old and sick--only the flower of the flock will serve
+him now, for God has started a celestial spring cleaning, and our star
+is to be scrubbed bright with the blood of our bravest and our best.
+
+Youth and poetry are the links binding the children of the world to come
+to the grandsires of the world that was. War will smash, pulverise,
+sweep into the dustbins of eternity the whole fabric of the old world:
+therefore, the firstborn in intellect must die. Is _that_ the reading of
+the riddle?
+
+Almighty God, Watchman of the Milky Way, Shepherd of the Golden Stars,
+have mercy upon us, smallest of the heavenly Shiners. Our star burns dim
+as a corpse light: the huge black chasm of space closes in: if only by
+blood ...? Thy Will be done. _En avant_--at all costs--_en avant_!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V
+
+THE LANDING
+
+
+_24th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth." Tenedos._ Boarded the Queen
+Lizzie at 1.30 p.m. Anchored off Tenedos just before 4 p.m. Lay outside
+the roadstead; close by us is the British Fleet with an Armada of
+transports,--all at anchor. As we were closing up to them we spotted a
+floating mine which must have been passed touch-and-go during the night
+by all those warships and troopships. A good omen surely that not one of
+them fell foul of the death that lurks in that ugly, horned devil--not
+dead itself, but very much alive, for it answered a shot from one of our
+three pounders with the dull roar and spitting of fire and smoke bred
+for our benefit by the kindly German Kultur.
+
+I hope I may sleep to-night. I think so. If not, my wakefulness will
+wish the clock's hand forward.
+
+_25th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth."_ Our _Queen_ chose the cold
+grey hour of 4 a.m. to make her war toilette. By 4.15 she had sunk the
+lady and put on the man of war. Gone were the gay companions; closed the
+tight compartments and stowed away under armour were all her furbelows
+and frills. In plain English, our mighty battleship was cleared for
+action, and--my mind--that also has now been cleared of its everyday
+lumber: and I am ready.
+
+If this is a queer start for me, so it is also for de Robeck. In sea
+warfare, the Fleet lies in the grip of its Admiral like a platoon in the
+hands of a Subaltern. The Admiral sees; speaks the executive word and
+the whole Fleet moves; not, as with us, each Commander carrying out the
+order in his own way, but each Captain steaming, firing, retiring to the
+letter of the signal. In the Navy the man at the gun, the man at the
+helm, the man sending up shells in the hoist has no discretion unless
+indeed the gear goes wrong, and he has to use his wits to put it right
+again. With us the infantry scout, a boy in his teens perhaps, may have
+to decide whether to open fire, to lie low or to fall back; whether to
+bring on a battle or avoid it. But the Fleet to-day is working like an
+army; the ships are widely scattered each one on its own, except in so
+far as wireless may serve, and that is why I say de Robeck is working
+under conditions just as unusual to him as mine are to me.
+
+My station is up in the conning tower with de Robeck. The conning tower
+is a circular metal chamber, like a big cooking pot. Here we are, all
+eyes, like potatoes in the cooking pot aforesaid, trying to peep through
+a slit where the lid is raised a few inches, _ad hoc_, as these blasted
+politicians like to say. My Staff are not with me in this holy of
+holies, but are stowed away in steel towers or jammed into 6-inch
+batteries.
+
+So we kept moving along and at 4.30 a.m. were off Sedd-el-Bahr. All
+quiet and grey. Thence we steamed for Gaba Tepe and midway, about 5
+o'clock, heard a very heavy fire from Helles behind us. The Turks are
+putting up some fight. Now we are off Gaba Tepe!
+
+The day was just breaking over the jagged hills; the sea was glassy
+smooth; the landing of the lads from the South was in full swing; the
+shrapnel was bursting over the water; the patter of musketry came
+creeping out to sea; we are in for it now; the machine guns muttered as
+through chattering teeth--up to our necks in it now. But would we be out
+of it? No; not one of us; not for five hundred years stuffed full of
+dullness and routine.
+
+By 5.35 the rattle of small arms quieted down; we heard that about 4,000
+fighting men had been landed; we could see boat-loads making for the
+land; swarms trying to straighten themselves out along the shore; other
+groups digging and hacking down the brushwood. Even with our glasses
+they did not look much bigger than ants. God, one would think, cannot
+see them at all or He would put a stop to this sort of panorama
+altogether. And yet, it would be a pity if He missed it; for these
+fellows have been worth the making. They are not charging up into this
+Sari Bair range for money or by compulsion. They fight for love--all the
+way from the Southern Cross for love of the old country and of liberty.
+Wave after wave of the little ants press up and disappear. We lose sight
+of them the moment they lie down. Bravo! every man on our great ship
+longs to be with them. But the main battle called. The Admiral was keen
+to take me when and where the need might most arise. So we turned South
+and steamed slowly back along the coast to Cape Helles.
+
+Opposite Krithia came another great moment. We have made good the
+landing--sure--it is a fact. I have to repeat the word to myself several
+times, "fact," "fact," "fact," so as to be sure I am awake and standing
+here looking at live men through a long telescope. The thing seems
+unreal; as though I were in a dream, instead of on a battleship. To see
+words working themselves out upon the ground; to watch thoughts move
+over the ground as fighting men....!
+
+Both Battalions, the Plymouth and the K.O.S.B.s, had climbed the high
+cliff without loss; so it was signalled; there is no firing; the Turks
+have made themselves scarce; nothing to show danger or stress; only
+parties of our men struggling up the sandy precipice by zigzags,
+carrying munitions and large glittering kerosine tins of water. Through
+the telescope we can now make out a number of our fellows in groups
+along the crest of the cliff, quite peacefully reposing--probably
+smoking. This promises great results to our arms--not the repose or the
+smoking, for I hope that won't last long--but the enemy's surprise. In
+spite of Egypt and the _Egyptian Gazette_; in spite of the spy system of
+Constantinople, we have brought off our tactical _coup_ and surprised
+the enemy Chief. The bulk of the Turks are not at Gaba Tepe; here, at
+"Y," there are none at all!
+
+In a sense, and no mean sense either, I am as much relieved, and as
+sanguine too, at the _coup_ we have brought off here as I was just now
+to see Birdie's four thousand driving the Turks before them into the
+mountains. The schemes are not on the same scale. If the Australians get
+through to Mal Tepe the whole Turkish Army on the Peninsula will be done
+in. If the "Y" Beach lot press their advantage they may cut off the
+enemy troops on the toe of the Peninsula. With any luck, the K.O.S.B.s
+and Plymouths at "Y" should get right on the line of retreat of the
+Turks who are now fighting to the South.
+
+The point at issue as we sailed down to "X" Beach was whether that
+little force at "Y" should not be reinforced by the Naval Division who
+were making a feint against the Bulair Lines and had, by now, probably
+finished their work. Braithwaite has been speaking to me about it. The
+idea appealed to me very strongly because I have been all along most
+keen on the "Y" Beach plan which is my own special child; and this would
+be to make the most of it and press it for all it was worth. But, until
+the main battle develops more clearly at Gaba Tepe and at Sedd-el-Bahr
+I must not commit the only troops I have in hand as my
+Commander-in-Chief's reserve.
+
+When we got to "X" Beach the foreshore and cliffs had been made good
+without much loss in the first instance, we were told, though there is a
+hot fight going on just south of it. But fresh troops will soon be
+landing:--so far so good. Further round, at "W" Beach, another lodgment
+had been effected; very desperate and bloody, we are told by the Naval
+Beachmaster: and indeed we can see some of the dead, but the Lancashire
+Fusiliers hold the beach though we don't seem yet to have penetrated
+inland. By Sedd-el-Bahr, where we hove to about 6.45, the light was very
+baffling; land wrapped in haze, sun full in our eyes. Here we watched as
+best we could over the fight being put up by the Turks against our
+forlorn hope on the _River Clyde_. Very soon it became clear that we
+were being held. Through our glasses we could quite clearly watch the
+sea being whipped up all along the beach and about the _River Clyde_ by
+a pelting storm of rifle bullets. We could see also how a number of our
+dare-devils were up to their necks in this tormented water trying to
+struggle on to land from the barges linking the River Clyde to the
+shore. There was a line of men lying flat down under cover of a little
+sandbank in the centre of the beach. They were so held under by fire
+they dared not, evidently, stir. Watching these gallant souls from the
+safety of a battleship gave me a hateful feeling: Roger Keyes said to me
+he simply could not bear it. Often a Commander may have to watch
+tragedies from a post of safety. That is all right. I have had my share
+of the hair's breadth business and now it becomes the turn of the
+youngsters. But, from the battleship, you are outside the frame of the
+picture. The thing becomes monstrous; too cold-blooded; like looking on
+at gladiators from the dress circle. The moment we became satisfied that
+none of our men had made their way further than a few feet above sea
+level, the _Queen_ opened a heavy fire from her 6-inch batteries upon
+the Castle, the village and the high steep ground ringing round the
+beach in a semi-circle. The enemy lay very low somewhere underground. At
+times the _River Clyde_ signalled that the worst fire came from the old
+Fort and Sedd-el-Bahr; at times that these bullets were pouring out from
+about the second highest rung of seats on the West of that amphitheatre
+in which we were striving to take our places. Ashore the machine guns
+and rifles never ceased--tic tac, tic tac, brrrr--tic tac, tic tac,
+brrrrrr...... Drowned every few seconds by our tremendous salvoes, this
+more nervous noise crept back insistently into our ears in the interval.
+As men fixed in the grip of nightmare, we were powerless--unable to do
+anything but wait.
+
+[Illustration: S.S. "River Clyde" "Central News" photo.]
+
+When we saw our covering party fairly hung up under the fire from the
+Castle and its outworks, it became a question of issuing fresh orders to
+the main body who had not yet been committed to that attack. There was
+no use throwing them ashore to increase the number of targets on the
+beach. Roger Keyes started the notion that these troops might well be
+diverted to "Y" where they could land unopposed and whence they might be
+able to help their advance guard at "V" more effectively than by direct
+reinforcement if they threatened to cut the Turkish line of retreat from
+Sedd-el-Bahr. Braithwaite was rather dubious from the orthodox General
+Staff point of view as to whether it was sound for G.H.Q. to barge into
+Hunter-Weston's plans, seeing he was executive Commander of the whole
+of this southern invasion. But to me the idea seemed simple common
+sense. If it did not suit Hunter-Weston's book, he had only to say so.
+Certainly Hunter-Weston was in closer touch with all these landings than
+we were; it was not for me to force his hands: there was no question of
+that: so at 9.15 I wirelessed as follows:
+
+"G.O.C. in C. to G.O.C. _Euryalus_."
+
+"Would you like to get some more men ashore on 'Y' beach? If so,
+trawlers are available."
+
+Three quarters of an hour passed; the state of affairs at Sedd-el-Bahr
+was no better, and in an attack if you don't get better you get worse;
+the supports were not being landed; no answer had come to hand. So
+repeated my signal to Hunter-Weston, making it this time personal from
+me to him and ordering him to acknowledge receipt. (Lord Bobs'
+wrinkle):--
+
+"General Hamilton to General Hunter-Weston, _Euryalus_.
+
+"Do you want any more men landed at 'Y'? There are trawlers available.
+Acknowledge the signal."
+
+At 11 a.m. I got this answer:--
+
+"From General Hunter-Weston to G.O.C. _Queen Elizabeth_.
+
+"Admiral Wemyss and Principal Naval Transport Officer state that to
+interfere with present arrangements and try to land men at 'Y' Beach
+would delay disembarkation."
+
+There was some fuss about the _Cornwallis_. She ought to have been back
+from Morto Bay and lending a hand here, but she had not turned up. All
+sorts of surmises. Now we hear she has landed our right flank attack
+very dashingly and that we have stormed de Tott's Battery! I fear the
+South Wales Borderers are hardly strong enough alone to move across and
+threaten Sedd-el-Bahr from the North. But the news is fine. How I wish
+we had left "V" Beach severely alone. Big flanking attacks at "Y" and
+"S" might have converged on Sedd-el-Bahr and carried it from the rear
+when none of the garrison could have escaped. But then, until we tried,
+we were afraid fire from Asia might defeat the de Tott's Battery attack
+and that the "Y" party might not scale the cliffs. The Turks are
+stronger down here than at Gaba Tepe. Still, I should doubt if they are
+in any great force; quite clearly the bulk of them have been led astray
+by our feints, and false rumours. Otherwise, had they even a regiment in
+close reserve, they must have eaten up the S.W.B. as they stormed the
+Battery.
+
+About noon, a Naval Officer (Lieutenant Smith), a fine fellow, came off
+to get some more small arm ammunition for the machine guns on the _River
+Clyde_. He said the state of things on and around that ship was "awful,"
+a word which carried twentyfold weight owing to the fact that it was
+spoken by a youth never very emotional, I am sure, and now on his mettle
+to make his report with indifference and calm. The whole landing place
+at "V" Beach is ringed round with fire. The shots from our naval guns,
+smashing as their impact appears, might as well be confetti for all the
+effect they have upon the Turkish trenches. The _River Clyde_ is
+commanded and swept not only by rifles at 100 yards' range, but by
+pom-poms and field guns. Her own double battery of machine guns mounted
+in a sandbag revetment in her bows are to some extent forcing the enemy
+to keep their heads down and preventing them from actually rushing the
+little party of our men who are crouching behind the sand bank. But
+these same men of ours cannot raise head or hand one inch beyond that
+lucky ledge of sand by the water's brink. And the bay at Sedd-el-Bahr,
+so the last messengers have told us, had turned red. The _River Clyde_
+so far saves the situation. She was only ready two days before we
+plunged.
+
+At 1.30 heard that d'Amade had taken Kum Kale. De Robeck had already
+heard independently by wireless that the French (the 6th Colonials under
+Nogues) had carried the village by a bayonet charge at 9.35 a.m. On the
+Asiatic side, then, things are going as we had hoped. The Russian
+_Askold_ and the _Jeanne d'Arc_ are supporting our Allies in their
+attack. Being so hung up at "V," I have told d'Amade that he will not be
+able to disembark there as arranged, but that he will have to take his
+troops round to "W" and march them across.
+
+At two o'clock a large number of our wounded who had taken refuge under
+the base of the arches of the old Fort at Sedd-el-Bahr began to signal
+for help. The _Queen Elizabeth_ sent away a picket boat which passed
+through the bullet storm and most gallantly brought off the best part of
+them.
+
+Soon after 2 o'clock we were cheered by sighting our own brave fellows
+making a push from the direction of "W." We reckon they must be
+Worcesters and Essex men moving up to support the Royal Fusiliers and
+the Lancashire Fusiliers, who have been struggling unaided against the
+bulk of the Turkish troops. The new lot came along by rushes from the
+Westwards, across from "X" to "W" towards Sedd-el-Bahr, and we prayed
+God very fervently they might be able to press on so as to strike the
+right rear of the enemy troops encircling "V" Beach. At 3.10 the leading
+heroes--we were amazed at their daring--actually stood up in order the
+better to cut through a broad belt of wire entanglement. One by one the
+men passed through and fought their way to within a few yards of a
+redoubt dominating the hill between Beaches "W" and "V." This belt of
+wire ran perpendicularly, not parallel, to the coastline and had
+evidently been fixed up precisely to prevent what we were now about to
+attempt. To watch V.C.s being won by wire cutting; to see the very
+figure and attitude of the hero; to be safe oneself except from the off
+chance of a shell,--was like being stretched upon the rack! All day we
+hung _vis-a-vis_ this inferno. With so great loss and with so desperate
+a situation the white flag would have gone up in the South African War
+but there was no idea of it to-day and I don't feel afraid of it even
+now, in the dark of a moonless night, where evil thoughts are given most
+power over the mind.
+
+Nor does Hunter-Weston. We had a hurried dinner, de Robeck, Keyes,
+Braithwaite, Godfrey, Hope and I, in the signal office under the bridge.
+As we were finishing Hunter-Weston came on board. After he had told us
+his story, breathlessly and listened to with breathless interest, I
+asked him what about our troops at "Y"? He thought they were now in
+touch with our troops at "X" but that they had been through some hard
+fighting to get there. His last message had been that they were being
+hard pressed but as he had heard nothing more since then he assumed they
+were all right--! Anyway, he was cheery, stout-hearted, quite a good
+tonic and--on the whole--his news is good.
+
+To sum up the doings of the day; the French have dealt a brilliant
+stroke at Kum Kale; we have fixed a grip on the hills to the North of
+Gaba Tepe; also, we have broken through the enemy's defences at "X" and
+"W," two out of the three beaches at the South point of the Peninsula.
+The "hold-up" at the third, "V" (or Sedd-el-Bahr) causes me the keenest
+anxiety--it would never do if we were forced to re-embark at night as
+has been suggested--we must stick it until our advance from "X" and "W"
+opens that sally port from the sea. There is always in the background of
+my mind dread lest help should reach the enemy _before_ we have done
+with Sedd-el-Bahr. The enveloping attacks on both enemy flanks have come
+off brilliantly, but have not cut the enemy's line of retreat, or so
+threatened it that they have to make haste to get back. At "S" (Eski
+Hissarlick or Morto Bay) the 2nd South Wales Borderers have landed in
+very dashing style though under fire from big fortress artillery as well
+as field guns and musketry. On shore they deployed and, helped by
+sailors from the _Cornwallis_, have carried the Turkish trenches in
+front of them at the bayonet's point. They are now dug in on a
+commanding spur but are anxious at finding themselves all alone and say
+they do not feel able, owing to their weakness, to manoeuvre or to
+advance. From "Y," opposite Krithia, there is no further news. But two
+good battalions at large and on the war path some four or five miles in
+rear of the enemy should do something during the next few hours. I was
+right, so it seems, about getting ashore before the enemy could see to
+shoot out to sea. At Gaba Tepe; opposite Krithia and by Morto Bay we
+landed without too much loss. Where we waited to bombard, as at Helles
+and Sedd-el-Bahr, we have got it in the neck.
+
+This "V" Beach business is the blot. Sedd-el-Bahr was supposed to be the
+softest landing of the lot, as it was the best harbour and seemed to lie
+specially at the mercy of the big guns of the Fleet. Would that we had
+left it severely alone and had landed a big force at Morto Bay whence we
+could have forced the Sedd-el-Bahr Turks to fall back.
+
+One thing is sure. Whatever happens to us here we are bound to win
+glory. There are no other soldiers quite of the calibre of our chaps in
+the world; they have _esprit de corps_; they are _volunteers_ every one
+of them; they are _for it_; our Officers--our rank and file--have been
+so _entered_ to this attack that they will all die--that we will all
+die--sooner than give way before the Turk. The men are not fighting
+blindly as in South Africa: they are not fighting against forces with
+whose motives they half sympathise. They have been told, and told again,
+exactly what we are after. They understand. Their eyes are wide open:
+they _know_ that the war can only be brought to an end by our joining
+hands quickly with the Russians: they _know_ that the fate of the Empire
+depends on the courage they display. Should the Fates so decree, the
+whole brave Army may disappear during the night more dreadfully than
+that of Sennacherib; but assuredly they will not surrender: where so
+much is dark, where many are discouraged, in this knowledge I feel both
+light and joy.
+
+Here I write--think--have my being. To-morrow night where shall we be?
+Well; what then; what of the worst? At least we shall have lived, acted,
+dared. We are half way through--we shall not look back.
+
+As night began to settle down over the land, the _Queen Elizabeth_
+seemed to feel the time had come to give full vent to her wrath. An
+order from the bridge, and, in the twinkling of an eye, she shook from
+stem to stern with the recoil from her own efforts. The great ship was
+fighting all out, all in action. Every gun spouted flame and a roar
+went up fit to shiver the stars of Heaven. Ears stopped with wax; eyes
+half blinded by the scorching yellow blasts; still, in some chance
+seconds interval, we could hear the hive-like b rr rr rr rr rr r r r r
+of the small arms plying on the shore; still see, through some break in
+the acrid smoke, the profile of the castle and houses; nay, of the very
+earth itself and the rocky cliff; see them all, change, break, dissolve
+into dust; crumble as if by enchantment into strange new outlines, under
+the enormous explosions of our 15-in. lyddite shells. Buildings gutted:
+walls and trenches turned inside out and upside down: friend and foe
+surely must be wiped out together under such a fire: at least they are
+stupefied--must cease taking a hand with their puny rifles and machine
+guns? Not so. Amidst falling ruins; under smoke clouds of yellow, black,
+green and white; the beach, the cliffs and the ramparts of the Castle
+began, in the oncoming dusk, to sparkle all over with hundreds of tiny
+flecks of rifle fire.
+
+Just before the shadows of night hid everything from sight, we could see
+that many of our men, who had been crouching all day under the sandy
+bank in the centre of the arena, were taking advantage of the pillars of
+smoke raised between them and their enemy to edge away to their right
+and scale the rampart leading to the Fort of Sedd-el-Bahr. Other small
+clusters lay still--they have made their last attack.
+
+Now try to sleep. What of those men fighting for their lives in the
+darkness. I put them there. Might they not, all of them, be sailing
+back to safe England, but for me? And I sleep! To sleep whilst thousands
+are killing one another close by! Well, why not; I _must_ sleep whilst I
+may. The legend whereby a Commander-in-Chief works wonders during a
+battle dies hard. He may still lose the battle in a moment by losing
+heart. He may still help to win the battle by putting a brave face upon
+the game when it seems to be up. By his character, he may still stop the
+rot and inspire his men to advance once more to the assault. The old
+Bible idea of the Commander:--when his hands grew heavy Amalek
+advanced; when he raised them and willed victory Israel prevailed
+over the heathen! As regards directions, modifications, orders,
+counter-orders,--in precise proportion as his preparations and operation
+orders have been thoroughly conceived and carried out, so will the
+actual conflict find him leaving the actual handling of the troops to
+Hunter-Weston as I am bound to do. Old Oyama cooled his brain during the
+battle of the Shaho by shooting pigeons sitting on Chinese chimneys.
+King Richard before Bosworth saw ghosts. My own dark hours pass more
+easily as I make my cryptic jottings in pedlar's French. The detachment
+of the writer comes over me; calms down the tumult of the mind and paves
+a path towards the refuge of sleep. No order is to be issued until I get
+reports and requests. I can't think now of anything left undone that I
+ought to have done; I have no more troops to lay my hands
+on--Hunter-Weston has more than he can land to-night; I won't mend
+matters much by prowling up and down the gangways. Braithwaite calls me
+if he must. No word yet about the losses except that they have been
+heavy. If the Turks get hold of a lot of fresh men and throw them upon
+us during the night,--perhaps they may knock us off into the sea. No
+General knows his luck. That's the beauty of the business. But I feel
+sanguine in the spirit of the men; sanguine in my own spirit; sanguine
+in the soundness of my scheme. What with the landing at Gaba Tepe and at
+Kum Kale, and the feints at Bulair and Besika Bay, the Turkish troops
+here will get no help to-night. And our fellows are steadily pouring
+ashore.
+
+_26th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth."_ At 12.5 a.m. I was dragged
+out of a dead sleep by Braithwaite who kept shaking me by the shoulder
+and saying, "Sir Ian! Sir Ian!!" I had been having a good time for an
+hour far away somewhere, far from bloody turmoil, and before I quite
+knew where I was, my Chief of Staff repeated what he had, I think, said
+several times already, "Sir Ian, you've got to come right along--a
+question of life and death--you must settle it!" Braithwaite is a cool
+hand, but his tone made me wide awake in a second. I sprang from bed;
+flung on my "British Warm" and crossed to the Admiral's cabin--not his
+own cabin but the dining saloon--where I found de Robeck himself,
+Rear-Admiral Thursby (in charge of the landing of the Australian and New
+Zealand Army Corps), Roger Keyes, Braithwaite, Brigadier-General
+Carruthers (Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster-General of the Australian
+and New Zealand Army Corps) and Brigadier-General Cunliffe Owen
+(Commanding Royal Artillery of the Australian and New Zealand Army
+Corps). A cold hand clutched my heart as I scanned their faces.
+Carruthers gave me a message from Birdwood written in Godley's writing.
+I read it aloud:--
+
+"Both my Divisional Generals and Brigadiers have represented to me that
+they fear their men are thoroughly demoralised by shrapnel fire to which
+they have been subjected all day after exhaustion and gallant work in
+morning. Numbers have dribbled back from firing line and cannot be
+collected in this difficult country. Even New Zealand Brigade which has
+been only recently engaged lost heavily and is to some extent
+demoralised. If troops are subjected to shell fire again to-morrow
+morning there is likely to be a fiasco as I have no fresh troops with
+which to replace those in firing line. I know my representation is most
+serious but if we are to re-embark it must be at once.
+                                                   (_Sd._) "BIRDWOOD."
+
+The faces round that table took on a look--when I close my eyes there
+they sit,--a look like nothing on earth unless it be the guests when
+their host flings salt upon the burning raisins. To gain time I asked
+one or two questions about the tactical position on shore, but
+Carruthers and Cunliffe Owen seemed unable to add any detail to
+Birdwood's general statement.
+
+I turned to Thursby and said, "Admiral, what do you think?" He said, "It
+will take the best part of three days to get that crowd off the
+beaches." "And where are the Turks?" I asked. "On the top of 'em!"
+"Well, then," I persisted, "tell me, Admiral, what do _you_ think?"
+"What do I think: well, I think myself they will stick it out if only it
+is put to them that they must." Without another word, all keeping
+silence, I wrote Birdwood as follows:--
+
+"Your news is indeed serious. But there is nothing for it but to dig
+yourselves right in and stick it out. It would take at least two days to
+re-embark you as Admiral Thursby will explain to you. Meanwhile, the
+Australian submarine has got up through the Narrows and has torpedoed a
+gunboat at Chunuk. Hunter-Weston despite his heavy losses will be
+advancing to-morrow which should divert pressure from you. Make a
+personal appeal to your men and Godley's to make a supreme effort to
+hold their ground.
+                                               (_Sd._) "IAN HAMILTON."
+
+"P.S. You have got through the difficult business, now you have only to
+dig, dig, dig, until you are safe. Ian H."
+
+The men from Gaba Tepe made off with this letter; not the men who came
+down here at all, but new men carrying a clear order. Be the upshot what
+it may, I shall never repent that order. Better to die like heroes on
+the enemy's ground than be butchered like sheep on the beaches like the
+runaway Persians at Marathon.
+
+De Robeck and Keyes were aghast; they pat me on the back; I hope they
+will go on doing so if things go horribly wrong. Midnight decisions take
+it out of one. Turned in and slept for three solid hours like a top till
+I was set spinning once more at 4 a.m.
+
+At dawn we were off Gaba Tepe. Thank God the idea of retreat had already
+made itself scarce. The old _Queen_ let fly her first shot at 5.30 a.m.
+Her shrapnel is a knockout. The explosion of the monstrous shell darkens
+the rising sun; the bullets cover an acre; the enemy seems stunned for a
+while after each discharge. One after the other she took on the Turkish
+guns along Sari Bair and swept the skyline with them.
+
+A message of relief and thankfulness came out to us from the shore.
+Seeing how much they loved us--or rather our Long Toms--we hung around
+until about half-past eight smothering the enemy's guns whenever they
+dared show their snouts. By that hour our troops had regained their grip
+of themselves and also of the enemy, and the firing of the Turks was
+growing feeble. An organised counter-attack on the grand scale at dawn
+was the one thing I dreaded, and that has not come off; only a bit of a
+push over the downland by Gaba Tepe which was steadied by one of our
+enormous shrapnel. About this time we heard from Hunter-Weston that
+there was no material change in the situation at Helles and
+Sedd-el-Bahr. I wirelessed, therefore, to d'Amade telling him he would
+not be able to land his men at "V" under Sedd-el-Bahr as arranged but
+that he should bring all the rest of the French troops up from Tenedos
+and disembark them at "W" by Cape Helles. About this time, also, i.e.,
+somewhere about 9 a.m., we picked up a wireless from the O.C. "Y" Beach
+which caused us some uneasiness. "We are holding the ridge," it said,
+"till the wounded are embarked." Why "till"? So I told the Admiral that
+as Birdwood seemed fairly comfortable, I thought we ought to lose no
+time getting back to Sedd-el-Bahr, taking "Y" Beach on our way. At once
+we steamed South and hove to off "Y" Beach at 9.30 a.m. There the
+_Sapphire_, _Dublin_ and _Goliath_ were lying close inshore and we could
+see a trickle of our men coming down the steep cliff and parties being
+ferried off to the _Goliath_: the wounded no doubt, but we did not see a
+single soul going _up_ the cliff whereas there were many loose groups
+hanging about on the beach. I disliked and mistrusted the looks of these
+aimless dawdlers by the sea. There was no fighting; a rifle shot now and
+then from the crests where we saw our fellows clearly. The little crowd
+and the boats on the beach were right under them and no one paid any
+attention or seemed to be in a hurry. Our naval and military signallers
+were at sixes and sevens. The _Goliath_ wouldn't answer; the _Dublin_
+said the force was coming off, and we could not get into touch with the
+soldiers at all. At about a quarter to ten the _Sapphire_ asked us to
+fire over the cliffs into the country some hundreds of yards further in,
+and so the _Queen E._ gave Krithia and the South of it a taste of her
+metal. Not much use as the high crests hid the intervening hinterland
+from view, even from the crow's nests. A couple of shrapnel were also
+fired at the crestline of the cliff about half a mile further North
+where there appeared to be some snipers. But the trickling down the
+cliffs continued. No one liked the look of things ashore. Our chaps can
+hardly be making off in this deliberate way without orders; and yet, if
+they _are_ making off "by order," Hunter-Weston ought to have consulted
+me first as Birdwood consulted me in the case of the Australians and New
+Zealanders last night. My inclination was to take a hand myself in this
+affair but the Staff are clear against interference when I have no
+knowledge of the facts--and I suppose they are right. To see a part of
+my scheme, from which I had hoped so much, go wrong before my eyes is
+maddening! I imagined it: I pressed it through: a second Battalion was
+added to it and then the South Wales Borderers' Company. Many sailors
+and soldiers, good men, had doubts as to whether the boats could get in,
+or whether, having done so, men armed and accoutred would be able to
+scale the yellow cliffs; or whether, having by some miracle climbed,
+they would not be knocked off into the sea with bayonets as they got to
+the top. I admitted every one of these possibilities but said, every
+time, that taken together, they destroyed one another. If the venture
+seemed so desperate even to ourselves, who are desperadoes, then the
+enemy Chief would be of the same opinion only more so; so that,
+supposing we _did_ get up, at least we would not find resistance
+organised against us. Whether this was agreed to, or not, I cannot say.
+The logic of a C.-in-C. has a convincing way of its own. But in all our
+discussions one thing was taken for granted--no one doubted that once
+our troops had got ashore, scaled the heights and dug themselves in,
+they would be able to hold on: no one doubted that, with the British
+Fleet at their backs, they would at least maintain their bridge-head
+into the enemy's vitals until we could decide what to do with it.
+
+At a quarter past ten we steamed, with anxious minds, for Cape Helles,
+and on the way there, Braithwaite and I finished off our first cable to
+K.:--
+
+"Thanks to God who calmed the seas and to the Royal Navy who rowed our
+fellows ashore as coolly as if at a regatta; thanks also to the
+dauntless spirit shown by all ranks of both Services, we have landed
+29,000 upon six beaches in the face of desperate resistance from strong
+Turkish Infantry forces well backed by Artillery. Enemy are entrenched,
+line upon line, behind wire entanglements spread to catch us wherever we
+might try to concentrate for an advance. Worst danger zone, the open
+sea, now traversed, but on land not yet out of the wood. Our main
+covering detachment held up on water's edge, at foot of amphitheatre of
+low cliffs round the little bay West of Sedd-el-Bahr. At sunset last
+night a dashing attack was made by the 29th Division South-west along
+the heights from Tekke Burnu to set free the Dublins, Munsters and
+Hants, but at the hour of writing they are still pinned down to the
+beach.
+
+"The Australians have done wonderfully at Gaba Tepe. They got 8,000
+ashore to one beach between 3.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m.: due to their
+courage; organisation; sea discipline and steady course of boat
+practice. Navy report not one word spoken or movement made by any of
+these thousands of untried troops either during the transit over the
+water in the darkness or nearing the land when the bullets took their
+toll. But, as the keel of the boats touched bottom, each boat-load
+dashed into the water and then into the enemy's fire. At first it seemed
+that nothing could stop them, but by degrees wire, scrub and cliffs;
+thirst, sheer exhaustion broke the back of their impetus. Then the
+enemy's howitzers and field guns had it all their own way, forcing
+attack to yield a lot of ground. Things looked anxious for a bit, but by
+this morning's dawn all are dug in, cool, confident.
+
+"But for the number and good shooting of Turkish field guns and
+howitzers, Birdwood would surely have carried the whole main ridge of
+Sari Bair. As it is, his troops are holding a long curve upon the crests
+of the lower ridges, identical, to a hundred yards, with the line
+planned by my General Staff in their instructions and pencilled by them
+upon the map.
+
+"The French have stormed Kum Kale and are attacking Yeni Shahr. Although
+you excluded Asia from my operations, have been forced by tactical needs
+to ask d'Amade to do this and so relieve us from Artillery fire from the
+Asiatic shore.
+
+"Deeply regret to report the death of Brigadier-General Napier and to
+say that our losses, though not yet estimated, are sure to be very
+heavy.
+
+"If only this night passes without misadventures, I propose to attack
+Achi Baba to-morrow with whatever Hunter-Weston can scrape together of
+the 29th Division. Such an attack should force the enemy to relax their
+grip on Sedd-el-Bahr. I can look now to the Australians to keep any
+enemy reinforcements from crossing the waist of the Peninsula."[12]
+
+Relief about Gaba Tepe is almost swallowed up by the "Y" Beach
+fiasco--as we must, I suppose, take it to be. No word yet from
+Hunter-Weston.
+
+At Helles things are much the same as last night; only, the South Wales
+Borderers are now well dug in on a spur above Morto Bay and are
+confident.
+
+At 1.45 d'Amade came aboard in a torpedo boat to see me. He has been
+ashore at Kum Kale and reports violent fighting and, for the time being,
+victory. A very dashing landing, the village stormed; house to house
+struggles; failure to carry the cemetery; last evening defensive
+measures, loopholed walls, barbed wire fastened to corpses; at night
+savage counter attacks led by Germans; their repulse; a wall some
+hundred yards long and several feet high of Turkish corpses; our own
+losses also very heavy and some good Officers among them. All this
+partly from d'Amade to me; partly his Staff to my Staff. Nogues and his
+brave lads have done their bit indeed for the glory of the Army of
+France. Meanwhile, d'Amade is anxious to get his men off soon: he cannot
+well stay where he is unless he carries the village of Yeni Shahr. Yeni
+Shahr is perched on the height a mile to the South of him, but it has
+been reinforced from the Besika Bay direction and to take it would be a
+major operation needing a disembarkation of at least the whole of his
+Division. He is keen to clear out: I agreed, and at 12.5 he went to make
+his preparations.
+
+Ten minutes later, when we were on our way back to Gaba Tepe, the
+Admiral and Braithwaite both tackled me, and urged that the French
+should be ordered to hold on for another twenty-four hours--even if for
+no longer. Had they only raised their point before d'Amade left the
+_Queen Elizabeth_! As it is, to change my mind and my orders would upset
+the French very much and--on the whole--I do not think we have enough to
+go upon to warrant me in doing so. The Admiral has always been keen on
+Kum Kale and I quite understand that Naval aspect of the case. But it is
+all I can do, as far as things have gone, to hang on by my eyelids to
+the Peninsula, and let alone K.'s strong, clear order, I can hardly
+consent, as a soldier, to entangle myself further in Asia, before I have
+made good Achi Baba. We dare not lose another moment in getting a firm
+footing on the Peninsula and that was why I had signalled d'Amade from
+Gaba Tepe to bring up all the rest of his troops from Tenedos and to
+disembark them at "W" (seeing we were still held up at "V") and why I
+cannot now perceive any other issue. We are not strong enough to attack
+on both sides of the Straits. Given one more Division we might try: as
+things are, my troops won't cover the mileage. On a small scale map, in
+an office, you may make mole-hills of mountains; on the ground there's
+no escaping from its features.
+
+As soon as the French Commander took his leave, we steamed back for Gaba
+Tepe, passing Cape Helles at 12.20 p.m. Weather now much brighter and
+warmer. Passing "Y" Beach the re-embarkation of troops was still going
+on. All quiet, the _Goliath_ says: the enemy was so roughly handled in
+an attack they made last night that they do not trouble our
+withdrawal--too pleased to see us go, it seems! So this part of our plan
+has gone clean off the rails. Keyes, Braithwaite, Aspinall, Dawnay,
+Godfrey are sick--but their disappointment is nothing to mine. De Robeck
+agrees that we don't know enough yet to warrant us in fault-finding or
+intervention. My orders ought to have been taken before a single
+unwounded Officer or man was ferried back aboard ship. Never, since
+modern battles were invented by the Devil, has a Commander-in-Chief been
+so accessible to a message or an appeal from any part of the force. Each
+theatre has its outfit of signallers, wireless, etc., and I can either
+answer within five minutes, or send help, or rush myself upon the scene
+at 25 miles an hour with the _Q.E.'s_ fifteen inchers in my pocket. Here
+there is no question of emergency, or enemy pressure, or of haste; so
+much we see plain enough with our own eyes.
+
+Whilst having a hurried meal, Jack Churchill rushed down from the crow's
+nest to say that he thought we had carried the Fort above Sedd-el-Bahr.
+He had seen through a powerful naval glass some figures standing erect
+and silhouetted against the sky on the parapet. Only, he argued, British
+soldiers would stand against the skyline during a general action. That
+is so, and we were encouraged to be hopeful.
+
+On to Gaba Tepe just in time to see the opening, the climax and the end
+of the dreaded Turkish counter attack. The Turks have been fighting us
+off and on all the time, but this is--or rather I can happily now say
+"was"--an organised effort to burst in through our centre. Whether
+burglars or battles are in question, give me sunshine. What had been a
+terror when Braithwaite woke me out of my sleep at midnight to meet the
+Gaba Tepe deputation was but a heightened, tightened sensation thirteen
+hours later.
+
+No doubt the panorama was alarming, but we all of us somehow--we on the
+_Q.E._--felt sure that Australia and New Zealand had pulled themselves
+together and were going to give Enver and his Army a very disagreeable
+surprise.
+
+The contrast of the actual with the might-have-been is the secret of our
+confidence. Imagine, had these brave lads entrusted to us by the
+Commonwealth and Dominion now been crowding on the beaches--crowding
+into their boats--whilst some desperate rearguard was trying to hold off
+the onrush of the triumphant Turks. Never would any of us have got over
+so shocking a disaster; now they are about to win their spurs (D.V.).
+
+Here come the Turks! First a shower of shells dropping all along the
+lower ridges and out over the surface of the Bay. Very pretty the
+shells--at half a mile! Prince of Wales's feathers springing suddenly
+out of the blue to a loud hammer stroke; high explosives: or else the
+shrapnel; pure white, twisting a moment and pirouetting as children in
+their nightgowns pirouette, then gliding off the field two or three
+together, an aerial ladies' chain. Next our projectiles, Thursby's from
+the _Queen_, _Triumph_, _Majestic_, _Bacchante_, _London_, and _Prince
+of Wales_; over the sea they flew; over the heads of our fighters;
+covered the higher hillsides and skyline with smudges of black, yellow
+and green. Smoky fellows these--with a fiery spark at their core, and
+wherever they touch the earth, rocks leap upwards in columns of dust to
+the sky. Under so many savage blows, the labouring mountains brought
+forth Turks. Here and there advancing lines; dots moving over green
+patches; dots following one another across a broad red scar on the flank
+of Sari Bair: others following--and yet others--and others--and others,
+closing in, disappearing, reappearing in close waves converging on the
+central and highest part of our position. The tic tac of the machine
+guns and the rattle of the rifles accompanied the roar of the big guns
+as hail, pouring down on a greenhouse, plays fast and loose amidst the
+peals of God's artillery: we have got some guns right up the precipitous
+cliff: the noise doubled; redoubled; quadrupled, expanded into one
+immense tiger-like growl--a solid mass of the enemy showed itself
+crossing the green patch--and then the good _Queen Lizzie_ picked up her
+targets--crash!!! Stop your ears with wax.
+
+The fire slackened. The attack had ebbed away; our fellows were holding
+their ground. A few, very few, little dots had run back over that green
+patch--the others had passed down into the world of darkness.
+
+A signaller was flag-wagging from a peak about the left centre of our
+line:--"The boys will never forget the _Queen Elizabeth's_ help" was
+what he said.
+
+Jack Churchill was right. At 1.50 a wireless came in to say that the
+Irish and Hants from the _River Clyde_ had forced their way through
+Sedd-el-Bahr village and had driven the enemy clean out of all his
+trenches and castles. Ah, well; _that_ load is off our minds: every one
+smiling.
+
+Passed on the news to Birdwood: I doubt the Turks coming on again--but,
+in case, the 29th Division's feat of arms will be a tonic.
+
+I was wrong. At 3 p.m. the enemy made another effort, this time on the
+left of our line. We shook them badly and were rewarded by seeing a New
+Zealand charge. Two Battalions racing due North along the coast and
+foothills with levelled bayonets. Then again the tumult died away.
+
+At 4.30 we left Gaba Tepe and sailed for Helles. At 4.50 we were
+opposite Krithia passing "Y" Beach. The whole of the troops, plus
+wounded, plus gear, have vanished. Only the petrol tins they took for
+water right and left of their pathway up the cliff; huge diamonds in the
+evening sun. The enemy let us slip off without shot fired. The last
+boat-load got aboard the _Goliath_ at 4 p.m., but they had forgotten
+some of their kit, so the Bluejackets rowed ashore as they might to
+Southsea pier and brought it off for them--and again no shot fired!
+
+Hove to off Cape Helles at quarter past five. Joyous confirmation of
+Sedd-el-Bahr capture and our lines run straight across from "X" to Morto
+Bay, but a very sad postscript now to that message: Doughty Wylie has
+been killed leading the sally from the beach.
+
+The death of a hero strips victory of her wings. Alas, for Doughty
+Wylie! Alas, for that faithful disciple of Charles Gordon; protector of
+the poor and of the helpless; noblest of those knights ever ready to lay
+down their lives to uphold the fair fame of England. Braver soldier
+never drew sword. He had no hatred of the enemy. His spirit did not need
+that ugly stimulant. Tenderness and pity filled his heart and yet he had
+the overflowing enthusiasm and contempt of death which alone can give
+troops the volition to attack when they have been crouching so long
+under a pitiless fire. Doughty Wylie was no flash-in-the-pan V.C.
+winner. He was a steadfast hero. Years ago, at Aleppo, the mingled
+chivalry and daring with which he placed his own body as a shield
+between the Turkish soldiery and their victims during a time of massacre
+made him admired even by the Moslems. Now; as he would have wished to
+die, so has he died.
+
+For myself, in the secret mind that lies beneath the conscious, I think
+I had given up hope that the covering detachment at "V" would work out
+their own salvation. My thought was to keep pushing in troops from "W"
+Beach until the enemy had fallen back to save themselves from being cut
+off. The Hampshires, Dublins and Munsters have turned their own tight
+corner, but I hope these fine Regiments will never forget what they owe
+to one Doughty Wylie, the Mr. Greatheart of our war.
+
+The Admiral and Braithwaite have been at me again to urge that the
+French should hang on another day at Kum Kale. They point out that the
+crisis seems over for the time being both at Helles and Gaba Tepe and
+argue that this puts a different aspect on the whole question. That is
+so, and on the whole, I think "yes" and have asked d'Amade to comply.
+
+At 6.20 p.m. started back intending to see all snug at Gaba Tepe, but,
+picking up some Turkish guns as targets in Krithia and on the slopes of
+Achi Baba, we hove to off Cape Tekke and opened fire. We soon silenced
+these guns, though others, unseen, kept popping. At 6.50 we ceased fire.
+At 7, Admiral Guepratte came on board and tells us splendid news about
+Kum Kale. At 2 o'clock the artillery fire from shore and ships became
+too hot for the Turks entrenched in the cemetery and they put up the
+white flag and came in as prisoners, 500 of them. A hundred more had
+been taken during the night fighting, but there was treachery and some
+of those were killed. Kum Kale has been a brilliant bit of work, though
+I fear we have lost nearly a quarter of our effectives. Guepratte agrees
+we would do well to hold on for another 24 hours. At a quarter past
+seven he took his leave and we let drop our anchor where we were, off
+Cape Tekke.
+
+So now we stand on Turkish _terra firma_. The price has been paid for
+the first step and that is the step that counts. Blood, sweat, fire;
+with these we have forged our master key and forced it into the lock of
+the Hellespont, rusty and dusty with centuries of disuse. Grant us, O
+Lord, tenacity to turn it; determination to turn it, till through that
+open door _Queen Elizabeth_ of England sails East for the Golden Horn!
+When in far off ages men discuss over vintages ripened in Mars the black
+superstitions and bloody mindedness of the Georgian savages, still they
+will have to drain a glass to the memory of the soldiers and sailormen
+who fought here.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI
+
+MAKING GOOD
+
+
+_27th April, 1915. Getting on for midnight. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth."_
+All sorts of questions and answers. At 2 a.m. got a signal from Admiral
+Guepratte, "Situation at Kum Kale excellent, but d'Amade gave orders to
+re-embark. It has begun. Much regret it is not in my power to stop it."
+
+Well, so do I regret it. With just one more Brigade at our backs we
+would have taken Yeni Shahr and kept our grip on Kum Kale; helping along
+the Fleet; countering the big guns from Asia. But, there it is; as
+things are I was right, and beggars can't be choosers. The French are
+now free to land direct at Sedd-el-Bahr, or "V," instead of round by
+"W."
+
+During the small hours I wrote a second cable to K. telling him
+Hunter-Weston could not attack Achi Baba yesterday as his troops were
+worn out and some of his Battalions had lost a quarter of their
+effectives: also that we were already short of ammunition. Also that
+"Sedd-el-Bahr was a dreadful place to carry by open assault, being a
+labyrinth of rocks, galleries, ruins and entanglements." "With all the
+devoted help of the Navy, it has taken us a day's hard fighting to make
+good our footing. Achi Baba Hill, only a cannon shot distant, will be
+attacked to-morrow, the 28th."
+
+After shipping ammunition for her big guns the _Q.E._ sailed at 7 a.m.
+for Gaba Tepe where we found Birdwood's base, the beach, being very
+severely shelled. The fire seemed to drop from half the points of the
+compass towards that one small strip of sand, so marvellously well
+defiladed by nature that nine-tenths of the shot fell harmlessly into
+the sea. The Turkish gunners had to chance hitting something by lobbing
+shrapnel over the main cliff or one of the two arm-like promontories
+which embraced the little cove,--and usually they didn't! Yet even so
+the beach was hardly a seaside health resort and it was a comfort to see
+squads of these young soldiers marching to and fro and handling packing
+cases with no more sign of emotion than railway porters collecting
+luggage at Margate.
+
+At 7.55 we presented the Turks with some remarkable specimens of sea
+shells to recompense them for their trouble in so narrowly searching our
+beaches. They accepted our 6 inchers with a very good grace. Often one
+of our H.E. hundred pounders seemed to burst just where a field gun had
+been spotted:--and before our triumphant smiles had time to disentangle
+themselves from our faces, the beggars would open again. But the 15-inch
+shrapnel, with its 10,000 bullets, was a much more serious projectile.
+The Turks were not taking more than they could help. Several times we
+silenced a whole battery by one of these monsters. No doubt these very
+batteries are now getting back into concealed positions where our
+ships' guns will not be able to find them. Still, even so, to-day and
+to-morrow are the two most ticklish days; after that, let the storm
+come--our troops will have rooted themselves firmly into the soil.
+
+Have been speaking to the sailors about getting man-killing H.E. shell
+for the Mediterranean Squadron instead of the present armour piercers
+which break into only two or three pieces and are, therefore, in the
+open field, more alarming than deadly. They don't seem to think there
+would be much good gained by begging for special favours through routine
+channels. Officialdom at the Admiralty is none too keen on our show. If
+we can get at Winston himself, then we can rely on his kicking red tape
+into the waste-paper basket; otherwise we won't be met half way. As for
+me, I am helpless. I cannot write Winston--not on military business;
+least of all on Naval business. I am fixed, I won't write to any public
+personage re my wants and troubles excepting only K. Braithwaite agrees
+that, especially in war time, no man can serve two masters. There has
+been so much stiletto work about this war, and I have so often blamed
+others for their backstairs politics, that I must chance hurt feelings
+and shall not write letters although several of the Powers that Be have
+told me to keep them fully posted. The worst loss is that of Winston's
+ear; high principles won't obtain high explosives. As to writing to the
+Army Council--apart from K., the War Office is an oubliette.
+
+The foregoing sage reflections were jotted down between 10 and 10.30
+a.m., when I was clapped into solitary confinement under armour. An
+aeroplane had reported that the _Goeben_ had come into the Narrows,
+presumably to fire over the Peninsula with her big guns. There was no
+use arguing with the sailors; they treat me as if I were a mascot. So I
+was duly shut up out of harm's way and out of their way whilst they made
+ready to take on the ship, which is just as much the cause of our Iliad
+as was Helen that of Homer's. Up went our captive balloon; in ten
+minutes it was ready to spot and at 10.15 we got off the first shot
+which missed the _Goeben_ by just a few feet to the right. The enemy
+then quickly took cover behind the high cliffs and I was let out of my
+prison. Some Turkish transports remained, landing troops. Off flew the
+shell, seven miles it flew; over the Turkish Army from one sea into
+another. A miss! Again she let fly. This time from the balloon came down
+that magic formula "O.K." (plumb centre). We danced for joy though
+hardly able really to credit ourselves with so magnificent a shot: but
+it was so: in two minutes came another message saying the transport was
+sinking by the stern! O.K. for us; U.P. with the Turks. Simple letters
+to describe a pretty ghastly affair. Fancy that enormous shell dropping
+suddenly out of the blue on to a ship's deck swarming with troops!
+
+A wireless from Wemyss to say that the whole of Hunter-Weston's force
+has advanced two miles on a broad front and that the enemy made no
+resistance.
+
+At 6 p.m. a heavy squall came down from the North and the Aegean was no
+place for flyers whether heavier or lighter than air. All the Turkish
+guns we could spot from the ship had been knocked out or silenced, so
+Birdwood and his men were able to get along with their digging. We cast
+anchor off Cape Helles at about 6.30 p.m.
+
+At 7 Hunter-Weston came on board and dined. He is full of confidence and
+good cheer. _He never gave any order to evacuate "Y"; he never was
+consulted; he does not know who gave the order._ He does well to be
+proud of his men and of the way they played up to-day when he called
+upon them to press back the enemy. He has had no losses to speak of and
+we are now on a fairly broad three-mile front right across the toe of
+the Peninsula; about two miles from the tip at Helles. Had our men not
+been so deadly weary, there was no reason we should not have taken Achi
+Baba from the Turks, who put up hardly any fight at all. But we have not
+got our mules or horses ashore yet in any numbers, and the digging, and
+carriage of stores, water and munitions to the firing line had to go on
+all night, so the men are still as tired as they were on the 26th, or
+more so. The Intelligence hear that enemy reinforcements are crossing
+the Narrows. So it is a pity we could not make more ground whilst we
+were about it, but we had no fresh men to put in and the used Battalions
+were simply done to a turn.
+
+We did not talk much about the past at dinner, except--ah me, how
+bitterly we regretted our 10 per cent. margin to replace casualties,--a
+margin allowed by regulation and afforded to the B.E.F. Just think of
+it. To-day each Battalion of the 29th Division would have been joined by
+two keen Officers and one hundred keen men--fresh--all of them fresh!
+The fillip given would have been far, far greater than that which the
+mere numbers (1,200 for the Division) would seem to imply. Hunter-Weston
+says that he would sooner have a pick-me-up in that form than two fresh
+Battalions, and I think, in saying so, he says too little.
+
+Tired or not tired, we attack again to-morrow. We must make more--much
+more--elbow room before the Turks get help from Asia or Constantinople.
+
+Are we to strike before or after daylight? Hunter-Weston is clear for
+day and we have made it so. The hour is to be 8 a.m.
+
+Showed H.W. the cable we got at tea time from K., quoting some message
+de Robeck has apparently sent home and saying, "Maxwell will give you
+any support from the garrison of Egypt you may require." I am puzzled
+how to act on this. Maxwell won't give me "any support" I "may require";
+otherwise, naturally, I'd have had the Gurkhas with me now: he has his
+own show to run: I have my own show to run: it is for K. to split the
+differences. K. gave me fair warning before I started I must not embroil
+him with French, France, or British politicians by squeezing him for
+more troops. It was up to me to take the job on those terms or leave
+it--and I took it on. I did think Egypt might be held to be outside
+this tacit covenant, but when I asked first, directly, for the Indian
+Brigade; secondly, for the Brigade or even for one Gurkha Battalion, I
+only got that chilliest of refusals--silence. Since then, there has been
+some change in his attitude. I do wish K. would take me more into his
+confidence. Never a word to me about the Indian Brigade, yet now it is
+on its way! Also, here comes this offer of more troops. Hunter-Weston's
+reading of the riddle is that troops ear-marked for the Western front
+are still taboo but that K. finds himself, since our successful landing,
+in a more favourable political atmosphere and is willing, therefore, to
+let us draw on Egypt. He thinks, in a word, that as far as Egypt goes,
+we should try and get what we can get.
+
+Said good-night with mutual good wishes, and have worked till now (1
+a.m.) answering wireless and interviewing Winter and Woodward, who had
+come across from the _Arcadian_ to do urgent administrative work. Each
+seems satisfied with the way his own branch is getting on: Winter is the
+quicker worker. Wrote out also a second long cable to K. (the first was
+operations) formally asking leave to call upon Maxwell to send me the
+East Lancs. Division and showing that Maxwell can have my second Mounted
+Division in exchange.
+
+Have thought it fair to cable Maxwell also, asking him to hold the East
+Lancs. handy. K.'s cable covers me so far. No Commander enjoys parting
+with his troops and Maxwell may play on one of the tenderest spots in
+K.'s adamantine heart by telling him his darling Egypt will be
+endangered; still it is only right to give him fair warning.
+
+Lord Hindlip, King's Messenger, has brought us our mails.
+
+_28th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth." Off Gallipoli._ At 9 a.m.
+General d'Amade came aboard and gave me the full account of the Kum Kale
+landing, a brilliant piece of work which will add lustre even to the
+illustrious deeds of France. I hope the French Government will recognize
+this dashing stroke of d'Amade's by something more solid than a thank
+you.
+
+At 9.40 General Paris and the Staff of the Naval Division also came
+aboard, and were telling me their doings and their plans when the noise
+of the battle cut short the pow-wow. The fire along the three miles
+front is like the rumble of an express train running over fog signals.
+Clearly we are not going to gain ground so cheaply as yesterday.
+
+At 10 o'clock the _Q.E._ was steaming slowly Northwards and had reached
+a point close to the old "Y" landing place (well marked out by the
+glittering kerosine tins). Suddenly, inland, a large mass of men,
+perhaps two thousand, were seen doubling down a depression of the ground
+heading towards the coast. We had two 15-inch guns loaded with 10,000
+shrapnel bullets each, but there was an agony as to whether these were
+our fellows falling back or Turks advancing. The Admiral and Keyes asked
+me. The Flag Captain was with us. The thing hung on a hair but the
+horror of wiping out one of my own Brigades was too much for me: 20 to
+1 they were Turkish reinforcements which had just passed through
+Krithia--50 to 1 they were Turks--and then--the ground seemed to swallow
+them from view. Ten minutes later, they broke cover half a mile lower
+down the Peninsula and left us no doubt as to what they were, advancing
+as they did in a most determined manner against some of our men who had
+their left flank on the cliffs above the sea.
+
+The Turks were no longer in mass but extended in several lines, less
+than a pace between each man. Before this resolute attack our men, who
+were much weaker, began to fall back. One Turkish Company, about a
+hundred strong, was making an ugly push within rifle shot of our ship.
+Its flank rested on the very edge of the cliff, and the men worked
+forward like German Infantry in a regular line, making a rush of about
+fifty yards with sloped arms and lying down and firing. They all had
+their bayonets fixed. Through a glass every move, every signal, could be
+seen. From where we were our guns exactly enfiladed them. Again they
+rose and at a heavy sling trot came on with their rifles at the slope;
+their bayonets glittering and their Officer ten yards ahead of them
+waving his sword. Some one said they were cheering. Crash! and the
+_Q.E._ let fly a shrapnel; range 1,200 yards; a lovely shot; we followed
+it through the air with our eyes. Range and fuse--perfect. The huge
+projectile exploded fifty yards from the right of the Turkish line, and
+vomited its contents of 10,000 bullets clean across the stretch whereon
+the Turkish Company was making its last effort. When the smoke and dust
+cleared away nothing stirred on the whole of that piece of ground. We
+looked for a long time, nothing stirred.
+
+One hundred to the right barrel--nothing left for the second barrel! The
+tailor of the fairy tale with his "seven at a blow" is not in it with
+the gunnery Lieutenant of a battleship. Our beloved _Queen_ had drawn
+the teeth of the Turkish counter-attack on our extreme left. The enemy
+no longer dared show themselves over the open downs by the sea, but
+worked over broken ground some hundreds of yards inland where we were
+unable to see them. The _Q.E._ hung about here shelling the enemy and
+trying to help our fellows on for the whole day.
+
+As was signalled to us from the shore by an Officer of the Border
+Regiment, the Turks were in great strength somewhere not easy to spot a
+few hundred yards inland from "Y" Beach. Some were in a redoubt, others
+working down a ravine. A party of our men had actually got into the
+trench dug by the "Y" Beach covering party on the day of the landing,
+but had been knocked out again, a few minutes before the _Queen
+Elizabeth_ came to the rescue, and, in falling back, had been (so the
+Officer signaller told us) "badly cut up." Asked again who were being
+badly cut up, he replied, "All of us!" No doubt the _Q.E._ turned up in
+the very nick of time, at a moment when we were being forced to retire
+too rapidly. A certain number of stragglers were slipping quietly back
+towards Cape Helles along the narrow sandy strip at the foot of the
+high cliffs, so, as it was flat calm, I sent Aspinall off in a small
+boat with orders to rally them. He rowed to the South so as to head them
+off and as the dinghy drew in to the shore we saw one of them strip and
+swim out to sea to meet it half way. By the time the young fellow
+reached the boat the cool salt water had given him back his presence of
+mind and he explained, as if it was the most natural thing in the world,
+that he had swum off to get help for the wounded! After landing, a show
+of force was needed to pull the fugitives up but once they did pull up
+they were splendid, and volunteered to a man to follow Aspinall back
+into the firing line. Many of them were wounded and the worst of these
+were put into a picket boat which had just that moment come along. One
+of the men seemed pretty bad, being hit in the head and in the body. He
+wanted to join in but, naturally, was forbidden to do so. Aspinall then
+led his little party back and climbed the cliff. When he got to the top
+and looked round he found this severely wounded man had not only
+disobeyed orders and followed him, but had found strength to lug up a
+box of ammunition with him. "I ordered you not to come," said Aspinall:
+"I can still pull a trigger, Sir," replied the man.[13]
+
+To-day's experiences have been of the strangest. As armies have grown
+and as the range of firearms has increased, the Commander-in-Chief of
+any considerable force has been withdrawn further and further from the
+fighting. To-day I have stood in the main battery which has fired a shot
+establishing, in its way, a record in the annals of destruction.
+
+On our left we had gained three miles and had been driven back a mile or
+rather more after doing so, apparently by fresh enemy forces. What would
+have been a promenade if our original covering party had stuck to "Y"
+Beach, had become too difficult for that wearied and greatly weakened
+Brigade. On the British right the 88th Brigade pushed back the Turks
+easily enough at first, but afterwards they too came up against stiffer
+resistance from what seemed to be fresh enemy formations until at last,
+i.e., about mid-day, they were held up. The Reserve were then ordered to
+pass through and attack. Small parties are reported to have got into
+Krithia and one complete Battalion gained a position commanding
+Krithia--so Wemyss has been credibly informed; but things went wrong;
+they seem to have been _just_ too weak.
+
+Hunter-Weston is confident as ever and says once his men have dug
+themselves in, even a few inches, they will hold what they have gained
+against any number of Turks.
+
+We have been handicapped by the trouble that is bred in the bone of any
+landing on enemy soil. The General wants to strike quick and hard from
+the outset. To do so he must rush his men ashore and by very careful
+plans he may succeed; but even then, unless he can lay hands upon
+wharves, cranes, and all the mechanical appliances to be found in an
+up-to-date harbour, he cannot keep up the supply of ammunition, stores,
+food, water, on a like scale. He cannot do this because, just in
+proportion as he is successful in getting a large number of men on shore
+and in quickly pushing them forward some distance inland, so will it
+become too much for his small craft and his beach frontage to cope with
+the mule transport and carts. Hence, shortage of ammunition and shortage
+of water, which last was the worse felt to-day. But the heavy fighting
+at the landings was what delayed us most.
+
+An enemy aeroplane (a Taube) has been dropping bombs on and about the
+_River Clyde_.
+
+There is little of the "joy of the contest" in fighting battles with
+worn-out troops. Even when the men respond by doing wonders, the
+Commander is bound to feel his heart torn in two by their trials, in
+addition to having his brain tortured on anxiety's rack as to the
+result. The number of Officers we have lost is terrible.
+
+Seen from the Flagship, the sun set exactly behind the purple island of
+Imbros, and as it disappeared sent out long flame-coloured streamers
+into the sky. The effect was that of a bird of Paradise bringing balm to
+our overwrought nerves.
+
+Have published the following order:--
+
+"I rely on all Officers and men to stand firm and steadfast to resist
+the attempt of the enemy to drive us back from our present position
+which has been so gallantly won.
+
+"The enemy is evidently trying to obtain a local success before
+reinforcements can reach us; but the first portion of these arrive
+to-morrow and will be followed by a fresh Division from Egypt.
+
+"It behoves us all, French and British, to stand fast, hold what we have
+gained, wear down the enemy and thus be prepared for a decisive victory.
+
+"Our comrades in Flanders have had the same experience of fatigue after
+hard won fights. We shall, I know, emulate their steadfastness and
+achieve a result which will confer added laurels to French and British
+arms.
+                                                        "IAN HAMILTON,
+                                                             "General."
+
+Two cables from K.:--
+
+The first repeats a cable he has sent Maxwell. He begins by saying, "In
+a cable just in from the Dardanelles French Admiral, I see he thinks
+reinforcements are needed for the troops landed on Gallipoli. Hamilton
+has not made any mention of this to me. All the same yesterday I cabled
+him as follows:--"
+
+(Here he quotes the cable already entered in by me yesterday.)
+
+K. goes on, "I hope all your troops are being kept ready to embark, and
+I would suggest you should send the Territorial Division if Hamilton
+wants them. Peyton's transports, etc., etc., etc."
+
+The second cable quotes mine of last night wherein I ask leave to call
+for the East Lancs. and says, "I feel sure you had better have the
+Territorial Division, and I have instructed Maxwell to embark them. My
+No. 4239 addressed to Maxwell and repeated to you was sent before
+receiving your telegram under reply. You had better tell him to send off
+the Division to you. I am very glad the troops have done so well. Give
+them a message of hearty congratulations on their successful achievement
+to buck them up."
+
+Bravo K.! but kind as is your message the best buck up for the Army will
+be the news that the lads from Manchester are on their way to help us.
+
+The cable people have pinned a minute to these two messages saying that
+the two hours' pull we have over Greenwich time ought to have let K. get
+my message _before_ he wired to Maxwell. He may think Maxwell will take
+it better that way.
+
+Before going to bed, I sent him (K.) two cables:--
+
+(1) "Last night the Turks attacked the Australians and New Zealanders in
+great force, charging right up to the trenches, bugles blowing and
+shouting 'Allah Hu!' They were bayoneted. The French are landing to lend
+a hand to the 29th Division. Birdwood's men are very weary and I am
+supporting them with the Naval Division." These, I may say, are my very
+last reserves.
+
+(2) Telling K. how "I shall now be able to cheer up my troops by the
+prospect of speedy reinforcements, whilst informing them of your
+congratulations, and appealing to them to continue as they have
+commenced," I go on to say that we have used up the French and the Naval
+Division "so that at present I have no reserve except Cox when he
+arrives and the remainder of the French." I also say, simply, and
+without any reference to the War Office previous denial that there _was_
+any second French Division, "D'Amade informs me that the other French
+Division is ready to embark if required, so I hope you will urge that it
+be despatched." As to the delay in letting me have the Indian Brigade; a
+delay which has to-day, so say the 29th Division, cost us Krithia and
+Achi Baba, I say "Unluckily Cox's Brigade is a day late, but I still
+trust it will arrive to-morrow during the day."
+
+_Bis dot qui cito dat_. O truest proverb! One fresh man on Gallipoli
+to-day was worth five afloat on the Mediterranean or fifty loafing
+around London in the Central Force. At home they are carefully totting
+up figures--I know them--and explaining to the P.M. and the Senior
+Wranglers with some complacency that the sixty thousand effective
+bayonets left me are enough--seeing they are British--to overthrow the
+Turkish Empire. So they would be if I had that number, or anything like
+it, for my line of battle. But what are the facts? Exactly one half of
+my "bayonets" spend the whole night carrying water, ammunition and
+supplies between the beach and the firing line. The other half of my
+"bayonets," those left in the firing line, are up the whole night armed
+mostly with spades digging desperately into the earth. Now and then
+there is a hell of a fight, but that is incidental and a relief. A
+single Division of my old "Central Force," so easily to be spared, so
+wasted where they are, could take this pick and spade work off the
+fighters. But the civilians think, I am certain, we are in France, with
+a service of trains and motor transport at our backs so that our
+"bayonets" are really free to devote their best energies to fighting. My
+troops are becoming thoroughly worn out. And when I think of the three
+huge armies of the Central Force I commanded a few weeks ago in
+England--!
+
+_29th April, 1915. H.M.S. "Q.E." Off the Peninsula._ A biggish sea
+running, subsiding as the day went on--and my mind grew calmer with the
+waves. For we are living hand-to-mouth now in every sense. Two days'
+storm would go very near starving us. Until we work up some weeks'
+reserve of water, food and cartridges, I shan't sleep sound. Have lent
+Birdwood four Battalions of the Royal Naval Division and two more
+Battalions are landing at Helles to form my own reserve. Two weak
+Battalions; that is the exact measure of my executive power to shape the
+course of events; all the power I have to help either d'Amade or
+Hunter-Weston.
+
+Water is a worry; weather is a worry; the shelling from Asia is a thorn
+in my side. The sailors had hoped they would be able to shield the
+Southern point of the Peninsula by interposing their ships but they
+can't. Their gunnery won't run to it--was never meant to run to it--and
+with five going aeroplanes we can't do the spotting. Our Regiments, too,
+will not be their superb selves again--won't be anything like
+themselves--not until they get their terrible losses made good. There is
+no other way but fresh blood for it is sheer human nature to feel flat
+after an effort. Any violent struggle for life always lowers the will to
+fight even of the most cut-and-come-again:--don't I remember well when
+Sir George asked me if the Elandslaagte Brigade had it in them to storm
+Pepworth? I had to tell him they were still the same Brigade but not the
+same men. No use smashing in the impregnable sea front if we don't get a
+fresh dose of energy to help us to push into the, as yet, very pregnable
+hinterland. Since yesterday morning, when I saw our men scatter right
+and left before an enemy they would have gone for with a cheer on the
+25th or 26th,--ever since then I have cursed with special bitterness the
+lack of vision which leaves us without that 10 per cent. margin above
+strength which we could, and should, have had with us. The most fatal
+heresy in war, and, with us, the most rank, is the heresy that battles
+can be won without heavy loss--I don't care whether it is in men or in
+ships. The next most fatal heresy is to think that, having won the
+battle, decimated troops can go on defeating fresh enemies without
+getting their 10 per cent. renewed.
+
+[Illustration: "W" BEACH]
+
+At 9 o'clock I boarded H.M.S. _Kennett_, a destroyer, and went ashore.
+Commodore Roger Keyes came along with me, and we set foot on Turkish
+soil for the first time at 9.45 a.m. at "W" Beach. What a scene! An
+ants' nest in revolution. Five hundred of our fighting men are running
+to and fro between cliffs and sea carrying stones wherewith to improve
+our pier. On to this pier, picket boats, launches, dinghies, barges, all
+converge through the heavy swell with shouts and curses, bumps and
+hair's-breadth escapes. Other swarms of half-naked soldiers are
+sweating, hauling, unloading, loading, road-making; dragging mules up
+the cliff, pushing mules down the cliff: hundreds more are bathing, and
+through this pandemonium pass the quiet stretchers bearing pale,
+blood-stained, smiling burdens. First we spent some time speaking to
+groups of Officers and men and hearing what the Beachmasters and
+Engineers had to say; next we saw as many of the wounded as we could and
+then I walked across to the Headquarters of the 29th Division (half a
+mile) to see Hunter-Weston. A strange abode for a Boss; some holes
+burrowed into a hillock. In South Africa, this feature which looks like,
+and actually is, a good observing post, would have been thoroughly
+searched by fire. The Turks seem, so far, to have left it pretty well
+alone.
+
+After a long talk during which we fixed up a good many moot points, went
+on to see General d'Amade. Unluckily he had just left to go on to the
+Flagship to see me. I did not like to visit the French front in his
+absence, so took notes of the Turkish defences on "V" and had a second
+and a more thorough inspection of the beach, transport and storage
+arrangements on "W."
+
+Roper, Phillimore (R.N.) and Fuller stood by and showed me round.
+
+At 1.30 p.m. re-embarked on the _Q.E._ and sailed towards Gaba Tepe.
+
+After watching our big guns shooting at the enemy's field pieces for
+some time I could stand it no longer--the sight seeing I mean--and
+boarded the destroyer _Colne_ which took me towards the beach. Commodore
+Keyes came along, also Pollen, Dawnay and Jack Churchill. Our destroyer
+got within a hundred yards or so of the shore when we had to tranship
+into a picquet boat owing to the shallow water. Quite a good lot of
+bullets were plopping into the water, so the Commodore ordered the
+_Colne_ to lie further out. At this distance from the beach, withdrawn a
+little from the combat, (there was a hottish scrimmage going on), and
+yet so close that friends could be recognised, the picture we saw was
+astonishing. No one has ever seen so strange a spectacle and I very much
+doubt if any one will ever see it again. The Australians and New
+Zealanders had fixed themselves into the crests of a series of high
+sandy cliffs, covered, wherever they were not quite sheer, with box
+scrub. These cliffs were not in the least like what they had seemed to
+be through our glasses when we reconnoitred them at a distance of a mile
+or more from the shore. Still less were they like what I had originally
+imagined them to be from the map. Their features were tumbled, twisted,
+scarred--unclimbable, one would have said, were it not that their faces
+were now pock-marked with caves like large sand-martin holes, wherein
+the men were resting or taking refuge from the sniping. From the
+trenches that ran along the crest a hot fire was being kept up, and
+swarms of bullets sang through the air, far overhead for the most part,
+to drop into the sea that lay around us. Yet all the time there were
+full five hundred men fooling about stark naked on the water's edge or
+swimming, shouting and enjoying themselves as it might be at Margate.
+Not a sign to show that they possess the things called nerves. While we
+were looking, there was an alarm, and long, lean figures darted out of
+the caves on the face of the cliffs and scooted into the firing line,
+stooping low as they ran along the crest. The clatter of the musketry
+was redoubled by the echoing cliffs, and I thought we had dropped in for
+a scrap of some dimensions as we disembarked upon a fragile little
+floating pier and were met by Birdie and Admiral Thursby. A full General
+landing to inspect overseas is entitled to a salute of 17 guns--well, I
+got my dues. But there is no crisis; things are quieter than they have
+been since the landing, Birdie says, and the Turks for the time being
+have been beat. He tells me several men have already been shot whilst
+bathing but there is no use trying to stop it: they take the off chance.
+So together we made our way up a steep spur, and in two hours had
+traversed the first line trenches and taken in the lie of the land. Half
+way we met Generals Bridges and Godley, and had a talk with them, my
+first, with Bridges, since Duntroon days in Australia. From the heights
+we could look down on to the strip of sand running Northwards from Ari
+Burnu towards Suvla Bay. There were machine guns here which wiped out
+the landing parties whenever they tried to get ashore North of the
+present line. The New Zealanders took these with the bayonet, and we
+held five or six hundred yards more coast line until we were forced back
+by Turkish counter-attacks in the afternoon and evening of the 25th. The
+whole stretch is now dominated by Turkish fire from the ridges, and
+along it lie the bodies of those killed at the first onset, and
+afterwards in the New Zealand bayonet charge. Several boats are stranded
+along this no man's land; so far all attempts to get out at night and
+bury the dead have only led to fresh losses. No one ever landed out of
+these boats--so they say.
+
+Towards evening we re-embarked on the _Colne_ and at the very moment of
+transhipment from the picquet boat the enemy opened a real hot shrapnel
+fire, plastering with impartiality and liberality our trenches, our
+beaches and the sea. The _Colne_ was in strangely troubled water, but,
+although the shot fell all about her, neither she nor the picquet boat
+was touched. Five minutes later we should have caught it properly! The
+Turkish guns are very well hidden now, and the _Q.E._ can do nothing
+against them without the balloon to spot; we can't often spare one of
+our five aeroplanes for Gaba Tepe. Going back we had some long range
+shots with the 15-inch guns at batteries in rear of Achi Baba.
+
+Anchored off Cape Helles at dark. A reply in from Maxwell about the East
+Lancs. They are coming!
+
+The worst enemy a Chief has to face in war is an alarmist. The Turks are
+indeed stout and terrifying fellows when seen, not in a poetry book but
+in a long line running at you in a heavy jogtrot way with fixed bayonets
+gleaming. But they don't frighten me as much as one or two of my own
+friends. No matter. We are here to stay; in so far as my fixed
+determination can make it so; alive or dead, we stay.
+
+_30th April, 1915. H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth._ From dawn to breakfast time
+all hands busy slinging shells--modern war sinews--piles of
+them--aboard. The Turks are making hay while the sun shines and are
+letting "V" Beach have it from their 6-inch howitzers on the plains of
+Troy. So, once upon a time, did Paris shoot forth his arrows over that
+selfsame ground and plug proud Achilles in the heel--and never surely
+was any fabulous tendon more vulnerable than are our Southern beaches
+from Asia. The audacious Commander Samson cheers us up. He came aboard
+at 9.15 a.m. and stakes his repute as an airman that his fellows will
+duly spot these guns and that once they do so the ships will knock them
+out. I was so pleased to hear him say so that I took him ashore with me
+to "W" Beach, where he was going to fix up a flight over the Asiatic
+shore, as well as select a flat piece of ground near the tip of the
+Peninsula's toe to alight upon.
+
+Saw Hunter-Weston: he is quite happy. Touched on "Y" Beach; concluded
+least said soonest mended. The issues of the day before yesterday's
+battle seem certainly to have hung on a hair. Apart from "Y" beach
+might-have-beens, it seems that, further inland, detachments of our men
+got into a position dominating Krithia; a position from which--could
+they have held it--Turkish troops in or South of Krithia could have been
+cut off from their supplies. These men saw the Turks clear out of
+Krithia taking machine guns with them. But after half an hour, as we did
+not come on, they began to come back. We were too weak and only one
+Battalion was left of our reserves--otherwise the day was ours. Street,
+the G.S.O.I. of the Division, was in the thick of the battle--too far in
+for his rank, I am told, and he is most emphatic that with one more
+Brigade Achi Baba would now be in our hands. He said this to me in
+presence of his own Chief and I believe him, although I had rather
+disbelieve. To my mind "a miss is as good as a mile" should run a "miss
+is far worse than a mile." He is a sober-spoken, most gallant Officer.
+But it can't be helped. This is not the first time in history when the
+lack of a ha'porth of tar has spoilt the ship of State. I would bear my
+ills without a groan were it not that from the very moment when I set
+eyes on the Narrows I was sent to prize open, I had set my heart upon
+just this very identical ha'porth of tar--_videlicet_, the Indian
+Brigade.
+
+Our men are now busy digging themselves into the ground they gained on
+the 28th. The Turks have done a good lot of gunnery but no real
+counter-attack. Hunter-Weston's states show that during the past
+twenty-four hours well over half of his total strength are getting
+their artillery ashore, building piers, making roads, or bringing up
+food, water and ammunition into the trenches. This does not take into
+account men locally struck off fighting duty as cooks, orderlies,
+sentries over water, etc., etc. Altogether, it seems that not more than
+one-third of our fast diminishing total are available for actual
+fighting purposes. Had we even a Brigade of those backward Territorial
+reserve Battalions with whom the South of England is congested, they
+would be worth I don't know what, for they would release their
+equivalent of first-class fighting men to attend to their own
+business--the fighting.
+
+There are quite a little budget of knotty points to settle between
+Hunter-Weston and d'Amade, so I made a careful note of them and went
+along to French Headquarters. By bad luck d'Amade was away, up in the
+front trenches, and I could not well deliver myself to des Coigns. So I
+said I would come again sometime to-morrow and once more wended my way
+along the busy beaches, and in doing so revisited the Turkish defences
+of "V" and "W." The more I look, the more do I marvel at the invincible
+spirit of the British soldier. Nothing is impossible to him; no General
+knows what he can do till he tries. Therefore, he, the British General,
+must always try! must never listen to the rule-of-thumb advisers who
+seek to chain down adventure to precedent. But our wounds make us weaker
+and weaker. Oh that we could fill up the gaps in the thinned ranks of
+those famous Regiments....!
+
+Had ten minutes' talk with the French Captain commanding the battery of
+75's now dug in close to the old Fort, where General d'Amade sleeps, or
+rather, is supposed to sleep. Here is the noisiest spot on God's earth.
+Not only do the 75's blaze away merrily from morn till dewy eve, and
+again from dewy eve till morn, to a tune that turns our gunners green
+with envy, but the enemy are not slow in replying, and although they
+have not yet exactly found the little beggars (most cunningly concealed
+with green boughs and brushwood), yet they go precious near them with
+big shell and small shell, shrapnel and H.E. As I was standing here I
+was greeted by an old Manchurian friend, le capitaine Reginald Kahn. He
+fought with the Boers against us and has taken his immense bulk into one
+campaign after another. A very clever writer, he has been entrusted by
+the French Government with the compilation of their official history of
+these operations.
+
+On my way back to the _Arcadian_ (we are leaving the _Queen Elizabeth_
+for a time)--I met a big batch of wounded, knocked out, all of them, in
+the battle of the 28th. I spoke to as many of them as I could, and
+although some were terribly mutilated and disfigured, and although a few
+others were clearly dying, one and all kept a stiff upper lip--one and
+all were, or managed to appear--more than content--happy! This scene
+brought tears into my eyes. The courage of our soldiers goes far beyond
+belief. Were it not so war would be unbearable. How strongly God keeps
+the balance even. In fullest splendour the soul shines out amidst the
+dark shadows of adversity; as a fire goes out when the sunlight strikes
+it, so the burning, essential quality in men is stifled by prosperity
+and success.
+
+_Later_. Our battleships have been bombarding Chunuk--chucking shells
+into it from the Aegean side of the Peninsula--and a huge column of
+smoke is rising up into the evening sky. A proper bonfire on the very
+altar of Mars.
+
+_1st May, 1915. H.M.S. "Arcadian."_ Went ashore first thing. Odd shells
+on the wing. Visited French Headquarters. Again d'Amade was away. Had a
+long talk with des Coigns, the Chief of Staff, and told him I had just
+heard from Lord K. that the 1st Brigade of the new French Division would
+sail for the Dardanelles on the 3rd inst. Des Coigns is overjoyed but a
+tiny bit hurt, too, that French Headquarters should get the news first
+from me and not from their own War Ministry. He insists on my going
+round the French trenches and sent a capitaine de la Fontaine along with
+me. Until to-day I had quite failed to grasp the extent of the ground we
+had gained. But we want a lot more before we can begin to feel safe. The
+French trenches are not as good as ours by a long chalk, and bullets
+keep coming through the joints of the badly built sandbag revetment. But
+they say, "_Un peu de repos, apres, vous verrez, mon general._" During
+my peregrinations I struck the Headquarters of the Mediterranean Brigade
+under General Vandenberg, who came round his own men with me. A sturdy,
+thickset fair man with lots of go and very cheery. He is of Dutch
+descent. Later on I came to the Colonial Brigade Headquarters and made
+the acquaintance of Colonel Ruef, a fine man--every inch a soldier. The
+French have suffered severely but are in fine fighting form. They are
+enchanted to hear about their second Division. For some reason or
+another they have made up their minds that France is not so keen as we
+are to make a present of Constantinople to Russia. Their intelligence on
+European questions seems much better than ours and they depress me by
+expressing doubts as to whether the Grand Duke Nicholas has munitions
+enough to make further headway against the Turks in the Caucasus: also,
+as to whether he has even stuff enough to equip Istomine and my rather
+visionary Army Corps.
+
+By the time we had passed along the whole of the French second line and
+part of their front line trenches, I had had about enough. So took leave
+of these valiant Frenchmen and cheery Senegalese and pushed on to the
+advanced observation post of the Artillery where I met General
+Stockdale, commanding the 15th Brigade, R.F.A., and not only saw how the
+land lay but heard some interesting opinions. Also, some ominous
+comments on what armies spend and what Governments scrimp:--that is
+ammunition.
+
+At 3 p.m., got back having had a real good sweat. Must have walked at
+least a dozen miles. Soon afterwards Cox, commanding the 29th Indian
+Brigade, came on board to make his salaam. Better late than never is all
+I could say to him: he and his Brigade are sick at not having been on
+the spot to give the staggering Turks a knock-out on the 28th, but he's
+going to lose no more chances; his men are landing now and he hopes to
+get them all ashore in the course of the day.
+
+The Intelligence have just translated an order for the 25th April found
+upon the dead body of a Turkish Staff Officer. "Be sure," so it runs,
+"that no matter how many troops the enemy may try to land, or how heavy
+the fire of his artillery, it is absolutely impossible for him to make
+good his footing. Supposing he does succeed in landing at one spot, no
+time should be left him to co-ordinate and concentrate his forces, but
+our own troops must instantly press in to the attack and with the help
+of our reserves in rear he will forthwith be flung back into the sea."
+
+_2nd May, 1915. H.M.S. "Arcadian."_ Had a sleepless night and strain was
+too great to write or do anything but stand on bridge and listen to the
+firing or go down to the General Staff and see if any messages had come
+to hand.
+
+About 10 p.m. I was on the bridge thinking how dark it was and how
+preternaturally still; I felt all alone in the world; nothing stirred;
+even the French 75's had ceased their nerve-racking bark, and then,
+suddenly, in one instant, hell was let loose upon earth. Like a hundred
+peals of thunder the Turkish artillery from both Continents let fly
+their salvoes right, left and centre, and the French and ourselves did
+not lose many seconds in reply. The shells came from Asia and Achi
+Baba:--in a fiery shower, they fell upon the lines of our front
+trenches. Half an hour the bombardment and counter-bombardment, and then
+there arose the deadly crepitation of small arms--no messages--ten times
+I went back and forward to the signal room--no messages--until a new and
+dreadful sound was carried on the night wind out to sea--the sound of
+the shock of whole regiments--the Turkish Allah Din!--our answering loud
+Hurrahs. The moments to me were moments of unrelieved agony. I tried to
+think of some possible source of help I had overlooked and could not. To
+hear the battle cries of the fighting men and be tied to this
+_Arcadian_--what torture!
+
+Soon, amidst the dazzling yellow flashes of the bursting shells and star
+bombs, there rose in beautiful parabolas all along our front coloured
+balls of fire, green, red or white; signals to their own artillery from
+the pistols of the Officers of the enemy. An ugly feature, these lights
+so beautiful, because, presumably, in response to their appeal, the
+Turkish shell were falling further down the Peninsula than at first, as
+if they had lengthened their range and fuse, i.e., as if we were falling
+back.
+
+By now several disquietening messages had come in, especially from the
+right, and although bad news was better than no news, or seemed so in
+that darkness and confusion, yet my anxious mind was stretched on the
+rack by inability to get contact with the Headquarters of the 29th
+Division and the French. Bullets or shell had cut some of the wires, and
+the telephone only worked intermittently. At 2 in the morning I had to
+send a battalion of my reserve from the Royal Naval Division to
+strengthen the French right. At 3 a.m. we heard--not from the
+British--that the British had been broken and were falling back upon the
+beaches. At 4 we heard from Hunter-Weston that, although the enemy had
+pierced our line at one or two points, they had now been bloodily
+repulsed. Thereupon, I gave the word for a general counter-attack and
+our line began to advance. The whole country-side was covered with
+retreating Turks and, as soon as it was light enough to see, our
+shrapnel mowed them down by the score. We gained quite a lot of ground
+at first, but afterwards came under enfilade fire from machine guns
+cunningly hidden in folds of the ground. There was no forcing of these
+by any _coup de main_ especially with worn out troops and guns which had
+to husband their shell, and so we had to fall back on our starting
+point. We have made several hundreds prisoners, and have killed a
+multitude of the enemy.
+
+I took Braithwaite and others of the G.S. with me and went ashore. At
+the pier at "W" were several big lighters filled with wounded who
+were about to be towed out to Hospital ships. Spent the best part
+of an hour on the lighters. The cheeriness of the gallant lads is
+amazing--superhuman!
+
+Went on to see Hunter-Weston at his Headquarters,--a queer Headquarters
+it would seem to our brethren in France! Braithwaite, Street,
+Hunter-Weston and myself.
+
+Some of our units are shaken, no doubt, by loss of Officers (complete);
+by heavy losses of men (not replaced, or replaceable, under a month) and
+by sheer physical exertion. Small wonder then that one weak spot in our
+barrier gave way before the solid mass of the attacking Turks, who came
+on with the bayonet like true Ghazis. The first part of the rifle fire
+last night was entirely from our own men. The break by one battalion
+gave a grand chance to the only Territorial unit in the 29th Division,
+the 5th Royal Scots, who have a first-class commanding Officer and are
+inspired not only by the indomitable spirit of their regular comrades,
+but by the special fighting traditions of Auld Reekie. They formed to a
+flank as if on a peace parade and fell on to the triumphant Turkish
+stormers with the cold steel, completely restoring the fortunes of the
+night. It would have melted a heart of stone, Hunter-Weston said, to see
+how tired our men looked in the grey of morning when my order came to
+hand urging them to counter-attack and pursue. Not the spirit but the
+flesh failed them. With a fresh Division on the ground nothing would
+have prevented us from making several thousand prisoners; whether they
+would have been able to rush the machine guns and so gain a great
+victory was more problematical. Anyway, our advance at dawn was half
+heroic, half lamentable. The men were so beat that if they tripped and
+fell, they lay like dead things. The enemy were almost in worse plight
+and so we took prisoners, but as soon as we came up against nerveless,
+tireless machine guns we had to stagger back to our trenches.
+
+As I write dead quiet reigns on the Peninsula, literally dead quiet. Not
+a shot from gun or rifle and the enemy are out in swarms over the plain!
+but they carry no arms; only stretchers and red crescent flags, for they
+are bearing away their wounded and are burying their piles of dead. It
+is by my order that the Turks are being left a free hand to carry out
+this pious duty.
+
+The stretcher-bearers carry their burdens over a carpet of flowers. Life
+is here around us in its most exquisite forms. Those flowers! Poppies,
+cornflowers, lilies, tulips whose colours are those of the rainbow. The
+coast line curving down and far away to meet the extravagant blueness of
+the Aegean where the battleships lie silent--still--smoke rising up
+lazily--and behind them, through the sea haze, dim outlines of Imbros
+and Samothrace.
+
+Going back, found that the lighter loads of wounded already taken off
+have by no means cleared the beach. More wounded and yet more. Here,
+too, are a big drove of Turkish prisoners; fine-looking men; well
+clothed; well nourished; more of them coming in every minute and mixing
+up in the strangest and friendliest way with our wounded with whom they
+talk in some dumb-crambo lingo. The Turks are doing yeoman service for
+Germany. If only India were pulling her weight for us on the same scale,
+we should by now be before the gates of Vienna.
+
+In the afternoon d'Amade paid me a long visit. He was at first rather
+chilly and I soon found out it was on account of my having gone round
+his lines during his absence. He is quite right, and I was quite wrong,
+and I told him so frankly which made "all's well" in a moment. My only
+excuse, namely, that I had been invited--nay pressed--to do so by his
+own Chief of Staff, I thought it wiser to keep to myself. Yesterday
+evening he got a cable from his own War Ministry confirming K.'s cable
+to me about the new French Division; Numbered the 156th, it is to be
+commanded by Bailloud, a distinguished General who has held high office
+in Africa--seventy years old, but sharp as a needle. D'Amade is most
+grateful for the battalion of the Naval Division; most complimentary
+about the Officers and men and is dying to have another which is,
+_evidemment_, a real compliment. He promises if I will do so to ration
+them on the best of French conserves and wine. The fact is, that the
+proportion of white men in the French Division is low; there are too
+many Senegalese. The battalion from the Naval Division gives, therefore,
+greater value to the whole force by being placed on the French right
+than by any other use I can put it to although it does seem strange to
+separate a small British unit by the entire French front from its own
+comrades.
+
+When d'Amade had done, de Robeck came along. No one on the _Q.E._ slept
+much last night: to them, as to us, the dark hours had passed like one
+nightmare after another. Were we miles back from the trenches as in
+France, and frankly dependent on our telephones, the strain would be
+softened by distance. Here we see the flashes; we hear the shots; we
+stand in our main battery and are yet quite cut off from sharing the
+efforts of our comrades. Too near for reflection; too far for
+intervention: on tenter hooks, in fact; a sort of mental crucifixion.
+
+Cox is not going to take his Punjabi Mahommedans into the fighting area
+but will leave them on "W" Beach. He says if we were sweeping on
+victoriously he would take them on but that, as things are, it would not
+be fair to them to do so. That is exactly why I asked K. and Fitz for a
+Brigade of Gurkhas; not a mixed Brigade.
+
+_3rd May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ At 9 p.m. last night there was
+another furious outburst of fire; mainly from the French. 75's and
+rifles vied against one another in making the most infernal _fracas_. I
+thought we were in for an _encore_ performance, but gradually the uproar
+died away, and by midnight all was quiet. The Turks had made another
+effort against our right, but they could not penetrate the rampart of
+living fire built up against them and none got within charging distance
+of our trenches, so d'Amade 'phones. He also says that a mass of Turkish
+reserves were suddenly picked up by the French searchlights and the 75's
+were into them like a knife, slicing and slashing the serried ranks to
+pieces before they had time to scatter.
+
+Birdie boarded us at 9 a.m. and told us his troubles. He has
+straightened out his line on the left; after a fierce fight which has
+cost him no less than 700 fresh casualties. But he feels safer now and
+is pretty happy! he is sure he can hold his own against anything except
+thirst. His _band-o-bast_ for taking water up to the higher trenches is
+not working well, and the springs he has struck along the beach and in
+the lower gullies are brakish. We are going to try and fix this up for
+him.
+
+At 10 o'clock went ashore with Braithwaite and paid visits to
+Hunter-Weston and to d'Amade. We had a conference with each of them,
+Generals and Staff who could be spared from the fighting being present.
+The feeling is hopeful if only we had more men and especially drafts to
+fill up our weakened battalions. The shell question is serious although,
+in this respect, thank Heavens, the French are quite well found. When we
+got back to the ship, heard a Taube had just been over and dropped a
+bomb, which fell exactly between the _Arcadian_ and the ammunition ship,
+anchored only about 60 or 70 yards off us!
+
+_4th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Last night again there was all sorts
+of firing and fighting going on, throughout those hours peaceful
+citizens ear-mark for sleep. I had one or two absolutely hair-raising
+messages. Not only were the French troops broken but the 29th Division
+were falling back into the sea. Though frightened to death, I refused to
+part with my reserve and made ready to go and take command of it at
+break of dawn. In the end the French and Hunter-Weston beat off the
+enemy by themselves. But there is no doubt that some of the French, and
+two Battalions of our own, are badly shaken,--no wonder! Both
+Hunter-Weston and d'Amade came on board in the forenoon, Hunter-Weston
+quite fixed that _his_ men are strained to breaking point and d'Amade
+emphatic that _his_ men will not carry on through another night unless
+they get relief. To me fell the unenviable duty of reconciling two
+contrary persuasions. Much argument as to where the enemy was making his
+main push; as to the numbers of our own rifles (French and English) and
+the yards of trenches each (French and English) have to hold. I decided
+after anxious searching of heart to help the French by taking over some
+portion of their line with the Naval Brigade. There was no help for it.
+Hunter-Weston agreed in the end with a very good grace.
+
+In writing K. I try to convey the truth in terms which will neither give
+him needless anxiety or undue confidence. The facts have been stated
+very simply, plus one brief general comment. I tell him that the Turks
+would be playing our game by these assaults were it not that in the
+French section they break through the Senegalese and penetrate into the
+position. I add a word of special praise for the Naval Division, they
+have done so well, but I know there are people in the War Office who
+won't like to hear it. I say, "I hope the new French Division will not
+steam at economic, but full, speed"; and I sum up by the sentence, "The
+times are anxious, but I believe the enemy's cohesion should suffer more
+than ours by these repeated night attacks."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII
+
+SHELLS
+
+
+To-day, the 4th, shells were falling from Asia on both "V" and "W"
+Beaches. We have landed aeroplanes on the Peninsula. The Taube has been
+bothering us again, but wound up its manoeuvres very decently by
+killing some fish for our dinner. Approved an out-spoken cable from my
+Ordnance to the War Office. Heaven knows we have been close-fisted with
+our meagre stocks, but when the Turks are coming right on to the assault
+it is not possible to prevent a spurt of rapid fire from men who feel
+the knife at their throat. "Ammunition is becoming a very serious
+matter, owing to the ceaseless fighting since April 25th. The _Junia_
+has not turned up and has but a small supply when she does. 18 pr. shell
+is vital necessity."
+
+_5th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ A wearing, nerve-racking, night-long
+fire by the Turks and the French 75's. They, at least, both of them,
+seem to have a good supply of shell. To the Jews, God showed Himself
+once as a pillar of fire by night; to the French soldier whose God is
+the 75 He reveals Himself in just the same way, safeguarding his flimsy
+trenches from the impact of the infidel horde. The curse of the method
+is its noise--let alone its cost. But last night it came off: no Turks
+got through anywhere on the French front and the men had not to stand to
+their arms or use their rifles. We British, worse luck, can't dream of
+these orgies of explosives. Our batteries last night did not fire a shot
+and the men had to drive back the enemy by rifle fire. They did it
+easily enough but the process is wearing.
+
+An answer has come to my prayer for 18 pr. stuff: not the answer that
+turns away wrath, but the answer that provokes a plaster saint.
+
+"We have under consideration your telegram of yesterday. The ammunition
+supply for your force, however, was never calculated on the basis of a
+prolonged occupation of the Gallipoli Peninsula, we will have to
+reconsider the position if, after the arrival of the reinforcements now
+on their way out to you, the enemy cannot be driven back and, in
+conjunction with the Fleet, the Forts barring the passage of the
+Dardanelles cannot be reduced. It is important to push on."
+
+Now von Donop is a kindly man despite that overbearing "von": yet, he
+speaks to us like this! The survivors of our half dead force are to
+"push on"; for, "it is important to push on" although Whitehall seems to
+have time and to spare to "consider" my cable and to "reconsider the
+position." Death first, diagnosis afterwards. Wherever is the use of
+reconsidering the position now? The position has taken charge. When a
+man has jumped off Westminster Bridge to save a drowning Russian his
+position has got beyond reconsideration: there is only one thing to
+do--as quickly as you can, as much help as you can--and if it comes to a
+choice between the _quick_ and the _much_: hark to your swimmer and hear
+him cry "Quick! Quick!! Quick!!!"
+
+The War Office urge me to throw my brave troops yet once more against
+machine guns in redoubts; to do it on the cheap; to do it without asking
+for the shell that gives the attack a sporting chance. I don't say they
+are wrong in so saying; there may be no other way out of it; but I do
+say the War Office stand convicted of having gone hopelessly wrong in
+their estimates and preparations. For we must have been held up
+somewhere, surely; we must have fought _somewhere_. I suppose, even if
+we had forced the Straits--even if we had taken Constantinople without
+firing a shot, we must have fought somewhere! Otherwise, a child's box
+of tin soldiers sent by post would have been just the thing for the
+Dardanelles landing! No; it's not the advice that riles me: it's the
+fact that people who have made a mistake, and should be sorry, slur over
+my appeal for the stuff advances are made of and yet continue to urge us
+on as if we were hanging back.
+
+A strong wind blows and Helles is smothered in dust. Hunter-Weston spent
+an hour with me this morning and an hour with the G.S. putting the final
+touches to the plan of attack discussed by us yesterday. The Lancashire
+Brigade of the 42nd Division has landed.
+
+Hunter-Bunter stayed to lunch.
+
+_Later_. In the afternoon went ashore and inspected the Lancashire
+Brigade of the East Lancs. Division just landed; and a very fine lot of
+Officers and men they are. They are keen and ready for to-morrow. Yes,
+to-morrow we attack again: I have men enough now but very, very little
+shell. The Turks have given us three bad nights and they ought to be
+worn out. With our sea power we can shift a couple of Brigades from Gaba
+Tepe to Helles or vice versa quicker than the Turks can march from the
+one theatre to the other. So the first question has been whether to
+reinforce Gaba Tepe from Helles or vice versa. For reasons too long to
+write here I have decided to attack in the South especially as I had a
+cable from K. himself yesterday in which he makes the suggestion:--
+
+"I hope," he says, "the 5th" (that's to-day) "will see you strong enough
+to press on to Achi Baba anyway, as delay will allow the Turks to bring
+up more reinforcements and to make unpleasant preparations for your
+reception. The Australians and New Zealanders will have had
+reinforcements from Egypt by then, and, if they hold on to their
+trenches with the help of the Naval Division, could spare you a good
+many men for the advance."
+
+Old K. is as right as rain here but a little bit after the shower. Had
+he and Maxwell tumbled to the real situation when I first saw with my
+own eyes the lie of the land instead of the lies on their maps; and had
+they let me have the Brigade of Gurkhas I asked for by my letters and by
+my cable of 24th March, and by word of mouth and telephone up to the
+last moment of my leaving Egypt, these homilies about the urgency of
+seizing Achi Baba would be beside the mark, seeing we should be sitting
+on the top of it.
+
+In the matter of giving K. is built on the model of Pharaoh: nothing
+less than the firstborn of the nation will make him suffer his subjects
+to depart from Egypt; and Maxwell sees eye to eye with him--that is
+natural. No word of the bombs and trench mortars I asked for six weeks
+ago, but the "bayonets" are coming in liberally now.
+
+Two of Birdwood's Brigades sail down to-night and join up with a Brigade
+from the Naval Division, thus making a new composite Division for the
+Southern theatre. The 29th, who have lost so very heavily, are being
+strengthened by the new Lancashire Fusilier Brigade, and Cox's Indian
+Brigade. By no manner the same thing, this, as getting drafts to fill up
+the ranks of the 29th. Always in war there is three times better value
+in filling up an old formation than in making up the total by bringing
+in a new formation. I have given the French the Naval Brigade; the new,
+Naval-Australian Division is to form my general reserve.
+
+So there! To-morrow morning. We have men enough, and good men too, but
+we are short of pebbles for Goliath of Achi Baba. These three nights
+have made a big hole in our stocks. Hunter-Weston feels that all is in
+our favour but the artillery. In Flanders, he says, they would never
+attack with empty limbers behind them; they would wait till they were
+full up. But the West is not in its essence a time problem; there, they
+can wait--next week--next month. If we wait one week the Turks will
+have become twice as strong in their numbers, and twice as deep in their
+trenches, as they are to-day. Hunter-Weston and d'Amade see that
+perfectly. I hold the idea myself that it would be good tactics, seeing
+shell shortage is our weakness, to make use of the half hour before dawn
+to close with the enemy and then fight it out on their ground. To cross
+the danger zone, in fact, by night and overthrow the enemy in the grey
+dawn. But Hunter-Weston says that so many regimental officers have been
+lost he fears for the Company leading at night:--for that, most
+searching of military tests, nothing but the best will do.
+
+Hard up as we are for shell he thinks it best to blaze it away freely
+before closing and to trust our bayonets when we get in. He and d'Amade
+have both of them their Western experience to guide them. I have agreed,
+subject only to the condition that we must keep some munitions in
+reserve until we hear for certain that more is on its way.
+
+The enemy had trusted to their shore defences. There was no second line
+behind them--not this side of Achi Baba, at least. Now, i.e., ever since
+the failure of their grand attempt on the night of the 2nd-3rd May, they
+have been hard at work. Already their lines cover quite half the ground
+between the Aegean and the Straits; whilst, in rear again, we can see
+wired patches which we guess to be enfilading machine gun redoubts. We
+must resolutely and at all cost make progress and smash up these new
+spiders' webs of steel before they connect into elastic but unbreakable
+patterns.
+
+_9th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Three days on the rack! Since the
+morning of the 6th not a word have I written barring one or two letters
+and one or two hasty scraps of cables. Now, D.V., there is the best part
+of a day at my disposal and it is worth an effort to put that story
+down.
+
+First I had better fix the sequence of the munition cables, for upon
+them the whole attack has hung--or rather, hung fire.
+
+On the 6th, the evening of the opening day, we received a postscript to
+the refusal already chronicled:--
+
+"Until you can submit a return of the amount you have in hand to enable
+us to work out the rates of expenditure, it is difficult to decide about
+further supplies of ammunition."
+
+When I read this I fell on my knees and prayed God to grant me patience.
+Am I to check the number of rounds in the limbers; on the beaches and in
+transit during a battle? Two days after my S.O.S. the War Office begin
+to think about tables of averages!
+
+I directed my answer to Lord K. himself:--
+
+"With reference to your No. 4432 of 5th inst., please turn to my letter
+to you of 30th March,[14] wherein I have laid stress on the essential
+difference in the matter of ammunition supply between the Dardanelles
+and France. In France, where the factories are within 24 hours' distance
+from the firing line, it may be feasible to consider and reconsider
+situations, including ammunition supply. Here we are distant a
+fortnight. I consider that 4.5 inch, 18 pr. and other ammunition,
+especially Mark VII rifle ammunition, should instantly be despatched
+here _via_ Marseilles.
+
+"Battle in progress. Advance being held up by stubborn opposition."
+
+Within a few hours K.'s reply came in; he says:--
+
+"It is difficult for me to judge the situation unless you can send me
+your expenditure of ammunition for which we have repeatedly asked. The
+question is not affected by the other considerations you mention." If
+space and time have no bearing on strategy and tactics, then K. is
+right. If ships sail over the sea as fast as railways run across the
+land; if Helles is nearer Woolwich than Calais; then he is right. I use
+the capital K. here impersonally, for I am sure the great man did not
+indite the message himself even though it may be headed from him to me.
+
+Late that night came another cable from the Master General of the
+Ordnance saying he was sending out "in the next relief ship 10,000
+rounds of 18 pr. shrapnel, and 1,000 rounds of 4.5 inch high explosive."
+
+But why the next relief ship? It won't get here for another three weeks
+and by that time we should be, by all the laws of nature and of war, in
+Davy Jones's locker. True, we don't mean to be, whatever the Ordnance
+may do or leave undone but, so far as I can see, that won't be their
+fault. Neither I nor my Staff can make head or tail of these cables.
+They seem so unlike K.; so unlike all the people. Here we are:--The
+Turks in front of us--too close: the deep sea behind us--too close. We
+beg them "instantly" to send us 4.5 inch and other ammunition;
+"instantly, _via_ Marseilles":--they tell us in reply that they will
+send 1,000 rounds of the vital stuff, the 4.5 high explosive, "_in the
+next relief ship_"!
+
+Why, even in the South African War, before the siege of Ladysmith, one
+battery would fire five hundred rounds in a day. And this 1,000 rounds
+in the next relief ship (_via_ Alexandria) will take three weeks to get
+to us whereas stress was laid by me upon the Marseilles route.
+
+Now, to-day, (the 9th), I have at last been able to send the Ordnance a
+statement (made under extreme difficulty) of our ammunition expenditure;
+up to the 5th May; i.e., before the three days' battle began. We were
+then nine million small arm still to the good having spent eleven
+million. We had shot away 23,000 shrapnel, 18 pr., and had 48,000 in
+hand. We had fired off 5,000 of that (most vital) 4.5 howitzer and had
+1,800 remaining. A.P.S. has been added saying the amounts shown had been
+greatly reduced by the last two days' battle. Actually, they have fallen
+to less than half and, as I have said, we had, on the evening of the
+7th, only 17,000 rounds of 18 pr. on hand for the whole Peninsula. Out
+of this we have fought the battle of the 8th and I believe we have run
+down now to under 10,000, some fear as low as 5,000.
+
+Very well. Now for my last night's cable which, in the opinion of my
+Officers, summarises general result of lack of shell:--
+
+"For the past three days we have fought our hardest for Achi Baba
+winding up with a bayonet charge by the whole force along the entire
+front, from sea to sea. Faced by a heavy artillery, machine gun and
+rifle fire our troops, French and British alike, made a fine effort; the
+French especially got well into the Turks with the bayonet, and all
+along, excepting on our extreme left, our line gained ground. I might
+represent the battle as a victory, as the enemy's advanced positions
+were driven in, but essentially the result has been failure, as the main
+object remains unachieved. The fortifications and their machine guns
+were too scientific and too strongly held to be rushed, although I had
+every available man in to-day. Our troops have done all that flesh and
+blood can do against semi-permanent works, and they are not able to
+carry them. More and more munitions will be needed to do so. I fear this
+is a very unpalatable conclusion, but I see no way out of it.
+
+"I estimate that the Turks had about 40,000 opposed to our 25,000
+rifles. There are 20,000 more in front of Australian-New Zealand Army
+Corps' 12,000 rifles at Gaba Tepe. By bringing men over from the Asiatic
+side and from Adrianople the Turks seem to be able to keep up their
+strength. I have only one more brigade of the Lancashire Territorial
+Division to come; not enough to make any real effect upon the situation
+as regards breaking through."
+
+Hard must be the heart that is not wrung to think of all these brave
+boys making their effort; giving their lives; all that they had; it is
+too much; almost more than can be borne.
+
+Now to go back and make my notes, day by day, of the battle:--
+
+On the 6th instant we began at 11.30 after half an hour's
+bombardment,--we dared not run to more. A strong wind was blowing and it
+was hard to land or come aboard. Till 2 p.m. I remained glued to the
+telephone on board and then went ashore and saw both Hunter-Weston and
+d'Amade in their posts of command. The live long day there were furious
+semi-detached fights by Battalions and Brigades, and we butted back the
+enemy for some 200 or 300 yards. So far so good. But we did not capture
+any of the main Turkish trenches. I still think we might have done as
+well at much less cost by creeping up these 200 or 300 yards by night.
+
+However!
+
+At 4.30 we dropped our high-vaulting Achi Baba aspirations and took to
+our spades.
+
+The Hood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division had been roughly handled.
+In the hospital clearing tent by the beach I saw and spoke to (amongst
+many others) young Asquith, shot through the knee, and Commander
+Wedgwood, who had been horribly hurt by shrapnel. Each in his own way
+was a calm hero; wrapped in the mantle bequeathed to English soldiers by
+Sir Philip Sidney. Coming back in the evening to the ship we watched
+the Manchester Brigade disembarking. I have never seen a better looking
+lot. The 6th Battalion would serve very well as picked specimens of our
+race; not so much in height or physique, but in the impression they gave
+of purity of race and distinction. Here are the best the old country can
+produce; the hope of the progress of the British ideal in the world; and
+half of them are going to swap lives with Turks whose relative value to
+the well-being of humanity is to theirs as is a locust to a honey-bee.
+
+That night Bailloud, Commander of the new French Division, came to make
+his salaam. He is small, alert, brimful of jokes and of years; seventy
+they say, but he neither looks it nor acts it.
+
+The 7th was stormy and the sea dangerously rough. At 10 a.m. the
+Lancashire Fusilier Brigade were to lead off on our left. They could not
+get a move on, it seemed, although we had hoped that the shelling from
+the ships would have swept a clear lane for them.
+
+The thought that "Y" Beach, which was holding up this brigade, was once
+in our hands, adds its sting to other reports coming from that part of
+the field. In France these reports would have been impersonal messages
+arriving from afar. In Asia or Africa I would have been letting off the
+steam by galloping to d'Amade or Hunter-Weston. Here I was neither one
+thing nor the other:--neither a new fangled Commander sitting cool and
+semi-detached in an office; nor an old fashioned Commander taking
+personal direction of the show. During so long drawn out a suspense I
+tried to ease the tension by dictation. From the carbons I select these
+two paragraphs: they occur in a letter fired off to Colonel Clive Wigram
+at "11.25 a.m., 7th May, 1915."
+
+"I broke off there because I got a telephone message in from
+Hunter-Weston to say his centre was advancing, and that by a pretty
+piece of co-operation between Infantry and Artillery, he had driven the
+Turks out of one very troublesome trench. He cannot see what is on his
+left, or get any message from them. On his left are the Lancashire
+Fusiliers (Territorials). They are faced by a horrid redoubt held by
+machine guns, and they are to rush it with the bayonet.[15] It is a high
+thing to ask of Territorials but against an enemy who is fighting for
+his life, and for the existence of his country, we have to call upon
+every one for efforts which, under any other conditions, might be
+considered beyond their strength.
+
+"Were we still faced by the Divisions which originally held the
+Gallipoli Peninsula we would by now, I firmly believe, be in possession
+of the Kilid Bahr plateau. But every day a regiment or two dribble into
+Gallipoli, either from Asia or from Constantinople, and in the last two
+days an entire fresh Division has (we have heard) arrived from
+Adrianople, and is fighting against us this morning. The smallest
+demonstration on the part of Bulgaria would, I presume, have prevented
+this big reinforcement of fresh troops reaching the enemy, but it seems
+beyond the resources of diplomacy to get anyone to create a diversion."
+
+At 4.30 I ordered a general assault; the 88th Brigade to be thrown in on
+the top of the 87th; the New Zealand Brigade in support; the French to
+conform. Our gunners had put more than they could afford into the
+bombardment and had very little wherewith to pave the way.
+
+By the 4th instant I had seen danger-point drawing near and now it was
+on us. Five hundred more rounds of howitzer 4.5 and aeroplanes to spot
+whilst we wiped out the machine guns; that was the burden of my prayer.
+Still, we did what we could and for a quarter of an hour the whole of
+the Turkish front was wreathed in smoke, but these were naval shells or
+18 pr shrapnel; we have no 18 pr high explosive and neither naval shells
+nor shrapnel are very much good once the targets have got underground.
+On our left no move forward.[16] Elsewhere our wonderful Infantry fought
+like fresh formations. In face of a tempest of shot and shell and of a
+desperate resistance by the Turks, who stuck it out very bravely to the
+last, they carried and held the first line enemy trenches. At night
+several counter-attacks were delivered, in every case repulsed with
+heavy loss.
+
+We are now on our last legs. The beautiful Battalions of the 25th April
+are wasted skeletons now; shadows of what they had been. The thought of
+the river of blood, against which I painfully made my way when I met
+these multitudes of wounded coming down to the shore, was unnerving. But
+every soldier has to fight down these pitiful sensations: the enemy may
+be harder hit than he: if we do not push them further back the beaches
+will become untenable. To overdrive the willingest troops any General
+ever had under his command is a sin--but we must go on fighting
+to-morrow!
+
+On Saturday, the 8th, I went ashore and by 9.30 had taken up my quarters
+in a little gully between "W" and "X" Beaches within 60 yards of the
+Headquarters of the Royal Naval Division. There I was in direct
+telephonic touch with both Hunter-Weston and d'Amade. The storm had
+abated and the day was fine. Our troops had now been fighting for two
+days and two nights but there were messages in from the front telling us
+they were keen as ever to get something solid for their efforts. The
+Lancashire Fusiliers Brigade had been withdrawn into reserve, and under
+my orders the New Zealand Brigade was to advance through the line taken
+up during the night by the 88th Brigade and attack Krithia. The 87th
+Brigade were to try and gain ground over that wicked piece of moorland
+to the West of the great ravine which--since the days when it was in the
+hands of the troops who landed at "Y"--has hopelessly held up our left.
+Every gun-shot fired gives me a pain in my heart and adds to the deadly
+anxiety I feel about our ammunition. We have only one thousand rounds of
+4.5 H.E. left and we dare not use any more. The 18 pr shrapnel is
+running down, down, down to its terminus, for we _must_ try and keep
+10,000 rounds in hand for defence. The French have still got enough to
+cover their own attacks. The ships began to fire at 10.15 and after a
+quarter of an hour the flower of New Zealand advanced in open order to
+the attack. After the most desperate hand to hand fighting, often by
+sections or sometimes by groups of half a dozen men, we gained slowly,
+very slowly, perhaps a couple of hundred yards. There was an opinion in
+some quarters that we had done all we could, but I resolved firmly to
+make one more attempt. At 4 o'clock I issued orders that the whole line,
+reinforced by the Australians, should on the stroke of 5.30 fix bayonets
+and storm Krithia and Achi Baba. At 5.15 the men-of-war went at it hot
+and strong with their big guns and fifteen minutes later the hour glass
+of eternity dropped a tiny grain labelled 5.30 p.m. 8.5.1915 into the
+lap of time.
+
+As that moment befell, the wide plain before us became alive. Bayonets
+sparkled all over the wide plain. Under our glasses this vague movement
+took form and human shape: men rose, fell, ran, rushed on in waves,
+broke, recoiled, crumbled away and disappeared.
+
+At the speed of the minute hand of a watch the left of our line crept
+forward.
+
+On the right, at first nothing. Then suddenly, in the twinkling of an
+eye, the whole of the Northern slopes of the Kereves Dere Ravine was
+covered by bright coloured irregular surging crowds, moving in quite
+another way to the khaki-clad figures on their left:--one moment pouring
+over the debatable ground like a torrent, anon twisted and turning and
+flying like multitudes of dead leaves before the pestilent breath of
+the howitzers. No living man has ever seen so strange a vision as this:
+in its disarray; in its rushing to and fro; in the martial music, shouts
+and evolutions!
+
+My glasses shook as I looked, though I _believe_ I seemed very calm. It
+seemed; it truly seemed as if the tide of blue, grey, scarlet specks was
+submerging the enemy's strongholds. A thousand of them converged and
+rushed the redoubt at the head of the Kereves Dere. A few seconds later
+into it--one! two!! three!!! fell from the clouds the Turkish six
+inchers. Where the redoubt had been a huge column of smoke arose as from
+the crater of a volcano. Then fast and furious the enemy guns opened on
+us. For the first time they showed their full force of fire. Again, the
+big howitzers led the infernal orchestra pitting the face of no man's
+land with jet black blotches. The puppet figures we watched began to
+waver; the Senegalese were torn and scattered. Once more these huge
+explosions unloading their cargoes of midnight on to the evening gloom.
+All along the Zouaves and Senegalese gave way. Another surge forward and
+bayonets crossed with the Turks: yet a few moments of tension and back
+they fell to their trenches followed by salvo upon salvo of shell
+bursts. Night slid down into the smoke. The last thing--against the
+skyline--a little column of French soldiers of the line charging back
+upwards towards the lost redoubt. After that--darkness!
+
+The battle is over. Both sides have fought with every atom of energy
+they possessed. The heat is oppressive. A heavy mail from England. On
+shore all quiet. A young wounded Officer of the 29th Division said it
+was worth ten years of tennis to see the Australians and New Zealanders
+go in. Began writing at daylight and now it is midnight. No word yet of
+the naval offer to go through.
+
+Issued a special order to the troops. They deserve everything that
+anyone can give them in this world and the next.
+
+                                                 GENERAL HEADQUARTERS,
+                                                       _9th May, 1915._
+
+"Sir Ian Hamilton wishes the troops of the Mediterranean Expeditionary
+Force to be informed that in all his past experiences, which include the
+hard struggles of the Russo-Japanese campaign, he has never seen more
+devoted gallantry displayed than that which has characterised their
+efforts during the past three days. He has informed Lord Kitchener by
+cable of the bravery and endurance displayed by all ranks here and has
+asked that the necessary reinforcements be forthwith dispatched.
+Meanwhile, the remainder of the East Lancashire Division is disembarking
+and will henceforth be available to help us to make good and improve
+upon the positions we have so hardly won."
+
+_10th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Fell asleep last night thinking of
+Admirals, Commodores and men-o'-war and of how they _might_, within the
+next forty-eight hours, put another complexion upon our prospects. So it
+seemed quite natural when, the first thing in the morning, a cable came
+in with the tea asking me whether I have been consulting de Robeck as to
+"the future operations that will be necessary." K. adds, "I hope you and
+the Admiral will be able to devise some means of clearing a passage."
+
+Have just cabled back "Every day I have consultations with the Admiral":
+I cannot say more than this as I am not supposed to know anything about
+de Robeck's cable as to the "means of clearing a passage" which went, I
+believe, yesterday. No doubt it lay before K. when he wired me. I have
+not been shown the cable; I have not been consulted about it, nor, I
+believe, has Braithwaite, but I do happen to be aware of its drift.
+
+Without embarking on another endless yarn let me note the fact that
+there are two schools amongst our brethren afloat. Roger Keyes and those
+of the younger school who sport the executive curl upon their sleeves
+are convinced that now, when we have replaced the ramshackle old
+trawlers of 18th March by an unprecedented mine-sweeping service of
+20-knot destroyers under disciplined crews, the forcing of the Straits
+has become as easy ... well; anyway; easier than what we soldiers tried
+to do on Saturday. Upon these fire-eaters de Robeck has hitherto thrown
+cold water. He thought, as we thought, that the Army would save his
+ships. But our last battle has shown him that the Army would only open
+the Straits at a cost greater than the loss of ships, and that the time
+has come to strike home with the tremendous mechanism of the Fleet. On
+that basis he quickly came to terms with the views of his thrusting
+lieutenants.
+
+On two reservations, he still insisted: (1) he was not going to deprive
+me of the close tactical support of his battleships if there was the
+least apprehension we might be "done in" in his absence. (2) He was not
+going to risk his ships amongst the mines unless we were sure, if he did
+get through, we could follow on after him by land.
+
+On both issues there was, to my thinking, no question:--(1) Although we
+cannot push through "under present conditions without more and more
+ammunition," _vide_ my cable of yesterday, all the Turks in Asia will
+not shift us from where we stand even if we have not one battleship to
+back us.
+
+(2) If the ships force the Straits, beyond doubt, we can starve out the
+Turks; scupper the Forts and hold the Bulair lines.
+
+We know enough now about the communications and reserves of food and
+munitions of the Turks to be positively certain they cannot stick it on
+the Peninsula if they are cut off from sea communication with Asia and
+with Constantinople. Within a fortnight they will begin to run short; we
+are all agreed there.
+
+So now, (i.e., yesterday) the Admiral has cabled offering to go through,
+and "now" is the moment of all others to let Lord K. clearly face the
+alternative to that proposal. So I have said (in the same cable in which
+I answer his question about consultations with the Admiral) "If you
+could only spare me two fresh Divisions organized as a Corps I could
+push on with great hopes of success both from Helles and Gaba Tepe;
+otherwise I am afraid we shall degenerate into trench warfare with its
+resultant slowness."
+
+Birdie ran down from Anzac and breakfasted. He brings news of an A.1
+affair. Two of his Battalions, the 15th and 16th Australians, stormed
+three rows of Turkish trenches with the bayonet, and then sat down in
+them. At dawn to-day the enemy counter-attacked in overwhelming
+strength. The healthy part of the story lies herein, that our field guns
+were standing by in action, and as the enemy came on they let them have
+it hot with shrapnel over a space of 300 yards. Terrible as this fire
+was, it failed to beat off the Turks. They retook the trenches, but they
+have paid far more than their price, for Birdwood assures me that their
+corpses lie piled up so thick one on top of the other that our snipers
+can take cover behind them.
+
+A curious incident: during the night a Fleet-sweeper tied up alongside,
+full of wounded, chiefly Australians. They had been sent off from the
+beach; had been hawked about from ship to ship and every ship they
+hailed had the same reply--"full up"--until, in the end, they received
+orders to return to the shore and disembark their wounded to wait there
+until next day. The Officers, amongst them an Australian Brigadier of my
+acquaintance, protested; and so, the Fleet-sweeper crew, not knowing
+what to do, came and lashed on to us.[17] No one told me anything of
+this last night, but the ship's Captain and his Officers and my own
+Staff Officers have been up on watches serving out soup, etc., and
+tending these wounded to the best of their power. As soon as I heard
+what had happened I first signalled the hospital ship _Guildford Castle_
+to prepare to take the men in (she had just cast anchor); then I went on
+board the Fleet-sweeper myself and told the wounded how sorry I was for
+the delay in getting them to bed. They declared one and all they had
+been very well done but "the boys" never complain; my A.G. is the
+responsible official; I have told him the _band-o-bast_ has been bad;
+also that a Court of Enquiry must be called to adjudicate on the whole
+matter.
+
+Were an example to be sought of the almighty influence of "Time" none
+better could be found than in the fact that, to-day, I have almost
+forgotten to chronicle a passage in K.'s cable aforesaid that might well
+have been worth the world and the glories thereof only forty-eight short
+hours ago. K. says, "More ammunition is being pushed out to you _via_
+Marseilles." I am glad. I am deeply grateful. Our anxieties will be
+lessened, but _that same message, had it only reached us on Saturday
+morning, would have enabled us to fire 5,000 more shrapnel and 500 more
+4.5 howitzer H.E. to cover our last assault!_
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII
+
+TWO CORPS OR AN ALLY?
+
+
+_11th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Day dull and overcast. Vice-Admiral
+came over to see me in the morning. Neither of us has had a reply to his
+cable; instead, he has been told two enemy submarines are on their way
+to pay us a visit. The approach of these mechanical monsters opens up
+vistas thronged with shadowy forebodings. De Robeck begs me to set his
+mind at ease by landing with my Staff forthwith. Have sent Officers to
+survey the ground between Helles and Sedd-el-Bahr and to see if they can
+find room for us. We would all rather be on shore than board ship, but
+Helles and "V" Beaches are already overcrowded, and we should be
+squeezed in cheek by jowl, within a few hundred yards of the two
+Divisional Headquarters Staffs.
+
+_12th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Raining hard. Busy all morning. A
+cable from Lord K. to say he is sending out the Lowland Division. We are
+all as pleased as Punch! especially (so Braithwaite tells me) Roger
+Keyes who looks on this as a good omen for the naval attack proposals.
+Had he not meant the Fleet to shove in K. must have made some reference
+to the second Division, surely. Have cabled back at once to K. giving
+him warmest thanks and begging him to look, personally, into the
+question of the command of the coming Division. Have begged him to take
+Leslie Rundle's opinion on the point and have pressed it by saying,
+"Imperturbable calm in the Commander is essential above all things in
+these operations." Most of the troop transports have left their
+anchorage and gone back to Mudros for fear of submarines.
+
+Went ashore at 3 o'clock. Saw Hunter-Weston and then inspected the 29th
+Division just in from the firing line. The ground was heavy and sloppy
+after the rain. I walked as far as the trenches of the 86th Brigade and
+saw amongst other Corps the Essex, Hants, Lancashire Fusiliers and 5th
+Royal Scots. Spent over an hour chatting to groups of Officers and men
+who looked like earth to earth, caked as they were with mud, haggard
+with lack of sleep, pale as the dead, many of them slightly wounded and
+bandaged, hand or head, their clothes blood-stained, their eyes
+blood-shot. Who could have believed that only a fortnight ago these same
+figures were clean as new pins; smart and well-liking! Two-thirds of
+each Battalion were sound asleep in pools of mud and water--like corpses
+half buried! This sounds horrible but the hearty welcome extended to us
+by all ranks and the pride they took in their achievements was a sublime
+triumph of mind over matter. Our voluntary service regulars are the last
+descendants of those rulers of the ancient world, the Roman
+Legionaries. Oh that their ranks could be kept filled and that a mould
+so unique was being used to its fullest in forming new regulars.
+
+On my way back to the beach I saw the Plymouth Battalion as it marched
+in from the front line. They were quite different excepting only in the
+fact that they also had done marvels of fighting and endurance. They
+were done: they had come to the end of their tether. Not only physical
+exhaustion but moral exhaustion. They could not raise a smile in the
+whole battalion. The faces of Officers and men had a crushed, utterly
+finished expression: some of the younger Officers especially had that
+true funeral set about their lips which spreads the contagion of gloom
+through the hearts of the bravest soldiers. As each company front formed
+the knees of the rank and file seemed to give way. Down they fell and
+motionless remained. An hour or two of rest, their Colonel says, will
+make all the difference in what the French call their _allure_, but not
+quite so soon I think. These are the New Armies. They are not
+specialised types like the Old Army. They have nerves, the defects of
+their good qualities. They are more susceptible to the horrors and
+discomforts of what they were never brought up to undergo. The
+philosophy of the battlefield is not part of their panoply. No one
+fights better than they do--for a spell--and a good long spell too. But
+they have not the invincible carelessness or temperamental springiness
+of the old lot--and how should they?
+
+In the evening I received General d'Amade who had come over to pay his
+farewell visit. He is permitted to let me see his order of recall.
+"Important modifications having come about in the general political
+situation" his Government have urgent need for his services on a
+"military mission." D'Amade is a most charming, chivalrous and loyal
+soldier. He has lost his son fighting in France and he has had his
+headquarters right down in the middle of his 75's where the infernal din
+night and day must indeed murder sleep. He is a delightful person and,
+in the combat, too brave. We all wish him luck. For Kum Kale and for
+what he has done, suffered and lost he deserves great Kudos in his
+country.
+
+By order of the Vice-Admiral this ship is to anchor at Tenedos. My
+informal confab with the heroes of the 29th Division, and their utter
+unconsciousness of their own glorious conduct have moved me to write
+these few words in their honour:--
+
+                                                 GENERAL HEADQUARTERS,
+                                                      _12th May, 1915._
+
+For the first time for 18 days and nights it has been found possible to
+withdraw the 29th Division from the fire fight. During the whole of that
+long period of unprecedented strain the Division has held ground or
+gained it, against the bullets and bayonets of the constantly renewed
+forces of the foe. During the whole of that long period they have been
+illuminating the pages of military history with their blood. The losses
+have been terrible, but mingling with the deep sorrow for fallen
+comrades arises a feeling of pride in the invincible spirit which has
+enabled the survivors to triumph where ordinary troops must inevitably
+have failed. I tender to Major-General Hunter-Weston and to his Division
+at the same time my profoundest sympathy with their losses and my
+warmest congratulations on their achievement.
+
+                                                         IAN HAMILTON,
+                                                             _General._
+
+[Illustration: GENERAL D'AMADE]
+
+Also I have penned a farewell line to d'Amade:
+
+                        GENERAL HEADQUARTERS,
+                              MEDN. EXPED. FORCE,
+                                     _12th May, 1915._
+
+  MON GENERAL,
+
+With deep personal sadness I learn that your country has urgent need of
+your great experience elsewhere.
+
+From the very first you and your brave troops have done all, and more
+than all, that mortal man could do to further the cause we have at
+heart. By day and by night, for many days and nights in succession, you
+and your gallant troops have ceaselessly struggled against the enemy's
+fresh reinforcements and have won from him ground at the bayonet point.
+
+The military records of France are most glorious, but you, Mon General,
+have added fresh brilliancy, if I may say so, even to those dazzling
+records.
+
+The losses have been cruel: such losses are almost unprecedented, but it
+may be some consolation hereafter to think that only by so fierce a
+trial could thus have been fully disclosed the flame of patriotism which
+burns in the hearts of yourself and your men.
+
+With sincere regrets at your coming departure but with the full
+assurance that in your new sphere of activity, you will continue to
+render the same valuable service you have already given to France.
+
+                    I remain,
+                        Mon General,
+                            Your sincere friend,
+                                      IAN HAMILTON,
+                                             _General._
+
+_13th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Hot and bright. Dead calm sea. Last
+night a dense fog during which a Turkish Torpedo boat sneaked down the
+Straits and torpedoed the _Goliath_. David and his sling on the grand
+scale. No details yet to hand. The enemy deserve decorations--confound
+them!
+
+Got hold of a Fleet-sweeper and went off to Cape Helles. Again visited
+Headquarters 29th Division, and afterwards walked through the trenches
+of the 87th Brigade. Saw that fine soldier, Brigadier-General Marshall,
+in command. Chatted to no end of his men--Inniskillings, Dublin
+Fusiliers, etc. They have recovered their exhaustion; have cleaned up,
+and look full of themselves, twice the size in fact. As I stepped on to
+the little pier at Cape Helles an enemy's six-incher burst about 50
+yards back, a lump of metal just clearing my right shoulder strap and
+shooting into the sea with an ugly hiss. Not a big fragment but enough!
+
+The Staff have made up their minds that we should be very much in the
+wrong box if we dossed down on the toe of the Peninsula. First,--unless
+we get between the Divisional Generals and the enemy, there is literally
+no room! Secondly,--I should be further, in point of time, from Birdwood
+and his men than if I was still on board ship. Thirdly,--the several
+Headquarters of Divisions, whether French or British, would all equally
+hate to have Braithwaite and myself sitting in their pockets from
+morning to night. Have sent out another party, therefore, to explore
+Tenedos and see if we can find a place there which will serve us till we
+can make more elbow room on Gallipoli.
+
+The Gurkhas have stalked the Bluff Redoubt and have carried it with a
+rush! They are absolutely the boys for this class of country and for
+this class of enemy.
+
+Cabled Lord K. about the weakness of the 29th Division. At the very
+moment when we are hoping so much from a fresh push made in conjunction
+with a naval attack, the Division, the backbone of my force, are short
+by over 11,000 men and 400 Officers! As a fighting unit they are on
+their last legs and when they will be set upon their feet again Lord K.
+knows. Were we in France we'd get the men to-morrow. If I had my own
+depots in Egypt still I could see my way, but, as things are, there
+seems no chance of getting a move on for another fortnight. Have cabled
+K. saying, "I hope the 29th Division is soon to be made up to strength.
+I had no idea when I left England that the customary 10 per cent.
+reinforcement was not being taken with it by the Division although it
+was to operate at so great a distance from its base." If K. gets into a
+bad temper over the opening of my cable, its tail end should lift him
+out again. For the enemy's extremely tenacious right has been shifted at
+last. Under cover of a hooroosh by the Manchesters, the Gurkhas have
+rushed a bluff 600 yards ahead of our line and are sticking to their
+winnings.
+
+_14th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Hot day, smooth sea. Disembarking
+to bivouac on shore. What a contrast we must present to the Headquarters
+in France! There the stately _Chateau_; sheets, table-cloths and motor
+cars. Here the red tab patricians have to haul their own kits over the
+sand.
+
+In the afternoon d'Amade came back with General Gouraud, his successor,
+the new Chief of the French. A resolute, solid looking _gaillard_ is
+Gouraud. He brings a great reputation with him from the Western Front.
+
+Quite late the Admiral came over to see me. He brings bad news. Roger
+Keyes and the forwards will be cut to the heart. The Admiralty have
+turned down the proposal to force the Straits simultaneously by land and
+sea. We are to go on attacking; the warships are to go on supporting.
+
+From the earliest days great commanders have rubbed in the maxim, "If
+you attack, attack with all your force." Our people know better; we are
+to go on attacking with half our force. First we attack with the naval
+half and are held up--next we attack with the army half and are held up.
+
+The Admiral has changed his mind about our landing and thinks it would
+be best not to fix G.H.Q. at Tenedos; first, because there might be
+delay in getting quickly to Anzac; secondly, because Tenedos is so close
+to Asia that we might all be scuppered in our beds by a cutting-out
+party of Besika Bay ruffians, unless we had a guard. But we can't run to
+the pomp and circumstance of a Commander-in-Chief's guard here.
+
+_15th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Till 3 p.m. the perspiring Staff
+were re-embarking their gear. Sailed then for Helles when I saw
+Hunter-Weston who gave me a full account of the attacks made on the
+newly gained bluff upon our left. Shells busy bursting on "W" Beach.
+Some French aeroplanes have arrived--God be praised! Shocked to hear
+Birdie has been hit, but another message to say nothing serious, came
+close on the heels of the first. Anchored at Imbros when I got a cable
+asking me what forces I shall need to carry right through to a finish.
+A crucial question, very much affected by what the Admiral told me last
+night. Nothing easier than to ask for 150,000 men and then, if I fail
+say I didn't get what I wanted, but the boldest leaders, Bobs, White,
+Gordon, K., have always "asked for more" with a most queasy conscience.
+On the face of it I need many more men if the Fleet is not to attack,
+and yet I am not even supposed to have knowledge, much less an opinion,
+as to what passes between the Fleet and the Admiralty!
+
+_16th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ De Robeck came off the _Lord
+Nelson_, his new Flagship, in the morning. The submarines are shadowing
+him already, and there seems little doubt they are on their way.
+
+Bridges has been badly wounded. The news upset me so got hold of H.M.S.
+_Rattlesnake_ (Commander Wedgwood), and started off for Anzac. Went
+ashore and saw Birdie. Doing so, I received a different sort of salute
+from that to which a Commander-in-Chief landing on duty is entitled by
+regulation. Quite a shower of shell fell all about us, the Turks having
+spotted there was some sort of "bloke" on the _Rattlesnake_. We went
+round a bit of the line, and found all well, the men in great heart and,
+amidst a constant crackle of musketry, looking as if they liked it.
+Birdie himself is still a little shaken by his wound of yesterday. He
+had a close shave indeed. A bullet came through the chinks of a sandbag
+and scalped him. He fell to the ground senseless and pouring with
+blood, but when he had been picked up and washed he wanted to finish his
+round of the trenches.
+
+Embarked again under brisk shell fire and proceeded to the hospital ship
+_Gascon_ where I saw General Bridges. He looked languid and pale. But
+his spirit was high as ever and he smiled at a little joke I managed to
+make about the way someone had taken the shelling we had just gone
+through. The doctors, alas, give a bad, if not desperate, account of
+him. Were he a young man, they could save him by cutting off his leg
+high up, but as it is he would not stand the shock. On the other hand,
+his feet are so cold from the artery being severed that they anticipate
+mortification. I should have thought better have a try at cutting off
+the leg, but they are not for it. Bridges will be a real loss. He was a
+single-minded, upright, politics-despising soldier. With all her
+magnificent rank and file, Australia cannot afford to lose Bridges. But
+perhaps I am too previous. May it be so!
+
+Spent a good long time talking to wounded men--Australians, New
+Zealanders and native Indians. Both the former like to meet someone who
+knows their native country, and the natives brighten up when they are
+greeted in Hindustani. On returning to Imbros, got good news about the
+Lancashire Territorials who have gained 180 yards of ground without
+incurring any loss to speak of. They are real good chaps. They suffer
+only from the regular soldiers' fault; there are too few of them here.
+
+_17th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian." 10 p.m._ Too much work to move. In
+the evening the Admiral came to see me and read my rough draft for an
+answer to Lord K.'s cable. We show the Navy all our important operations
+cables; they have their own ways of doing things and don't open out so
+freely. On the face of it, we are invited to say what we want. Well, to
+steer a middle course between my duty to my force and my loyalty to K.
+is not so simple as it might seem. That middle course is (if I can only
+hit it) my duty to my country. The chief puzzle of the problem is that
+nothing turns out as we were told it would turn out. The landing has
+been made but the Balkans fold their arms, the Italians show no
+interest, the Russians do not move an inch to get across the Black Sea
+(the Grand Duke Nicholas has no munitions, we hear); our submarines have
+got through but they can only annoy, they cannot cut the sea
+communications, and so the Turks have not fled to Bulair. Instead, enemy
+submarines are actually about to get at us and our ships are being
+warned they may have to make themselves scarce: last--in point of
+time--but not least, not by a long way, the central idea of the original
+plan, an attack by the Fleet on the Forts appears to have been entirely
+shelved. At first the Fleet was to force its way through; we were to
+look on; next, the Fleet and the Army were to go for the Straits side by
+side; to-day, the whole problem may fairly be restated on a clean sheet
+of paper, so different is it from the problem originally put to me by K.
+when it was understood I would put him in an impossible position if I
+pressed for reinforcements. We should be on velvet if we asked for so
+many troops that we must win if we got them; whereas, if we did not get
+them we could say victory was impossible. But we are not the only
+fighters for the Empire. The Admiral, Braithwaite, Roger Keyes agree
+with me that the fair and square thing under the circumstances is to ask
+for _what is right_; not a man more than we, in our consciences, believe
+we will really need,--not a man less.
+
+Actually, after much heart searching and head scratching, my mind has
+made itself up and has gone home by cable to-day. The statement is
+entirely frank and covers all the ground except as regards the Fleet, a
+pidgin which flies out of range:--
+
+"(M.F. 234).
+
+"Your No. 4644 cipher, of the 14th instant. The following is my
+appreciation of the situation:
+
+"On the one hand, there are at present on the Peninsula as many troops
+as the available space and water supply can accommodate.
+
+"On the other hand, to break through the strong opposition on my front
+will require more troops. I am, therefore, in a quandary, because
+although more troops are wanted there is, at present, no room for
+them.[18] Moreover, the difficulty in answering your question is
+accentuated by the fact that my answer must depend on whether Turkey
+will continue to be left undisturbed in other parts and therefore free
+to make good the undoubtedly heavy losses incurred here by sending
+troops from Adrianople, Keshan, Constantinople and Asia; we now have
+direct evidence that the latter has been the case.
+
+"If the present condition of affairs in this respect were changed by the
+entry into the struggle of Bulgaria or Greece or by the landing of the
+Russians, my present force, kept up to strength by the necessary drafts,
+plus the Army Corps asked for in my No. M.F. 216 of the 10th May, would
+probably suffice to finish my task. If, however, the present situation
+remains unchanged and the Turks are still able to devote so much
+exclusive attention to us, I shall want an additional army corps, that
+is, two army corps additional in all.
+
+"I could not land these reinforcements on the Peninsula until I can
+advance another 1,000 yards and so free the beaches from the shelling to
+which they are subjected from the Western side and gain more space; but
+I could land them on the adjacent islands of Tenedos, Imbros and Lemnos
+and take them over later to the Peninsula for battle. This plan would
+surmount the difficulties of water and space on the Peninsula and would,
+perhaps, enable me to effect a surprise with the fresh divisions.
+
+"I believe I could advance with half the loss of life that is now being
+reckoned upon, if I had a liberal supply of gun ammunition, especially
+of high explosive."
+
+Only bitterest experience has forced me to insert the two stipulations
+which should go without saving, (1) that my force is kept up to
+strength, (2) that I have a decent allowance of gun ammunition,
+especially of high explosives.
+
+Will Lord K. meet us half way, I wonder? He is the idol of England, and
+take him all in all, the biggest figure in the world. He believes, he
+has an instinct, that here is the heel of the German Colossus, otherwise
+immune to our arrows. Let him but put his foot down, and who dare say
+him nay?
+
+The most vital of my demands is that my formations should be kept full.
+An extra 50,000 men in the shape of a new army corps is one thing. An
+extra 50,000 men to feed war-trained units already in the field is
+another, and very different, and very much better thing. The value of
+keeping the veteran corps up to strength and the value of the same
+number of rifles organized into raw battalions commanded by
+inexperienced leaders is as the value of the sun to the moon. But K. and
+I have never seen eye to eye here, and never will. The spirit of man is
+like a precious stone: the greater it is the more room in it for a flaw.
+Who in the world but K. would have swept up all the odds and ends of
+detachments from about twenty different regiments of mine sent from
+Pretoria to Elandsfontein to bring up remounts and clothing to their
+units; who but K. could have conceived the idea of forming them into a
+new corps and expecting them to fight as well as ever--instead of
+legging it like the wind as they did at the first whistle of a bullet?
+On the other hand, who but K., at that time, could have run the war at
+all?
+
+The 29th Division have managed to snatch another 150 yards from the
+enemy, greatly strengthening the bluff upon which the Gurkhas dug
+themselves in.
+
+_18th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Villiers Stuart, Birdie's Staff
+Officer, has been killed on Anzac by a shell. The submarine E.14 sailed
+into harbour after a series of hair-raising adventures in the Sea of
+Marmora. She is none the worse, bar the loss of one periscope from a
+Turkish lucky shot. Her Commander, Boyle, comes only after Nasmith as a
+pet of Roger Keyes! She got a tremendous ovation from the Fleet. The
+exploits of the submarine give a flat knock-out to Norman Angell's
+contention that excitement and romance have now gone out of war.
+
+Have asked that the Maoris may be sent from Malta to join the New
+Zealanders at Anzac. I hope and believe that they will do well. Their
+white comrades from the Northern Island are very keen to have them.
+
+_19th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian"._ Compton Mackenzie has come on
+board. He is to be attached to the Intelligence. General Gouraud and his
+Chief of Staff, Girodon, lunched. I do not know many French Officers,
+but Girodon happens to be an old acquaintance. I met him six years ago
+on the Austrian manoeuvres. He is a delightful personality; a very
+sound soldier and a plucky one also. I reminded him how, in 1906, he had
+told me that the Germans would end by binding together all the other
+peoples of Europe against the common danger of their dominance. This was
+at Teschen on the borderland between Austrian and Prussian Silesia
+during the Austrian Manoeuvres. He remembered the occasion and the
+remark. Well, he has proved a true prophet!
+
+A cable from K. in answer to mine giving two more Army Corps as my
+minimum unless some neutral or Allied Power is going to help us against
+the Turks. I knew he would be greatly upset:--
+
+"(4726, cipher).
+
+"Private and personal. With reference to your telegram No. M.F. 234, I
+am quite certain that you fully realize what a serious disappointment it
+has been to me to discover that my preconceived views as to the conquest
+of positions necessary to dominate the forts on the Straits, with naval
+artillery to support our troops on land, and with the active help of
+naval bombardment, were miscalculated.
+
+"A serious situation is created by the present check, and the calls for
+large reinforcements and an additional amount of ammunition that we can
+ill spare from France.
+
+"From the stand-point of an early solution of our difficulties, your
+views, as stated, are not encouraging. The question whether we can long
+support two fields of operation draining on our resources requires
+grave consideration. I know that I can rely upon you to do your utmost
+to bring the present unfortunate state of affairs in the Dardanelles to
+as early a conclusion as possible, so that any consideration of a
+withdrawal, with all its dangers in the East, may be prevented from
+entering the field of possible solutions.
+
+"When all the above is taken into consideration, I am somewhat surprised
+to see that the 4,500 which Maxwell can send you are apparently not
+required by you. With the aid of these I had hoped that you would have
+been in a position to press forward.
+
+"The Lowland Division is leaving for you."
+
+This is a queer cable. Seems as if K. was beginning to come up against
+those political forces which have ever been a British Commander's bane.
+The words in which he begs me to try and prevent "a withdrawal with all
+its dangers in the East ... from entering the field of possible
+solutions," sounds uncommonly like a cry for help. He means that I
+should help him by remembering, and by making smaller calls upon him.
+But the only way I can _really_ help him is by winning a battle: to
+pretend I could win that battle without drafts, munitions and the Army
+Corps asked for would be a very short-lived bluff both for him and for
+me. We have had it from other sources that this strange notion of
+running away from the Turk, after singeing his beard, has arisen in
+London and in France. So now that the murder has peeped out, I am glad
+to know where we are and to feel that K. stands solid and sound behind
+us. He need have no fear; all that man can do I will do by pressing on
+here and by asking for not one man or round more than is absolutely
+essential for the job.
+
+As to that passage about the 4,500 Australians, a refusal of Australians
+would indeed be good cause for surprise--only--it has never taken place,
+and never will take place. I can only surmise that my request made to
+Maxwell that these 4,500 men should come to me as drafts for my skeleton
+units, instead of as a raw brigade, has twisted itself, going down some
+office corridor, into a story that I don't want the men! K. tells me
+Egypt is mine and the fatness thereof; yet, no sooner do I make the most
+modest suggestion concerning anything or anyone Egyptian than K. is got
+at and I find he is the Barmecide and I Schac'abac. "How do you like
+your lentil soup?" says K. "Excellently well," say I, "but devil a drop
+is in the plate!" I have got to enter into the joke; that's the long and
+the short of it. But it is being pushed just a trifle too far when I am
+told I _apparently do not require_ 4,500 Australians!
+
+The whole of K.'s cable calls for close thinking. How to try and help
+him to pump courage into faint-hearted fellows? How to do so without
+toning down my demands for reinforcements?--for evidently these demands
+are what are making them shake in their shoes. Here is my draft for an
+answer: I can't change my estimate: it was the least I could safely ask
+for: but I can make it clear I do not want to ask for more than he can
+give:--
+
+"(M.F. 243).
+
+"With reference to your No. 4726, cipher. Private and personal. You need
+not be despondent at anything in the situation. Remember that you asked
+me to answer on the assumption that you had adequate forces at your
+disposal, and I did so.
+
+"Maxwell must have misinformed you. I want the Australian reinforcements
+to fill existing cadres. Maxwell, possibly not to disappoint senior
+officers, has sent them as weak brigades, which complicates command and
+organization exceedingly.
+
+"We gain ground surely if slowly every day, and now at 11 p.m. the
+French and Naval Divisions are fighting their way forward."
+
+Tidings of great joy from Anzac. The whole of the enemy's
+freshly-arrived contingent have made a grand assault and have been
+shattered in the attempt. Samson dropped bombs on them as they were
+standing on the shore after their disembarkation. Next, they were moved
+up into the fight where a tremendous fire action was in progress. Last,
+they stormed forward in the densest masses yet seen on the Peninsula.
+Then, they were mown down and driven back headlong. So they have had a
+dreadnought reception. This has not been a local trench attack but a
+real battle and a fiery one. I have lost no time in cabling the glorious
+news to K. The cloud of these coming enemy reinforcements has cast its
+shadow over us for awhile and now the sun shines again.
+
+_20th May, 1919. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Aubrey Herbert saw me before
+dinner. He brings a message from Birdie to say that there has been some
+sort of parley with the enemy who wish to fix up an armistice for the
+burial of their dead. Herbert is keen on meeting the Turks half way and
+I am quite with him, _provided_ Birdie clearly understands that no Corps
+Commander can fix up an armistice off his own bat, and _provided_ it is
+clear we do not ask for the armistice but grant it to them--the
+suppliants. Herbert brings amazing fine detail about the night and day
+battle on the high ridges. Birdie has fairly taken the fighting edge off
+Liman von Sanders' two new Divisions: he has knocked them to bits. A few
+more shells and they would have been swept off the face of the earth. As
+it is we have slaughtered a multitude. Since the 18th we are down to two
+rounds per gun per diem, but the Turks who have been short of stuff
+since the 8th instant are now once more well found. Admiral Thursby
+tells me he himself counted 240 shells falling on one of Birdwood's
+trenches in the space of ten minutes. I asked him if that amounted to
+one shell per yard and he said the whole length of the trench was less
+than 100 yards. On the 18th fifty heavy shells, including 12-inch and
+14-inch, dropped out of the blue vault of heaven on to the Anzacs.
+Everyone sorry to say good-bye to Thursby who goes to Italy.
+
+Rumours that Winston is leaving the Admiralty. This would be an awful
+blow to us out here, would be a sign that Providence had some grudge
+against the Dardanelles. Private feelings do not count in war, but alas,
+how grievous is this set-back to one who has it in him to revive the
+part of Pitt, had he but Pitt's place. Haldane, too. Are the benefits of
+his organization of our army to be discounted because they had a German
+origin? _Fas est et ab hoste doceri_. Half the guns on the Peninsula
+would have been scrap-iron had it not been for Haldane! But if this
+turns out true about Winston, there will be a colder spirit (let them
+appoint whom they will) at the back of our battleships here.
+
+_21st May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian." Imbros._ De Robeck came on board
+with Lieutenant-Commander Boyle of E. 4 fame. I was proud indeed to meet
+the young and modest hero. He gets the V.C.; his other two officers the
+D.S.O.; his crew the D.C.M.
+
+Also he brought with him the Reuter giving us the Cabinet changes and
+the resignations of Fisher and Winston and this, in its interest, has
+eclipsed even V.C.s for the moment. De Robeck reminded me that Lord K.'s
+cable (begging me to help him to combat any idea of withdrawal) must
+have been written that very day. A significant straw disclosing the
+veering of the winds of high politics! Evidently K. felt ill at ease;
+evidently he must now be sitting at a round table surrounded by masked
+figures. Have just finished writing him to sympathize; to say he is not
+to worry about me as "I know that as long as you remain at the War
+Office no one will be allowed to harm us out here." Nor could they if he
+were the K. of old; the K. who downed Milner and Chamberlain by making a
+peace by agreement with the Boers and then swallowed a Viceroy and his
+Military Member of Council as an appetiser to his more serious digest of
+India. But is he? Where are the instruments?--gone to France or gone to
+glory. Callwell is the exception.
+
+I would give a great deal for one good talk with K.--I would indeed. But
+this is not France. Time and space forbid my quitting the helm and so I
+must try and induce the mountain to come to Mahomet. My letter goes on
+to say, "Could you not take a run out here and see us? If once you
+realize with your own eyes what the troops are doing I would never need
+to praise them again. Travelling in the _Phaeton_ you would be here in
+three days; you would see some wonderful things and the men would be
+tremendously bucked up. The spirit of all ranks rises above trials and
+losses and is confident of the present and cheery about the future."
+
+Quite apart from any high politics, or from my coming to a fresh, clear,
+close understanding with K. on subjects neither of us understood when
+last we spoke together, I wish, on the grounds of ordinary tactics, he
+could make up his mind to come out. The man who has _seen_ gains
+self-confidence and the prestige of his subject when he encounters
+others who have only _heard_ and _read_. K. might snap his fingers at
+the new hands in the Cabinet once he had been out and got the real
+Gallipoli at their tips.
+
+I can't keep my thoughts from dwelling on the fate of Winston. How will
+he feel now he realizes he is shorn of his direct power to help us
+through these dark and dreadful Straits? Since I started nothing has
+handicapped me more than the embargo which a double loyalty to K. and to
+de Robeck has imposed upon my communications to Winston. What a tragedy
+that his nerve and military vision have been side-tracked: his eclipse
+projects a black shadow over the Dardanelles.
+
+Very likely the next great war will have begun before we realize that
+the three days' delay in the fall of Antwerp saved Calais. No more
+brilliant effort of unaided genius in history than that recorded in the
+scene when Winston burst into the Council Chamber and bucked up the
+Burgomeisters to hold on a little bit longer. Any comfort our people may
+enjoy from being out of cannon shot of the Germans--they owe it to the
+imagination, bluff and persuasiveness of Winston and to this gallant
+Naval Division now destined to be starved to death!
+
+Sent my first despatch home to-day by King's Messenger. Never has story
+been penned amidst so infernal a racket.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX
+
+SUBMARINES
+
+
+_22nd May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ News in to say that yesterday,
+whilst Herbert was here to take orders about an armistice, some sort of
+an informal parley actually took place. Both sides suddenly got panic
+stricken, thinking the others were treacherous, and fire was opened,
+some stretcher bearers being killed. Nothing else was to be expected
+when things are done in this casual and unauthorized way. I felt very
+much annoyed, but Aubrey Herbert was still on board and I saw him before
+breakfast and told him Walker seemed to have taken too much upon himself
+parleying with the Turks and that Birdwood must now make this clear to
+everyone for future guidance. Although Aubrey Herbert is excessively
+unorthodox he quite sees that confabs with enemies must be carried out
+according to Cocker.
+
+After breakfast landed at Cape Helles. Inspected the detachment of the
+Works Department of the Egyptian Army as it was on its way to the French
+Headquarters. Colonel Micklem was in charge. At Sedd-el-Bahr lunched
+with Gouraud and his Staff. General Bailloud rode up just as I was about
+to enter the porch of the old Fort. He was in two minds whether or not
+to embrace me, being in very high feather, his men having this morning
+carried the Haricot redoubt overlooking the Kereves Dere. At lunch he
+was the greatest possible fun, bubbling over with jokes and witty
+sallies. Just as we were finishing, news came through the telephone that
+Bailloud's Brigade had been driven in by a big Turkish counter-attack,
+with a loss of 400 men and some first class officers. Most of us showed
+signs, I will not say of being rattled, but of having stumbled against a
+rattlesnake. Gouraud remained unaffectedly in possession of himself as
+host of a lunch party. He said, "We will not take the trenches by not
+taking the coffee. Let us drink it first, and then we will consider." So
+we drank our coffee; lit our smokes, and afterwards Gouraud, through
+Girodon, issued his orders in the most calm and matter-of-fact way. He
+declares the redoubt will be in our hands again to-morrow.
+
+Our lunch was to furnish us with yet another landmark for bad luck. As
+we were leaving, a message came in to say that an enemy submarine had
+been sighted off Gaba Tepe. The fresh imprint of a tiger's paw upon the
+pathway gives the same sort of feel to the Indian herdsman. Tall stories
+from neighbouring villages have been going the round for weeks, only
+half-believed, but here is the very mark of the beast; the horror has
+suddenly taken shape. He mutters the name of God, wondering what eyes
+may even now be watching his every movement; he wonders whose turn will
+come first--and when--and where. This was the sort of effect of the
+wireless and in a twinkling every transport round the coast was steering
+full steam to Imbros. In less than no time we saw a regatta of
+skedaddling ships. So dies the invasion of England bogey which, from
+first to last, has wrought us an infinity of harm. Born and bred of
+mistrust of our own magnificent Navy, it has led soldiers into heresy
+after fallacy and fallacy after heresy until now it is the cause of my
+Divisions here being hardly larger than Brigades, whilst the men who
+might have filled them are "busy" guarding London! If one rumoured
+submarine can put the fear of the Lord into British transports how are
+German or any other transports going to face up to a hundred British
+submarines? The theory of the War Office has struggled with the theory
+of the Admiralty for the past five years: now there is nothing left of
+the War Office theory; no more than is left of a soap bubble when you
+strike it with a battleaxe. Some other stimulus to our Territorial
+recruiting than the fear of invasion will have to be invented in future.
+
+After lunch went to the Headquarters of the 29th Division where all the
+British Divisional Generals had assembled together to meet me. The same
+story everywhere--lack of men, meaning extra work--which again means
+sickness and still greater lack of men. On my return found a letter from
+the Turkish Commander-in-Chief giving his "full consent" to the
+armistice he himself had asked me for! A save-face document, no doubt:
+the wounded are all Turks as our men did not leave their trenches on
+the 19th; the dead, also, I am glad to say, almost entirely Turks; but
+anyway, one need not be too punctilious where it is a matter of giving
+decent burial to so many men.
+
+                                GRAND QUARTIER GENERAL DE LA 5me ARMEE
+                                                         OTTOMANE.
+                                                      _le 22 mai 1915._
+
+    "EXCELLENCE!
+
+     "J'ai l'honneur d'informer Votre Excellence que les propositions
+     concernant la conclusion d'un armistice pour enterrer les morts et
+     secourir les blesses des deux parties adverses, ont trouve mon
+     plein consentement--et que seule nos sentiments d'humanite nous y
+     ont determines.
+
+     "J'ai investi le lieutenant-colonel Fahreddin du pouvoir de signer
+     en mon nom.
+
+     "J'ai l'honneur d'etre avec l'assurance de ma plus haute
+     consideration.
+
+                                           (_Sd._) "LIMAN VON SANDERS,
+
+                                       "Commandant en chef de la 5me
+                                                      Armee Ottomane.
+
+  "Commandant en chef des Forces Britanniques,
+      Sir John Hamilton, Excellence."
+
+_23rd May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Blazing hot. Wrote all day. Had an
+hour and a half's talk with de Robeck--high politics as well as our own
+rather anxious affairs. No one knows how the new First Lord will play
+up, but Asquith, for sure, chucks away his mainspring if he parts with
+Winston: as to Fisher, he too has energy but none of it came our way so
+he will have no tears from us, though he has friends here too. The
+submarine scare is full on; the beastly things have frightened us more
+than all the Turks and all their German guns.
+
+_24th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Vice-Admiral Nicol, French Naval
+Commander-in-Chief, came aboard to pay me a visit.
+
+Armistice from 9.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. for burial of Turkish dead. All
+went off quite smoothly.... This moment, 12.40 p.m. the Captain has
+rushed in to say that H.M.S. _Triumph_ is sinking! He caught the bad
+news on his wireless as it flew. Beyond doubt the German submarine. What
+exactly is about to happen, God knows. The fleet cannot see itself wiped
+out by degrees; and yet, without the fleet, how are we soldiers to
+exist? One more awful conundrum set to us, but the Navy will solve it,
+for sure.
+
+_25th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Bad news confirmed. The Admiral
+came aboard and between us we tried to size up the new situation and to
+readjust ourselves thereto. Our nicely worked out system for supplying
+the troops has in a moment been tangled up into a hundred knotty
+problems. Instead of our small craft working to and fro in half mile
+runs, henceforth they will have to cover 60 miles per trip. Until now
+the big ocean going ships have anchored close up to Helles or Anzac; in
+future Mudros will be the only possible harbour for these priceless
+floating depots. Imbros, here, lies quite open to submarine attacks, and
+in a northerly gale, becomes a mere roadstead. The Admiral, who regards
+soldiers as wayward water babes, has insisted on lashing a merchantman
+to each side of the _Arcadian_ to serve as torpedo buffers. There are,
+it seems, at least two German submarines prowling about at the present
+moment between Gaba Tepe and Cape Helles. After torpedoing the _Triumph_
+the same submarine fired at and missed the _Vengeance_. The _Lord
+Nelson_ with the Admiral, as well as three French battleships,
+zig-zagged out of harbour and made tracks for Mudros in the afternoon.
+We are left all alone in our glory with our two captive merchantmen. The
+attitude is heroic but not, I think, so dangerous as it is
+uncomfortable. The big ocean liners lashed to port and starboard cut us
+off from air as well as light and one of them is loaded with Cheddar.
+When Mr. Jorrocks awoke James Pigg and asked him to open the window and
+see what sort of a hunting morning it was, it will be remembered that
+the huntsman opened the cupboard by mistake and made the reply, "Hellish
+dark and smells of cheese." Well, that immortal remark hits us off to a
+T. Never mind. Light will be vouchsafed. Amen.
+
+The burial of 3,000 Turks by armistice at Anzac seems to have been
+carried out without a hitch. All these 3,000 Turks were killed between
+the 18th and 20th instant. By the usual averages this figure implies
+over 12,000 wounded so the Lord has vouchsafed us a signal victory
+indeed. Birdwood's men were all out and his reserves, or rather the lack
+of them, would not permit him to counter-attack the moment the enemy's
+assault was repulsed. When we read of battles in histories we feel, we
+see, so clearly the value of counter-attack and the folly of passive
+defence; but, in the field, the struggle has sometimes been so close
+that the victorious defence are left gasping. The enemy were very polite
+during the armistice, and by way of being highly solemn and correct, but
+they could not refrain from bursting into laughter when the Australians
+held up cigarettes and called out "baksheesh."
+
+Last night the French and the Naval Brigade made a good advance with
+slight loss. The East Lancs also pushed on a little bit.
+
+_26th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Entertained a small party of
+Australian officers as my private guests for 48 hours, my idea being to
+give them a bit of a rest. Colonel Monash, commanding 4th Australian
+Infantry Brigade, was the senior. He is a very competent officer. I have
+a clear memory of him standing under a gum tree at Lilydale, near
+Melbourne, holding a conference after a manoeuvre, when it had been
+even hotter than it is here now. I was prepared for intelligent
+criticisms but I thought they would be so wrapped up in the cotton wool
+of politeness that no one would be very much impressed. On the contrary,
+he stated his opinions in the most direct, blunt, telling way. The fact
+was noted in my report and now his conduct out here has been fully up to
+sample.
+
+A horrid mishap. Landing some New Zealand Mounted Rifles at Anzac, the
+destroyer anchored within range of the Turkish guns instead of slowly
+steaming about out of range until the picket boats came off to bring the
+men ashore. The Turks were watching and, as soon as she let go her
+anchor, opened fire from their guns by the olive, and before the
+destroyer could get under weigh six of these fine New Zealand lads were
+killed and forty-five wounded. A hundred fair fighting casualties would
+affect me less. To be knocked out before having taken part in a battle,
+or even having set foot upon the Promised Land--nothing could be more
+cruel.
+
+A special order to the troops:--
+
+                                                 GENERAL HEADQUARTERS,
+                                                      _25th May, 1915._
+
+1. Now that a clear month has passed since the Mediterranean
+Expeditionary Force began its night and day fighting with the enemy, the
+General Commanding desires me to explain to officers, non-commissioned
+officers and men the real significance of the calls made upon them to
+risk their lives apparently for nothing better than to gain a few yards
+of uncultivated land.
+
+2. A comparatively small body of the finest troops in the world, French
+and British, have effected a lodgment close to the heart of a great
+continental empire, still formidable even in its decadence. Here they
+stand firm, or slowly advance, and in the efforts made by successive
+Turkish armies to dislodge them the rotten Government at Constantinople
+is gradually wearing itself out. The facts and figures upon which this
+conclusion is based have been checked and verified from a variety of
+sources. Agents of neutral powers possessing good sources of information
+have placed both the numbers and the losses of the enemy much higher
+than they are set forth here, but the General Commanding prefers to be
+on the safe side and to give his troops a strictly conservative
+estimate.
+
+Before operations began the strength of the defenders of the Dardanelles
+was:--
+
+  Gallipoli Peninsula          34,000 and about 100 guns.
+  Asiatic side of Straits      41,000
+
+All the troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula and fifty per cent. of the
+troops on the Asiatic side were Nizam, that is to say, regular first
+line troops. They were transferable, and were actually transferred to
+this side upon which the invaders disembarked. Our Expeditionary Force
+effected its landing it will be seen, in the face of an enemy superior,
+not only to the covering parties which got ashore the first day, but
+superior actually to the total strength at our disposal. By the 12th
+May, the Turkish Army of occupation had been defeated in several
+engagements, and would have been at the end of their resources had they
+not meanwhile received reinforcements of 20,000 infantry and 21
+batteries of Field Artillery.
+
+Still the Expeditionary Force held its own, and more than its own,
+inflicting fresh bloody defeats upon the newcomers and again the Turks
+must certainly have given way had not a second reinforcement reached the
+Peninsula from Constantinople and Smyrna amounting at the lowest
+estimate to 24,000 men.
+
+3. From what has been said it will be understood that the Mediterranean
+Expeditionary Force, supported by its gallant comrades the Fleet, but
+with constantly diminishing effectives, has held in check or wrested
+ground from some 120,000 Turkish troops elaborately entrenched and
+supported by a powerful artillery.
+
+The enemy has now few more Nizam troops at his disposal and not many
+Redif or second class troops. Up to date his casualties are 55,000, and
+again, in giving this figure, the General Commanding has preferred to
+err on the side of low estimates.
+
+Daily we make progress, and whenever the reinforcements close at hand
+begin to put in an appearance, the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force
+will press forward with a fresh impulse to accomplish the greatest
+Imperial task ever entrusted to an army.
+
+_27th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ The _Majestic_ has been torpedoed
+and has sunk off Cape Helles. Got the news at mid-day. Fuller, my
+Artillery Commander, and Ashmead-Bartlett, the correspondent, were both
+on board, and both were saved--minus kit! About 40 men have gone under.
+Bad luck. A Naval Officer who has seen her says she is lying in shallow
+water--6 fathoms--bottom upwards looking like a stranded whale. He says
+the German submarine made a most lovely shot at her through a crowd of
+cargo ships and transports. Like picking a royal stag out of his harem
+of does. To my Staff, they tell me, he delivered himself further but, as
+I said to the Officer who repeated these criticisms to me, "judge not
+that ye be not judged."
+
+_28th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Went for a walk with the Admiral.
+He refuses any longer to accept the responsibility of keeping us afloat.
+As Helles, Anzac and Tenedos have each been ruled out, we are going to
+doss down on this sandbank opposite us. One thing, it will be central to
+both my theatres of work.
+
+_29th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ The Commodore, Roger Keyes, arrived
+mid-day and invited me to come over to Helles with him on a destroyer,
+H.M.S. _Scorpion._ He was crossing in hopes--_in hopes,_ if you
+please--of hitting off the submarine. The idea that it might hit him had
+not seemed to occur to him. On the way we were greatly excited to see
+the bladder of an indicator net smoking. So we rushed about the place
+and bombs were got ready to drop. But the net remained motionless and,
+as the water was too deep for the submarine to be lying at the bottom,
+it seemed (although no one dared to say so) that a porpoise had been
+poking fun at the Commodore.
+
+Landing at Helles inspected the various roads, which were in the making.
+Next saw Hunter-Weston. Canvassed plans with him and felt myself
+refreshed. Then went on to Gouraud's Headquarters, taking the Commodore
+with me. My Commanders are an asset which cancels many a debit. Gouraud
+is in excellent form and gave us tea. Walked down to "V" Beach at 6 p.m.
+
+When we got on to the pier, which ends in the _River Clyde_, we found
+another destroyer, the _Wolverine_, under Lieutenant-Commander Keyes,
+the brother of the Commodore. She was to take us across, and (of all
+places in the world to select for a berth!) she had run herself
+alongside the _River Clyde_ which was, at that moment, busy playing
+target to the heavy guns of Asia. I imagined that taking aboard a boss
+like the Commander-in-Chief, as well as that much bigger boss (in naval
+estimates) his own big brother, the Commodore, our Lieutenant-Commander
+would nip away presto. Not a bit of it! No sooner had he got us aboard
+than he came out boldly and very, very slowly, stern first, from the lee
+of the _River Clyde_ and began a duel against Asia with 4-inch lyddite
+from the _Wolverine's_ after gun. The fight seems quite funny to me now
+but, at the time, serio-comic would have better described my
+impressions. Shells ashore are part of the common lot; they come in the
+day's work: on the water; in a cockleshell--well, you can't go to
+ground, anyway!
+
+[Illustration: VIEW OF "V" BEACH, TAKEN FROM S.S. "RIVER CLYDE"
+_"Central News" photo._]
+
+Heavy fighting at Anzac. The Turks fired a mine under Quinn's Post and
+then rushed a section of the defence isolated by the explosion. At 6 in
+the morning the crater was, Birdie says, most gallantly retaken with the
+bayonet. There are excursions and alarms; attacks and counter-attacks;
+bomb-showers to which the bayonet charge is our only retort--but we hold
+fast the crater!
+
+When I tell them at home that if they will give me munitions enough to
+let me advance two miles I will give them Constantinople, that is the
+truth. On paper, the Turks no doubt might assert with equal force that
+if they got forces enough together to drive the Australians back a short
+two hundred yards they could give the Sultan the resounding prestige of
+a Peninsula freed from the Giaour. But that would require more Turks
+than the Turks could feed, whereas we know we could do it now, as we
+are--given the wherewithal--trench mortars, hand grenades and bombs, for
+example.
+
+A message from Hanbury Williams, who is with the Grand Duke Nicholas, to
+say that all idea of sending me a Russian Army Corps to land at the
+Bosphorus has been abandoned!!!
+
+_30th May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Went to Anzac in a destroyer. The
+Cove was being heavily shelled, and the troops near the beach together
+with the fatigue parties handling stores and ammunition, had dashed
+into their dugouts like marmots at the shadow of an eagle. Birdwood came
+out to meet me on this very unhealthy spot; indeed, in spite of my
+waving him back, he walked right on to the end of the deserted pier.
+Just as we were getting near his quarters, a couple of shrapnel burst at
+an angle and height which, by the laws of gravity, momentum and velocity
+ought to have put a fullstop to this chronicle. Actually, we walked
+on--through the "Valley of Death"--past the spot where the brave Bridges
+bit the dust, to the Headquarters of the 4th Australian Infantry
+Brigade. Thence I could see the enemy trenches in front of Quinn's Post,
+and also a very brisk bomb combat in full flame where the New Zealand
+Mounted Rifles were making good the Turkish communicating post they had
+seized earlier in the day. Nothing more strange than this inspection.
+Along the path at the bottom of the valley warning notices were stuck
+up. The wayfarer has to be as punctilious about each footstep as
+Christian in the "Pilgrim's Progress." Should he disregard the placards
+directing him to keep to the right or to the left of the track, he is
+almost certainly shot. Half of the pathway may be as safe as Piccadilly,
+whilst he who treads the other had far better be up yonder at hand grips
+with the Turks. Presumably some feature of the ground defilades one
+part, for the enemy cannot see into the valley, although, were they only
+20 yards nearer the edge of the cliff, they would command its whole
+extent. The spirit of the men is invincible. Only lately have we been
+able to give them blankets: as to square meals and soft sleeps, these
+are dreams of the past, they belonged to another state of being. Yet I
+never struck a more jovial crew. Men staggering under huge sides of
+frozen beef; men struggling up cliffs with kerosine tins full of water;
+men digging; men cooking; men card-playing in small dens scooped out
+from the banks of yellow clay--everyone wore a Bank Holiday
+air;--evidently the ranklings and worry of mankind--miseries and
+concerns of the spirit--had fled the precincts of this valley. The
+Boss--the bill--the girl--envy, malice, hunger, hatred--had scooted far
+away to the Antipodes. All the time, overhead, the shell and rifle
+bullets groaned and whined, touching just the same note of violent
+energy as was in evidence everywhere else. To understand that awful din,
+raise the eyes 25 degrees to the top of the cliff which closes in the
+tail end of the valley and you can see the Turkish hand grenades
+bursting along the crest, just where an occasional bayonet flashes and
+figures hardly distinguishable from Mother earth crouch in an irregular
+line. Or else they rise to fire and are silhouetted a moment against the
+sky and then you recognize the naked athletes from the Antipodes and
+your heart goes into your mouth as a whole bunch of them dart forward
+suddenly, and as suddenly disappear. And the bomb shower stops dead--for
+the moment; but, all the time, from that fiery crest line which is
+Quinn's, there comes a slow constant trickle of wounded--some dragging
+themselves painfully along; others being carried along on stretchers.
+Bomb wounds all; a ceaseless, silent stream of bandages and blood. Yet
+three out of four of "the boys" have grit left for a gay smile or a
+cheery little nod to their comrades waiting for their turn as they pass,
+pass, pass, down on their way to the sea.
+
+There are poets and writers who see naught in war but carrion, filth,
+savagery and horror. The heroism of the rank and file makes no appeal.
+They refuse war the credit of being the only exercise in devotion on the
+large scale existing in this world. The superb moral victory over death
+leaves them cold. Each one to his taste. To me this is no valley of
+death--it is a valley brim full of life at its highest power. Men live
+through more in five minutes on that crest than they do in five years of
+Bendigo or Ballarat. Ask the brothers of these very fighters--Calgoorlie
+or Coolgardie miners--to do one quarter the work and to run one
+hundredth the risk on a wages basis--instanter there would be a riot.
+But here,--not a murmur, not a question; only a radiant force of
+camaraderie in action.
+
+The Turks have heaps of cartridges and more shells, anyway, than we
+have. They have as many grenades as they can throw; we have--a dozen per
+Company. There is a very bitter feeling amongst all the troops, but
+especially the Australians, at this lack of elementary weapons like
+grenades. Our overseas men are very intelligent. They are prepared to
+make allowances for lack of shell; lack of guns; lack of high
+explosives. But they know there must be something wrong when the Turks
+carry ten good bombs to our one bad one; and they think, some of them,
+that this must be my fault. Far from it. _Directly_ after the naval
+battle of the 18th March--i.e., over two months ago, I wrote out a cable
+asking for bombs. I sent this on my own happy thought, and I had hoped
+for a million by the date of landing five weeks later. But I got,
+practically, none; nor any promise for the future. In default of help
+from home, we have tried to manufacture these primitive but very
+effective projectiles for ourselves with jam pots, meat tins and any old
+rubbish we can scrape together. De Lothbiniere has shown ingenuity in
+thus making bricks without straw. The Fleet, too, has played up and de
+Robeck has guaranteed me two thousand to be made by the artificers on
+the battleships. Maxwell in Egypt has been improvising a few; Methuen at
+Malta says they can't make them there. But what a shame that the sons of
+a manufacturing country like Great Britain should be in straits for
+engines so simple.
+
+Yesterday and to-day we have fired, for us, a terrible lot of shells
+(1,800 shrapnel) but never was shot better spent. We reckon the enemy's
+casualties between 1,000 and 2,000 mainly caused by our guns playing on
+the columns which came up trying to improve upon their lodgment in
+Quinn's Post. Add this to the 3,000 killed, and, say, 12,000 wounded on
+the 18th instant, and it is clear no troops in the world can stand it
+very long. But we are literally at the end of our shrapnel; and as to
+high explosive, according to the standards of the gunners, we have never
+had any!
+
+Left on a picket boat with Birdie to board my destroyer to an
+accompaniment of various denominations of projectiles. One or two shells
+burst hard by just as we were scrambling up her side.
+
+Vice-Admiral Nicholls called after my return. Courtauld Thomson, the Red
+Cross man, dined; very helpful; very well stocked with comforts and
+everyone likes him, even the R.A.M.C.
+
+_31st May, 1915. H.M.T. "Arcadian."_ Worked in the forenoon. Gouraud,
+Girodon and Hunter-Weston lunched and we spent the afternoon at the
+scheme for our next fight. Each of us agreed that Fortune had not been
+over kind. By one month's hard, close hammering we had at last made the
+tough _moral_ of the Turks more pliant, when lo and behold, in broad
+daylight, thousands of their common soldiery see with their own eyes two
+great battleships sink beneath the waves and all the others make an exit
+more dramatic than dignified. Most of the Armada of store ships had
+already cleared out and now the last of the battleships has offed it
+over the offing; a move which the whole of the German Grand Fleet could
+not have forced them to make! What better pick-me-up could Providence
+have provided for the badly-shaken Turks? No more inquisitive cruisers
+ready to let fly a salvo at anything that stirs. No more searchlights by
+night; no more big explosives flying from the Aegean into the
+Dardanelles!
+
+_1st June, 1915. Imbros._ Came ashore and stuck up my 80-lb. tent in the
+middle of a sandbank whereon some sanguine Greek agriculturalist has
+been trying to plant wheat.
+
+We shall live the simple life; the same life, in fact, as the men, but
+are glad to be off the ship and able to stretch our legs.
+
+Hard fighting in the North zone and the South. Both outposts captured by
+us on the 29th May at Anzac and on the French right at Helles heavily
+attacked. In the North we had to give ground, but not before we had made
+the enemy pay ten times its value in killed and wounded. Had we only had
+a few spare rounds of shrapnel we need never have gone back. The War
+Office have called for a return of my 4.5 howitzer ammunition during the
+past fortnight, and I find that, since the 14th May, we have expended
+477 shell altogether at Anzac and Helles combined. In the South the
+enemy twice recaptured the redoubt taken by the French on the 29th, but
+Gouraud, having a nice little parcel of high explosive on hand, was able
+to drive them out definitely and to keep them out.
+
+_2nd June, 1915. Imbros._ Working all day in camp. Blazing hot, tempered
+by a cool breeze towards evening. De Robeck came ashore and we had an
+hour together in the afternoon. Everything is fixed up for our big
+attack on the 4th. From aeroplane photographs it would appear that the
+front line Turkish trenches are meant more as traps for rash forlorn
+hopes than as strongholds. In fact, the true tug only begins when we try
+to carry the second line and the flanking machine guns. Gouraud has
+generously lent us two groups of 75s with H.E. shell, and I am cabling
+the fact to the War Office as it means a great deal to us. When I say
+they are lent to us, I do not mean that they put the guns at our
+disposal. They are only ours for defensive purposes; that is to say,
+they remain in their own gun positions in the French lines and are to
+help by thickening the barrage in front of the Naval Division.
+
+De Robeck and Keyes are quite as much at sea as Braithwaite and myself
+about this original scheme of the British Government for treating a
+tearing, raging crisis; i.e., by taking no notice of it. I guess that
+never before in the history of war has a Commander asked urgently that
+his force might be doubled and then got no orders; no answer of any sort
+or kind!
+
+When I sent K. my M.F. 234 of the 17th May asking for two Corps, or for
+Allies, one or the other, I got a reply by return expressing his
+disappointment; since then, nothing. During that fortnight of silence
+the whole of the Turkish Empire has been moving--closing in--on the
+Dardanelles. Then, by a side-wind I happen to hear of the abstraction of
+a Russian Army Corps from my supposed command; an Army Corps, who by the
+mere fact of "being," held off a large force of Turks from Gallipoli.
+
+So I have put down a few hard truths. Unpalatable they may be but some
+day they've got to be faced and the sooner the better. Time has slipped
+away, but to-day is still better than to-morrow.
+
+What a change since the War Office sent us packing with a bagful of
+hallucinations. Naval guns sweeping the Turks off the Peninsula; the
+Ottoman Army legging it from a British submarine waving the Union Jack;
+Russian help in hand; Greek help on the _tapis_. Now it is our Fleet
+which has to leg it from the German submarine; there is no ammunition
+for the guns; no drafts to keep my Divisions up to strength; my Russians
+have gone to Galicia and the Greeks are lying lower than ever.
+
+"No. M.F. 288. From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. With
+reference to my telegrams No. M.F. 274 of 29th May, and No. M.F. 234 of
+17th May. If the information sent by Hanbury-Williams, to which I
+referred in my No. M.F. 274, is correct it is advisable that I should
+send you a fresh appreciation of the situation.
+
+"I assumed in my No. M.F. 234 that you had adequate forces at your
+disposal, but on the other hand I assumed that some 100,000 Turks would
+be kept occupied by the Russians. By the defection of Russia, 100,000
+Turks are set free in the Caucasus and European Turkey. After deduction
+of casualties there are at least 80,000 Turks now against us in the
+Peninsula. There are 20,000 Turks on the Bulgarian frontier which,
+assuming that Bulgaria remains neutral, are able to reinforce Gallipoli;
+some, in fact, have already arrived showing the restoration of Turkish
+confidence in King Ferdinand. Close by on the Asiatic side there remain
+10,000 Turks, making a total of 210,000, to which must be added 65,000
+who are under training in Europe.
+
+"The movement of the Turkish troops has already begun. There are
+practically no troops left in Smyrna district, and there are already in
+the field numbers of troops from European garrisons, while recently it
+was reported that more are coming.
+
+"The movement of a quarter of a million men against us seems to be well
+under way, and although many of these are ill-trained still with
+well-run supply and ammunition columns and in trenches designed by
+Germans the Turk is always formidable.
+
+"As regards ammunition, the enemy appears to have an unlimited supply of
+small-arm ammunition and as many hand-grenades as they can fling. Though
+there is some indication that gun ammunition is being husbanded, it was
+reported as late as 27th May, that supplies of shells were being
+received _via_ Roumania, and yesterday it was suggested that artillery
+ammunition can be manufactured at Constantinople where it is reported
+that over two hundred engineers have arrived from Krupp's.
+
+"At the same time, the temporary withdrawal of our battleships owing to
+enemy submarines has altered the position to our disadvantage; while not
+of the highest importance materially this factor carries considerable
+moral weight.
+
+"Taking all these factors into consideration, it would seem that for an
+early success some equivalent to the suspended Russian co-operation is
+vitally necessary. The ground gained and the positions which we hold are
+not such as to enable me to envisage with soldierly equanimity the
+probability of the large forces adumbrated above being massed against my
+troops without let or hindrance from elsewhere. Fresh light may be shed
+on the matter by the battle now imminent, but I am cabling on reasoned
+existing facts. Time is an object, but if Greece came in, preferably
+_via_ Enos, the problem would be simplified. It is broadly my view that
+we must obtain the support of a fresh ally in this theatre, or else
+there should be got ready British reinforcements to the full extent
+mentioned in my No. M.F. 234, though as stated above the disappearance
+of Russian co-operation was not contemplated in my estimate."
+
+_3rd June, 1915. Imbros._ Meant to go to Anzac; sea too rough; in the
+afternoon saw de Robeck and Roger Keyes. Braithwaite came over and we
+went through my cable of yesterday. The sailors would just as soon I had
+left out that remark about the enemy being bucked up by the retreat of
+our battleships. But the passage implied also that their mere visible
+presence was shown to be most valuable. Both of them agree that I am
+well within the mark in saying what I did about the loss of my Russian
+Army Corps. Roger Keyes next launched a dry land criticism. He rightly
+thinks that the weakness of our _present_ units is _the_ real weakness:
+he thinks we are far more in need of drafts than of fresh units; he
+suggests that a rider be sent now to insist that the estimates in
+yesterday's cable were only made on the assumption that my present force
+is kept up to strength. I did press that very point in my first cable of
+17th May, which is referred to in the opening of this cable; further, we
+keep on saying it every week in our War Office cable giving strengths.
+After all, K. is 65. He still believes "A man's a man and a rifle's a
+rifle"; I still believe that half the value of every human being depends
+upon his environment:--we are not going to convert one another now.
+
+As we were actually talking, Williams brought over an answer:--
+
+"No. 5104, cipher. From Earl Kitchener to General Sir Ian Hamilton. With
+reference to your No. M.F. 288. Owing to the restricted nature of the
+ground you occupy and the experience we have had in Flanders of
+increased forces acting in trench positions, I own I have some doubts of
+an early decisive result being obtained by at once increasing the forces
+at your disposal, but I should like your views as soon as you
+can--to-day if possible. Are you convinced that with immediate
+reinforcements to the extent you mention you could force the Kilid Bahr
+position and thus finish the Dardanelles operations?
+
+"You mentioned in a previous telegram that you intended to keep
+reinforcements on islands, is this your intention with regard to the
+Lowland Division, now on its way to you, and the other troops when
+sent?"
+
+K.'s brief cable is _intensely_ characteristic. I have taken down
+hundreds of his wires. We are face to face here with his very self at
+_first hand_. How curiously it reveals the man's instinct, or
+genius--call it what you will.
+
+K. sees in a flash what the rest of the world does not seem to see so
+clearly; viz., that the piling up of increased forces opposite
+entrenched positions is a spendthrift, unscientific proceeding. He
+wishes to know if I mean to do this. To draw me out he assumes if I get
+the troops, I _would_ at once commit them to trench warfare by crowding
+them in behind the lines of Helles or Anzac. Actually I intend to keep
+the bulk of them on the islands, so as to throw them unexpectedly
+against some key position which is _not_ prepared for defence. But I
+have to be very careful what I say, seeing that the Turks got wind of
+the date of our first landing from London _via_ Vienna. Least said to a
+Cabinet, least leakage.
+
+That is not all. Curt as is the cable it has yet scope to show up a
+little more of our great K.'s outfit. His infernal hurry. "To-day":--I
+am to reply, to-day! He has taken some two and a half weeks to answer my
+request for two Army Corps and I am to answer a far more obscure
+question in two and a half minutes. Why, since my appeal of 17th May the
+situation has not stood still. A Commander in the field is like a cannon
+ball. If he stops going ahead, he falls dead. You can't stop moving for
+a fortnight and then expect to carry on where you left off; I think the
+Duke of Wellington said this; if he didn't he should have. To err is to
+be human and the troops, if sent at once, may or may not, fulfil our
+hopes. All we here can say is this:--
+
+(1) If the Army Corps had been sent at once (i.e., two weeks ago) the
+results should have been decisive.
+
+(2) If the Army Corps are not sent at once, there can be no early
+decision.
+
+Braithwaite, De Robeck and Keyes agree to (1) and (2) but the cabled
+answer will not be so simple and, in spite of K.'s sudden impatience, I
+must sleep over it first.
+
+Written whilst Williams waits:--
+
+"No. M.F. 292. From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. Secret.
+To-morrow, 4th June, I am fighting a general action. Therefore I feel
+sure that you will wish me to defer my answer to your telegram No. 5104,
+cipher, until I see the result."
+
+These lofty strategical questions must not make me forget an equally
+vital munitions message just to hand. I have cabled K. twice in the past
+day or two about shells. On the 1st instant I had said, "I still await
+the information promised in your x. 4773, A. 5, of 19th instant. In my
+opinion the supply of gun ammunition can hardly be considered adequate
+or safe until the following conditions can be filled:--(1) That the
+amounts with units and on the Lines of Communication should be made up
+to the number of rounds per gun which is allowed in War Establishment
+figures of 29th Division. (2) That these full amounts should be
+maintained and despatched automatically without any further application
+from us, beyond a weekly statement of the expenditure which will be
+cabled to you every Saturday. (3) In view of the number and the extent
+of the entrenchments to be dealt with it is necessary that a high
+proportion of high explosive shell for 18 pounder and howitzers be
+included in accordance with the report of my military advisers."
+
+We now have his reply:--
+
+"No. 5088, cipher. From Earl Kitchener to Sir Ian Hamilton. With
+reference to your telegrams No. M.F. 281 and No. M.F.G.T. 967. We cannot
+supply ammunition to maintain a 1,000 rounds a gun owing to the demands
+from France, but consignments are being sent which amount to 17 rounds
+per gun per day for the 18 pounder and 4.5.-inch howitzer; this is
+considered by General Joffre and Sir John French as necessary. As much
+as possible of other natures will be sent. As regards quantities, you
+will be informed as early as possible. As available, H.E. shells will be
+sent for 18 pounder guns and howitzers."
+
+If we get 17 rounds per gun per day for the 18 pounders and 4.5
+howitzers we shall indeed be on velvet. To be given what satisfies
+Joffre and French--that sounds too good to be true. So ran my thoughts
+and Braithwaite's on a first reading. Then came the C.R.A. who puts
+another light on the proposal and points out that the implied comparison
+with France is fallacious. We are undergunned here as compared with
+France in the proportion of 1 to 3. I mean to say that, in proportion to
+"bayonets" we have rather less than one third of the "guns."
+_Therefore_, if we were really to have munitions on the scale
+"considered necessary by General Joffre and Sir John French," we ought
+to have three times 17 rounds per day per gun; i.e. 51 rounds per day
+per gun. But never mind. _If we do get_ the 17 rounds we shall be
+infinitely better off than we have been: "and so say all of us!" Putting
+this cable together with yesterday's we all of us feel that the home
+folk are beginning to yawn and rub their eyes and that ere long they may
+really be awake.
+
+_4th June, 1915. Imbros._ Left camp after breakfast and boarded the
+redoubtable _Wolverine_ under that desperado Lieutenant-Commander Keyes.
+The General Staff came alongside and we made our way to Cape Helles
+through a blinding dust storm--at least, the dust came right out to sea,
+but it was on shore that it became literally blinding.
+
+On the pier I met Gouraud who walked up with me. Gouraud was very grave
+but confident. My post of command had been "dug out" for me well forward
+on the left flank by Hunter-Weston. In that hole two enormous tarantulas
+and I passed a day that seems to me ten years. The torture of suspense;
+the extremes of exaltation and of depression; the Red Indian necessity
+of showing no sign: all this varied only by the vicious scream of shell
+sailing some 30 feet over our heads on their way towards the 60 pounders
+near the point. A Commander feels desperately lonely at such moments. On
+him, and on him alone, falls the crushing onus of responsibility: to be
+a Corps Commander is child's play in _that_ comparison. The Staff are
+gnawed with anxiety too--are saying their prayers as fast as they can,
+no doubt, as they follow the ebb and flow of the long khaki line through
+their glasses. Yes, I have done that myself in the old days from
+Charasia onwards. Yet how faintly is my anguish reflected in the mere
+anxiety of their minds.
+
+Chapters could be written about this furious battle fought in a
+whirlwind of dust and smoke; some day I hope somebody may write them.
+After the first short spell of shelling our men fixed bayonets and
+lifted them high above the parapet. The Turks thinking we were going to
+make the assault, rushed troops into their trenches, until then lightly
+held. No sooner were our targets fully manned than we shelled them in
+earnest and went on at it until--on the stroke of mid-day--out dashed
+our fellows into the open. For the best part of an hour it seemed that
+we had won a decisive victory. On the left all the front line Turkish
+trenches were taken. On the right the French rushed the _"Haricot"_--so
+long a thorn in their flesh; next to them the Anson lads stormed another
+big Turkish redoubt in a slap-dash style reminding me of the best work
+of the old Regular Army; but the boldest and most brilliant exploit of
+the lot was the charge made by the Manchester Brigade[19] in the centre
+who wrested two lines of trenches from the Turks; and then, carrying
+right on; on to the lower slopes of Achi Baba, had _nothing_ between
+them and its summit but the clear, unentrenched hillside. They lay
+there--the line of our brave lads, plainly visible to a pair of good
+glasses--there they actually lay! We wanted, so it seemed, but a reserve
+to advance in their support and carry them right up to the top. We
+said--and yet could hardly believe our own words--"We are through!"
+
+Alas, too previous that remark. Everything began to go wrong. First the
+French were shelled and bombed out of the _"Haricot"_; next the right of
+the Naval Division became uncovered and they had to give way, losing
+many times more men in the yielding than in the capture of their ground.
+Then came the turn of the Manchesters, left in the lurch, with their
+right flank hanging in the air. By all the laws of war they ought to
+have tumbled back anyhow, but by the laws of the Manchesters they hung
+on and declared they could do so for ever. How to help? Men! Men, not so
+much now to sustain the Manchesters as to force back the Turks who were
+enfilading them from the _"Haricot"_ and from that redoubt held for
+awhile by the R.N.D. on their right. I implored Gouraud to try and make
+a push and promised that the Naval Division would retake their redoubt
+if he could retake the _"Haricot"_. Gouraud said he would go in at 3
+p.m. The hour came; nothing happened. He then said he could not call
+upon his men again till 4 o'clock, and at 4 o'clock he said definitely
+that he would not be able to make another assault. The moment that last
+message came in I first telephoned and then, to make doubly sure, ran
+myself to Hunter-Weston's Headquarters so as not to let another moment
+be lost in pulling out the Manchester Brigade. I had 500 yards to go,
+and, rising the knoll, I would have been astonished, had I had any
+faculty of astonishment left in me, to meet Beetleheim, the Turk, who
+was with French in South Africa. I suppose he is here as an interpreter,
+or something, but I didn't ask. Seeing me alone for the moment he came
+along. He had quite a grip of the battle and seemed to hope I might let
+the Manchesters try and stick it out through the night, as he thought
+the Turks were too much done to do much more. But it was not good
+enough. To fall back was agony; not to do it would have been folly.
+Hunter-Weston felt the same. When Fate has first granted just a sip of
+the wine of success the slip between the cup and lip comes hardest. The
+upshot of the whole affair is that the enemy still hold a strong line of
+trenches between us and Achi Baba. Our four hundred prisoners, almost
+all made by the Manchester Brigade, amongst whom a good number of
+officers, do not console me. Having to make the Manchesters yield up
+their hard won gains is what breaks my heart. Had I known the result of
+our fight before the event, I should have been happy enough. Three or
+four hundred yards of ground plus four hundred prisoners are distances
+and numbers which may mean little in Russia or France, but here, where
+we only have a mile or two to go, land has a value all its own. Yes, I
+should have been happy enough. But, to have to yield up the best
+half--the vital half--of our gains--to have had our losses trebled on
+the top of a cheaply won victory--these are the reverse side of our
+medal for the 4th June.
+
+Going back we fell in with a blood-stained crowd from the Hood, Howe and
+Anson Battalions. Down the little gully to the beach we could only walk
+very slowly. At my elbow was Colonel Crauford Stuart, commanding the
+Hood Battalion. He had had his jaw smashed but I have seen men pull
+longer faces at breaking a collar stud. He told me that the losses of
+the Naval Division has been very heavy, the bulk of them during their
+retreat. From the moment the Turks drove the French out of the
+_"Haricot"_ the enfilade fire became murderous.
+
+On the beach was General de Lisle, fresh from France. He is taking over
+the 29th Division from Hunter-Weston who ascends to the command of the
+newly formed 8th Army Corps. De Lisle seemed in very good form although
+it must have been rather an eye-opener landing in the thick of this huge
+stream of wounded. How well I remember seeing him galloping at the head
+of his Mounted Infantry straight for Pretoria; and my rage when, under
+orders from Headquarters, I had to send swift messengers to tell him he
+must rein back for some reason never made clear.
+
+_5th June, 1915. Imbros._ Best part of the day occupied in a hundred and
+one sequels of the battle. The enemy have been quiet; they have had a
+belly-full. De Robeck came off to see me at 5.30, to have a final talk
+(amongst other things) as to the Enos and Bulair ideas before I send my
+final answer to K. If we dare not advertise the detail of our proposed
+tactics, we may take the lesser risk of saying what we are _not_ going
+to attempt. The Admiral is perfectly clear against Bulair. There is no
+protection there for the ships against submarines except Enos harbour
+and Enos is only one fathom deep. After all, the main thing they want is
+that I should commit myself to a statement that if I get the drafts and
+troops asked for in my various cables, I will make good. That, I find
+quite reasonable.
+
+_6th June, 1915. Imbros._ A very hot and dusty day. Still sweeping up
+the _debris_ of the battle. Besides my big cable have been studying
+strengths with my A.G. The Battalions are dwindling to Companies and the
+Divisions to Brigades.
+
+The cable is being ciphered: not a very luminous document: how could it
+be? The great men at home seem to forget that they cannot draw wise
+counsels from their servants unless they confide in them and give them
+_all_ the factors of the problem. If a client goes to a lawyer for
+advice the first thing the lawyer asks him to do is to make a clean
+breast of it. Before K. asks me to specify what I can do if he sends me
+these unknown and--in Great Britain--most variable quantities,
+Territorial or New Army Divisions, he ought to make a clean breast of it
+by telling me:--
+
+  (1) What he has.
+  (2) What Sir John French wants.
+  (3) Whether Italy will move--or Greece.
+  (4) What is happening in the Balkans,--in the
+        Caucasus,--in Mesopotamia.
+
+After all, the Armies of the Caucasus and of Mesopotamia are not
+campaigning in the moon. They are two Allied Armies working with me (or
+supposed to be working with me) against a common enemy.
+
+The first part of my cable I discuss the cause which led to the
+disappointing end to the battle of the 4th already described and then go
+on to say, "I am convinced by this action that with my present force my
+progress will be very slow, but in the absence of any further important
+alteration in the situation such as a definite understanding between
+Turkey and Bulgaria, I believe the reinforcements asked for in my No.
+234 will eventually enable me to take Kilid Bahr and will assuredly
+expedite the decision. I entirely agree that the restricted nature of
+the ground I occupy militates against me in success, however much I am
+reinforced; that was why in my Nos. M.F. 214 and M.F. 234 I emphasized
+the desirability of securing co-operation of new Allied Forces acting on
+a second line of operations. I have been very closely considering the
+possibility of opening a new line of operations myself, _via_ Enos, if
+sufficient reinforcements should be available. The Vice-Admiral,
+however, is at present strongly averse to the selection of Enos owing to
+the open and unprotected nature of anchorage and to the presence of
+enemy submarines. Otherwise Enos offers very favourable prospects, both
+strategically and tactically, and is so direct a threat to
+Constantinople as to necessitate withdrawal of Turkish troops from the
+Peninsula to meet it. Smyrna or even Adramyti which are not open to the
+same objections are too far from me, but the effect of entry of a fresh
+Ally at either place would inevitably make itself felt before very long
+in preventing further massing of the Turkish army against me, and
+perhaps even in drawing off troops; a considerable moral and political
+effect might also be produced, and all information points to those
+districts being denuded of troops.
+
+"With regard to the employment of the reinforcements asked for in my No.
+M.F. 234, General Birdwood estimates that four Brigades are necessary to
+clear and extend his front sufficiently to prepare a serious move
+towards Maidos. I should therefore allocate a corps to the
+Australian-New Zealand Army Corps as the other two brigades would be
+required to give weight to his advance. The French Force as at present
+constituted, and the Naval Division which has been roughly handled,
+would be replaced in front of the line by the other corps. This
+reinforcement to be exclusive of any help we may receive from Allied
+troops operating on a second line of operations so distant as Smyrna.
+
+"With reference to your last paragraph I have no alternative, until Achi
+Baba is in my possession, but to keep reinforcements on islands or
+elsewhere handy. I have made arrangements at present, however, for one
+Infantry Brigade and Engineers of the Lowland Division on the Peninsula,
+one Infantry Brigade at Imbros and the remaining Infantry Brigade at
+Alexandria to be ready to start at 12 hours' notice whenever I telegraph
+for it. Besides all the reasons given above, no troops in existence can
+continue fighting night and day without respite."
+
+Three weeks have passed now since I asked for two British Corps or for
+Allies and still no reply or notice of any sort except that message of
+the 3rd instant expressing doubts as to whether any good purpose will be
+served by sending us help "at once." Well; there hasn't been much "at
+once" about it but I have not played the Sybilline book trick or doubled
+my demand with each delay as I ought perhaps to have done. Now I think
+we are bound to hear something but I can't make out what has come over
+K. of K. In the old days his prime force lay in his faculty of focusing
+every iota of his energy upon the pivotal project, regardless (so it
+used to appear) of the other planks of the platform. A "side show" to
+him meant the non-vital part of the business, _at that moment_: it was
+not a question of troops or of ranks of Generals. For the time being the
+interests of an enterprise of five thousand would obliterate those of
+fifty. No man ever went the whole hog better. He would turn the whole
+current of his energy to help the man of the hour. The rest were bled
+white to help him. If they howled they found that K. and his Staff were
+deaf, and for the same reason, as the crew of Ulysses to the Sirens.
+Several times in South Africa K., so doing, carried the Imperial
+Standard to victory through a series of hair's breadth escapes. But
+to-day, though he sees, the power of believing in his own vision and of
+hanging on to it like a bulldog, seems paralysed. He hesitates. Ten
+short years ago, if K.'s heart had been set on Constantinople, why, to
+Constantinople he would have gone. Paris might have screamed; he would
+not have swerved a hair's breadth till he had gripped the Golden Horn.
+
+_7th June, 1915. Imbros._ Left camp early and went to Cape Helles on a
+destroyer. On our little sandbag pier, built by Egyptians and Turkish
+prisoners, I met General Wallace and his A.D.C. (a son of Walter
+Long's). Wallace has come here to take up his duty as Inspector-General
+of Communications. About ten days ago he was forced upon us. He is
+reputed a good executive Brigadier of the Indian Army, but we want him,
+not to train Sepoys but to create one of the biggest organizing and
+administrative jobs in the world. His work will comprise the whole of
+the transhipment of stores from the ships to small craft; their dispatch
+over 60 miles of sea to the Peninsula, and the maintenance of all the
+necessary machinery in good running order. The task is tremendous, and
+here is a simple soldier, without any experience of naval men or
+matters, or the British soldier, or of Administration on a large scale,
+or even of superior Staff duties, sent me for the purpose. We want a
+competent business man at Mudros, ready to grapple with millions of
+public money; ready to cable on his own for goods or gear by the ten
+thousand pounds worth. We want a man of tried business courage; a man
+who can tackle contractors. We are sent an Indian Brigadier who has
+never, so far as I can make out, in his longish life had undivided
+responsibility for one hundred pounds of public belongings. I cabled to
+K. my objection as strongly as seemed suitable, but he tells me to carry
+on. He tells me to carry on and, in doing so, throws an amusing
+sidelight upon himself. Into his cable he sticks the words, "Ellison
+cannot be spared." K. believes that my protest _re_ Wallace has, at the
+back of it, a wish to put in the Staff Officer he took from me when I
+started. He doesn't believe in my zeal for efficiency at Mudros; he
+thinks my little plan is to work General Ellison into the billet.
+Certainly, I'd like an organizer of Ellison's calibre, but he had not,
+it so happens, entered my mind till K. put him there!
+
+Landing at "W" Beach, I walked over to the 9th Division and met Generals
+Hunter-Weston, de Lisle and Doran. As we were having our confab, the
+Turkish guns from Asia were steadily pounding the ridge just South of
+Headquarters. One or two big fellows fell within 100 yards of the Mess.
+After an A.1 lunch (for which much glory to Carter, A.D.C.) visited
+Gouraud at French Headquarters. Going along the coast we were treated
+to an exciting spectacle. The Turkish guns in Asia stopped firing at
+Headquarters and turned on to a solitary French transport containing
+forage, which had braved the submarines and instead of transhipping (as
+is now the order) at Mudros, had anchored close to "V" Beach. After
+several overs and unders they hit her three times running and set her on
+fire. Destroyers and trawlers rushed to her help. Bluejackets boarded
+her; got her fire under control; got her under steam and moved out. The
+amazing part of the affair lay in the conduct of the Turks. Having made
+their three hits, then was the moment to sink the bally ship. But no;
+they switched back once more onto the Peninsula, and left their helpless
+prize to make a leisurely and unmolested escape. Anyone but a Turk would
+have opened rapid fire on seeking his target smoking like a factory
+chimney, ringed round by a crowd of small craft. But these old Turks are
+real freaks. Their fierce courage on the defensive is the only cert
+about them. On all other points it becomes a fair war risk to presume
+upon their happy-go-lucky behaviour. If this crippled ship had been full
+of troops instead of hay they would equally have let her slip through
+their fingers.
+
+I stayed the best part of an hour with Gouraud. He can throw no light
+from the French side upon the reason for the strange hesitations of our
+Governments. As he says, after reporting an entirely unexpected and
+unprepared for situation and asking for the wherewithal to cope with
+it, a Commander should get fresh orders. Either: we cannot give you what
+you ask, so fall back onto the defensive; or, go ahead, we will give you
+the means. Taking leave we came back again by the 29th Headquarters
+where I saw Douglas, commanding the 42nd Division. Got home latish. As I
+was on my way to our destroyer took in a wireless saying that submarine
+E.11 had returned safely after three fruitful weeks in the Marmora.
+
+A most singular message is in:--
+
+"(No. 5199).
+
+"From Earl Kitchener to General Sir Ian Hamilton.
+
+"With reference to your telegram No. M.F. 301, instead of sending such
+telegrams reporting operations, privately to Earl Kitchener, will you
+please send them to the Secretary of State. A separate telegram might
+have been sent dealing with the latter part about Doran."
+
+May the devil fly away with me if I know what that means! Braithwaite is
+as much at a loss as myself. No one knows better than we do how much
+store K. sets on having all these messages addressed to him personally.
+There's more in this than meets the common or garden optic!
+
+Very heavy firing on the Peninsula at 8 o'clock; a ceaseless tremor of
+the air which--faint here--denotes tremendous musketry there.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X
+
+A DECISION AND THE PLAN
+
+
+_8th June, 1915. Imbros._ We are getting "three Divisions of the New
+Army"! The Cabinet "are determined to support" us! And why wouldn't they
+be? Thus runs the cable:--
+
+"(No. 5217, cipher). Your difficulties are fully recognized by the
+Cabinet who are determined to support you. We are sending you three
+divisions of the New Army. The first of these will leave about the end
+of this week, and the other two will be sent as transport is available.
+
+"The last of the three divisions ought to reach you not later than the
+first fortnight in July. By that time the Fleet will have been
+reinforced by a good many units which are much less vulnerable to
+submarine attack than those now at the Dardanelles, and you can then
+count on the Fleet to give you continuous support.
+
+"While steadily pressing the enemy, there seems no reason for running
+any premature risks in the meantime."
+
+In face of K.'s hang-fire cable of the 3rd, and in face of this long
+three weeks of stupefaction, thank God our rulers have got out of the
+right side of their beds and are not going to run away.
+
+The first thing to be done was to signal to the Admiral to come over. At
+2 p.m. he and Roger Keyes turned up. The great news was read out and
+yet, such is the contrariness of human nature that neither the hornpipe
+nor the Highland Fling was danced. Three weeks ago--two weeks ago--we
+should have been beside ourselves, but irritation now takes the fine
+edge off our rejoicings. Why not three weeks ago? That was the tone of
+the meeting. At first:--but why be captious in the very embrace of
+Fortune? So we set to and worked off the broad general scheme in the
+course of an hour and a half.
+
+Just as the Admiral was going, Ward (of the Intelligence) crossed over
+with a nasty little damper. The Turks keep just one lap ahead of us. Two
+new Divisions have arrived and have been launched straightway at our
+trenches. At the moment we get promises that troops asked for in the
+middle of May will arrive by the middle of July the Turks get their
+divisions in the flesh:--so much so that they have gained a footing in
+the lines of the East Lanes: but there is no danger; they will be driven
+out. We have taken some prisoners.
+
+Dined on board the _Triad_. Sat up later than usual. Not only had we
+news from home and the news from the Peninsula to thresh out, but there
+was much to say and hear about E.11 and that apple of Roger Keyes' eye,
+the gallant Nasmith. Their adventures in the sea of Marmora take the
+shine out of those of the Argonauts.
+
+Coming back along the well-beaten sandy track, my heart sank to see our
+mess tent still lit up at midnight. It might be good news but also it
+might not. Fortunately, it was pleasant news; i.e., Colonel Chauvel,
+commanding 1st Australian Light Horse Brigade, waiting to see me. I had
+known him well in Melbourne where he helped me more than anyone else to
+get the hang of the Australian system. He stays the night.
+
+_9th June, 1915. Imbros._ A cable saying the new Divisions will form the
+9th Corps and asking me my opinion of Mahon as Corps Commander. I shall
+reply at once he is good up to a point and brave, but not up to running
+a Corps out here.
+
+Have been sent a gas-mask and a mosquito-net. Quite likely the mask is
+good bizz and may prolong my poor life a little bit, but this is
+problematical whereas there's no blooming error about the net. This
+morning instead of being awakened at 4.30 a.m. by a cluster of
+house-flies having a garden party on my nose I just opened one eye and
+looked at them running about outside my entrenchments, then closed it
+and fell asleep again for an hour.
+
+_10th June, 1915. Imbros._ Nothing doing but sheer hard work. The
+sailors the same. Sent one pretty stiff cable as we all agreed that we
+must make ourselves quite clear upon the question of guns and shell.
+After all, any outsider would think it a plain sailing matter enough--a
+demand, that is to say, from Simpson-Baikie at Helles that he should be
+gunned and shell supplied on the same scale as the formations he quitted
+on the Western Front only a few weeks ago. Simpson-Baikie has been
+specially sent to us by Lord K., who has a high opinion of his merits. A
+deep-thinking, studious and scientific officer. Well, Baikie says that
+to put him on anything like the Western Front footing he wants another
+forty-eight 18-pounders; eight 5-inch hows.; eight 4.5. hows.; eight
+6-inch; four 9.2 hows.; four anti-aircraft guns and a thousand rounds a
+month per field gun; these "wants" he puts down as an absolute minimum.
+He also wishes me at once to cable for an aeroplane squadron of three
+flights of four machines each, one flight for patrol work; the other two
+for spotting.
+
+There is no use enraging people for nothing and "nothing" I am sure
+would be the result of this demand were it shot in quite nakedly. But I
+have pressed Baikie's vital points home all the same, _vide_ attached:--
+
+"(No. M.F. 316).
+
+"Your No. 5088. After a further consideration of the ammunition question
+in light of the expenditure on the 4th and 5th June, I would like to
+point out that I have only the normal artillery complement of two
+divisions, although actually I have five divisions here. Consequently,
+each of my guns has to do the work which two and a half guns are doing
+in Flanders. Any comparison based on expenditure per gun must therefore
+be misleading. Also a comparison based on numbers of troops would prove
+to be beside the point, for conditions cannot be identical. Therefore,
+as I know you will do your best for me and thus leave me contented with
+the decision you arrive at, I prefer to state frankly what amount I
+consider necessary. This amount is at least 30 rounds a day for 18-pr.
+and 4.5 howitzer already ashore, and I hope that a supply on this scale
+may be possible. The number of guns already ashore is beginning to prove
+insufficient for their task, for the enemy have apparently no lack of
+ammunition and their artillery is constantly increasing. Therefore I
+hope that the new divisions may be sent out with the full complement of
+artillery, but, if this is done, the ammunition supply for the artillery
+of the fresh divisions need only be on the normal scale.
+
+"Since the above was written, I have received a report that the enemy
+has been reinforced by 1,300 Germans for fortress artillery; perhaps
+their recent shooting is accounted for by this fact."
+
+As to our Air Service, the way this feud between Admiralty and War
+Office has worked itself out in the field is simply heart-breaking. The
+War Office wash their hands of the air entirely (at the Dardanelles). I
+cannot put my own case to the Admiralty although the machines are wanted
+for overland tactics--a fatal blind alley. All I could do I did this
+afternoon when the Admiral came to tea and took me for a good stiff walk
+afterwards.
+
+_11th June, 1915. Imbros._ Sailed over to Anzac with Braithwaite. Took
+Birdwood's views upon the outline of our plan (which originated between
+him and Skeen) for entering the New Army against the Turks. To do his
+share, _durch und durch_ (God forgive me), he wants three new Brigades;
+with them he engages to go through from bottom to top of Sari Bair.
+Well, I will give him four; perhaps five! Our whole scheme hinges on
+these crests of Sari Bair which dominate Anzac and Maidos; the
+Dardanelles and the Aegean. The destroyers next took us to Cape Helles
+where I held a pow wow at Army Headquarters, Generals Hunter-Weston and
+Gouraud being present as well as Birdwood and Braithwaite. Everyone keen
+and sanguine. Many minor suggestions; warm approval of the broad lines
+of the scheme. Afterwards I brought Birdie back to Anzac and then
+returned to Imbros. A good day's work. Half the battle to find that my
+Corps Commanders are so keen. They are all sworn to the closest secrecy;
+have been told that our lives depend upon their discretion. I have shown
+them my M.F. 300 of the 7th June so as to let them understand they are
+being trusted with a plan which is too much under the seal to be sent
+over the cables even to the highest.
+
+Every General I met to-day spoke of the shortage of bombs and grenades.
+The Anzacs are very much depressed to hear they are to get no more bombs
+for their six Japanese trench mortars. We told the Ordnance some days
+ago to put this very strongly to the War Office. After all, bombs and
+grenades are easy things to make if the tails of the manufacturers are
+well twisted.
+
+_12th June, 1915. Imbros._ Stayed in camp where de Robeck came to see
+me. I wonder what K. is likely to do about Mahon and about ammunition.
+When he told me Joffre and French thought 17 rounds per gun per day good
+enough, and that he was going to give me as much, there were several
+qualifications to our pleasure, but we _were_ pleased, because apart
+from all invidious comparisons, we were anyway going to get more stuff.
+But we have not yet tasted this new French ration of 17 rounds per gun.
+
+Are we too insistent? I think not. One dozen small field howitzer
+shells, of 4.5. calibre, save one British life by taking two Turkish
+lives. And although the 4.5. are what we want the old 5-inch are none so
+bad. Where would we be now, I wonder, had not Haldane against Press,
+Public and four soldiers out of five stuck to his guns and insisted on
+creating those 145 batteries of Territorial Field Artillery?
+
+A depressing wire in from the War Office expressing doubt as to whether
+they will be able to meet our wishes by embarking units complete and
+ready for landing; gear, supplies, munitions all in due proportion, in
+the transports coming out here from England. Should we be forced to
+redistribute men and material on arrival, we are in for another spell of
+delay.
+
+Altogether I have been very busy on cables to-day. The War Office having
+jogged my elbow again about the Bulair scheme, I have once more been
+through the whole series of pros and cons with the Admiral who has
+agreed in the reply I have sent:--clear negative. Three quarters of the
+objections are naval; either directly--want of harbours, etc.; or
+indirectly--as involving three lines of small craft to supply three
+separate military forces. The number of small craft required are not in
+existence.
+
+_13th June, 1915. Imbros._ The War Office forget every now and then
+other things about the coastline above the Narrows. I have replied:
+
+"Your first question as to the fortification of the coast towards
+Gallipoli can be satisfactorily answered only by the Navy as naval
+aeroplane observation is the only means by which I can find out about
+the coast fortifications. From time to time it has been reported that
+torpedo tubes have been placed at the mouth of Soghan Dere and at Nagara
+Point. These are matters on which I presume Admiral has reported to
+Admiralty, but I am telegraphing to him to make sure as he is away
+to-day at Mudros. I will ask him to have aeroplane reconnaissance made
+regarding the coast fortifications you mention, to see if it can be
+ascertained whether your informant's report is correct, but there are
+but few aeroplanes and the few we have are constantly required for
+spotting for artillery, photographing trenches, and for reconnaissances
+of the troops immediately engaged with us."
+
+I am being forced by War Office questions to say rather more than I had
+intended about plans. The following cable took me the best part of the
+morning. I hope it is too technical to effect a lodgment in the memories
+of the gossips:--
+
+"(No. M.F. 328). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. With
+reference to your No. 5441, cipher. From the outset I have fully
+realized that the question of cutting off forces defending the Peninsula
+lay at the heart of my problem. See my No. M.F. 173, last paragraph, and
+paragraphs 2 and 7 of my instructions to General Officer Commanding
+Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, of 13th April, before landing. I
+still consider, as indicated therein, that the best and most practicable
+method of stopping enemy's communications is to push forward to the
+south-east from Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
+
+"The attempt to stop Bulair communications further North than the
+Australian and New Zealand Army Corps position would give the Turks too
+much room to pass our guns. An advance of little more than two miles in
+a south-eastern direction would enable us to command the land
+communications between Bulair and Kilid Bahr. This, in turn, would
+render Ak Bashi Liman useless to the enemy as a port of disembarkation
+for either Chanak or Constantinople. It would enable us, moreover, to
+co-operate effectively with the Navy in stopping communication with the
+Asiatic shore, since Kilia Liman and Maidos would be under fire from our
+land guns.
+
+"It was these considerations which decided me originally to land at
+Australian and New Zealand Army Corps position, and in spite of the
+difficulties of advancing thence, I see no reason to expect that a new
+point of departure would make the task any easier. I have recently been
+obliged by circumstances to concentrate my main efforts on pushing
+forward towards Achi Baba so as to clear my main port of disembarkation
+of shell fire. I only await the promised reinforcements, however, to
+enable me to take the next step in the prosecution of my main plan from
+the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.
+
+"I cannot extend the present Australian position until they arrive. See
+my No. M.F. 300, as to estimate of troops required, and my No. 304, 7th
+June, as to state of siege at Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. If
+I succeed the enemy's communications _via_ Bulair and, with the Navy's
+help, _via_ Asiatic coast should both be closed, as far as possible, by
+the one operation. If, in addition, submarines can stop sea
+communications with Constantinople the problem will be solved.
+
+"With regard to supplies and ammunition which can be obtained by the
+enemy across the Dardanelles, since Panderma and Karabingha are normally
+important centres of collection of food supplies, both cereals and meat,
+and since the Panderma-Chanak road is adequate, it would be possible to
+provision the peninsula from a great supply depot at Chanak where there
+are steam mills, steam bakeries and ample shallow draught craft. If
+land communications were blocked near Bulair, ammunition could only be
+brought by sea to Panderma, and thence by road to Chanak or by sea
+direct to Kilid Bahr.
+
+"Either for supplies or ammunition, however, the difficulty of
+effectively stopping supply by sea may be increased by the large number
+of shallow craft available at Rodosto, Chanak, Constantinople and
+Panderma. But as soon as I can make good advance south-east from
+Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, my guns, plus the submarines,
+should be able to make all traffic from the Asiatic shore very difficult
+for the enemy.
+
+"It is vitally important that future developments should be kept
+absolutely secret. I mention this because, although the date of our
+original landing was known to hardly anyone here before the ships
+sailed, yet the date was cabled to the Turks from Vienna."
+
+The message took some doing and could not, therefore, get clear of camp
+till 11 o'clock when I boarded the destroyer _Grampus_, and sailed for
+Helles. Lunched with Hunter-Weston at his Headquarters, and then walked
+out along the new road being built under the cliffs from "W" Beach to
+Gurkha Gully. On the way I stopped at the 29th Divisional Headquarters
+where I met de Lisle. Thence along the coast where the 88th Brigade were
+bathing. In the beautiful hot afternoon weather the men were happy as
+sandboys. Their own mothers would hardly know them--burnt black with the
+sun, in rags or else stark naked, with pipes in their mouths. But they
+like it! After passing the time of day to a lot of these boys, I climbed
+the cliff and came back along the crests, stopping to inspect some of
+the East Lancashire Division in their rest trenches.
+
+Got back to Hunter-Weston's about 6 and had a cup of tea. There Cox of
+the Indian Brigade joined me, and I took him with me to Imbros where he
+is going to stay a day or two with Braithwaite.
+
+_14th June, 1915. Imbros._ K. sends me this brisk little pick-me-up:--
+
+"Report here states that your position could be made untenable by
+Turkish guns from the Asiatic shore. Please report on this."
+
+No doubt--no doubt! Yet I was once his own Chief of Staff into whose
+hands he unreservedly placed the conduct of one of the most crucial, as
+it was the last, of the old South African enterprises: I was once the
+man into whose hands he placed the defence of his heavily criticized
+action at the Battle of Paardeburg. There it is: he used to have great
+faith in me, and now he makes me much the sort of remark which might be
+made by a young lady to a Marine. The answer, as K. well knows, depends
+upon too many imponderabilia to be worth the cost of a cable. The size
+and number of the Turkish guns; their supplies of shell; the power of
+our submarines to restrict those supplies; the worth of our own ship and
+shore guns; the depth of our trenches; the _moral_ of our men, and so on
+_ad infinitum_. The point of the whole matter is this:--the Turks
+haven't got the guns--and we know it:--if ever they do get the guns it
+will take them weeks, months, before they can get them mounted and
+shells in proportion amassed.
+
+K. should know better than any other man in England--Lord Bobs, alas, is
+gone--that if there was any real fear of guns from Asia being able to
+make us loosen our grip on the Peninsula, I would cable him quickly.
+Then why does he ask? Well--and why shouldn't he ask? I must not be so
+captious. Much better turn the tables on him by asking him to enable us
+to knock out the danger he fears:--
+
+"(No. M.F. 331). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. With
+reference to your telegram No. 5460. As already reported in my telegram,
+fire from the Asiatic shore is at times troublesome, but I am taking
+steps to deal with it. Of course another battery of 6-inch howitzers
+would greatly help in this."
+
+By coincidence a letter has come in to me this very night, on the very
+subject; a letter written by a famous soldier--Gouraud--the lion of the
+Ardennes, who is, it so happens, much better posted as to the Asiatic
+guns than the Jeremiah who has made K. anxious. The French bear the
+brunt of this fire and Gouraud's cool decision to ignore it in favour of
+bigger issues marks the contrast between the fighter who makes little of
+the enemy and the writer who makes much of him. I look upon Gouraud more
+as a coadjutor than as a subordinate, so it is worth anything to me to
+find that we see eye to eye at present. For, there is much more in the
+letter than his feelings about the guns of Asia: there is an outline
+sketch, drawn with slight but masterly touches, covering the past,
+present and future of our show:--
+
+                                               _Q.G. le 13 juin 1915._
+
+    Corps Expeditionnaire d'Orient.
+
+     CABINE DU GENERAL.
+
+       N. Cab.
+       SECRET.
+
+  Le General de Division Gouraud, Commandant le
+  Corps Expeditionnaire d'Orient, a Sir Ian
+  Hamilton, G.C.B., D.S.O., Commandant le
+  Corps Expeditionnaire Mediterraneen.
+                                     QUARTIER GENERAL.
+
+       MON GENERAL,
+
+     Vous avez bien voulu me communiquer une depeche de Lord Kitchener
+     faisant connaitre que le Gouvernement anglais allait envoyer
+     incessamment aux Dardanelles trois nouvelles divisions et des
+     vaisseaux moins vulnerables aux sous-marins. D'apres les
+     renseignements qui m'ont ete donnes, on annonce 14 de ces monitors;
+     4 seraient armes de pieces de 35 a 38 m/ 4 de pieces de 24, les
+     autres de 15.
+
+     C'est donc sur terre et sur mer un important renfort.
+
+     J'ai l'honneur de vous soumettre ci-dessous mes idees sur son
+     emploi.
+
+     Jetons d'abord un coup d'oeil sur la situation. Il s'en degage, ce
+     me semble, deux faits.
+
+     D'une part, le combat du 4 juin, qui, malgre une preparation
+     serieuse n'a pas donne de resultat en balance avec le vigoureux et
+     couteux effort fourni par les troupes alliees, a montre que, guides
+     par les Allemands, les Turcs ont donne a leur ligne une tres grande
+     force. La presqu'ile est barree devant notre front de plusieurs
+     lignes de tranchees fortement etablies, precedees en plusieurs
+     points de fil de fer barbeles, flanquees de mitrailleuses,
+     communiquant avec l'arriere par des boyaux, formant un systeme de
+     fortification comparable a celui du grand Front.
+
+     Dans ces tranchees les Turcs se montrent bons soldats, braves,
+     tenaces. Leur artillerie a constamment et tres sensiblement
+     augmente en nombres et en puissance depuis trois semaines.
+
+     Dans ces conditions, et etant donne que les Turcs ont toute liberte
+     d'amener sur ce front etroite toute leur armee, on ne peut se
+     dissimuler que les progres seront lents et que chaque progres sera
+     couteux.
+
+     Les Allemands appliqueront certainement dans les montagnes et les
+     ravins de la presqu'ile le systeme qui leur a reussi jusqu'ici en
+     France.
+
+     D'autre part l'ennemi parait avoir change de tactique. Il a voulu
+     au debut nous rejeter a la mer; apres les pertes enormes qu'il a
+     subi dans les combats d'avril et de mai, il semble y avoir renonce
+     du moins pour le moment.
+
+     Son plan actuel consiste a chercher a nous bloquer de front, pour
+     nous maintenir sur l'etroit terrain que nous avons conquis, et a
+     nous y rendre la vie intenable en bombardant les camps et surtout
+     les plages de debarquement. C'est ainsi que les quatre batteries de
+     grosses pieces recemment installees entre Erenkeui et Yenishahr ont
+     apporte au ravitaillement des troupes une gene qu'on peut dire
+     dangereuse, puisque la consommation dans dernieres journees a
+     legerement depasse le ravitaillement.
+
+     Au resume nous sommes bloques de front et pris par derriere. Et
+     cette situation ira en empirant du fait des maladies, resultant du
+     climat, de la chaleur, du bivouac continuel, peut etre des
+     epidemies, et du fait que la mer rendra tres difficile tout
+     debarquement des la mauvaise saison, fin aout.
+
+     Ceci pose, comment employer les gros renforts attendus. Plusieurs
+     solutions se presentent a l'esprit.
+
+     Primo, en Asie.
+
+     C'est la premiere idee qui se presente; etant donne l'interet de se
+     rendre maitre de la region Yenishahr-Erenkeui, qui prend nos plages
+     de debarquement a revers.
+
+     Mais c'est la une mesure d'un interet defensif, qui ne fera pas
+     faire un pas en avant. Il est permis d'autre part de penser que les
+     canons des monitors anglais, qui sont sans doute destines a
+     detruire les defenses du detroit, commenceront par nous debarrasser
+     des batteries de l'entree. Enfin nous disposerons d'ici peu d'un
+     front de mer Seddul-Bahr Eski Hissarlick, dont les pieces
+     puissantes contrebattront efficacement les canons d'Asie.
+
+     Secundo, vers Gaba-Tepe.
+
+     Au Sud de Gaba Tepe s'etend une plaine que les cartes disent
+     accessible au debarquement. Des troupes debarquees la se trouvent a
+     8 kilometres environ de Maidos, c'est a dire au point ou la
+     presqu'ile est la plus etroite.
+
+     Sans nul doute, trouveront elles devant elles les memes difficultes
+     qu'ici et il sera necessaire notemment de se rendre maitre des
+     montagnes qui dominent la plaine au Nord. Mais alors que la prise
+     d'Achi Baba ne sera qu'un grand succes militaire, qui nous mettra
+     le lendemain devant les escarpements de Kilid-Bahr, l'occupation de
+     la region Gaba Tepe-Maidos nous placerait au dela des detroits,
+     nous permettrait d'y constituer une base ou les sous-marins de la
+     mer de Marmara pourraient indefiniment s'approvisionner.
+
+     Si le barrage des Dardanelles n'etait pas brise, il serait tourne.
+
+     Tertio, vers Boulair.
+
+     Cette solution apparait comme le plus radicale, celui qui
+     dejouerait le plan de l'ennemi. Constantinople serait directement
+     menace par ce coup retentissant.
+
+     Toute la question est de savoir si, avec leurs moyens nouveaux, les
+     monitors, les Amiraux sont en mesure de proteger un debarquement,
+     qui comme celui du 25 avril necessiterait de nombreux bateaux.
+
+     En resume, j'ai l'honneur d'emettre l'avis de poser nettement aux
+     Amiraux la question du debarquement a Boulair, d'y faire
+     reconnaitre l'etat actuel des defenses par bateaux, avions et si
+     possible agents, sans faire d'acte de guerre pour ne pas donner
+     l'eveil.
+
+     Au cas ou le debarquement serait juge impossible, j'emet l'avis
+     d'employer les renforts dans la region Gaba-Tepe, ou les
+     Australiens ont deja implante un solide jalon.
+
+     Concurremment, je pense qu'il serait du plus vif interet pour hater
+     la decision, de creer au Gouvernement Turc des inquietudes dans
+     d'autres parties de l'Empire, pour l'empecher d'amener ici toutes
+     ses forces.
+
+     Dans cet ordre d'idees on peut envisager deux moyens. L'un, le plus
+     efficace, est l'action russe ou bulgare. La Grece est mal placee
+     geographiquement pour exercer une action sur la guerre. Seule la
+     Bulgarie, par sa position geographique, prend les Turcs a revers.
+     Sans doute, a voir la facon dont les Turcs amenent devant nous les
+     troupes et les canons d'Adrianople, ont ils un accord avec la
+     Bulgarie, mais la guerre des Balkans prouve que la Bulgarie n'est
+     pas embarrassee d'un accord si elle voit ailleurs son interet. La
+     question est donc d'offrir un prix fort a la Bulgarie.
+
+     L'autre est de provoquer des agitations dans differentes parties de
+     l'Empire, d'y faire operer des destructions par des bandes,
+     d'obliger les Turcs a y envoyer du monde. Cela encore vaut la peine
+     d'y mettre le prix.
+
+     Je suis, avec un profond respect, mon General,
+
+                                 Votre tres devoue,
+                                      (_Sd._) GOURAUD.
+
+Boarded a destroyer at 11.15 a.m. and sailed straight for Gully Beach.
+Then into dinghy and paddled to shore where I lunched with de Lisle at
+the 29th Divisional Headquarters. Hunter-Weston had come up to meet me
+from Corps Headquarters.
+
+With both Generals I rode a couple of miles up the Gully seeing the 87th
+Brigade as we went. When we got to the mouth of the communication trench
+leading to the front of the Indian Brigade, Bruce of the Gurkhas was
+waiting for us, and led me along through endless sunken ways until we
+reached his firing line.
+
+Every hundred yards or so I had a close peep at the ground in front
+through de Lisle's periscope. The enemy trenches were sometimes not more
+than 7 yards away and the rifles of the Turks moving showed there was a
+man behind the loophole. Many corpses, almost all Turks, lay between the
+two lines of trenches. There was no shelling at the moment, but rifle
+bullets kept flopping into the parapet especially when the periscope was
+moved.
+
+At the end of the Gurkha line I was met by Colonel Wolley Dod, who took
+me round the fire trenches of the 86th Brigade. The Dublin Fusiliers
+looked particularly fit and jolly.
+
+Getting back to the head of the Gully I rode with Hunter-Weston to his
+Corps Headquarters where I had tea before sailing.
+
+When I got to Imbros the Fleet were firing at a Taube. She was only
+having a look; flying around the shipping and Headquarters camp at a
+great height, but dropping no bombs. After a bit she scooted off to the
+South-east. Cox dined.
+
+_15th June, 1915. Imbros._ Yesterday I learned some detail about the
+conduct of affairs the other day--enough to make me very anxious indeed
+that no tired or nervy leaders should be sent out with the new troops.
+So I have sent K. a cable!--
+
+"(No. M.F. 334). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener.
+
+"With reference to the last paragraph of your telegram No. 5250, cipher,
+and my No. M.F. 313. I should like to submit for your consideration the
+following views of the qualities necessary in an Army Corps Commander on
+the Gallipoli Peninsula. In that position only men of good stiff
+constitution and nerve will be able to do any good. Everything is at
+such close quarters that many men would be useless in the somewhat
+exposed headquarters they would have to occupy on this limited terrain,
+though they would do quite good work if moderately comfortable and away
+from constant shell fire. I can think of two men, Byng and Rawlinson.
+Both possess the requisite qualities and seniority; the latter does not
+seem very happy where he is, and the former would have more scope than a
+cavalry Corps can give him in France."
+
+Left camp the moment I got this weight off my chest; boarded the
+_Savage_, or rather jumped on her ladder like a chamois and scrambled on
+deck like a monkey. It was blowing big guns and our launch was very
+nearly swamped. Crossing to Helles big seas were making a clean sweep of
+the decks. Jolly to look at from the bridge.
+
+After a dusty walk round piers and beaches lunched with Hunter-Weston
+before inspecting the 155th and 156th Brigades. On our road we were met
+by Brigadier-Generals Erskine and Scott-Moncrieff. Walked the trenches
+where I chatted with the regimental officers and men, and found my
+compatriots in very good form.
+
+Went on to the Royal Naval Division Headquarters where Paris met me.
+Together we went round the 3rd Marine Brigade Section under
+Brigadier-General Trotman. These old comrades of the first landing gave
+me the kindliest greetings.
+
+Got back to 8th Corps Headquarters intending to enjoy a cup of tea _al
+fresco_, but we were reckoning without our host (the Turkish one) who
+threw so many big shell from Asia all about the mound that, (only to
+save the tea cups), we retired with dignified slowness into our dugouts.
+Whilst sitting in these funk-holes, as we used to call them at
+Ladysmith, General Gouraud ran the gauntlet and made also a slow and
+dignified entry. He was coming back with me to Imbros. As it was getting
+late we hardened our hearts to walk across the open country between
+Headquarters and the beach, where every twenty seconds or so a big
+fellow was raising Cain. Fortune favouring we both reached the sea with
+our heads upon our shoulders.
+
+An answer is in to our plea for a Western scale of ammunition, guns and
+howitzers. They cable sympathetically but say simply they can't. Soft
+answers, etc., but it would be well if they could make up their minds
+whether they wish to score the next trick in the East or in the West. If
+they can't do that they will be doubly done.
+
+A purely passive defence is not possible for us; it implies losing
+ground by degrees--and we have not a yard to lose. If we are to remain
+we must keep on attacking here and there to maintain ourselves! But; to
+expect us to attack without giving us our fair share--on Western
+standards--of high explosive and howitzers shows lack of military
+imagination. A man's a man for a' that whether at Helles or Ypres. Let
+me bring my lads face to face with Turks in the open field, we _must_
+beat them every time because British volunteer soldiers are superior
+individuals to Anatolians, Syrians or Arabs and are animated with a
+superior ideal and an equal joy in battle. Wire and machine guns prevent
+this hand to hand, or rifle to rifle, style of contest. Well, then the
+decent thing to do is to give us shells enough to clear a fair field.
+To attempt to solve the problem by letting a single dirty Turk at the
+Maxim kill ten--twenty--fifty--of our fellows on the barbed
+wire,--ten--twenty--fifty--_each of whom is worth several dozen Turks_,
+is a sin of the Holy Ghost category unless it can be justified by dire
+necessity. But there is no necessity. The supreme command has only to
+decide categorically that the Allies stand on the defensive on the West
+for a few weeks and then Von Donop can find us enough to bring us
+through. Joffre and French, as a matter of fact, would hardly feel the
+difference. If the supreme command can't do that; and can't even send us
+trench mortars as substitutes, let them harden their hearts and wind up
+this great enterprise for which they simply haven't got the nerve.
+
+If only K. would come and see for himself! Failing that--if only it were
+possible for me to run home and put my own case.
+
+_16th June, 1915. Imbros._ Gouraud, a sympathetic guest, left for French
+Headquarters in one of our destroyers at 3.30 p.m. He is a real Sahib; a
+tower of strength. The Asiatic guns have upset his men a good deal. He
+hopes soon to clap on an extinguisher to their fire by planting down two
+fine big fellows of his own Morto Bay way: we mean to add a couple of
+old naval six-inchers to this battery. During his stay we have very
+thoroughly threshed out our hopes and fears and went into the plan which
+Gouraud thinks offers chances of a record-breaking victory. If the
+character of the new Commanders and the spirit of their troops are of
+the calibre of those on his left flank at Helles he feels pretty
+confident.
+
+Talking of Commanders, my appeal for a young Corps Commander of a "good
+stiff constitution" has drawn a startling reply:--
+
+"(No. 5501, cipher). From Earl Kitchener to Sir Ian Hamilton. Your No.
+M.F. 334. I am afraid that Sir John French would not spare the services
+of the two Generals you mention, and they are, moreover, both junior to
+Mahon, who commands the 10th Division which is going out to you. Ewart,
+who is very fit and well, would I think do. I am going to see him the
+day after to-morrow.
+
+"Mahon raised the 10th Division and has produced an excellent unit. He
+is quite fit and well, and I do not think that he could now be left
+behind."
+
+So the field of selection for the new Corps is to be restricted to some
+Lieutenant-General senior to Mahon--himself the only man of his rank
+commanding a Division and almost at the top of the Lieutenant-Generals!
+Oh God, if I could have a Corps Commander like Gouraud! But this block
+by "Mahon" makes a record for the seniority fetish. I have just been
+studying the Army List with Pollen. Excluding Indians, Marines and
+employed men like Douglas Haig and Maxwell, there _are_ only about one
+dozen British service Lieutenant-Generals senior to Mahon, and, of that
+dozen only two are _possible_--Ewart and Stopford! There _are_ no
+others. Ewart is a fine fellow, with a character which commands respect
+and affection. He is also a Cameron Highlander whose father commanded
+the Gordons. As a presence nothing could be better; as a man no one in
+the Army would be more welcome. But he would not, with his build and
+constitutional habit, last out here for one fortnight. Despite his
+soldier heart and his wise brain we can't risk it. We are unanimous on
+that point. Stopford remains. I have cabled expressing my deep
+disappointment that Mahon should be the factor which restricts all
+choice and saying,
+
+"However, my No. M.F. 334[20] gave you what I considered to be the
+qualities necessary in a Commander, so I will do my best with what you
+send me.
+
+"With regard to Ewart. I greatly admire his character, but he positively
+could not have made his way along the fire trenches I inspected
+yesterday. He has never approached troops for fifteen years although I
+have often implored him, as a friend, to do so. Would not Stopford be
+preferable to Ewart, even though he does not possess the latter's calm?"
+
+I begin to think I shall be recalled for my importunity. But, in for a
+penny in for a pound, and I have fired off the following protest to a
+really disastrous cable from the War Office saying that the New Army is
+to bring _no_ 4.5-inch howitzers with it; no howitzers at all, indeed,
+except sixteen of the old, inaccurate 5-inch Territorial howitzers, some
+of which "came out" at Omdurman and were afterwards--the whole
+category--found so much fault with in South Africa. Unless they are
+going to have an August push in France they might at least have lent us
+forty-eight 4.5 hows. from France to see the New Army through their
+first encounter with the enemy. They could all be run back in a fast
+cruiser and would only be loaned to us for three weeks or a month. If
+the G.S. at Whitehall can't do those things, they have handed over the
+running of a world war to one section of the Army. I attach my
+ultimatum: I cannot make it more emphatic; instead of death or victory
+we moderns say howitzers or defeat:--
+
+"(No. 5489, cipher, M.G.O.) From War Office to General Officer
+Commanding-in-Chief, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Your No. M.F.
+316. It is impossible to send more ammunition than we are sending you.
+528 rounds per 18-pr will be brought out by each Division. Instead of
+4.5-inch howitzers we are sending 16 5-inch howitzers with the 13th
+Division, as there is more 5-inch ammunition available. By the time that
+the last of the three Divisions arrive we hope to have supplied a good
+percentage of high explosive shells, but you should try to save as much
+as you can in the meantime. Until more ammunition is available for them,
+we cannot send you any 4.5-inch howitzers with the other two Divisions,
+and even if more 5-inch were sent the fortnightly supply of ammunition
+for them would be very small."
+
+"(No. M.F. 337). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. With
+reference to your No. 5489, cipher. I am very sorry that you cannot
+send the proper howitzers, and still more sorry for the reason, that of
+ammunition. The Turkish trenches are deep and narrow, and only effective
+weapon for dealing with them is the howitzer. I realize your
+difficulties, and I am sure that you will supply me with both howitzers
+and ammunition as soon as you are able to do so. I shall be glad in the
+meantime of as many more trench mortars and bombs as you can possibly
+spare. We realize for our part that in the matter of guns and ammunition
+it is no good crying for the moon, and for your part you must recognize
+that until howitzers and ammunition arrive it is no good crying for the
+Crescent."
+
+The Admiral and Godley paid me a visit; discussed tea and sea transport,
+then a walk.
+
+There is quite a break in the weather. Very cold and windy with a little
+rain in the forenoon.
+
+_17th June, 1915. Imbros._ Smoother sea, but rough weather in office. A
+cable from the Master General of the Ordnance in reply to my petition
+for another battery of 6-inch howitzers:--
+
+"(No. 5537, cipher, M.G.O.) From War Office to the General Officer
+Commanding-in-Chief, Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Your telegram
+No. M.F. 331. We can send out another battery of 6-inch howitzers, but
+cannot send ammunition with it. Moreover, we cannot increase the present
+periodical supply, so that if we send the additional howitzers you must
+not complain of the small number of rounds per gun sent to you, as
+experience has shown is sometimes done in similar cases. It is possible
+that the Navy may help you with 6-inch ammunition. Please say after
+consideration of the above if you want the howitzers sent."
+
+My mind plays agreeably with the idea of chaining the M.G.O. on to a
+rock on the Peninsula whilst the Asiatic batteries are pounding it. That
+would learn him to be an M.G.O.; singing us Departmental ditties whilst
+we are trying to hold our Asiatic wolf by the ears. I feel very
+depressed; we are too far away; so far away that we lie beyond the
+grasp of an M.G.O.'s imagination. That's the whole truth. Were the
+Army in France to receive such a message, within 24 hours the
+Commander-in-Chief, or at the least his Chief of the Staff, would walk
+into the M.G.O.'s office and then proceed to walk into the M.G.O. I
+can't do that; a bad tempered cable is useless; I have no weapon at my
+disposal but very mild sarcasm:--
+
+"(No. M.F. 343). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. Your No.
+5537, cipher, M.G.O. Please send the battery of 6-inch howitzers. Your
+admonition will be borne in mind. Extra howitzers will be most useful to
+replace pieces damaged by enemy batteries on the Asiatic side of the
+Dardanelles. No doubt in time the ammunition question will improve. Only
+yesterday prisoners reported that 14 more Turkish heavy guns were coming
+to the Peninsula."
+
+Have written another screed to French. As it gives a sort of summing up
+of the state of affairs to-day I spatchcock (as Buller used to say) the
+carbon:--
+
+         "GENERAL HEADQUARTERS,
+    "MEDITERRANEAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCE,
+                      _17th June, 1915._
+
+  "MY DEAR FRENCH,
+
+"It must be fully a month since I wrote you but no one understands
+better than you must do, how time flies under the constant strain of
+these night and day excursions and alarms. Between the two letters there
+has been a desperate lot of fighting, mostly bomb and bayonet work, and,
+except for a good many Turks gone to glory, there is only a few hundred
+yards of ground to show for it all at Anzac, and about a mile perhaps in
+the southern part of the Peninsula. But taking a wider point of view, I
+hope our losses and efforts have gained a good deal for our cause
+although they may not be so measurable in yards. First, the Turks are
+defending themselves instead of attacking Egypt and over-running Basra;
+secondly, we are told on high authority, that the action of the Italians
+in coming in was precipitated by our entry into this part of the
+theatre; thirdly, if we can only hold on and continue to enfeeble the
+Turks, I think myself it will not be very long before some of the Balkan
+States take the bloody plunge.
+
+"However all that may be, we must be prepared at the worst to win
+through by ourselves, and it is, I assure you, a tough proposition. In
+a manoeuvre battle of old style our fellows here would beat twice
+their number of Turks in less than no time, but, actually, the
+restricted Peninsula suits the Turkish tactics to a 'T.' They have
+always been good at trench work where their stupid men have only simple,
+straightforward duties to perform, namely, in sticking on and shooting
+anything that comes up to them. They do this to perfection; I never saw
+braver soldiers, in fact, than some of the best of them. When we
+advance, no matter the shelling we give them, they stand right up firing
+coolly and straight over their parapets. Also they have unlimited
+supplies of bombs, each soldier carrying them, and they are not half bad
+at throwing them. Meanwhile they are piling up a lot of heavy artillery
+of very long range on the Asiatic shore, and shell us like the devil
+with 4.5, 6-inch, 8, 9.2 and 10-inch guns--not pleasant. This
+necessitates a very tough type of man for senior billets. X--Y--, for
+instance, did not last 24 hours. Everyone here is under fire, and really
+and truly the front trenches are safer, or at least fully as safe, as
+the Corps Commander's dugout. For, if the former are nearer the
+Infantry, the latter is nearer the big guns firing into our rear.
+
+"Another reason why we advance so slowly and lose so much is that the
+enemy get constant reinforcements. We have overcome three successive
+armies of Turks, and a new lot of 20,000 from Syria are arriving here
+now, with 14 more heavy guns, so prisoners say, but I hope not.
+
+"I have fine Corps Commanders in Birdwood, Hunter-Weston and Gouraud.
+This is very fortunate. Who is to be Commander of the new corps I cannot
+say, but we have one or two terrifying suggestions from home.
+
+"Last night a brisk attack headed by a senior Turkish Officer and a
+German Officer was made on the 86th Brigade. Both these Officers were
+killed and 20 or 30 of their men, the attack being repulsed. Against the
+South Wales Borderers a much heavier attack was launched. Our fellows
+were bombed clean out of their trenches, but only fell back 30 yards and
+dug in. This morning early we got maxims on to each end of the place
+they had stormed, and then the Dublins retook it with the bayonet. Two
+hundred of their dead were left in the trench, and we only had 50
+casualties--not so bad! A little later on in the day a d----d submarine
+appeared and had some shots at our transports and store ships. Luckily
+she missed, but all our landing operations of supplies were suspended.
+These are the sort of daily anxieties. All one can do is to carry on
+with determination and trust in providence.
+
+"I hope you are feeling fit and that things are going on well generally.
+Give my salaams to the great Robertson, also to Barry. Otherwise please
+treat this letter as private. With all kind remembrance.
+
+                       "Believe me,
+                           "Yours very sincerely,
+                               "(_Sd._) IAN HAMILTON."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI
+
+BOMBS AND JOURNALISTS
+
+
+Our beautiful East Lancs. Division is in a very bad way. One more month
+of neglect and it will be ruined: if quickly filled up with fresh drafts
+it will be better than ever. Have cabled:--
+
+"(M.F.A. 871). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. The
+following is the shortage of officers and rank and file in each Brigade
+of the XLIInd East Lancashire Division including the reinforcements
+reported as arriving:--
+
+  125th Brigade    50 Officers, 1,852 rank and file.
+  126th Brigade    31 Officers, 1,714 rank and file.
+  127th Brigade    50 Officers, 2,297 rank and file.
+
+"A stage of wastage has now been reached in this Division, especially in
+the 127th Manchester Brigade, when filling up with drafts will make it
+as good or better than ever. If, however, they have to go on fighting in
+their present condition and suffer further losses, the remnants will not
+offer sufficiently wide foundation for reconstituting cadres.
+
+"Lord Kitchener might also like to know this, that a satisfactory
+proportion of the officers recently sent out to fill casualties are
+shaping very well indeed."
+
+An amalgam of veterans and fresh keen recruits, cemented by a common
+county feeling as well as by war tradition, makes the best fighting
+formation in the world. The veterans give experience and
+steadiness;--when the battle is joined the old hands feel bound to make
+good their camp-fire boastings to the recruits. The recruits bring
+freshness and the spirit of competition;--they are determined to show
+that they are as brave as the old fighters. But, if the East Lancs. go
+on dwindling, the cadre will not retain strength enough to absorb and
+shape the recruits who will, we must suppose, some day be poured into
+it. A perishing formation loses moral force in more rapid progression
+than the mere loss of members would seem to warrant. When a battalion
+which entered upon a campaign a thousand strong,--all keen and
+hopeful,--gets down to five hundred, comrades begin to look round at one
+another and wonder if any will be left. When it falls to three hundred,
+or less, the unit, in my experience, is better drawn out of the line.
+The bravest men lose heart when, on parade, they see with their own eyes
+that their Company--the finest Company in the Army--has become a
+platoon,--and the famous battalion a Company. A mould for shaping young
+enthusiasms into heroisms has been scrapped and it takes a desperate
+long time to recreate it.
+
+I want to be sure K. himself takes notice and that is why I refer to him
+at the tail end of the cable. We have also cabled saying that the idea
+of sending so many rounds per gun per day was excellent, but that "we
+have received no notice of any despatch later than the S.S. _Arabian_,
+which consignment" (whenever it might arrive?) "was only due to last
+until the day before yesterday"! So this is what our famous agreement to
+have munitions on the scale deemed necessary by Joffre and French pans
+out at in practice. Two-fifths of their amount and that not delivered!
+
+Dined with the Admiral on board the _Triad_. A glorious dinner. The
+sailormen have a real pull over us soldiers in all matters of messing.
+Linen, plate, glass, bread, meat, wine; of the best, are on the spot,
+always: even after the enemy is sighted, if they happen to feel a sense
+of emptiness they have only to go to the cold sideboard.
+
+Coming back found mess tent brilliantly lit up and my staff entertaining
+their friends. So I put on my life-saving waistcoat and blew it out;
+clapped my new gas-mask on my head and entered. They were really
+startled, thinking the devil had come for them before their time.
+
+Just got a telegram saying that M. Venezelos has gained a big majority
+in the Greek Election. Also, that the King of Greece is dying, and that,
+therefore, the Greek Army can't join us until he has come round or gone
+under.
+
+_18th June, 1915. Imbros._ Went over to Kephalos Camp to inspect
+Rochdale's 127th (Manchester) Brigade. The Howe Battalion of the 2nd
+Naval Brigade were there (Lieutenant-Colonel Collins), also, the 3rd
+Field Ambulance R.N.D. All these were enjoying an easy out of the
+trenches and, though only at about half strength, had already quite
+forgotten the tragic struggles they had passed through. In fattest peace
+times, I never saw a keener, happier looking lot. I drew courage from
+the ranks. Surely these are the faces of men turned to victory!
+
+Some twenty unattached officers fresh from England were there: a likely
+looking lot. One of the brightest a Socialist M.P.
+
+The inspection took me all forenoon so I had to sweat double shifts
+after lunch. Hunter-Weston came over from Helles at 7.15 p.m. and we
+dined off crayfish. He was in great form.
+
+The War Office can get no more bombs for our Japanese trench mortars! A
+catastrophe this! Putting the French on one side, we here, in this great
+force, possess only half a dozen good trench mortars--the Japanese.
+These six are worth their weight in gold to Anzac. Often those fellows
+have said to me that if they had twenty-five of them, with lots of
+bombs, they could render the Turkish trenches untenable. Twice, whilst
+their six precious mortars have been firing, I have stood for half an
+hour with Birdie, watching and drinking in encouragement. About one bomb
+a minute was the rate of fire and as it buzzed over our own trenches
+like a monstrous humming bird all the naked Anzacs laughed. Then, _such_
+an explosion and a sort of long drawn out ei-ei-ei-ei cry of horror from
+the Turks. It was fine,--a real corpse-reviving performance and now the
+W.O. have let the stock run out, because some ass has forgotten to order
+them in advance. Have cabled a very elementary question: "Could not the
+Japanese bombs be copied in England?"
+
+Being the Centenary of Waterloo, the thoughts and converse of
+Hunter-Weston and myself turned naturally towards the lives of the
+heroes of a hundred years ago whose monument had given us our education,
+and from that topic, equally naturally, to the boys of the coming
+generation. Then wrote out greetings to be sent by wire on my own behalf
+and on behalf of all Wellingtonians serving under my command here: this
+to the accompaniment of unusually heavy shell fire on the Peninsula.
+
+_Later._--Have just heard that after a heavy bombardment the Turks made
+an attack and that fighting is going on now.
+
+_19th June, 1915. Imbros._ The Turks expended last night some 500 H.E.
+shells; 250 heavy stuff from Asia and some thousands of shrapnel. They
+then attacked; we counter-attacked and there was some confused
+in-and-out Infantry fighting. We hear that the South Wales Borderers,
+the Worcesters, the 5th Royal Scots and the Naval Division all won
+distinction. Wiring home I say, "If Lord Kitchener could tell the Lord
+Provost of Edinburgh how well the 5th Bn. Royal Scots have done, the
+whole of this force would be pleased." The Turks have left 1,000 dead
+behind them. Prisoners say they thought so much high explosive would
+knock a hole in our line: the bombardment was all concentrated on the
+South Wales Borderers' trench.
+
+Writing most of the day. Lord K. has asked the French Government to send
+out extra quantities of H.E. shell to their force here; also, he has
+begged them to order Gouraud to lend me his guns. In so far as the
+French may get more H.E. this is A.1. But if K. thinks the British will
+_directly_ benefit--I fear he is out of his reckoning: it would be fatal
+to my relations with Gouraud, now so happy, were he even to suspect that
+I had any sort of lien on his guns. Unless I want to stir up jealous
+feelings, now entirely quiescent, I cannot use this cable as a lever to
+get French guns across into our area. Gouraud's plans for his big attack
+are now quite complete. A million pities we cannot attack
+simultaneously. That we should attack one week and the French another
+week is rotten tactically; but, practically, we have no option. We
+British want to go in side by side with the French--are burning to do
+so--but we cannot think of it until we can borrow shell from Gouraud;
+and, naturally, he wants every round he has for his own great push on
+the 21st. Walked down in the evening to see what progress was being made
+with the new pier. Colonel Skeen, Birdwood's Chief of Staff, dined and
+seems clever, as well as a very pleasant fellow.
+
+_20th June, 1915. Imbros._ Rose early. Did a lot of business. The King's
+Messenger's bag closed at 8 a.m. Told K. about the arrival of fresh
+Turkish troops and our fighting on the 18th. The trenches remain as
+before, but the Turks, having failed, are worse off.
+
+I have also written him about war correspondents. He had doubted whether
+my experiences would encourage me to increase the number to two or
+three. But, after trial, I prefer that the public should have a
+multitude of councillors. "When a single individual," I say, "has the
+whole of the London Press at his back he becomes an unduly important
+personage. When, in addition to this, it so happens, that he is inclined
+to see the black side of every proposition, then it becomes difficult to
+prevent him from encouraging the enemy, and from discouraging all our
+own people, as well as the Balkan States. If I have several others to
+counterbalance, then I do not care so much."
+
+Fired off a second barrel through Fitz from whom I have just heard that
+my Despatch cannot be published as it stands but must be bowdlerized
+first, all the names of battalions being cut out. Instead of saying,
+"The landing at 'W' had been entrusted to the 1st Bn. Lancashire
+Fusiliers (Major Bishop) and it was to the complete lack of the sense of
+danger or of fear of this daring battalion that we owed our astonishing
+success," I am to say, "The landing, etc., had been entrusted to a
+certain battalion."
+
+The whole of this press correspondence; press censorship; despatch
+writing and operations cables hang together and will end by hanging the
+Government.
+
+My operations cables are written primarily for K., it is true, but they
+are meant also to let our own people know what their brothers and sons
+are up against and how they are bearing up under unheard of trials.
+There is not a word in those cables which would help or encourage the
+enemy. I am best judge of that and I see to it myself.
+
+What is the result of my efforts to throw light upon our proceedings? A
+War Office extinguisher from under which only a few evil-smelling
+phrases escape. As I say to Fitz:--
+
+"You seem to see nothing beyond the mischief that may happen if the
+enemy gets to know too much about us; you do not see that this danger
+can be kept within bounds and is of small consequence when compared with
+the keenness or dullness of our own Nation."
+
+The news that the War Office were going to send us no more Japanese
+bombs spread so great a consternation at Anzac that I have followed up
+my first remonstrance with a second and a stronger cable:--
+
+"(No. M.F. 348). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. Your No.
+5272, A.2.[21] I particularly request that you may reconsider your
+proposal not to order more Japanese bombs. These bombs are most
+effective and in high favour with our troops whose locally-made weapons,
+on which they have frequently to rely, are far inferior to the bombs
+used by the Turks. Our great difficulty in holding captured trenches is
+that the Turks always counter-attack with a large number of powerful
+bombs. Apparently their supply of these is limitless. Unless the delay
+in arrival is likely to extend over several months, therefore, I would
+suggest that a large order be sent to Japan. We cannot have too many of
+these weapons, and this should not cancel my No. M.F.Q.T. 1321, which
+should be treated as additional."
+
+Drafted also a long cable discussing a diversion on the Asiatic shore of
+the Dardanelles. So some work had been done by the time we left camp at
+9.15 a.m., and got on board the _Triad_. After a jolly sail reached
+Mudros at 2 p.m., landing on the Australian pier at 3 p.m. Mudros is a
+dusty hole; _ein trauriges Nest_, as our German friends would say.
+
+Worked like a nigger going right through Nos. 15 and 16 Stationary
+Hospitals. Colonel Maher, P.M.O., came round, also Colonel Jones,
+R.A.M.C., and Captain Stanley, R.A.M.C. Talked with hundreds of men:
+these are the true philosophers.
+
+_21st June, 1915. Mudros._ Went at it again and overhauled No. 2
+Stationary Hospital under Lieutenant-Colonel White, as well as No. 1
+Stationary Hospital commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Bryant. The doctors
+praised me for inventing something new to say to each man. But all the
+time in my mind was the thought of Gouraud. I have wanted him to do it
+absolutely on his own, and I could not emphasize this better than by
+coming right away to Mudros. Back to the _Triad_ by 1 p.m. No news.
+Weighed anchor at once, steaming for Imbros, where we cast anchor at
+about 6 p.m. Freddie Maitland has arrived here, like a breath of air
+from home, to be once more my A.D.C.; his features wreathed in the
+well-known, friendly smile. The French duly attacked at dawn and the 2nd
+Division have carried a series of redoubts and trenches. The 1st
+Division did equally well but have been driven back again by
+counter-attacks. Fighting is still going on.
+
+While I have been away Braithwaite has cabled home in my name asking
+which of the new Divisions is the best, as we shall have to use them
+before we can get to know them.
+
+_22nd June, 1915. Imbros._ An anxious night. Gouraud has done
+splendidly; so have his troops. This has been a serious defeat for the
+Turks; a real bad defeat, showing, as it does, that given a modicum of
+ammunition we can seize the strongest entrenchments of the enemy and
+stick to them.
+
+"(No. M.F. 357). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Secretary of State for
+War. After 24 hours' heavy and continuous fighting a substantial
+success has been achieved. As already reported, the battle of 4th-5th
+June resulted in a good advance of my centre to which neither my right
+nor my left were able to conform, the reason being that the Turkish
+positions in front of the flanks are naturally strong and exceedingly
+well fortified. At 4.30 a.m. yesterday, General Gouraud began an attack
+upon the line of formidable works which run along the Kereves Dere. By
+noon the second French Division had stormed and captured all the Turkish
+first and second line trenches opposite their front, including the
+famous Haricot Redoubt, with its subsidiary maze of entanglements and
+communication trenches. On their right, the first French Division, after
+fierce fighting, also took the Turkish trenches opposite their front,
+but were counter-attacked so heavily that they were forced to fall back.
+Again, this Division attacked, again it stormed the position, and again
+it was driven out. General Gouraud then, at 2.55 p.m., issued the
+following order:"
+
+'From Colonel Viont's report it is evident that the preparation for the
+attack at 2.15 p.m. was not sufficient.
+
+'It is indispensable that the Turkish first line of trenches in front of
+you should be taken, otherwise the gains of the 2nd Division may be
+rendered useless. You have five hours of daylight, take your time, let
+me know your orders and time fixed for preparation, and arrange for
+Infantry assault to be simultaneous after preparation.'
+
+"As a result of this order, the bombardment of the Turkish left was
+resumed, the British guns and howitzers lending their aid to the French
+Artillery as in the previous attacks. At about 6 p.m., a fine attack was
+launched, 600 yards of Turkish first line trenches were taken, and
+despite heavy counter-attacks during the night, especially at 3.20 a.m.,
+all captured positions are still in our hands. Am afraid casualties are
+considerable, but details are lacking. The enemy lost very heavily. One
+Turkish battalion coming up to reinforce, was spotted by an aeroplane,
+and was practically wiped out by the seventy-fives before they could
+scatter.
+
+"Type of fighting did not lend itself to taking prisoners, and only some
+50, including one officer, are in our hands. The elan and contempt of
+danger shown by the young French drafts of the last contingent,
+averaging, perhaps, 20 years of age, was much admired by all. During the
+fighting, the French battleship _St. Louis_ did excellent service
+against the Asiatic batteries. All here especially regret that Colonel
+Girodon, one of the best staff officers existing, has been severely
+wounded whilst temporarily commanding a brigade. Colonel Nogues, also an
+officer of conspicuous courage, already twice wounded, at Kum Kale, has
+again been badly hit."
+
+Girodon is one in ten thousand; serious, brave and far sighted. The
+bullet went through his lung. We are said to have suffered nearly 3,000
+casualties.
+
+They say that the uproar of battle was tremendous, especially between
+midnight and 4 a.m. Some of our newly arrived troops stood to their arms
+all night thinking the end of the world had come.
+
+At 6 p.m. de Robeck, Keyes, Ormsby Johnson and Godfrey came over from
+the flagship to see me.
+
+Have got an answer about the Japanese trench mortars and bombs. In two
+months' time a thousand bombs will be ready at the Japanese Arsenal, and
+five hundred the following month. The trench mortars--bomb guns they
+call them--will be ready in Japan in two and a half months' time. Two
+and a half months, plus half a month for delay, plus another month for
+sea transit, makes four months! There are some things speak for
+themselves. Blood, they say, cries out to Heaven. Well, let it cry now.
+Over three months ago I asked--_my first request_--for these primitive
+engines and as for the bombs, had Birmingham been put to it, Birmingham
+could have turned them out as quick as shelling peas.
+
+Am doing what I can to fend for myself. This Dardanelles war is a war,
+if ever there was one, of the ingenuity and improvised efforts of man
+against nature plus machinery. We are in the desert and have to begin
+very often at the beginning of things. The Navy _now_ assure me that
+their Dockyard Superintendent at Malta could make us a fine lot of hand
+grenades in his workshops if Lord Methuen will give him the order.
+
+So I have directed a full technical specification of the Turkish hand
+grenades being used against us with effects so terrible, to be sent on
+to Methuen telling him it is simple, effective, that I hope he can make
+them and will be glad to take all he can turn out.
+
+_23rd June, 1915. Imbros._ Another day in camp. De Robeck and Keyes came
+over from the _Triad_ to unravel knotty points.
+
+Am enraged to recognize in Reuter one of my own cables which has been
+garbled in Egypt. The press censorship is a negative evil in London; in
+Cairo there is no doubt it is positive. After following my wording
+pretty closely, a phrase has been dovetailed in to say that the Turks
+have day and night to submit to the capture of trenches. These cables
+are repeated to London and when they get back here what will my own men
+think me? If, as most of us profess to believe, it is a mistake to tell
+lies, what a specially fatal description of falsehood to issue
+short-dated bulletins of victory with only one month to run. I have
+fired off a remonstrance as follows:--
+
+"(No M.F. 359). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. A Reuter
+telegram dated London, 16th June, has just been brought to my notice in
+which it is stated that the Press Bureau issues despatch in which the
+following sentence occurs: 'Day and night they (the Turks) have to
+submit to capture of trenches.' This information is incorrect, and as
+far as we are aware, has not been sent from here. This false news puts
+me in a false position with my troops, who know it to be untrue, and I
+should be glad if you would trace whence it emanates.
+
+"Repeated to General Officer Commanding, Egypt."
+
+_24th June, 1915. Imbros._ Three days ago we asked the War Office to let
+us know the merits of the three new Divisions. The War Office replied
+placing them in the order XIth; XIIth; Xth, and reminding me that the
+personality of the Commander would be the chief factor for deciding
+which were to be employed in any particular operation. K. now
+supplements this by a cable in which he sizes up the Commanders.
+Hammersley gets a good _chit_ but the phrase, "he will have to be
+watched to see that the strain of trench warfare is not too much for
+him" is ominous. I knew him in October, '99, and thought him a fine
+soldier. Mahon, "without being methodical," is praised. Shaw gets a
+moderate eulogy, but we out here are glad to have him for we know him.
+On these two War Office cables Hammersley and the 11th Division should
+be for it.
+
+After clearing my table, embarked with Braithwaite and Mitchell aboard
+the _Basilisk_ (Lieutenant Fallowfield) and made her stand in as close
+as we dared at Suvla Bay and the coast to the North of it. We have kept
+a destroyer on patrol along that line, and we were careful to follow the
+usual track and time, so as to rouse no suspicions.
+
+To spy out the land with a naval telescope over a mile of sea means
+taking a lot on trust as we learned to our cost on April 25th. We can't
+even be sure if the Salt Lake _is_ a lake, or whether the glister we see
+there is just dry sand. We shall have to pretend to do some gun
+practice, and drop a shell on to its surface to find out. No sign of
+life anywhere, not even a trickle of smoke. The whole of the Suvla Bay
+area looks peaceful and deserted. God grant that it may remain so until
+we come along and make it the other thing.
+
+On my return the Admiral came to hear what I thought about it all. Our
+plan is bold, but there never was a state of affairs less suited to half
+and half, keep-in-the-middle-of-the-road tactics than that with which
+the Empire is faced to-day. If we get through here, now, the war will,
+must be, over next year. My Manchurian Campaign and two Russian
+Manoeuvres have taught me that, from Grand Duke to Moujiks, our Allies
+need just that precise spice of initiative which we, only we in the
+world, can lend them. Advice, cash, munitions aren't enough; our
+palpable presence is the point. The arrival of Birdwood, Hunter-Weston
+and Gouraud at Odessa would electrify the whole of the Russian Army.
+
+As to the plan, I have had the G.S. working hard upon it for over a
+fortnight (ever since the Cabinet decided to support us). Secrecy is so
+ultra-vital that we are bound to keep the thing within a tiny circle. I
+am not the originator. Though I have entirely fathered it, the idea was
+born at Anzac. We have not yet got down to precise dates, units or
+commanders but, in those matters, the two cables already entered this
+morning should help. The plan is based upon Birdwood's confidence that,
+if only he can be strengthened by another Division, he can seize and
+hold the high crest line which dominates his own left, and in my own
+concurrence in that confidence. Sari Bair is the "keep" to the Narrows;
+Chunuk Bair and Hill 305 are its keys: i.e., from those points the
+Turkish trenches opposite Birdwood can be enfiladed: the land _and_ sea
+communications of the enemy holding Maidos, Kilid Bahr and Krithia can
+be seen and shelled and, in fact, any strong force of Turks guarding the
+European side of the Narrows can then be starved out, whilst a weak
+force will not long resist Gouraud and Hunter-Weston. As to our tactical
+scheme for producing these strategical results, it is simple in outline
+though infernally complicated in its amphibious and supply aspects. The
+French and British at Helles will attack so as to draw the attention of
+the Turks southwards. To add to this effect, we are thinking of asking
+the Anzacs to exert a preliminary pressure on the Gaba Tepe alarum to
+the southwards. We shall then give Birdwood what he wants, an extra
+division, and it will be a problem how to do so without letting the
+enemy smell a rat. Birdwood's Intelligence are certain that no trenches
+have been dug by the enemy along the high ridge from Chunuk Bair to Hill
+305. He is sure that with one more Division under his direct command,
+plus the help of a push from Helles to ease his southern flank, he can
+make good these dominating heights.
+
+[Illustration: THE NARROWS FROM CHUNUK BAIR]
+
+_But_,--here comes the second half of the plan: the balance of the
+reinforcements from home are also to be thrown into the scale so as at
+the same time to give further support to Birdwood on his _northern_
+flank and to occupy a good harbour (Suvla Bay) whence we can run a light
+railway line and more effectively feed the troops holding Sari Bair than
+they could be fed from the bad, cramped beaches of Anzac Cove. This will
+be the more necessary as the process of starving out the Turks to the
+south must take time. Suvla Bay should be an easy base to seize as it is
+weakly held and unentrenched whilst, tactically, any troops landed there
+will, by a very short advance, be able to make Birdwood's mind easy
+about his left. Altogether, the plan seems to me simple in outline, and
+sound in principle. The ground between Anzac and the Sari Bair crestline
+is worse than the Khyber Pass but both Birdwood and Godley say that
+their troops can tackle it. There are one or two in the know who think
+me "venturesome" but, after all, is not "nothing venture nothing win" an
+unanswerable retort?
+
+De Robeck is excited over some new anti-submarine nets. They are so
+strong and he can run them out so swiftly that they open, he seems to
+think, new possibilities of making landings,--not on open coasts like
+the North of the Aegean but at places like Yukeri Bay, where the nets
+could be spread from the North and South ends of Tenedos to shoals
+connecting with Asia so as to make a torpedo proof basin for transports.
+The Navy, in fact, suddenly seem rather bitten with the idea of landing
+opposite Tenedos. But whereas, this very afternoon, our own eyes
+confirmed the aeroplane reports that Suvla Bay is unentrenched, weakly
+held and quiescent, only yesterday a division of the enemy were reputed
+to be busy along the whole of the coastline to the South of Besika Bay.
+
+I have raised a hornet's nest by my objection to faked cables; but I
+will not have it done. They may suppress but they shall not invent.
+
+"(No. M.F. 366). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to War Office. Your No.
+12431. I do not object to General Officer Commanding, Egypt, publishing
+any telegram I send him, as I write them for that purpose. But I do
+object to the addition of news which is untrue, and which can surely be
+seen through by any reading public. If we can take trenches at our will,
+why are we still on this side of Achi Baba?
+
+"In compliance with Lord Kitchener's instructions I send a telegram to
+the Secretary of State for War and repeat it to Egypt; also to Australia
+and New Zealand if it affect these Dominions. Please see your No.
+10,475, code, and my No. M.F. 285, instructing me to do this. These
+telegrams are practically identical when they leave here, and are
+intended to be used as a communique and to be published. Instead of this
+I find a mutilated and misleading Cairo telegram reproduced in London
+Press in place of the true version I sent to the Secretary of State for
+War."
+
+General Paris crossed from Helles to dine and stay the night. After
+dinner, Commodore Backhouse came over to make his salaams to his
+Divisional Chief.
+
+Gouraud has sent me his reply to Lord K.'s congratulations on his
+victory of the 21st. He says,
+
+     "_Vous prie exprimer a Lord Kitchener mes respectueux remerciements
+     nous n'avons, eu qu'a prendre exemple sur les heroiques regiments
+     anglais qui ont debarque dans les fils de fer sur la plage de
+     Seddulbahr_."
+
+_25th June, 1915. Imbros._ At 8 a.m. walked down with Paris to see him
+off. Worked till 11 a.m. and then crossed over to "K" Beach where
+Backhouse, commanding the 2nd Naval Brigade, met me. Inspected the Hood,
+Howe and Anson Battalions into which had been incorporated the
+Collingwood and Benbow units--too weak now to carry on as independent
+units. The Hood, Howe and Anson are suffering from an acute attack of
+indigestion, and Collingwoods and Benbows are sick at having been
+swallowed. But I had to do it seeing there is no word of the cruel
+losses of the battle of the 4th being made good by the Admiralty. The
+Howe, Hood and Anson attacked on our extreme right, next the French.
+They did most gloriously--most gloriously! As to the Collingwoods, they
+were simply cut to pieces, losing 25 officers out of 28 in a few
+minutes. Down at the roots of this unhappiness lie the neglect to give
+us our fair share of howitzers and trench mortars--in fact stupidity!
+The rank and file all round looked much better for their short rest, and
+seemed to like the few halting words of praise I was able to say to
+them. Lunched with Backhouse in a delicious garden under a spreading fig
+tree; then rode back.
+
+At 5 p.m. Ashmead-Bartlett had an appointment, K. himself took trouble
+to send me several cables about him a little time ago. Referring in one
+of them to the dangers of letting Jeremiah loose in London, K. said,
+"Ashmead-Bartlett has promised verbally to speak to no one but his
+Editor, who can be trusted." Verbally, or in writing, my astonishment at
+K.'s confidence can only find expression in verse:--
+
+  "Oft expectation fails, and most oft there
+  Where most it promises;"
+
+He, Ashmead-Bartlett, came to-day to beg me to deliver him out of the
+hands of the Censor. He wants certain changes made and I have agreed.
+
+Next, he fully explained to me the importance of the Bulair Lines and
+urged me to throw the new Divisions against them. He seems to think he
+is mooting to me a spick and span new idea--that he has invented
+something. Finally, he suggests ten shillings and a free pardon be
+offered to every Turk who deserts to our lines with his rifle and kit:
+he believes we should thus get rid of the whole of the enemy army very
+quickly.
+
+This makes one wonder what would Ashmead-Bartlett himself do if he were
+offered ten shillings and a good supper by a Mahommedan when he was
+feeling a bit hungry and hard up amongst the Christians. Anyway, there
+is no type of soldier man fighting in the war who is more faithful to
+his salt than the Osmanli Turk. Were we to offer fifty pounds per head,
+instead of ten shillings, the bid would rebound in shame upon ourselves.
+
+Colonel Sir Mark Sykes was my next visitor. He is fulfilling the promise
+of his 'teens when he was the shining light of the Militia; was as keen
+a Galloper as I have had on a list which includes Winston and F.E., and,
+generally, gained much glory, martial, equestrian, histrionic,
+terpsichorean at our Militia Training Camp on Salisbury Plain in '99.
+Now he has mysteriously made himself (heaven knows how) into our premier
+authority on the Middle East and is travelling on some ultra-mysterious
+mission, very likely, _en passant_, as a critic of our doings: never
+mind, he is thrice welcome as a large-hearted and generous person.
+
+Dined with de Robeck on board the _Triad_. He is _most_ hospitable and
+kind. I have not here the wherewithal to give back cutlet for cutlet,
+worse luck.
+
+_26th June, 1915._ Worked till past 11 o'clock, then started
+for Anzac with Braithwaite per destroyer _Pincher_ (Lieutenant-Commander
+Wyld). After going a short way was shifted to the _Mosquito_
+(Lieutenant-Commander Clarke). We had biscuits in our pockets, but the
+hospitable Navy stood us lunch.
+
+When the Turks saw a destroyer come bustling up at an unusual hour they
+said to themselves, "fee faw fum!" and began to raise pillars of water
+here and there over the surface of the cove. As we got within a few
+yards of the pier a shell hit it, knocking off some splinters. I jumped
+on to it--had to--then jumped off it nippier still and, turning to the
+right, began to walk towards Birdie's dugout. As I did so a big fellow
+pitched plunk into the soft shingle between land and water about five or
+six yards behind me and five or six yards in front of Freddie. The slush
+fairly smothered or blanketed the shell but I was wetted through and was
+stung up properly with small gravel. The hardened devils of Anzacs, who
+had taken cover betwixt the shell-proofs built of piles of stores,
+roared with laughter. Very funny--to look at!
+
+As the old Turks kept plugging it in fairly hot, I sat quiet in
+Birdwood's dugout for a quarter of an hour. Then they calmed down and we
+went the rounds of the right trenches. In those held by the Light Horse
+Brigade under Colonel G. de L. Ryrie, encountered Lieutenant Elliot,
+last seen a year ago at Duntroon.
+
+Next, met Colonel Sinclair Maclagan commanding 3rd (Australian) Infantry
+Brigade. After that saw the lines of Colonel Smith's Brigade, where
+Major Browne, R.A., showed me a fearful sort of bomb he had just
+patented.
+
+At last, rather tired by my long day, made my way back, stopping at
+Birdie's dugout en route. Boarded the _Mosquito_; sailed for and reached
+camp without further adventure. General Douglas of the East Lancs
+Division is here. He has dined and is staying the night. A melancholy
+man before whose eyes stands constantly the tragic melting away without
+replacement of the most beautiful of the Divisions of Northern England.
+
+_27th June, 1915. Imbros._ Blazing hot; wound up my mail letters; fought
+files, flies and irritability; tackled a lot of stuff from Q.M.G. and
+A.G.; won a clear table by tea time. In the evening hung about waiting
+for de Robeck who had signalled over to say he wanted to talk business.
+At the last he couldn't come.
+
+The sequel to the letter telling me I'd have to cut the names of
+battalions out of my Despatch has come in the shape of a War Office
+cable telling me that, if I agree, it is proposed "to have the despatch
+reviewed and a slightly different version prepared for publication." I
+hope my reply to Fitz may arrive in time to prevent too much titivation.
+
+An imaginative War Office (were such a thing imaginable) would try first
+of all to rouse public enthusiasm by letting them follow quite closely
+the brave doings of their own boys' units whatever these might be. Next,
+they would try and use the Press to teach the public that there are
+three kinds of war, (_a_) military war, (_b_) economic war and (_c_)
+social war. Lastly, they would explain to the Cabinet that this war of
+ours is a mixture of (_a_) and (_b_) with more of (_b_) than (_a_) in
+it.
+
+How can economic victory be won? (1) by enlisting the sympathy of
+America; (2) by taking Constantinople.
+
+The idea that we can hustle the Kaiser back over the Rhine and march on
+to Berlin at the double emanates from a school of thought who have
+devoted much study to the French Army, not so much to that of the
+Germans. But we _can_ (no one denies it) hustle the Turks out of
+Constantinople if we will make an effort, big, no doubt, in itself but
+not very big compared to that entailed by a few miles' advance in the
+West. Let us do that and, forthwith, we enlist economics on our side.
+
+None of these things can be carried through without the help of the
+Press. Second only to enthusiasm of our own folk comes the sweetening of
+the temper of the neutral. Hard to say at present whether our Censorship
+has done most harm in the U.K. or the U.S.A. Before leaving for the
+Dardanelles I begged hard for Hare and Frederick Palmer, the Americans,
+knowing they would help us with the Yanks just as much as aeroplanes
+would help us with the Turks, but I was turned down on the plea that the
+London Press would be jealous.
+
+These are the feelings which have prompted my pen to-day. Writing one of
+the few great men I know I put the matter like this:--
+
+"From my individual point of view a hideous mistake has been made on the
+correspondence side of the whole of this Dardanelles business. Had we
+had a dozen good newspaper correspondents here, the vital life-giving
+interest of these stupendous proceedings would have been brought right
+into the hearths and homes of the humblest people in Britain....
+
+"As for information to the enemy, this is too puerile altogether. The
+things these fellows produce are all read and checked by competent
+General Staff Officers. To think that it matters to the Turks whether a
+certain trench was taken by the 7th Royal Scots or the 3rd Warwicks is
+just really like children playing at secrets. The Censors who are by way
+of keeping everyone in England in darkness allow extremely accurate
+outline panoramas of the Australian position from the back; trenches,
+communication tracks, etc., all to scale; a true military sketch, to
+appear in the _Illustrated London News_ of 5th June. The wildest
+indiscretions in words could not equal this."
+
+Again I say the Press must win. On no subject is there more hypocrisy
+amongst big men in England. They pretend they do not care for the Press
+and _sub rosa_ they try all they are worth to work it. How well I
+remember my Chief of the General Staff coming up to me at a big
+conference on Salisbury Plain where I had spent five very useful minutes
+explaining the inwardness of things to old Bennett Burleigh, the War
+Correspondent. He (the C.G.S.) begged me to see Burleigh privately,
+afterwards, as it would "create a bad impression" were I seen by
+everyone to be on friendly terms with the old man! He meant it very
+kindly: from his point of view he was quite right. I lay no claim to be
+more candid than the rest of them: quite the contrary. Only, over that
+particular line of country, I am more candid. Whenever anyone
+ostentatiously washes his hands of the Press in my hearing I chuckle
+over the memory of the administrator who was admonishing me as to the
+unsuitability of a public servant having a journalistic acquaintance
+when, suddenly, the door opened; the parlour-maid entered and said,
+"Lord Northcliffe is on the 'phone."
+
+Have told Lord K. in my letter we have just enough shell for one more
+attack. After that, we fold our hands and wait the arrival of the new
+troops and the new outfit of ammunition:--not "wait and see" but "wait
+and suffer." A month is a desperate long halt to have in a battle. A
+month, at least, to let weariness and sickness spread whilst new armies
+of enemies replace those whose hearts we have broken,--at a cost of how
+many broken hearts, I wonder, in Australasia and England?
+
+This enforced pause in our operations is a desperate bad business: for
+to-day there is a feeling in the air--thrilling through the ranks--that
+_at last_ the upper hand is ours. Now is the moment to fall on with
+might and main,--to press unrelentingly and without break or pause until
+we wrest victory from Fortune. Morally, we are confident
+but,--materially? Alas, to-morrow, for our last "dart" before
+reinforcements arrive a month hence, my shell only runs to a forty
+minutes' bombardment of some half a mile of the enemy's trenches. We
+simply have not shell wherewith to cover more or keep it up any longer.
+
+A General laying down the law to a Field Marshal is as obnoxious to
+military "form" as a vacuum was once supposed to be to the sentiments of
+nature. The child, who teaches its grandmother to suck eggs, commits a
+venial fault in comparison. So I have had to convey my precepts
+insensibly to Milord K.--to convey them in homeopathic doses of parable.
+The brilliant French success of the 21st-22nd, I explain to him, was due
+to the showers of shell wherewith they deluged the Turkish lines until
+their defenders were sitting dazed with their dugouts in ruins about
+them. Also, in the same epistle, I have tried to explain Anzac.
+
+In the domain of tactics our landing at Helles speaks for itself. Since
+gunpowder was invented nothing finer than the 29th Division has been
+achieved. But it will be a long time yet before people grasp that the
+landing at Anzac is just as remarkable in the imaginative domain of
+strategy. The military student of the future will, I hope and believe,
+realize the significance of the stroke whereby we are hourly forcing a
+great Empire to commit _hari kiri_ upon these barren, worthless
+cliffs--whereby we keep pressing a dagger exactly over the black heart
+of the Ottoman Raj. Only skin deep--so far; only through the skin. Yet
+already how freely bleeds the wound. Daily the effort to escape this
+doom; to push away the threat of that painful point will increase. Even
+if we were never to make another yard's advance,--here--in the cove of
+Anzac--is the cup into which the life blood of the Caliphat shall be
+pressed. And on the whole Gallipoli Peninsula this little cove is the
+one and only spot whereon a base could have been established, which is
+sheltered (to a bearable extent) from the force of the enemy's fire.
+Dead ground; defiladed from inland batteries; deep water right close to
+the shore!
+
+Enver dares not leave Anzac alone. We are too near his neck; the
+Narrows!! So on this most precarious, God-forsaken spot he must maintain
+an Army of his best troops, mostly supplied by sea,--by sea whereon our
+submarines swallow 25 per cent. of their drafts, munitions and food,
+just as a pike takes down the duckling before the eyes of their mother
+on a pond. Hold fast's the word. We have only to keep our grip firm and
+fast; Turkey will die of exhaustion trying to do what she can't do;
+drive us into the sea!
+
+Braithwaite and Amery dined. Great fun seeing Amery again. _What_
+memories of his concealment in the Autocrat's "Special" going to the
+Vereeniging Conference; of our efforts to create a strategical training
+ground for British troops in South Africa; of our battles against one
+another over the great Voluntary Service issue.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII
+
+A VICTORY AND AFTER
+
+
+_28th June, 1915. Imbros._ The fateful day.
+
+Left camp with Braithwaite, Dawnay and Ward. Embarked on the destroyer
+_Colne_ (Commander Seymour) and sailed for Helles. The fire fight was
+raging. From the bridge we got a fine view as our guns were being
+focused on and about the north-west coast. The cliff line and half a
+mile inland is shrouded in a pall of yellow dust which, as it twirls,
+twists and eddies, blots out Achi Baba himself. Through this curtain
+appear, dozens at a time, little balls of white,--the shrapnel searching
+out the communication trenches and cutting the wire entanglements. At
+other times spouts of green or black vapour rise, mix and lose
+themselves in the yellow cloud. The noise is like the rumbling of an
+express train--continuous; no break at all. The Turks sitting there in
+their trenches--our men 100 yards away sitting in _their_ trenches! What
+a wonderful change in the art,--no not the art, in the mechanism--of
+war. Fifteen years ago armies would have stood aghast at our display of
+explosive energy; to-day we know that our shortage is pitiable and that
+we are very short of stuff; perilously short.--(Written in the cabin of
+the _Colne_.)
+
+Jimmy Watson met me on the pier. He is Commandant Advance Base. Deedes
+also met me and the whole band of us made our way inland to my battle
+dugout. This is probably our last onslaught before the new troops and
+new supplies of shell come to hand in about a month from now. We have
+just enough stuff to deal with one narrow strip by the coast. Had it not
+been for some help from the French, we could not have entered upon this
+engagement at all, but must have continued to sit still and be shot
+at--rather an expensive way of fighting if John Bull could only be told
+the truth. Now, although the area is limited the battle is a big one,
+fairly entitled to be called a general action. As I said, the French are
+helping Simpson-Baikie in his bombardment; the Fleet are helping us with
+the fire of the _Scorpion_, _Talbot_ and _Wolverine_, and Birdwood has
+been asked to try and help us from Anzac by making a push there to hold
+the enemy and prevent him sending reinforcements south. On their side
+the Turks are making a very feeble reply. Looks as if we had caught them
+with their ammunition parks empty.
+
+I went into the dugout indescribably slack; hardly energy to struggle
+against the heat and the myriads of flies. I came out of it radiant. The
+Turks are beat. Five lines of their best trenches carried (or, at least,
+four regular lines plus a bit extra); the Boomerang Redoubt rushed, and
+in two successive attacks we have advanced 1,000 yards. Our losses are
+said to be moderate. The dreaded Boomerang collapsed and was stormed
+with hardly a casualty. This was owing partly to the two trench mortars
+lent us by the French and partly to the extraordinary fine shooting of
+our own battery of 4.5 howitzers. The whole show went like
+clockwork--like a Field Day. First the 87th Brigade took three lines of
+trenches; then our guns lengthened their range and fuses and the 86th
+Brigade, with the gallant Royal Fusiliers at their head, scrambled over
+the trenches already taken by the 87th, and took the last two lines in
+splendid style. We could have gone right on but we had nothing to go on
+with. How I wish the whole world and his wife could have been here to
+see our lines advancing under fire quite steadily with intervals and
+dressing as on parade. A wonderful show!
+
+As the 87th Brigade left the trenches at 11 a.m., the enemy opened a hot
+shrapnel fire on them but although some men fell, none faltered as we
+could see very well owing to the following device. The 29th attackers
+had sewn on to their backs triangles cut out of kerosine tins. The idea
+was to let these bright bits of metal flash in the sunlight and act as
+helios. Thus our guns would be able to keep an eye on them. The
+spectacle was extraordinary. From my post I could follow the movements
+of every man. One moment after 11 a.m. the smoke pall lifted and moved
+slowly on with a thousand sparkles of light in its wake: as if someone
+had quite suddenly flung a big handful of diamonds on to the landscape.
+
+At 11.30 the 86th Brigade likewise advanced; passed through the 87th and
+took two more lines of trenches.
+
+At mid-day I signalled, "Well done 29th Division and 156th Brigade. Am
+watching your splendid attack with admiration. Stick to it and your
+names will become famous in your homes."
+
+At 1.50 I got a reply, "Thanks from all ranks 29th. We are here to
+stay."
+
+At 3.15 I ran across and warmly congratulated Hunter-Weston, staying
+with him reading the messages until about 4 p.m. when I went on to see
+Gouraud. Hunter-Weston, Gouraud and Braithwaite agree that:--_had we
+only shell to repeat our bombardment of this morning, now, we could go
+on another 1,000 yards before dark,--result, Achi Baba to-morrow, or, at
+the latest, the day after; Achi Baba_ and fifty guns perhaps with, say,
+10,000 prisoners.
+
+At 5 p.m. Gouraud and I walked back to Hunter-Weston's G.H.Q. A load was
+off our minds--we were wonderfully happy. At 5.30 a message from Birdie
+to say the Queenslanders had thrust out towards Gaba Tepe and had
+"drawn" the Turkish reserves who had been badly hammered by our guns.
+With this crowning mercy in my pocket, walked down and boarded the
+destroyer _Scourge_ (Lieutenant Tupper) and got back to camp before
+seven. What a day! May our glorious Infantry gain everlasting
+_Kudos_--and the Gunners, too, may the good use they made of their shell
+ration create a legend.
+
+The French official photographer has fixed a moment by snapping Gouraud
+and myself overlooking the Hellespont from the old battlements.
+
+[Illustration: GENERAL GOURAUD "Central News" photo.]
+
+_Midnight._--When I lay down in my little tent two hours ago the canvas
+seemed to make a sort of sounding board. No sooner did I try to sleep
+than I heard the musketry rolling up and dying away; then rolling up
+again in volume until I could stick it no longer and simply had to get
+up and pick a path, through the brush and over sandhills, across to the
+sea on the East coast of our island. There I could hear nothing. Was the
+firing then an hallucination--a sort of sequel to the battle in my
+brain? Not so; far away I could see faint corruscations of sparks; star
+shells; coloured fire balls from pistols; searchlights playing up and
+down the coast. Our fellows were being hard beset to hold on to what
+they had won; there, where the horizon stood out with spectral
+luminosity. What a contrast; the direct fear, joy, and excitement of the
+fighting men out there in the searchlights and the dull anguish of
+waiting here in the darkness; imagining horrors; praying the Almighty
+our men may be vouchsafed valour to stick it through the night;
+wondering, waiting until the wire brings its colourless message!
+
+One thought I have which is in the end a sure sleep-getter--the
+advancing death. Whether by hours or by years, by inches or by leagues,
+by bullets or bacilli, we struggle-for-lifers will very soon struggle no
+more. My last salaams are well-nigh due to my audience and to the stage.
+That rare and curious being called I is more fragile than any porcelain
+jar. How on earth it has preserved itself so long, heaven only knows.
+One pellet of lead, it falls in a heap of dust; the Peninsula
+disappears; the fighting men fall asleep; the world and its glories
+become a blank--not even a dream--nothing!
+
+_29th June, 1915. Imbros._ Sunlight has scattered the spectres of the
+night,--they have fled, leaving behind them only the matter-of-fact
+residuum of heavy Turkish counter-attacks against our fresh-won ground.
+The fighting took place along the coastline, and the stillness of the
+night seems to have helped the sounds of musketry across the twelve
+miles of sea. The attack was most determined: repulsed by bombs and with
+the bayonet: at daylight the enemy came under a cross-fire of machine
+guns and rifles and were shot to pieces.
+
+Very early approved the revise of my long cable (for the Cabinet)
+outlining my hopes and fears:--
+
+"(No. M.F. 381). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. With
+reference to your telegram No. 5770, cipher. As the Cabinet are anxious
+to consider my situation in all its bearings, it is necessary I should
+open to you all my mind. In my No. M.F. 328 of 13th June, I gave you an
+outline of my plan, based on the news that I was to be given new
+divisions, and I told you what I should do with a possible fourth
+division in my No. M.F. 364 of 23rd June. I am now asked whether I
+consider a fifth division advisable and necessary.
+
+"I have taken time to answer this question, as the addition of each new
+division necessitates, in such a theatre of war as this, a
+reconsideration of the whole strategical and tactical situation as well
+as of the power of the Fleet to work up to the increased demands that
+would be placed upon it. The scheme which might tempt me (Naval
+considerations permitting) of landing the 4th and 5th Divisions together
+with the three divisions and one or two divisions from Cape Helles and
+Anzac on flank of shore of Gulf of Saros to march on Rodosto and
+Constantinople I reject because the 4th and 5th Divisions cannot reach
+me simultaneously with all their transport.
+
+"But assuming that reinforcements can only reach me in echelon of
+divisions I have decided that the best policy would be to adhere to my
+original plan of endeavouring to turn the enemy's right at Anzac with
+the first three divisions and to gain a position from Gaba Tepe to
+Maidos. I should then use the 4th and 5th Divisions, in case of
+non-success at first to reinforce this wing, and in case of success
+possibly to effect a landing on the southern shore of the Dardanelles;
+and since the enemy's forces south of the Straits would probably have
+been reduced to a minimum in order to oppose my reinforced strength on
+the Peninsula I should in the latter case count upon these two divisions
+doing more than hold a bridge-head (see my M.F. 349 of 19th June), and
+should expect them, reinforced from the northern wing if necessary, to
+press forward to Chanak and thus to cut off this enemy's sole remaining
+line of supply.[22] By these means I should hope to compel the
+surrender of the whole Gallipoli Army. Meanwhile, with my force on the
+Asiatic side I would be enabled to establish in Morto Bay a base safe
+from the bad weather which must be expected later on.
+
+"With regard to ammunition, the more we can get the more easy will our
+task be, but I hope we may be able to achieve success at the end of July
+with the amount available. As we are so far from home, however, we
+cannot afford to run things too fine, and we shall always be obliged to
+keep up a large reserve until the arrival of further supply. I should,
+therefore, like as much as you can spare, particularly high explosive.
+So far as this question affects sending a 4th and 5th Division I would
+not refuse them on the score of ammunition alone, because with the
+Artillery of three new divisions complete I think we shall have as many
+guns as the terrain will allow us to use in the operations towards
+Maidos, and also sufficient to compete with any Artillery which the
+enemy could bring against the detachment operating on the Asiatic shore.
+
+"To summarize--I think I have reasonable prospects of eventual success
+with three divisions, with four the risks of miscalculation would be
+minimized, and with five, even if the fifth division had little or no
+gun ammunition, I think it would be a much simpler matter to clear the
+Asiatic shore subsequently of big guns, etc., Kilid Bahr would be
+captured at an earlier date and success would be generally assured."
+
+Next, I boiled down yesterday's battle into telegraphic dispatch form:
+
+"(No. M.F. 383). From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Secretary of State for
+War. In continuation of my Nos. M.F. 379 and 382. Plan of operations
+yesterday was to throw forward left of my line south-east of Krithia,
+pivoting on point about one mile from the sea, and after advancing
+extreme left for about half a mile, to establish new line facing east on
+ground thus gained. This plan entailed the capture in succession of two
+lines of the Turkish trenches east of the Saghir Dere and five lines of
+trenches west of it. Australian Corps was ordered to co-operate by
+making vigorous demonstration. The action opened at 9 a.m. with
+bombardment by heavy artillery of the trenches to be captured.
+
+"Assistance rendered by French in this bombardment was most valuable. At
+10.20 our field artillery opened fire to cut wire in front of Turkish
+trenches and this was effectively done. Great effect on enemy's trench
+near sea and in keeping down his artillery fire from that quarter was
+produced by very accurate fire of H.M.S. _Talbot_, _Scorpion_, and
+_Wolverine_. At 10.45 a small Turkish advanced work in the Saghir Dere,
+known as the Boomerang Redoubt, was assaulted. This little fort was
+very strongly sited, protected by extra strong wire entanglements and
+has long been a source of trouble. After special bombardment by trench
+mortars and while bombardment of surrounding trenches was at its height
+part of Border Regiment, at the exact moment prescribed, leapt from
+their trenches like a pack of hounds pouring out of cover, raced across
+and took the work most brilliantly.
+
+"Artillery bombardment increased in intensity till 11 a.m. when range
+was lengthened and infantry advanced. Infantry attack was carried out
+with great dash along whole line. West of Saghir Dere 87th Brigade
+captured three lines of trenches with little opposition. Trenches full
+of dead Turks, many buried by bombardment, and 100 prisoners were taken
+in them. East of Ravine two battalions Royal Scots made fine attack,
+capturing the two lines of trenches assigned as their objective, but
+remainder of 156th Brigade on their right met severe opposition and were
+unable to get forward. At 11.30, 86th Brigade led by 2nd Bn. Royal
+Fusiliers started second phase of attack West of Ravine. They advanced
+with great steadiness and resolution through trenches already captured
+and on across the open, and taking two more lines of trenches reached
+objective allotted to them, Lancashire Fusiliers inclining half right
+and forming line to connect with our new position East of Ravine.
+
+"The northernmost objective I had set out to reach had now been
+attained, but the Gurkhas pressing on under the cliffs captured an
+important knoll still further forward, actually due west of Krithia.
+This they fortified and held during the night, making our total gain on
+the left precisely 1,000 yards. During afternoon 88th Brigade attacked
+trenches, small portion of which remained uncaptured on right, but enemy
+held on stubbornly, supported by machine guns and artillery, and attacks
+did not succeed. During night enemy counter-attacked furthest trenches
+gained but was repulsed with heavy loss. Party of Turks who penetrated
+from flank between two lines of captured trenches, subjected to
+machine-gun fire at daybreak, suffered very heavily and survivors
+surrendered.
+
+"Except for small portion of trench already mentioned which is still
+held by enemy, all, and more than we hoped for, from operations has been
+gained. On extreme left, line has been pushed forward to specially
+strong point well beyond limit of advance originally contemplated. Our
+casualties about 2,000, the greater proportion of which are slight cases
+of which 250 at Anzac, in the useful demonstration made simultaneously
+there. All engaged did well, but certainly the chief factor in the
+success was the splendid attack carried out by XXIXth Division, whose
+conduct in this as on previous occasions was beyond praise."
+
+Lastly, I wrote out a special Force Order thanking the incomparable
+29th.
+
+Winter brought me over a letter just received from Wallace. He is
+quarrelling with Elliot. For that I don't blame him. At the end of his
+letter Wallace says, "I feel that the organization of the Lines of
+Communication and making it work is such a task that I sometimes doubt
+myself whether I am equal to it." Wallace is a good fellow and a
+sensible man placed, by British methods, out of his element and out of
+his depth. Have told Winter to tell him I sympathize and will help him
+and support him all I know; that if it turns out his strong points lie
+in another direction than administering a huge business machine, I will
+try and find a handsome way out for him.
+
+Had been writing, writing, writing since cockcrow so when I heard a
+trawler was going over with two of the General Staff at mid-day, I could
+not resist the chance of another visit to the scene of yesterday's
+victorious advance. Went to see Hunter-Weston but he was up at the front
+where I had no time to follow him. His Chief of Staff says all goes
+well, but they have just had cables from my own Headquarters to tell
+them that heavy columns of Turks are massing behind Achi Baba for a
+fresh counter-attack. Thought, therefore, the wisest thing was to get
+back quickly. Reached camp again about 7 p.m., and found more news in
+office than I got on the spot. Last night's firing on the Peninsula
+meant close and desperate fighting. Several heavy columns of Turks
+attacked with bomb and bayonet, and in places some of their braves broke
+through into our new trenches where the defence had not yet been put on
+a stable footing. When daylight came we got them enfiladed by machine
+guns and every single mother's son of them was either killed or
+captured. So we still hold every yard we had gained.
+
+The attack by a part of the Lowland Division seems to have been
+mishandled. A Brigade made the assault East of the Ravine; the men
+advanced gallantly but there was lack of effective preparation. Two
+battalions of the Royal Scots carried a couple of the enemy's trenches
+in fine style and stuck to them, but the rest of the Brigade lost a
+number of good men to no useful purpose in their push against H.12. One
+thing is clear. If the bombardment was ineffective, from whatever cause,
+then the men should not have been allowed to break cover.[23]
+
+_30th June, 1915. Imbros._ Writing in camp.
+
+More good news. It never rains but it pours. The French have made a fine
+push and got the Quadrilateral by 8 a.m. with but little loss. The Turks
+seemed discouraged, they say, and did not offer their usual firm
+resistance.
+
+At 10.30 a.m. wired Gouraud:--"Warm congratulations on this morning's
+work which will compensate for the loss of your 2,000 quarts of wine.
+Your Government should now replace it with vintage claret. Please send
+me quickly a sketch of the ground you have gained."
+
+Gouraud now replies:--"Best thanks for congratulations. Sketch being
+made. If our Government is pleased to send a finer brand of wine to
+replace what was wasted by the guns of Asia, we Frenchmen will drink it
+to the very good health of our British comrades in arms."
+
+How lucky I signalled de Robeck 8 p.m. yesterday to let us keep the
+_Wolverine_ and _Scorpion_ "in case of a night attack!" Sure enough
+there was another onslaught made against our northernmost post. Two
+Turkish Regiments were discovered in mass creeping along the top of the
+cliffs by the searchlights of the _Scorpion_. They were so punished by
+her guns that they were completely broken up and the Infantry at
+daylight had not much to do except pick up the fragments. 300 Turks lay
+dead upon the ground. Also, hiding in furze, have gleaned 180 prisoners
+belonging to the 13th, 16th and 33rd Regiments. A Circassian prisoner
+carried in a wounded Royal Scot on his back under a heavy fire.
+
+Three wires from Helles; the first early this morning; the last just to
+hand (11 p.m.) saying that the lack of hand grenades is endangering all
+our gains. The Turks are much better armed in this respect. De Lisle
+says that where we have hand grenades we can advance still further;
+where we have not, we lose ground. At mid-day, we wired our reply saying
+we had no more hand grenades we feared but that we would do our best to
+scrape up a few; also that several trench mortars had just arrived from
+home and that they would be sent over forthwith.
+
+Have returned some interesting minutes on the Dardanelles, sent me from
+home, with this remark:--"Looking back I see now clearly that the one
+fallacy which crept into your plans was non-recognition of the pride and
+military _moral_ of the Turk. There was never any question of the Turk
+being demoralized or even flustered by ships sailing past him or by
+troops landing in his rear. _At last, I believe_, this _moral_ is
+beginning to crack up a little (not much) but nothing less than
+murderous losses would have done it. In their diaries their officers
+speak of this Peninsula as the Slaughterhouse."
+
+Brigadier-General de Lothbiniere and Major Ruthven lunched and young
+Brodrick and I dined together on board the _Triad_ with the hospitable
+Vice-Admiral. We were all very cheery at the happy turn of our fortunes;
+outwardly, that is to say, for there was a skeleton at the feast who
+kept tap, tap, tapping on the mahogany with his bony knuckles; tap, tap,
+tap; the gunfire at Helles was insistent, warning us that the Turks had
+not yet "taken their licking." But when I get back, although there is
+nothing in from Hunter-Weston there is an officer from Anzac who has
+just given me the complete story of Birdwood's demonstration on the
+28th. The tide of war is indeed racing full flood in our favour.
+
+When we were working out our scheme for the attack of the 29th Division
+and 156th Brigade the day before yesterday, as well as Gouraud's attack
+of yesterday, we had reckoned that the Turkish High Command would get to
+realize by about 11 a.m. on the 28th that an uncommon stiff fight had
+been set afoot to the sou'-west of Krithia. L. von S. would then, it
+might be surmised, draw upon his reserves at Maidos and upon his forces
+opposite Anzac: they would get their orders about mid-day: they would be
+starting about 1 p.m.: they would reach Krithia about dusk: they would
+use their "pull" in the matter of hand grenades to counter-attack by
+moonlight. So we asked Birdie to make one of his most engaging gestures
+just to delay these reinforcements a little bit; and now it turns out
+that the Australians and New Zealanders in their handsome, antipodean
+style went some 50 per cent. better than their bargain:--
+
+(1) At 1 p.m. on the 28th the Queensland giants darted out of their
+caves and went for the low ridge covering Gaba Tepe, that tenderest spot
+of the Turks. They got on to the foot of it and, by their dashing
+onslaught, drew the fire of all the enemy guns; but, what was still
+better, heavy Turkish columns, on the march, evidently, from Maidos to
+the help of Krithia, turned back northwards and closed in for the
+defence of Gaba Tepe. As they drew near they came under fire of our
+destroyers and of the Anzac guns and were badly knocked about and broken
+up. So both Krithia and the French Quadrilateral have had to do without
+the help of these reinforcements from the reserves of Liman von Sanders.
+One of the neatest of strokes and the credit of it lies with the
+Queenslanders who were not content to flourish their fists in the
+enemy's face but ran out and attacked him at close quarters.
+
+(2) Now comes the sequel! Birdie has just sent in word of the best
+business done at Anzac since May 19th!! The success of his demonstration
+towards Gaba Tepe had given the Turks a bad attack of the jumps,
+followed by a thirst for vengeance. Yesterday, they got _very_ nervy
+during a dust storm and for two hours the whole of their Army kept up
+high pressure fire from every rifle and machine gun they could bring to
+bear. They simply poured out bullets by the million into the blinding
+dust. Things then gradually quieted down till 1.30 this morning when a
+very serious assault--very serious for the enemy--was suddenly launched
+against the Anzac left, the brunt of it falling on Russell's New Zealand
+Mounted Rifles and Chauvel's Australian Light Horse; a bad choice too!
+Our victory complete; bloodless for us. Their defeat complete; very
+bloody. Nine fresh enemy battalions smashed to bits: fighting went on
+until dawn: five hundred Turks laid out and counted: no more detail but
+that is good enough to go to sleep upon.
+
+_1st July, 1915. Imbros._ Good news from Helles continues. In the early
+hours of last night an attack was made on the Gurkhas in J trenches.
+When they ran out of bombs the Turks bombed them out. Headed by Bruce
+their Colonel, whom they adore, they retook the trench and, for the
+first time, got into the enemy with their _kukris_ and sliced off a
+number of their heads. At dawn half a battalion of Turks tried to make
+the attack along the top of the cliff and were entirely wiped out.
+
+Against this I must set down cruel bad news about Gouraud. An accursed
+misadventure. He has been severely wounded by a shell. Directly I heard
+I got the Navy to run me over. He was already in the Hospital ship; I
+saw him there. A pure toss up whether he pulls round or not; luckily he
+has a frame of iron. I was allowed to speak to him for half a minute and
+he is full of pluck. The shell, an 8-incher from Asia, landed only some
+half a dozen yards away from him as he was visiting his wounded and sick
+down by "V" Beach. By some miracle none of the metal fragments touched
+him, but the sheer force of the explosion shot him up into the air and
+over a wall said to be seven feet high. His thigh, ankle and arm are all
+badly smashed, simply by the fall. We could more easily spare a Brigade.
+His loss is irreparable. By personal magnetism he has raised the ardour
+of his troops to the highest power. Have cabled to Lord K. expressing my
+profound sorrow and assuring him that "the grave loss suffered by the
+French, and indirectly by my whole force," is really most serious, as I
+know, I say, "the French War Minister cannot send us another General
+Gouraud."
+
+_2nd July, 1915. Imbros._ Worked all day in camp. Birdie, with Onslow,
+his A.D.C--_such_ a nice boy--came over from Anzac in the morning and
+stayed with me the day, during which we worked together at our plan. At
+night we all went over together to H.M.S. _Triad_ to dine with the
+Vice-Admiral.
+
+Birdwood is quite confident that with a fresh Division and a decent
+supply of shell he can get hold of the heights of Sari Bair, whereby he
+will enfilade the whole network of Turkish trenches, now hedging him
+round. The only thing he bargains for is that G.H.Q. so work the whole
+affair from orders down to movements, that the enemy get no inkling of
+our intentions. The Turks so far suspect nothing, and Koja Chemen Tepe
+and Chunuk Bair, with all the intervening ridge, are still unentrenched
+and open to capture by a _coup-de-main_. Even if the naval objections to
+Bulair could be overcome, Sari Bair remains the better move of the two.
+With the high ridges of Sari Bair in our hands we could put a stop to
+the Turkish sea transport from Chanak which we could neither see nor
+touch from Bulair. The tugs with their strings of lighters could not run
+by day, and as soon as we could get searchlights fixed up, they would
+find it very awkward to show themselves in the Straits by night. As to
+the enemy land communications, as soon as we can haul up our big guns we
+should command, and be able to search, all the ground between the Aegean
+and the Dardanelles. Now is the moment. Birdwood says that he and his
+men have exactly the same feeling that we have down at Helles--the
+feeling, namely, that now at last, we have got a right moral pull over
+the Turks. All we want is enough material to turn that faith into a mile
+or two of mountains.
+
+Making full use of their advantage in hand grenades, the Turks again won
+their trench back from the Gurkhas last night; a trench which was the
+key to a whole system of earthworks. Bruce had been wounded and they had
+no officers left to lead them, so de Lisle had to call once more on the
+29th Division and the bold Inniskilling Fusiliers retook that trench at
+a cost of all their officers save two.
+
+There are some feats of arms best left to speak for themselves and this
+is one of them.
+
+Wrote Lord K. as follows:--
+
+                                                "GENERAL HEADQUARTERS,
+                                          "MEDTN. EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.
+
+                                                     "_2nd July, 1915._
+
+    "Dictated.
+
+  "MY DEAR LORD KITCHENER,
+
+"There seems to be a lull in this tooth-and-nail struggle which has kept
+me on tenterhooks during the past four days and nights. But we have on
+our maps little blue arrows showing the movements of at least a Division
+of troops in various little columns from above Kereves Dere, from Soghon
+Dere river, from Kilid Bahr and even from within gun-shot of Achi Baba,
+all converging on a point a mile or two north-west of Krithia. So it
+looks as if they were going to have one more desperate go at the Gurkha
+knoll due west of Krithia, and at the line of trench we call J.13
+immediately behind it which was also held by the Gurkhas.
+
+"Last night they bombed the Gurkhas out of the eastern half of J.13 and
+the Inniskilling Fusiliers had to take it again at the point of the
+bayonet just as day broke.
+
+"You can have small idea of what the troops are going through. The same
+old battalions being called on again and again to do the forlorn hope
+sort of business. However, each day that passes, these captured
+positions get better dug in, and make the Turks' counter-attack more
+costly.
+
+"The cause of the attack made the night before last on Anzac has been
+made quite clear to us by a highly intelligent Armenian prisoner we have
+taken. The strictest orders had been issued by His Excellency
+Commanding-in-Chief on the Peninsula that no further attacks against our
+works were to be made unless, of course, we took any ground from them
+when we must be vigorously countered. But it was explained to the men
+that the losses in attack had proved too heavy, whereas, if they had
+patience and waited a week or ten days in their trenches, then at last
+we would come out and try to attack them when they would kill us in
+great quantities. However, Enver Pasha appeared in person amongst the
+troops at Anzac, and ordered three regiments to attack whilst the whole
+of the rest of the line supported them by demonstrations and by fire. It
+was objected this was against the command of their local chief. He
+brushed this objection aside, and told them never to look him in the
+face again if they failed to drive the Australians into the sea. So off
+they went and they certainly did not drive the Australians into the sea
+(although they got into their support trenches at one time) and
+certainly most of them never looked Enver in the face again, or anyone
+else for that matter.
+
+"The old battle tactics have clean vanished. I have only quite lately
+realized the new conditions. Whether your entrenchments are on the top
+of a hill or at the bottom of a valley matters precious little: whether
+you are outflanked matters precious little--you may hold one half of a
+straight trench and the enemy may hold the other half, and this
+situation may endure for weeks. The only thing is by cunning or
+surprise, or skill, or tremendous expenditure of high explosives, or
+great expenditure of good troops, to win some small tactical position
+which the enemy may be bound, perhaps for military or perhaps for
+political reasons, to attack. Then you can begin to kill them pretty
+fast."
+
+_3rd July, 1915. Imbros._ Very hot; very limp with the prevalent disease
+but greatly cheered up by the news of yesterday evening's battle at
+Helles. The Turks must have got hold of a lot of fresh shell for, at
+5.30 p.m., they began as heavy a bombardment as any yet seen at Helles,
+concentrating on our extreme left. We could only send a feeble reply. At
+6 o'clock the enemy advanced in swarms, but before they had covered more
+than 100 yards they were driven back again into the Ravine some 800
+yards to our front. H.M.S. _Scorpion_ and our machine guns played the
+chief hand. At 7 p.m. the Turkish guns began again, blazing away as if
+shells were a drug in the market, whilst, under cover of this very
+intense fire, another two of their battalions had the nerve to emerge
+from the Ravine to the north-east of our forward trenches and to move in
+regular lines--shoulder to shoulder--right across the open. Hardly had
+they shown themselves when the 10th Battery R.F.A. sprayed them
+beautifully with shrapnel. The Gurkha supports were rushed up, and as
+there was no room for them in the fire trenches they crept into shell
+craters and any sort of hole they could find from which to rake the
+Turks as they made their advance. The enemy's officers greatly
+distinguished themselves, waving their swords and running well out into
+the open to get the men forward. The men also had screwed up their
+courage to the sticking point and made a big push for it, but, in the
+end, they could not face our fire, and fell back helter-skelter to their
+mullah. Along the spot where they had stood wavering awhile before they
+broke and ran, there are still two clearly marked lines of corpses.
+
+Wrote a letter to Sclater saying I cannot understand his request for
+fuller information about the drafts needed to make my units up to
+strength. We have regularly cabled strengths; the figures are correct
+and it is the A.G. himself who has ordered us to furnish the optimistic
+"ration" strengths instead of the customary "fighting" strengths. The
+ration strength are for the Q.M.G., but unless the A.G. wishes to go on
+living in a fool's paradise, why should he be afraid of knowing the
+numbers we cannot put into the line of battle!
+
+Have also written Cowans protesting once more that we should have
+business brains to run the most intricate business proposition at
+present on tap in the world--our communications. During the past month
+the confusion at Mudros, our advanced base, becomes daily worse
+confounded. Things meant for Anzac go to Helles, and _vice versa_: or,
+not infrequently, stores, supplies or luxuries arrive and are sent off
+on a little tour to Alexandria and Malta before delivery. The system
+would be perfect for the mellowing of port or madeira, but when it is
+applied to plum and apple jam or, when 18 pr. shell are sent to
+howitzers, the system needs overhauling. I know the job is out of the
+way difficult. There is work here for Lesseps, Goethals and Morgan
+rolled into one:--work that may change the face of the world far, far
+more than the Suez or Panama Canals and, to do it, they have put in a
+good fighting soldier, quite out of his setting, and merely because they
+did not know what to do with him in Egypt! In case Cowans shares K.'s
+suspicions about my sneaking desire for Ellison, I say, "I assure you;
+most solemnly I assure you, that the personal equation does not, even in
+the vaguest fashion, enter into my thoughts. Put the greatest enemy I
+possess in the world, and the person I most dislike, into that post, and
+I would thank God for his appointment, on my knees, provided he was a
+competent business man."
+
+Again:--
+
+"I am in despair myself over it. Perhaps that is putting it rather
+strong as I try never to despair, but seriously I worry just as much
+over things behind me as I do over the enemy in front of me. What I want
+is a really big man there, and I don't care one D. who he is. A man I
+mean who, if he saw the real necessity, would wire for a great English
+contractor and 300 navvies without bothering or referring the matter to
+anyone."
+
+A cable to say that the editing of my despatch is ended, and that the
+public will be let into its dreadful secrets in a day or two. But, I am
+informed there are passages in it whose "secret nature will be
+scrupulously observed." What passages? I cannot remember any secrets in
+my despatch.
+
+Have been defending myself desperately against the War Office who want
+to send out a Naval Doctor to take full charge and responsibility for
+the wounded (including destination) the moment they quit dry land. But
+we must have a complete scheme of evacuation _by land and sea_, not two
+badly jointed schemes. So I have asked, who is to be "Boss"? Who is to
+see to it that the two halves fit together? The answer is that the War
+Office are confident "there will be no friction" (bless them!); they
+say, "nothing could be simpler than this arrangement and no difficulty
+is anticipated. Neither is boss and the boundary between the different
+spheres of activity of the two officers might be laid down as the
+high-water mark." (Bless them again!). Have replied:--
+
+"I have struggled with your high-water mark silently for weeks and know
+something about it. Had I bothered you with all my troubles you would, I
+respectfully submit, realize that your proposal is not simple but
+extraordinarily complicated, even pre-supposing seraphic dispositions on
+either side. If you determine finally that these two officers are to be
+independent, I foresee that you will greatly widen the scope of dual
+control which is now only applicable to my great friend the Admiral and
+myself.
+
+"Either Babtie must order up the ships when and where he wants them, or
+Porter must order the wounded down when he is ready for them. This is
+my considered opinion."[24]
+
+Have also sent an earnest message to K.--just the old, old story--saying
+that what I want _first_ is drafts, and only _second_ fresh divisions.
+My old Chief has been his kind self again:--so very considerate has he
+been in his recent messages that I feel it almost brutal to press him or
+to seem to wish to take advantage of his goodness. But we are dealing
+with lives of men and I _must_ try and make myself clear:--
+
+"I am anxious with regard to the question of reinforcements for units.
+During the period 28th to 30th June, the Brigades of the XXIXth and
+Lowland Divisions dropped in strengths approximately as follows:--86th
+from 71 officers, 2,807 others to 36 and 1,994; 87th from 65 and 2,724
+to 48 and 2,075; 88th from 63 and 2,139 to 46 and 1,765; 156th from 102
+and 2,839 to 30 and 1,399. All Officers who have arrived from England to
+date are included in the above figures. Maxwell has agreed to let me
+have 80 young Officers from Egypt. Of the other ranks I have no
+appreciable reinforcements to put in. This is the situation after an
+operation carried out by the XXIXth and two brigades of LIInd Divisions,
+which was not only successful but even more successful than we
+anticipated; wherein the initial losses on 28th June were comparatively
+small, namely 2,000, but as the result of numerous counter-attacks day
+and night, have since swelled to some 3,500.
+
+"The drafts promised in your No. 5793, A.G.2a, would, provided there
+were no more casualties, bring the units of the XXIXth Division to
+approximately 75 per cent. of establishment, but would leave none
+available as further reinforcements.
+
+"In view of the operations on a larger scale, with increased forces, I
+feel I should draw your attention to the risk introduced by the theatre
+of operations being so far from England. I have no reserves in base
+depots now, while the operations we are engaged in are such that heavy
+casualties are to be expected. The want of drafts ready on the spot to
+fill up units which have suffered heavily might prevent me pressing to
+full advantage as the result of a local success. At a critical moment I
+might find myself compelled to suspend operations until the arrival of
+drafts from England. This might involve a month and in the meantime the
+enemy would have time to consolidate his position. The difficulty of the
+drafts question is fully realized, but I think you should know exactly
+how I am placed and that I should reflect and make clear the essential
+difference between the Dardanelles and France in so far as the necessity
+of mobilizing first reinforcements for each unit is concerned. Our real
+need is a system which will enable me to maintain drafts for the
+deficiencies in depots on my lines of communications with Egypt."
+
+If K. did not want brief spurts sandwiched between long waits, all he
+had to do was to tell his A.G. to see to it that the XXIXth Division was
+kept up to strength. A word and a frown would have done it. But he has
+not said the word, or scowled, and the troops have by extraordinary
+efforts and self-sacrifice carried through the work of strong battalions
+with weak ones--but only to some extent. That is the whole story.
+
+_4th July, 1915. Imbros._ Church Parade this morning. Made a close
+inspection of the Surrey Yeomanry under Major Bonsor. Even with as free
+a hand as the Lord Almighty, it would be hard to invent a better type of
+fighting man than the British Yeomanry; only, they have never been
+properly appreciated by the martinets who have ruled our roost, and
+chances have never been given to them to make the most of themselves as
+soldiers.
+
+The Escort was made up of men of the 29th Division under Lieutenant
+Burrell of the South Wales Borderers--that famous battalion which
+stormed so brilliantly de Tott's battery at the first landing,--also of
+a detachment of Australians under Lieutenant Edwards and a squad of New
+Zealanders under Lieutenant Sheppard, fine men all of them, but very
+different (despite the superficial resemblance imparted by their slouch
+hats) when thus seen shoulder to shoulder on parade. The Australians
+have the pull in height and width of chest; the New Zealanders are
+thicker all through, chests, waists, thighs.
+
+After Church Parade, boarded H.M.S. _Basilisk_ (Lieutenant Fallowfield)
+and steamed to Helles. The Turks, inconsiderate as usual, were shelling
+Lancashire Landing as we got ashore. Every living soul had gone to
+ground. Strolled up the deserted road with an air of careless
+indifference, hopped casually over a huge splosh of fresh blood, and
+crossed to Hunter-Weston's Headquarters. Had I only been my simple self,
+I would have out-stripped the hare for swiftness, as it was, I, as
+C.-in-C, had to play up to the dugouts. As Hunter-Weston and I were
+starting lunch, an orderly rushed in to say that a ship in harbour had
+been torpedoed. So we rushed out with our glasses and watched. She was a
+French transport, the _Carthage_, and she took exactly four minutes to
+sink. The destroyers and picket boats were round her as smart as flies
+settle on a lump of sugar, and there was no loss of life. Sad to see the
+old ship go down. I knew her well at Malta and Jean once came across in
+her from Tunis. She used to roll like the devil and was always said,
+with what justice I do not know, to be the sister ship to the _Waratah_
+which foundered so mysteriously somewhere off the Natal coast with a
+very good chap, a M.F.H., Percy Brown, on board. At 2.30 General
+Bailloud, now commanding the French, came over to see me. When he had
+finished his business which he handles in so original a manner as to
+make it a recreation, I went off with Hunter-Weston and Staffs to see
+General Egerton of the Lowland Division. Egerton introduced me to
+Colonel Mudge, A.A.G., Major Maclean, D.A.A.G. (an old friend), Captain
+Tollemashe, G.S.O.3, and to his A.D.C., Lieutenant Laverton. We then
+went on and saw the 156th Brigade. Passed the time of day to a lot of
+the Officers and men. Among those whose names I remember were Colonel
+Pallin, acting Brigadier; Captain Girdwood, Brigade Major; Captain Law,
+Staff Captain; Colonel Peebles, 7th Royal Scots; Captain Sinclair, 4th
+Royal Scots; Lieutenant McClay, 8th Scottish Rifles. The last Officer
+was one of the very few--I am not sure they did not say the only one--of
+his Battalion who went into the assault and returned untouched.
+
+The whole Brigade had attacked H. 12 on the 28th ult. and lost a number
+of good men. The rank and file seemed very nice lads but--there was no
+mistaking it--they have been given a bad shake and many of them were
+down on their luck. As we came to each Battalion Headquarters we were
+told, "These are the remnants of the----," whatever the unit was. Three
+times was this remark repeated but the fourth time I had to express my
+firm opinion that in no case was the use of the word "remnant," as
+applied to a fighting unit "in being," an expression which authority
+should employ in the presence of the men.
+
+Re-embarked in H.M.S. _Basilisk_ and got back to Imbros fairly late.
+
+A set of Turkish Divisional orders sent by the Turkish General to the
+Commander of their right zone at Helles has been taken from a wounded
+Turkish officer. They bear out our views of the blow that the 29th
+Division have struck at the enemy's _moral_ by their brilliant attack on
+the 28th inst.
+
+"There is nothing that causes us more sorrow, increases the courage of
+the enemy and encourages him to attack more freely, causing us great
+losses, than the losing of these trenches. Henceforth, commanders who
+surrender these trenches from whatever side the attack may come before
+the last man is killed will be punished in the same way as if they had
+run away. Especially will the commanders of units told off to guard a
+certain front be punished if, instead of thinking about their work
+supporting their units and giving information to the higher command,
+they only take action after a regrettable incident has taken place.
+
+"I hope that this will not occur again. I give notice that if it does, I
+shall carry out the punishment. I do not desire to see a blot made on
+the courage of our men by those who escape from the trenches to avoid
+the rifle and machine gun fire of the enemy. Henceforth, I shall hold
+responsible all Officers who do not shoot with their revolvers all the
+privates who try to escape from the trenches on any pretext. Commander
+of the 11th Division, Colonel Rifaat."
+
+In sending on this order to his battalions, the Colonel of the 127th
+Regiment adds:--
+
+"To Commander of the 1st Battalion. The contents will be communicated to
+the Officers and I promise to carry out the orders till the last drop of
+our blood has been shed."
+
+Then followed the signatures of the company commanders of the Battalion.
+There is a savage ring about these orders but they are, I am sure, more
+bracing to the recipients than laments and condolences over their
+losses.
+
+_5th July, 1915. Imbros._ Spent a long, hot day hanging at the end of
+the wire. Heavy firing on the Peninsula last night under cover of which
+the Turks at dawn made, or tried to make, a grand, concerted attack. Not
+a soul in England, outside the Ordnance, realizes, I believe, that
+barring the guns of the 29th Division and the few guns of the Anzacs,
+our field artillery consists of the old 15-prs., relics of South Africa,
+and of 5-inch hows., some of them Omdurman veterans. Quite a number of
+these guns are already unserviceable and, in the 42nd Division, to keep
+one and a half batteries fully gunned, we have had to use up every piece
+in the Brigade. The surplus personnel are thus wasted. To take on new
+Skoda or Krupp guns with these short-range veterans is rough on the
+gunners. Still, but for the Territorial Force we should have nothing at
+all, and but for those guns to-day some of the enemy might have got
+home.
+
+A sort of professional gossip turned up to-day from G.H.Q. France. We do
+not seem to be so popular as we deserve to be in _la belle France!_ But
+what I would plead were I only able to get at Joffre and French is that
+we are "such a little one." Were we all to be set down in the West
+to-morrow with our shattered, torn formations, they'd put us back into
+reserve for a month's rest and training. As for the guns, they'd scrap
+the lot. _They_ don't want ancient 15-prs. and 5-inch hows. out there.
+They picture us feasting upon their munitions, but half of what we use
+they would not touch with a barge pole and, of the good stuff, one
+Division in France will fire away in one day what would serve to take
+the Peninsula.
+
+Braithwaite has a letter from the D.M.I. telling him that 5,000 Russians
+sailed from Vladivostock on the 1st inst. to join us here. One Regiment
+of four Battalions plus one Sotnia of Cossacks. A reinforcement of 5,000
+stout soldiers tumbling out of the skies! Russians placed here are worth
+twice their number elsewhere, not only because we need rifles so badly,
+but because of the moral effect their presence should have in the
+Balkans.
+
+This little vodka pick-me-up has come in the nick of time to hearten me
+against the tenor of the news of to-day which is splendid indeed in one
+sense; ominous in another. The Turks are being heavily reinforced. All
+the enemy troops who made the big attack last night were fresh arrivals
+from Adrianople. I do not grumble at the attack (on the contrary we like
+it), but at the reason they had for making it, which is that two fresh
+Divisions, newly arrived, asked leave to show their muscle by driving us
+into the sea. Full details are only just in. The biggest bombardment
+took place at Anzac. A Turkish battleship joined in from the Hellespont,
+dropping about twenty 11.2-inch shells into our lines. At Helles, all
+night, the Turks blazed away from their trenches. At 4 a.m. they opened
+fire on our trenches and beaches with every gun they could bring to
+bear from Asia or Achi Baba. Their Asiatic Batteries alone fired 1,900
+rounds, of which 700 fell on Lancashire Landing. At least 5,000 shell
+were loosed off on to Helles. A lot of the stuff was 6-inch and over.
+The bombardment was very wild and seemed almost unaimed. Soon after 4
+a.m. very heavy columns of Turks tried to emerge from the Ravine against
+the left of the 29th Division. "It wanted to be the hell of a great
+attack," as one of the witnesses, a moderate spoken young gentleman,
+states. When the Commanders saw what was impending they sent messages to
+Simpson-Baikie begging him to send some 4.5 H.E. shell into the Ravine
+which was beginning to overflow. He was adamant. He had only a few
+rounds of H.E. and he would not spend them, feeling sure his 18 prs.
+with their shrapnel were masters of the field. At 6 a.m. out came the
+Turks, not in lines, but just like a swarm of bees. Our fellows never
+saw the like and began to wonder whenever they were going to stop, and
+what on earth _could_ stop them! Thousands of Turks in a bunch, so the
+boys say, swarmed out of their trenches and the Gully Ravine. Well, they
+were stopped _dead_. There they lie, _still_. The guns ate the life out
+of them.
+
+It was our central group of artillery who did it. As that big oblong
+crowd of Turks showed their left flank to Baikie's nine batteries they
+were swept in enfilade by shrapnel. The fall of the shell was corrected
+by the two young R.A. subalterns at the front, neither of whom would
+observe in the usual way through his periscope. They looked over the
+parapet because that method was more sure and quick, and the stress of
+the battle was great. There is a rumour that both were shot through the
+head: I pray it may be but a rumour. Out of all these Turks some thirty
+only reached our parapets. The sudden destruction which befell them was
+due in the main to the devotion of these two young heroes. At 7.30 a.m.
+the Turks tried to storm again. Some of them got in amongst the Royal
+Naval Division, who brought up their own supports and killed 300,
+driving out the rest. Ninety dead Turks are laid out on their parapet.
+Another, later, enemy effort against the right of the 29th Division was
+clean wiped out. 150 Turks are dead there. But it is on the far
+crestline they lie thick.
+
+Every one of these attacking Turks were _fresh_--from Adrianople! Full
+of fight as compared with their thrice beaten brethren. If the Turks are
+given time to swap troops in the middle of fighting, we can't really
+tell how we stand. Still; they are not now as fresh as they were. They
+have lost a terrible lot of men since the 28th. The big Ravine and all
+the small nullahs are chock-a-block with corpses. Their casualties in
+these past few days are put at very high figures by both Birdie and H.W.
+and it is probable that 5,000 are actually lying dead on the ground. I
+have on my table a statement made by de Lisle; endorsed by Hunter-Weston
+and dated 4th instant, saying that 1,200 Turkish dead can be counted
+corpse by corpse from the left front. The actual numbers de Lisle
+estimates as between 2,000 and 3,000. Now we have to-day's losses to
+throw in. The Turks are burning their candle fast at the Anzac as well
+as the Helles end. Ten days of this and they are finished.[25]
+
+Naturally, my mind dwells happily just now upon our incoming New Army
+formations. Yet every now and then I feel compelled to look back to
+regret the lack of systematic flow of drafts and munitions which have
+turned our fine victory of the 28th into a pyrrhic instead of a fruitful
+affair. When Pyrrhus gained his battle over the Romans and exclaimed,
+"One more such victory and I am done in," or words to that effect, he
+had no organized system of depots behind him from which the bloody gaps
+in his ranks could be filled. A couple of thousand years have now passed
+and we are still as unscientific as Pyrrhus. A splendid expeditionary
+force sails away; invades an Empire, storms the outworks and in doing so
+knocks itself to bits. Then a second expeditionary force is sent, but
+that would have been unnecessary had any sort of arrangement been
+thought out for promptly replacing first wastages in men and in shell.
+
+_6th July, 1915._ From early morning till 5 p.m. stuck as persistently
+to my desk as the flies stuck persistently to me. After tea went riding
+with Maitland. Then with Pollen to dine on board H.M.S. _Triad_. The two
+Territorial Divisions are coming. What with them and the Rooskies we
+ought to get a move on this time. Discoursed small craft with the
+Admiral. The French hate the overseas fire--small blame to them--and
+Bailloud agrees with his predecessor Gouraud in thinking that one man
+hit in the back from Asia affects the _moral_ of his comrades as badly
+as half a dozen bowled over by the enemy facing them. The Admiral's idea
+of landing from Tenedos would help us here, but it is admitted on all
+hands now that the Turks have pushed on with their Asiatic defences, and
+it is too much to ask of either the New Army or of the Territorials that
+they should start off with a terrible landing.
+
+_7th July, 1915._ No escape from the steadily rising flood of letters
+and files,--none from the swarms of filthy flies. General Bailloud and
+Colonel Piepape (Chief of Staff) came across with Major Bertier in a
+French torpedo boat to see me. They stayed about an hour. Bailloud's
+main object was to get me to put off the attack planned by General
+Gouraud for to-morrow. Gouraud has worked out everything, and I greatly
+hoped in the then state of the Turks the French would have done a very
+good advance on our right. The arrival of these fresh Turkish Divisions
+from Adrianople does make a difference. Still, I am sorry the attack is
+not to come off. Girodon is a heavy loss to Bailloud. Piepape has never
+been a General Staff Officer before; by training, bent of mind and
+experience he is an administrator. He is very much depressed by the loss
+of the 2,000 quarts of wine by the Asiatic shell. Since Gouraud and
+Girodon have left them the French seem to be less confident. When
+Bailloud entered our Mess he said, in the presence of four or five young
+Officers, "If the Asiatic side of the Straits is not held by us within
+fifteen days our whole force is _voue a la destruction_." He meant it as
+a jest, but when those who prophesy destruction are _gros bonnets_; big
+wigs; it needs no miracle to make them come off--I don't mean the wigs
+but the prophecies. Fortunately, Bailloud soon made a cheerier class of
+joke and wound up by inviting me to dine with him in an extra chic
+restaurant at Constantinople.
+
+Have told K. plainly that the employment of an ordinary executive
+soldier as Boss of so gigantic a business as Mudros is suicidal--no
+less. Heaven knows K. himself had his work cut out when he ran the
+communications during his advance upon Khartoum. Heaven knows I myself
+had a hard enough job when I became responsible for feeding our troops
+at Chitral, two hundred miles into the heart of the Himalayas from the
+base at Nowshera. Breaking bulk at every stage--it was heart-breaking.
+First the railway, then the bullock cart, the camel, the mules--till, at
+the Larram Pass we got down to the donkey. But here we have to break
+bulk from big ships to small craft; to send our stuff not to one but to
+several landings, to run the show with a mixed staff of Naval and
+Military Officers. No, give me deserts or precipices,--anything fixed
+and solid is better than this capricious, ever-changing sea. The problem
+is a real puzzler, demanding experience, energy, good temper as well as
+the power of entering into the point of view of sailors as well as
+soldiers, and of being (mentally) in at least three places at once:--
+
+"_From General Sir Ian Hamilton to Earl Kitchener. (No. M.F. 424)._
+
+"Private. I am becoming seriously apprehensive about my Lines of
+Communication and am forced to let you know the state of affairs.
+
+"Much of the time of General Headquarters has been taken up during the
+last few days considering matters relating to Mudros and Lines of
+Communication generally. The Inspector-General of Communications must be
+a man of energy and ideas. The new Divisions will find the Mudros
+littoral on arrival better prepared for their reception than it was a
+month ago. The present man is probably excellent in his own line, but he
+himself in writing doubts his own ability to cope with one of the most
+complicated situations imaginable. Please do not think for a moment that
+I am still hankering after Ellison, I only want a man of that type,
+someone, for instance, like Maxwell or Sir Edward Ward. Unless I can
+feel confident in the Commandant of my Lines of Communication I shall
+always be looking behind me. Wallace could remain as Deputy
+Inspector-General of Communications. Something, however, must be done
+meanwhile, and I am sending Brigadier-General Hon. H.A. Lawrence, a man
+of tried business capacity and great character, to Mudros to-day as
+dry-nurse."
+
+I have followed up this cable in my letter to Lord K. of date, where I
+say, "I have just seen Bertie Lawrence who I am sending to reinforce
+Wallace. He is bitterly disappointed at losing his Brigade, but there is
+no help for it. He is a business man of great competence, and I think he
+ought to be able to do much to get things on to a ship-shape footing.
+General Douglas is very sorry too and says that Lawrence was one of the
+best Brigadiers imaginable."
+
+The last sentence has been written, I confess, with a spice of malice.
+When, about a month ago, I had hurriedly to lay my hands on a Commander
+for the 127th Brigade, I bethought me of Bertie Lawrence, then G.S.O. to
+the Yeomanry in Egypt. The thrust of a Lancer and the circumspection of
+a Banker do not usually harbour in the same skull, but I believed I knew
+of one exception. So I put Lawrence in. By return King's Messenger came
+a rap over the knuckles. To promote a dugout to be a Brigadier of
+Infantry was risky, but to put in a Cavalry dugout as a Brigadier of
+Infantry was outrageous! Still, I stuck to Lorenzo, and lo and behold!
+Douglas, the Commander of the East Lancs. Division, is fighting tooth
+and nail for his paragon Brigadier![26]
+
+Since 19th March we have been asking for bombs--any kind of bombs--and
+we have not even got answers. Now they offer us some speciality bombs
+for which France, they say, has no use.
+
+I have replied:--
+
+"I shall be most grateful for as many bombs of this and any other kind
+as you can spare. Anything made of iron and containing high explosive
+and detonator will be welcome. I should be greatly relieved if a large
+supply could be sent overland via Marseilles, as the bomb question is
+growing increasingly urgent. The Turks have an unlimited supply of
+bombs, and our deficiencies place our troops at a disadvantage both
+physically and morally and increase our difficulties in holding captured
+trenches.
+
+"Could you arrange for a weekly consignment of 10,000 to be sent to us
+regularly?"
+
+De Lisle came over to dine and stay the night.
+
+_8th July, 1915. H.M.S. "Triad." Tenedos._ Started off in H.M.S. _Triad_
+with Freddie Maitland, Aspinall and our host, the Admiral.
+
+Had a lovely sail to Tenedos where Colonel Nuillion (acting Governor)
+and Commander Samson, now Commandant of the Flying Camp, came on board.
+After lunch, rowed ashore. There was some surf on and I jumped short,
+landing (if such an expression may pass) in the sea. Wet feet rather
+refreshing than otherwise on so hot a day. Tenedos is lovely. Each of
+these islands has its own type of coasts, vegetation and colouring: like
+rubies and diamonds they are connected yet hardly akin. Climbed Tenedos
+Hill, our ascent ending in a desperate race for the crest. My long legs
+and light body enabled me to win despite the weight of age. Very hot,
+though, and the weight of age has got even less now.
+
+From the top we had an hour's close prospecting of the opposite coasts,
+where the Turks have done too much digging to make landing anything but
+a very bloody business. Half a mile to the South looks healthier, but
+they are sure to have a lot of machine guns there now. The landing would
+be worse than on the 25th April. Anyway, _I am not going to do it_.
+
+On the ground we now have a fair showing of aeroplanes, but mostly of
+the wingless sort. At this precise moment only two are really fit. K.
+has stuck to his word and is not going to help us here, and I can't
+grumble as certainly I was forewarned. Had he only followed Neville
+Usborne's L10,000,000 suggestion, we might now be bombing the Turks'
+landing places and store depots, as well as spotting every day for our
+gunners. But these naval airmen, bold fellows, always on for an
+adventurous attack, are hardly in their element when carrying out the
+technical gunnery part of our work.
+
+Re-embarked, and during our sail back saw a trawler firing at a
+submarine, whilst other trawlers and picket boats were skurrying up from
+all points of the compass. Nets were run out in a jiffy, but I fear the
+big fish had already given them the slip. Cast anchor about 7 o'clock.
+
+Colonel Dick and Mr. Graives dined.
+
+_9th July, 1915._ Spent the morning writing for the King's Messenger. My
+letter to K. (an answer to that of Fitz to me) tells him:--
+
+(1) That we have passed through the most promising week since the first
+landing. The thousand yards' advance on the left and the rows of dead
+Turks left by the receding tide of their counter-attack are solid
+evidences to the results of the 28th ult., and of the six very heavy
+Turkish assaults which have since broken themselves to pieces against
+us.
+
+(2) That Gouraud's loss almost wipes out our gains. Bailloud does not
+attack till next week when he hopes to have more men and more
+ammunition, but will this help us so much if the Turks also have more
+men and more ammunition?
+
+(3) That the Asiatic guns are giving us worry, but that I hope to knock
+them out with our own heavy guns (the French 9.4s and our own 9.2s) just
+being mounted. When the new Monitors come they ought to help us here.
+
+(4) That "_power of digestion, sleeping and nerve power are what are
+essential above all things to anyone who would command successfully at
+the Dardanelles. Compared with these qualifications most others are
+secondary._"
+
+(5) That the British and Australians are marvels of endurance, but that
+I am having to pull the Indian Brigade right out and send them to
+Imbros. Their Commander, fine soldier though he be, is too old for the
+post of Brigadier; he ought to be commanding a Division; and the men are
+morally and physically tired and have lost three-fourths of their
+officers: with rest they will all of them come round.
+
+(6) That Baldwin's Brigade of the 13th Division have been landed on the
+Peninsula and are now mixed up by platoons with the 29th Division where
+they are tumbling to their new conditions quite quickly. They have
+already created a very good impression at Helles.
+
+Godley and his New Zealander A.D.C. (Lieutenant Rhodes), both old
+friends, came over from H.M.S. _Triad_ to lunch. Hunter-Weston crossed
+from Helles to dine and stay the night.
+
+_10th July, 1915. Imbros._ These Imbros flies actually drink my fountain
+pen dry! Hunter-Weston left for Helles in the evening.
+
+Yesterday a cable saying there were no men left in England to fill
+either the 42nd Division or the 52nd. We have already heard that the
+Naval Division must fade away. Poor old Territorials! The War Office are
+behaving like an architect who tries to mend shaky foundations by
+clapping on another storey to the top of the building. Once upon a time
+President Lincoln and the Federal States let their matured units starve
+and thought to balance the account by the dispatch of untried
+formations. Why go on making these assurances to the B.P. that we have
+as many men coming in voluntarily as we can use?
+
+Have refused the request made by His Excellency, Weber Pasha, who signs
+himself Commandant of the Ottoman Forces, to have a five hours' truce
+for burying their piles of dead. The British Officers who have been out
+to meet the Turkish parlementaires say that the sight of the Turkish
+dead lying in thousands just over the crestline where Baikie's guns
+caught them on the 5th inst. is indeed an astonishing sight. Our
+Intelligence are clear that the reason the Turks make this request is
+that they cannot get their men to charge over the corpses of their
+comrades. Dead Turks are better than barbed wire and so, though on
+grounds of humanity as well as health, I should like the poor chaps to
+be decently buried, I find myself forced to say no.
+
+Patrick Shaw Stewart came to see me. I made Peter take his photo. He was
+on a rat of a pony and sported a long red beard. How his lady friends
+would laugh!
+
+  END OF VOL. I.
+
+
+
+
+FOOTNOTES:
+
+[1] Except in a small way at some foreign manoeuvres.
+
+[2] The letters, cables, etc., published here have either: (_a_) been
+submitted to the Dardanelles Commission; or, (_b_) have been printed by
+permission.--_Ian H._
+
+[3] I.e. after the others had come in.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[4] More than four years after this was written a member of a British
+Commission sent out to collect facts at the Dardanelles was speaking to
+the Turkish Commander-in-Chief, Djavad Pasha. In the course of the
+conversation His Excellency said, "I prefer the British to the Germans
+for they resemble us so closely--the Germans do not. The Germans are
+good organisers but they do not love fighting for itself as we do--and
+as you do. Then again, although the Turks and British are so fond of
+righting they are never ready for it:--in that respect also the
+resemblance between our nations is extraordinary."--_Ian H_., 1920.
+
+[5] Arrangements.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[6] Since these early days, Birdwood has told me he does not think a
+scheme of an immediate landing could have been carried out.--_Ian H.
+1920._
+
+[7] Para. 2. "Before any serious undertaking is carried out in the
+Gallipoli Peninsula all the British military forces detailed for the
+expedition should be assembled so that their full weight can be thrown
+in."
+
+[8] An Indian word denoting anxious thought.
+
+[9] Enemy.
+
+[10] Kudos.
+
+[11] The 1st Manchesters.
+
+[12] This was my original draft; it was slightly condensed for cyphering
+home.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[13] I wanted very much to get this brave fellow a decoration but we
+were never able to trace him.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[14] Quoted on pp. 62-63.
+
+[15] Captured by the Gurkhas five days later--by surprise.--_Ian H.,
+1920._
+
+[16] This was by General Hunter-Weston's order: the machine guns of the
+enemy had too good a field of fire.--_Ian. H., 1920._
+
+[17] Long afterwards I heard that a responsible naval officer, being
+determined that this instance of lack of method should be brought to my
+personal notice, had hit upon the plan of ordering the Fleet-sweeper
+crew to do what they did.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[18] I learnt afterwards that great play had been made with this third
+paragraph of my cable by the opponents of the Dardanelles idea; in doing
+so they slurred over the words "at present," also the fifth paragraph of
+the same cable, overleaf.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[19] The Fifth Lancs Fusiliers were also working with this Brigade and
+behaved with great bravery.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[20] See page 302.
+
+[21] Stated no more Japanese bombs could be supplied.
+
+[22] All this was based, be it remembered, upon a complete misconception
+of the state these two divisions, formerly, good, afterwards destined to
+become splendid, had been allowed to fall into. No one at the
+Dardanelles, least of all myself, had an inkling that since I had
+inspected them late in 1914 and found them good, they had passed into a
+squeezed-lemon stage of existence and had ceased to be able "to press
+forward to Chanak." The fact that they were at half strength and that
+the best of their officers and men had been picked out for the Western
+theatre was unknown to us at the Dardanelles.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[23] See Appendix I for the exact facts which were not known to me until
+long afterwards.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[24] The considered opinion proved right.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[25] This period fell between two of my despatches. As most writers have
+naturally based themselves on those despatches, the full understanding
+of the blows inflicted on the Turks between June 29th and July 13th has
+never yet been grasped; nor, it may be added, the effect which would
+have been produced had the August offensive been undertaken three weeks
+earlier.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+[26] Lawrence never looked back. After his good work at Mudros I put him
+in to command the 53rd Division, and the War Office made no objection, I
+suppose because they were beginning to hear about him. As is well known,
+he went on then from one post to another till he wound up gloriously as
+Chief of the General Staff on the Western Front.--_Ian H., 1920._
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's Gallipoli Diary,  Volume I, by Ian Hamilton
+
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