27 April 1915

ANZAC - The arrival of Turkish reinforcements allowed Colonel Mustafa Kemal to attempt to drive the invaders into the sea'. Yet when his troops began to deploy on 27 April they encountered many of the same problems that had thwarted the Australian attempts to advance two days earlier. Before the start of the battle the Turkish regiments became dispersed amongst the broken ground to the east of the Anzac line and as a result they were late arriving at their starting points.



 

 

Photograph: The picture shows the 15" guns of HMS Queen ELizabeth - the Lousy Lizzie referenced below.

This confusion was then exacerbated by the fire of the British warships which caused not only serious casualties, but also badly damaged their morale. The combination of these problems made the attacks so disconnected and irresolute that the ANZAC Corps Headquarters did not realise that this was a determined attack. At the front though it was a different matter as reflected in the memories of Captain Dixon Hearder who was in command of a machine gun section of the 11th (Western Australia) Battalion.

"After a heavy bombardment all the morning, attacks were made in force on our right and left. First the right wing broke and we had the mortification of seeing our boys retire at a double. I ordered my gun to swing round and we checked the pursuit by pouring in a heavy enfilade fire on the pursuing Turco. This broke him up and gave our boys time to collect and take up a fair position which their supports had managed to get ready. Just then we noticed that the new line was in the rear of us, so that our position, which had been isolated all through was now liable to a daring enfilade on the right. We at once started digging and throwing up a parapet to meet this new danger, when I was thunderstruck to see our left, which had been really well reinforced, give way and retreat. You can guess our opinion of our chances. There we were, out in front, dug right in, no protection on our right or left and enfilade fire coming on us and our retreating troops. When suddenly the "Lousy Liz" lost her name for ever. She is now "The Lady." Like a bolt from the blue a 15" shell fell fair in among the pursuing enemy. Before they could rally another fell, then another. A panic set up and the momentary triumph of John Turco was over." (Captain Dixon Hearder, 11th (Western Australia) Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Division, AIF)

 

---

SOURCE: IWM DOCS: D. Hearder, Typescript account, Landing of the 3rd Brigade, p.10

Peter Hart