Battle of Gully Ravine
Part of First World War
Date 28 June - 5 July 1915 Location Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey Result Allied victory
Combatants
United Kingdom India	Ottoman Empire
Commanders
Aylmer Hunter-Weston	Unknown
Strength
20,000 [citation needed]	Unknown
Casualties
3,800 [citation needed]	4,100 [citation needed]

The Battle of Gully Ravine was a World War I battle fought at Cape Helles on the Gallipoli peninsula. By June 1915 all thoughts the Allies had of a swift decisive victory over Turkey had vanished. The preceding Third Battle of Krithia and the attack at Gully Ravine had limited objectives and had much in common with the trench warfare prevailing on the Western Front. Unlike previous Allied attacks at Helles, the Gully Ravine action was largely successful at achieving its objectives though at a typically high cost in casualties. “The Great War ” redirects here. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... For other uses, see Gallipoli (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Imperial-India-Blue-Ensign. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Turkey. ... Ottoman redirects here. ... Hunter-Weston at VIII Corps headquarters, Cape Helles, 1915. ... Combatants British Empire Australia British India Newfoundland New Zealand United Kingdom Egyptian labourers[1] France Senegal  Ottoman Empire Commanders Sir Ian Hamilton Lord Kitchener John de Robeck Otto von Sanders Mustafa Kemal Strength 5 divisions (initial) 16 divisions (final) 6 divisions (initial) 15 divisions (final) Casualties 252,000[2] 195... Combatants British Empire France Ottoman Empire Commanders Sackville Carden John de Robeck Otto Liman von Sanders Strength 31 battleships 3 battlecruisers 24 cruisers 25 destroyers 8 monitors 14 submarines 50+ transports Various mines and forts; otherwise Unknown Casualties 6 battleships sunk 3 battleships damaged 1 battlecruiser damaged 1 destroyer sunk... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Landing at Cape Helles Conflict First World War Date 25 April 1915 Place Cape Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey Result British victory The Landing at Cape Helles was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli peninsula by British and French forces on April 25, 1915 during World War I. Helles, at... First Battle of Krithia Conflict First World War Date 28 April 1915 Place Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey Result Turkish victory The First Battle of Krithia was the first Allied advance of the Battle of Gallipoli during World War I. Starting at Helles on April 28, three days after the initial landings... Second Battle of Krithia Conflict First World War Date 6–8 May 1915 Place Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey Result Turkish victory The Second Battle of Krithia continued the Allies attempts to advance on the Helles battlefield during the Battle of Gallipoli of World War I. The village of Krithia and... Third Battle of Krithia Conflict First World War Date 4 June 1915 Place Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey Result Turkish victory The Third Battle of Krithia, fought on the Gallipoli peninsula during World War I, was the final in a series of Allied attacks against the Turkish defences aimed at capturing the... // Combatants British Empire Australia India New Zealand United Kingdom Ottoman Empire Commanders Ian Hamilton Otto von Sanders Mustafa Kemal Strength 4 divisions (initial) 8 divisions (final) Unknown Casualties Suvla: 8,155 Anzac: 12,000+ Total: 20,155+ 12,000 The Battle of Sari Bair, also known as the August Offensive... Battle of Krithia Vineyard Conflict First World War Date 6–13 August 1915 Place Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey Result Turkish victory Gallipoli Campaign Naval operations – Anzac – Helles – 1st Krithia – 2nd Krithia – 3rd Krithia – Gully Ravine – August Offensive – Krithia Vineyard – Lone Pine... Combatants Australia Ottoman Empire Commanders Harold Walker Unknown Strength 1 division Unknown Casualties 2,300 6,000 The Battle of Lone Pine, which took place during the Gallipoli campaign, was the only successful Australian attack against the Turkish trenches within the original perimeter of the ANZAC battlefield, and yet it... Landing at Suvla Bay Conflict First World War Date 6–15 August 1915 Place Suvla, Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey Result Turkish victory The landing at Suvla Bay was an amphibious landing made at Suvla on the Aegean coast of Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey as part of the August Offensive, the... // Combatants Australia Ottoman Empire Commanders Col. ... The Battle of Chunuk Bair was a World War I battle fought between the Turkish defenders and troops of New Zealand and Britain on Turkeys Gallipoli peninsula in August 1915. ... Combatants Britain Ottoman Empire Commanders Beauvoir De Lisle Mustafa Kemal Strength 14,300 Unknown Casualties 5,300 2,600 The Battle of Scimitar Hill(Yusufçuk Tepe) was the last offensive mounted by the British at Suvla during the Battle of Gallipoli in World War I. It was also the... Battle of Hill 60 Conflict First World War Date 21–29 August 1915 Place Gallipoli, Turkey Result Turkish victory The Battle of Hill 60 was the last major assault of the Battle of Gallipoli. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Cape Helles is the rocky headland at the south-westernmost tip of the Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey. ... For other uses, see Gallipoli (disambiguation). ... Year 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday[1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Third Battle of Krithia Conflict First World War Date 4 June 1915 Place Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey Result Turkish victory The Third Battle of Krithia, fought on the Gallipoli peninsula during World War I, was the final in a series of Allied attacks against the Turkish defences aimed at capturing the... Trench warfare is a form of war in which both opposing armies have static lines of defense. ... Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World Wars to describe the contested armed frontier between lands controlled by Germany to the East and the Allies to the West. ...

Prelude

The third battle of Krithia on 4 June had made some progress in the centre of the line at Helles but had failed on the left flank (west) along Gully Spur and Gully Ravine and on the right flank (east) where the French contingent were confronted by a number of strong Turkish redoubts on Kereves Spur. As a prelude to a new offensive the commander at Helles, Lieutenant General Aylmer Hunter-Weston ordered separate limited attacks to advance the flanks. is the 155th day of the year (156th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Hunter-Weston at VIII Corps headquarters, Cape Helles, 1915. ...

On 21 June the French, with overwhelming artillery support, attacked two redoubts controlling the crest of Kereves Spur. They succeeded in capturing Haricot Redoubt but the second objective, the Quadrilateral, was not captured until 30 June. The French suffered 2,500 casualties^{[citation needed]} but the Turks on the receiving end of the bombardment suffered 6,000^{[citation needed]}. is the 172nd day of the year (173rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Artillery (disambiguation). ... This article is about the geometric shape. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 28 June a similar attack was planned for the left flank along Gully Spur, Gully Ravine and neighbouring Fir Tree Spur. The terrain around Gully Ravine (Zigindere to the Turks) was closer to the wild and rough terrain at Anzac Cove than to the ground elsewhere at Helles. The plan was for the British 29th Division and the 29th Indian Brigade to attack along Gully Spur and the ravine while one newly arrived brigade on loan to the 29th Division, the 156th Brigade from the British 52nd (Lowland) Division, would attack along Fir Tree Spur. is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Anzac Cove looking towards Ari Burnu, 1915. ... The British 29th Division, known as the Incomparable Division, was a First World War regular army infantry division formed in early 1915 by combining various units that had been acting as garrisons about the British Empire. ... The British 52nd (Lowland) Division was a Territorial Army division. ...

The battle

Map showing situation of Gully Ravine, Boomerang, Achi Baba Nullah, Haricot

The battle began at 10.45 am on 28 June with a preliminary raid to capture the Boomerang Redoubt on Gully Spur. The general advance commenced shortly afterwards. The artillery fire on Gully Spur was overwhelming and the 2/10th Battalion of the Gurkha Rifles and the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers advanced rapidly a distance of half a mile to a point named "Fusilier Bluff" which was to become the northern-most Allied position at Helles. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 748 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 802 pixels, file size: 203 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 748 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1000 × 802 pixels, file size: 203 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the wooden implement. ... Gurkha Soldiers (1896) Gurkha (or Gorkha) are people from Nepal who take their name from the eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorkhnath. ... The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) was a regiment in the British Army. ...

In the ravine the 1st Battalion of The Border Regiment did not advance as far as those troops on the spur. Their final position was fortified with rocks and boulders and became known as "Border Barricade". The Border Regiment was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 34th (Cumberland) Regiment of Foot and the 55th (Westmoreland) Regiment of Foot. ...

On the right of the advance, along Fir Tree Spur, the battle did not go so well for the British. The inexperienced soldiers of the 156th Brigade lacked artillery support and were massacred by Turkish machine guns. Despite the opposition, they were ordered to press the attack and so the support and reserve lines were sent forward but made no progress. By the time the attack was halted the Brigade was at half strength, having suffered 1,400 casualties^{[citation needed]} of which 800 had been killed. Some battalions were so depleted they had to be merged into composite formations. When the rest of the 52nd Division landed, the commander, Major General Granville Egerton, was enraged at the manner in which his 156th Brigade had been sacrificed. A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ...

The Counter-Attacks

Gully Ravine became the scene of vicious and bloody fighting as the Turkish commenced a series of counter-attacks on the night of 1-2 July. Two soldiers of the 1st Battalion, the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, Captain Gerald O'Sullivan and Corporal James Somers, were awarded the Victoria Cross for recapturing a trench taken by the Turks during a counter-attack. is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers Motto: Nec Aspera Terrent (By Difficulties Undaunted) In 1688 the inhabitants of Inniskillen, Ireland, organized a town millitia to defend the area aginst James II. The millitia fought the enemy with such succes that it was later incorporated into the army of William III as the Inniskilling... Photo submitted by Neil Hutton Gerald Robert OSullivan was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... Photo submitted by Martin Hornby - (Gallaher Cigarette Cards) James Somers was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... For other uses, see Victoria Cross (disambiguation). ...

The Turks, with plentiful manpower in reserve, made incessant counter-attacks culminating with the strongest on 5 July but all were repulsed. The Turkish casualties for the period between 28 June and 5 July are estimated at between 14,000 and 16,000^{[citation needed]} — four times the British losses. Where possible the Turkish dead were burned but a truce to bury them was refused. The British believed the dead bodies were an effective barrier and that Turkish soldiers were unwilling to attack across them. is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 179th day of the year (180th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

After the counter-attacks ceased, the front line stablised and remained largely static for the rest of the Gallipoli campaign although both sides engaged in a vigorous mining war around the ravine.

Achi Baba Nullah

Hunter-Weston had one final fling at Helles. Once the two remaining brigades of the 52nd Division had landed (the 155th and 157th Brigades) he planned a new attack for 12 July in the centre of the line east of the Krithia Road and along Achi Baba Nullah (also known as Kanli Dere and Bloody Valley) where the Royal Naval Division had spent most of its time at Helles and suffered so badly during the third battle of Krithia. is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The British 63rd (Royal Naval) Division was a First World War division of the New Army. ...

The plan was for one brigade to attack in the morning and the other to attack in the afternoon so that the full weight of artillery support could be lent to each brigade. The 155th Brigade would attack at 7.35 am and the 157th at 4.50 pm.

Both attacks began well with the capture of the first Turkish trench but descended into chaos and confusion as, in a repeat of the April and May Helles battles, the troops advanced too far, lost contact and came under artillery and machine gun fire. The next morning confusion and panic resulted in a disorderly retreat which was eventually halted but Hunter-Weston ordered the advance to resume and sent the battered Royal Naval Division in again. They suffered a further 600 casualties^{[citation needed]} on this occasion but the line was stabilised.

By the end of the battle, one third of the 52nd Division had become casualties. General Egerton was temporarily dismissed from his command of the division for protesting at the treatment of his troops.

Aftermath

In late June General Hunter-Weston departed his command of the British VIII Corps, suffering some indeterminate ailment. This marked the end of Helles as the main front at Gallipoli. The British attempted no more major offensives there for the remainder of the campaign. The fighting now concentrated along the Sari Bair range and at a new landing at Suvla. In support of this new offensive in August, a diversionary attack was made at Helles which resulted in heavy fighting around Krithia Vineyard. Helles was finally evacuated on 8 January 1916. The British VIII Corps was an army corps formation that existed during World War I and World War II. World War I The VIII Corps was first formed at Gallipoli during World War I. The main British battle front was at Cape Helles on the tip of the Gallipoli peninsula. ... Battle of Sari Bair Conflict First World War Date 6–29 August 1915 Place Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey Result Turkish victory The Battle of Sari Bair, also known as the August Offensive, was the last attempt made by the British to seize control of the Gallipoli peninsula from Turkey during... Battle of Krithia Vineyard Conflict First World War Date 6–13 August 1915 Place Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey Result Turkish victory Gallipoli Campaign Naval operations – Anzac – Helles – 1st Krithia – 2nd Krithia – 3rd Krithia – Gully Ravine – August Offensive – Krithia Vineyard – Lone Pine... is the 8th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ...

References

This article does not cite any references or sources. (January 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Chambers, Stephen J.,Gully Ravine - Gallipoli Pen & Sword Books Ltd (2003) Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...