Battle of Chunuk Bair - Prelude

Prelude

On the night of 6 August, at the same time as the British IX Corps began landing at Suvla to the north, the breakout from the Anzac sector was made by units of the New Zealand and Australian Division under the command of General Alexander Godley, who was known for his callous indifference to the plight of his troops. Two columns of troops were directed at two peaks of the dominating ridge which were expected to be captured by dawn on 7 August. Both columns were preceded by a covering force to clear the Ottoman outposts and protect the flanks of the main assaulting force.

The left, or northern, column of the Australian 4th Infantry Brigade and the 29th Indian Brigade, were heading for Hill 971, the highest point on the Sari Bair range. They had the furthest to travel over completely unfamiliar terrain and never got close to their objective. A battalion of Gurkhas from the Indian Brigade, commanded by Major Cecil Allanson, reached a secondary objective, the neighbouring summit of Hill Q, on 9 August but were forced to retreat shortly afterwards.

The right, or southern, column was heading for Chunuk Bair. Though lower than Hill 971, this peak overlooked the north of the Anzac perimeter and was used as a base for an artillery battery. The main Sari Bair ridge extended from Chunuk Bair down into the Anzac sector via Battleship Hill and Baby 700. From Baby 700 the ridge branched towards the beach via the Nek and south to Lone Pine via the line of tenuous Anzac positions known as Quinn's, Courtney's and Steele's Posts. The capture of Chunuk Bair would provide considerable relief to the Anzac sector.