TRENCHES ON CHUNUK BAIR
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"Soldiers in a trench - Çanakkale”, picture reproduced from “The War Magazine”, (Istanbul-2004), p. 56
That night, the Wellington Regiment from New Zealand occupied the Turkish trenches by surprise attack. This occurred despite there being 12 Turkish battalions in the area. However, they were mixed up. When the New Zealanders occupied the trenches in the attack, the Turks did not know if they were friend or enemy. One Turkish officer watching the
Last updated : 18/04/08
“The trench (in foreground) reached by the New Zealanders on the crest South of Chunuk Bair. The New Zealanders had originally climbed to the Apex (seen in centre) through very steepvalleys from Nr 3 and 1 Posts. On August 8 they attained the trench here shown but were shot out of it by fire from Chunuk Bair (behind the reader) and from its southern shoulder (on left of picture). Their support line however held on about 30 yards behind the crest, above the head of the Sazlı Dere, the steep depths of which are here hidden by the curve of the summit”, picture reproduced from "Gallipoli Mission", (Crows Nest 1990), Charles E. W. Bean, p. 234
action reported to Mustafa Kemal, "Some men are moving from the seaside along Sahin Sirti to Chunuk Bair and I do not know whether they are enemy or Turks." Later on, the same officer said that they were digging on Chunuk Bair. Mustafa Kemal thought they were enemy troops and worried about the confusion there.
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