Turkish counter-attack
A Turkish officer is led blindfolded through the Anzac lines
Why was this image chosen?
It was not hard to decide that one of the ten panels should be given
over to the story of the Turkish counter-attack at Anzac on 19 May
1915. Up until this momentous effort by the Turks to drive the enemy
into the sea, the Anzacs had thought the Turks were using so-called
‘explosive bullets’ which caused terrible wounds. After the
Turkish attack, the Australians realised, as they could see hundreds
of enemy dead in front of their trenches, that their own machine guns
and rifles also caused terrible wounds. Charles Bean wrote of the
changed attitude towards the Turkish soldiers after 19 May:
After the terrible punishment inflicted upon the brave but futile
assaults all bitterness faded … The Turks displayed an admirable
manliness … From that morning onwards the attitude of the Anzac
troops towards the individual Turks was rather that of opponents in a
friendly game.
[Charles Bean, The Story of Anzac, Vol II, Sydney, 1924, p.162]
Turkish counter-attack
Countless dead, countless!
It was impossible to count.
Memish Bayraktir, Turkish soldier
By mid-May the initial
attempt to seize the Dardanelles had failed. The British clung to the small
gains they had made. The Turkish army now mounted a major attack to drive the
Australians and New Zealanders from Anzac.
In the darkness of the early hours
of 19 May, Turkish soldiers advanced in waves on their enemies. The Turks were
met with a concentrated fire that kept them from entering the Anzac trenches,
except in one or two places.
For about six hours the Turks pressed their attack
only to be driven back. Over 10,000 Turkish soldiers were hit and an estimated
3,000 lay dead between the lines. In this battle the Australians and New Zealanders
lost 160 dead and 468 wounded. The Turkish bodies lay out in the open sun until
24 May when a truce was arranged to permit burial of the dead.
A Turkish officer is led
blindfolded through the Anzac lines to discuss a truce to bury the Turkish dead
after the attack of 19 May 1915.
(Australian War Memorial H03952)
TÜRKLERIN KARSI SALDIRISI
Sayisiz ölüler, sayisiz!
Saymak mümkün degildi.
Memis Bayraktar, Türk Askeri
Vakit öglen oldugunda Çanakkale
bogazini ele geçirmek için yapilan ilk saldiri basarisizlikla
sonuçlanmisti. Ingilizler elde ettikleri ufak mevzilere tutunmuslardi.
Türk ordusu, Avustralya ve Yani Zelandalilari Anzak’tan çikarmak
için büyük bir karsi saldiriya girismekte kararliydi.
19 Mayis sabah erken saatlerde, daha
gün agarmadan Türk askerleri dalgalar halinde düsmanlarina karsi
hücuma giristiler. Fakat karsilastiklari yogun ates, Türklerin Anzak
siperlerine, bir iki nokta disinda, girmelerine olanak vermedi. Türklerin
alti saate yakin süre ile uyguladiklari baskilar her defasinda geri çekilmeyle
sonlandi. 10 binden fazla Türk askeri vuruldu. 3 bin ölü iki
mevzi arasinda yatiyordu. Bu çarpismalarda Anzak kayiplari 160 ölü
ve 468 yarali idi. Türk askerlerinin cesetleri 24 Mayis’a kadar günesin
altinda öylece kaldilar. Bu tarihte, ölülerin gömülebilmesi
için ates kesildi.
19 Mayis 1915 tarihli saldirida ölen
Türk askerlerinin gömülmesi için ateskesi görüsmek
üzere bir Türk subayi gözleri bagli olarak Anzak hatlari gerisine
götürülüyor.
(Avustralya Savas Aniti H03952)
Original Art
Australian War Memorial H03952
