Krithia was a key objective in the land offensives; a killing ground greater than Anzac or Suvla. This book adds to the Gallipoli story and the preceding Battleground books on that campaign by recounting not only the landings at Helles of 25 April 1915, but also the subsequent bitter battles that followed in an attempt to capture the village and the vital high ground of Achi Baba. General Hunter-Weston's weakened 29th Division achieved little during the first two bloody battles of Krithia, even when reinforced by the Anzacs, 42nd Division, Royal Naval Division and the French.
The allies had little to show from their costly daylight frontal attacks, apart from a slightly firmer footing ashore and a growing casualty list. As the military situation looked to degenerate into a Western Front style stalemate, General Sir Ian Hamilton pushed for a final battle of Krithia. Using Hunter-Weston's newly formed VIII Corps, and General Gouraud's French Corps Expeditionnaire d'Orient, the Third Battle of Krithia launched on 6 June 1915. Despite a promising start, the attack soon collapsed against a stubborn Turkish defence, and although some lessons had been learnt from earlier failures; underestimation of the enemy was not one of them.
This is the true story, told using a rich mix of letters, diaries, photographs and maps, of Gallipoli's most costly battles. Gallipoli today is an exquisitely beautiful and tranquil place, with its turquoise waters, stretches of sandy beaches, wild flower covered meadows and pine forested heights, such a contrast to what occurred here over a hundred years ago.
About the Author
Stephen Chambers is one of the leading military historians of the Gallipoli campaign. Although this is his prime passion, he has also a great interest in British military history from the Crimea to the Second World War. His first book, Gallipoli - Gully Ravine won high acclaim, along with the follow-on volumes: Anzac The Landing and Suvla: August Offensive. His most recent work in the series is Walking Gallipoli, a single volume companion for the cambering, particularly useful to the battlefield visitor.
He is a committee member of the Gallipoli Association and has led numerous tours to the Gallipoli battlefields. His interest in British military history over many years resulted in a major book, Uniforms & Equipment of the British Army in World War One, the first extensive serious work on the subject. When he is not writing and researching, Stephen is walking the battlefields in the footsteps of those who trod before, whether in the grasslands of Zululand, amidst the mud of Flanders or on the beaches and heights of Gallipoli.
Industry Reviews
"...a fairly quick but worthwhile read. In my mind it converted Gallipoli from a name in a long-ago war to a place in which people to whom I can relate fought and died. Formerly seeming unfathomably remote, I can now envision it as a site at which tourists can learn, appreciate, and pay homage."--Jim Gallen "Roads to the Great War"
