Landing at Cape Helles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Landing at Cape Helles |
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| Part of the Gallipoli Campaign | |||||||
 Sedd-el-Bahr fort seen from the bow of SS River Clyde during the landing at V Beach |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom France |
 Ottoman Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Aylmer Hunter-Weston |
 Halil Sami Bey Mahmud Sabri Bey |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 21,000 (by dawn on 26 April) | 4,500 (4:00 p.m. on 25 April) | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| c. 2,000 | 1,898 | ||||||
The Landing at Cape Helles was a major part of the Gallipoli Campaign during World War I. On April 25, 1915, British and French soldiers tried to land on the Gallipoli peninsula. Their goal was to capture the forts that guarded the Dardanelles straits. These straits were a vital sea route.
Cape Helles was at the very tip of the peninsula. It was chosen as the main landing spot. The plan was for the British 29th Division to move inland. They aimed to capture a hill called Achi Baba. But the landing faced many problems. The British commander, Major General Aylmer Hunter-Weston, made some mistakes. Two beaches, V and W, became very dangerous. Even though the Ottoman defenders were few, they fought bravely.
The British managed to get a small foothold. But their plans quickly fell apart. For two months, they fought hard to reach their first goals. However, the Ottoman defenders were too strong. The Allied forces were eventually defeated at Cape Helles.
Why the Battle Happened
The Ottoman Empire Joins the War
At the start of the 1900s, the Ottoman Empire was getting weaker. It had many problems, like political unrest and military defeats. A group of young officers, called the Young Turks, took control in 1908. They wanted to modernize the empire.
Germany started to have more influence in the Ottoman Empire. German officers helped train the Ottoman army. In 1914, the Ottomans secretly agreed to an alliance with Germany. This was against Russia.
Soon after, Britain took two modern battleships. These ships were being built for the Ottoman Navy in British shipyards. This made many people in the Ottoman Empire angry. Germany then offered two of its own cruisers, SMS Goeben and SMS Breslau, as replacements. These German ships sailed to Constantinople (now Istanbul).
In September 1914, the Dardanelles passage was closed by a German commander. This made it clear the Ottomans were siding with Germany. On October 27, the German ships, now renamed, attacked Russian ports. On October 31, 1914, the Ottoman Empire officially joined the Central Powers. Britain and France declared war on November 5.
Allies Plan to Attack the Dardanelles
By late 1914, the war in Europe had become a trench war. The German Empire and Austria-Hungary blocked trade routes to Russia. The Dardanelles, controlled by the Ottomans, was the only warm-water route to Russia.
Winston Churchill, a British leader, suggested a naval attack on the Dardanelles. He wanted to use old battleships that were not needed elsewhere. He hoped this attack would also encourage countries like Bulgaria and Greece to join the Allies.
In January 1915, Russia asked Britain for help against the Ottomans. The Ottomans were attacking in the Caucasus region. So, plans began for a naval show of force in the Dardanelles. This was meant to draw Ottoman troops away from Russia.
Getting Ready for Battle
Ottoman Defenses
The naval attacks on the Dardanelles failed in March 1915. Three battleships were sunk by mines. This made it clear that ground troops were needed. They would help the navy by taking out the forts guarding the straits.
The Ottomans knew the Allies were preparing for a landing. On March 24, Enver Pasha, the Ottoman Minister of War, put all forces around the Dardanelles under one command. This was Marshal Otto Liman von Sanders.
Liman von Sanders changed the defense plan. He wanted a mobile defense. This meant troops would move quickly to respond to landings. He moved his troops at night to avoid Allied spy planes. The Ottoman 9th Division was placed in the southern part of the peninsula. This included the area around Cape Helles.
The Ottomans had trenches, barbed wire, and machine guns ready. They had prepared positions on high ground overlooking the beaches.
Allied Plan for Landing
General Sir Ian Hamilton was the commander of the Allied forces. He decided to make two main landings and two diversions.
The main goal was to capture the Kilitbahir plateau. This high ground overlooked the Ottoman forts in the Narrows.
- The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs) would make a surprise landing further north at Anzac Cove.
- At Cape Helles, British troops would land on five beaches: S, V, W, X, and Y. V and W beaches were the main landing spots. They were at the very tip of the peninsula.
To confuse the Ottomans, diversions were planned:
- The Royal Naval Division would pretend to land at Bulair, the narrowest part of the peninsula. This would make the Ottomans keep troops there.
- French forces would land temporarily at Kum Kale on the Asiatic side of the straits. This would distract Ottoman artillery and delay reinforcements to Gallipoli.
The Allies also prepared for water supply. They brought many mules and carts to carry water.
The Battle Begins
Air Support
Aircraft from the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) helped the landings. They flew patrols over Helles and the Asiatic coast. They used radios to direct naval gunfire. They also bombed Ottoman artillery and camps. The planes took photos and watched the peninsula.
V Beach: A Bloody Start
V Beach was a small beach, only about 300 yards long. It had a low bank and was defended by Ottoman soldiers with four machine guns. The beach was also covered in barbed wire.
The first British soldiers to land were from the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. They came ashore in small boats. The rest of the troops landed from a special ship called the SS River Clyde. This ship was like a "Trojan horse." It had holes cut in its side for soldiers to exit. It also had eleven machine guns on its bow.
The landing was a disaster. As the boats neared the shore, Ottoman guns opened fire. Many soldiers were killed in their boats or as they waded ashore. The River Clyde got stuck, and soldiers trying to get off were shot down. Many drowned because of their heavy equipment.
Despite the heavy losses, some soldiers managed to get ashore. They found shelter under the bank. The British commander, Hunter-Weston, didn't know how bad the situation was at first. He kept sending more troops to V Beach. But the Ottoman fire was too strong. By afternoon, few troops had made it off the River Clyde.
The Ottoman defenders fought bravely. They had good positions and machine guns. They caused huge casualties to the British.
W Beach: The Lancashire Landing
W Beach was on the coast north-west of Cape Helles. It was also heavily defended with barbed wire and trenches. Machine guns were hidden in the cliffs.
The Lancashire Fusiliers landed here. They came in small boats from battleships. As they approached, Ottoman fire swept the beach. Many soldiers were killed or wounded. The barbed wire was still intact, making it very hard to get ashore.
However, some small groups of Fusiliers managed to get through the wire. They reached the sand dunes and captured the Ottoman trenches. Some boats landed further north, where there was less resistance. These soldiers climbed the cliffs and attacked the Ottoman positions from the side.
Naval ships helped by firing shells at the Ottoman trenches. This helped the Fusiliers push forward. By 7:15 a.m., the British had gained some ground. They captured Hill 114, an important position.
More British troops landed at W Beach. They faced more Ottoman resistance, especially around Hill 138. But after heavy fighting and naval bombardments, they captured the Ottoman strongholds there.
The British at W Beach could see the disaster at V Beach. But they couldn't help much. They were ordered to dig in and wait. The British had more soldiers than the Ottomans here. But they didn't push forward as planned. This was due to confusion and the loss of commanders.
S Beach: An Easier Landing
S Beach was inside the Dardanelles straits. It was a small break in the cliffs. This area was not well defended by the Ottomans. Only a small group of soldiers guarded the beach.
British soldiers from the South Wales Borderers landed here. They were supported by the battleship Cornwallis. The landing was successful, with fewer casualties. The soldiers quickly captured an old fort called de Tott's Battery.
From the cliffs, they could see the terrible fighting at V Beach. But their orders were to wait for the main advance from the south. They stayed in their position, even though they could have attacked the Ottomans from behind.
X Beach: A Quiet Start
X Beach was on the Aegean coast, near W Beach. It was a small beach under a low cliff. Only twelve Ottoman soldiers guarded this spot.
The British landing party arrived almost without any problems. The Ottoman defenders were surprised by the naval bombardment. By 6:30 a.m., the British had landed and climbed the cliffs with no casualties.
As they moved inland, they met some Ottoman reserve companies. The British attacked Hill 114 and linked up with the troops from W Beach.
The British commander at X Beach, Brigadier-General W. R. Marshall, expected to be joined by troops from W and V beaches. But he didn't know about the problems there. He ordered his troops to dig in and create a defensive line. Even though the Ottomans were outnumbered, they managed to slow down the British. This gave them time to bring in more soldiers.
Y Beach: A Surprise Landing and Retreat
Y Beach was further north along the Aegean coast. It was close to Krithia, behind most of the Ottoman defenses. The cliffs here were steep, but two gullies offered easy access to the top. This area was undefended.
British troops, including the Plymouth Battalion RND and the King's Own Scottish Borderers, landed here early in the morning. They faced no resistance at first. Scouts moved forward and found no Ottoman soldiers nearby.
The landing force waited for the expected advance from Cape Helles. The area was so quiet that some officers walked close to Krithia without seeing any Ottoman troops.
However, in the afternoon, Ottoman reinforcements arrived. They began to counter-attack the beachhead. The British fought hard, but they ran low on ammunition. During the night, the Ottoman attacks were very strong.
By dawn on April 26, the Ottomans pulled back. But the British had suffered many losses. Some British soldiers started to retreat to the beach. They thought a general evacuation was happening. Even though the troops on the heights were still fighting, the evacuation began. By 11:00 a.m., all British troops had left Y Beach.
Diversions to Confuse the Enemy
Bulair Diversion
To trick the Ottomans, British warships and troop transports gathered off Bulair. They bombarded the area all day. Ships' boats pretended to land soldiers. A British officer even swam ashore at night to light flares. He found that the Ottoman defenses were mostly fake. This diversion worked, keeping Ottoman troops in the area.
Kumkale Diversion
French battleships bombarded Kumkale on the Asiatic shore. French soldiers then landed near a fort. The landing was delayed by strong currents. But the long bombardment had shaken the Ottoman defenders. The French quickly took the fort and village.
The Ottomans counter-attacked fiercely during the night. The French fought them off. The next day, some Ottomans tried a trick. They came forward with white flags, pretending to surrender. But then they attacked the French. The French fought back and took the houses. This diversion caused many casualties on both sides. By April 27, the French had moved to join the British at Helles.
Beşik Bay Diversion
On the night of April 25/26, French ships appeared off Besika Bay. They bombarded the area and pretended to land troops. This kept Ottoman soldiers in the area until April 27. The Ottomans later realized these were tricks. But the diversions still delayed them from sending reinforcements to Helles.
After the Battle
Casualties
The fighting at Cape Helles was very costly. The Ottoman forces lost about 1,898 soldiers. The British suffered around 2,000 casualties in the first two days. Some British battalions, like the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and Royal Munster Fusiliers, lost so many men they had to combine.
Next Steps
The Allies tried another attack on April 28. This was the First Battle of Krithia. The plan was for the British to capture Krithia and Achi Baba. But the plan was not well explained to the commanders.
The advance started quickly. But the British and French met strong Ottoman resistance. The land was difficult, with many ravines. On the left side, British troops were stopped by a machine-gun post. It was later captured by Gurkha soldiers.
By 6:00 p.m., the attack was called off. The Allies had suffered many more casualties. About 14,000 Allied troops were involved. They lost 2,000 British and 1,001 French soldiers.
Victoria Cross Heroes
The Victoria Cross is Britain's highest award for bravery. Six Victoria Crosses were given to soldiers who landed on W Beach. This event became known as "six VCs before Breakfast." These brave soldiers showed incredible courage under fire.
The recipients were:
- Captain Cuthbert Bromley
- Corporal John Grimshaw
- Private William Kenealy
- Sergeant Alfred Richards
- Sergeant Frank Stubbs
- Captain Richard Willis
Six more Victoria Crosses were awarded at V Beach. These were given to sailors and Royal Naval Division men. They tried to keep the bridge of boats together and rescue the wounded. Among them were Commander Edward Unwin and Sub-Lieutenant Arthur Tisdall. Lieutenant Colonel Charles Doughty-Wylie received a posthumous VC for leading the attack to capture Sedd el Bahr. William Cosgrove also received a VC for his bravery.
