ON May 19th the Turks made the heaviest attack on the Anzac lines that was ever made during the campaign. Their intention was, it was found later, to "drive the Anzacs into the sea."
By May 18th the Turks had 42,000 men ready to attack along the whole length of the Anzac front, whilst the Anzac soldiers numbered only 17,000. The Anzacs had not been aware of this coming attack by the Turks, but by a lucky chance it happened that a British aeroplane flew over the Gallipoli Peninsula on May
18th. Aeroplanes were not used very much in war in those days but this one had been sent on a special job.
The pilot saw thousands of Turkish soldiers camped in the valleys behind the Turkish trenches, waiting to take part in the attack. These troops could not be seen from the Anzac trenches, of course, and it was only a lucky flight by the aeroplane that discovered them. The Turkish plan was to attack all along the Anzac front at half past three in the morning, which was just before daylight.
At night, when there is no battle in progress, soldiers take it in turns to sleep, but for half an hour before daylight, which is the best time for attacking, all soldiers
"stand-to". That means that they are all awake and ready with their rifles in case of attack. The Anzacs bad been standing to at 3.30 a.m. every morning, but when they
heard of the Turkish soldiers it was decided to "stand-to" half an hour earlier, that is at 3 o'clock instead of half past three, which happened to be the time the Turks
had fixed for their attack.
Arrangements had also been made for soldiers in reserve to be brought up close to the firing line so that they could be moved quickly to any place they were needed when the battle started. So while the Turks were silently crowded in their trenches for their secret attack, as they thought, the Anzacs were awake and alert, with their rifles and machine guns ready for use.
Just before dawn shadowy figures were seen in the valley in front of the
Anzac trenches and the pale light was reflected from hundreds of long thin Turkish bayonets. From the Anzac line two shots
rang out, and then a shout. The trenches overlooking the gully opened fire and the alarm was thus given.
Presently, in the dim light, Turkish troops were seen all along the Anzac front advancing across "no-man's-land", that is the land between the Anzac and Turkish trenches. A tremendous volume of rifle and
machine gun fire at once met them and the attack by the Turks was slowed down at all points. The Turks in many places came on with shouts and blowing of bugles but the Anzacs remained steady and reserved their fire until the enemy were at close range, when their aim would be more certain.
At some places where the Turkish and Anzac trenches were very close together a few Turks managed to reach our trenches but were soon dealt with. At Courtney's Post, on the left, where the trenches were very close the attack was probably fiercer than anywhere else. There was no level ground in front of the post and the scrubby broken slope gave the enemy a chance of approaching unseen. At about four o'clock a rush at
Courtney's was made by the Turks who, reaching the trench, hurled bombs into it, killing and wounding some of the men. In the confusion, a number of Turks leapt into the trench, so that a dozen yards of the trench became filled with the enemy, but they could not move either to right or left.
On one side Australians were firing at them
whilst on the other side, a private of the 14th Australian battalion, Albert
Jacka, was holding them back single-handed. Others soon came to help Jacka
by throwing two bombs at the Turks and during the confusion caused by the smoke and noise
Jacka leapt into the trench shot five Turks, bayoneted two, and the remainder of the Turks scrambled out of the trench. For this very brave action, Albert
Jacka was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest award that can be bestowed on any British
soldier. It was the first Victoria Cross awarded to an Australian in the 1914-1918 War.
By five o'clock in the afternoon the attempt to rush the Anzac lines and "drive them into the sea"
had failed. Of the 42,000 Turkish troops who had hemmed in the Anzac position at dawn, some 10,000 had been killed or wounded. The Anzac troops had lost only 160 killed and 468 wounded. |
