The Landing and Retreat
After having completed four and a half months of their training in Egypt, the Anzac troops departed by ship for the Gallipoli Peninsula. On the 25th of April 1915, they rowed ashore towards the steep slopes at a small bay that later became known as ANZAC Cove. Strong ocean currents and the element of confusion forced the landing to take place two kilometres north from the planned landing at Gaba Tepe.
The Anzac troops landed ashore to face heavy crossfire from well-positioned Turkish guns on the top of the cliffs. It was thought that the Turks defending the peninsula would be surprised by the invasion, but in fact, the Turks were ready. The Turks held the advantage of their positioning on the heights of the Sari Bair ranges. They rained rifles, cannon and machine-gun fire down the steep cliffs that the Anzac troops were attempting to climb. On just the first day of the invasion, 2000 Australian troops were killed, and many thousands more were injured.
After eight months of fighting, with winter settling in, the Gallipoli battle was a deadlock.
The allied forces decided to withdraw from the campaign of capturing the Gallipoli peninsula. During the night of 19th December 1915 and the early hours of the following morning, the Anzacs successfully evacuated from Gallipoli without a single loss. Overall, 8 709 Australian soldiers were killed during the campaign and 17 924 were wounded.
The first Anzacs arrived at Anzac Cove
at dawn on 25 April
The Anzac troops landed ashore to face heavy crossfire from well-positioned Turkish guns on the top of the cliffs. It was thought that the Turks defending the peninsula would be surprised by the invasion, but in fact, the Turks were ready. The Turks held the advantage of their positioning on the heights of the Sari Bair ranges. They rained rifles, cannon and machine-gun fire down the steep cliffs that the Anzac troops were attempting to climb. On just the first day of the invasion, 2000 Australian troops were killed, and many thousands more were injured.
After eight months of fighting, with winter settling in, the Gallipoli battle was a deadlock.
The allied forces decided to withdraw from the campaign of capturing the Gallipoli peninsula. During the night of 19th December 1915 and the early hours of the following morning, the Anzacs successfully evacuated from Gallipoli without a single loss. Overall, 8 709 Australian soldiers were killed during the campaign and 17 924 were wounded.
The first Anzacs arrived at Anzac Cove
at dawn on 25 April