The Forces
New Zealand's involvement in the Gallipoli campaign began after the initial naval attacks on the peninsula by Allied forces. Alongside Australia, New Zealand formed what was know as the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, abbreviated as ANZAC. This force was commanded by Lieutenant General William Birdwood. The composite Australian and New Zealand division was commanded by Major General Sir Alexander Godley. In total, 8500 New Zealanders served at Gallipoli until January 1916.
The New Zealand forces were split into four battalions; Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago. In addition to these, there was a Maori Pioneer Battalion and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles brigade.
The New Zealand forces were split into four battalions; Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago. In addition to these, there was a Maori Pioneer Battalion and the New Zealand Mounted Rifles brigade.
Chunuk Bair
Summit of Chunuk Bair today
The attack on Chunuk Bair was one of the most significant events of New Zealand's involvement in the Battle of Gallipoli. The aim of the attack was to capture the summit of Chunuk Bair and then drive away Turkish defenders from the high ground. After diversionary attacks at Helles and Lone Pine, two covering forces were to capture the foothills at nightfall, August 6 1915. These early movements were carried out by the New Zealand Mounted Rifles and Maori contingent.
However, the rest of the attack was a complete disaster. The two columns charged with attacking the summit faced many difficulties; the British and Indian troops getting lost in the dark on one side, and the column containing New Zealand troops had still failed to group even at dawn on August 7. Despite this, the attack on Chunuk Bair went ahead at mid-morning. Casualties were extremely heavy; yet of the New Zealand forces, the Auckland Battalion got within 200 metres of the summit. When the Wellington Battalion reached the summit under the cover of darkness on August 8 they found it deserted. The few Auckland troops that had made it to the top were shot by Turkish troops. Of the Wellington Battalion, approximately 70 of the 760 men in the unit survived. New Zealand troops managed to hold Chunuk Bair for two days until they were overcome by a massive Turkish counter-attack.
The attack on Chunuk Bair, while an initial victory, was compromised by delays and poor planning from the start. This only served as a reflection of the rest of the campaign.
However, the rest of the attack was a complete disaster. The two columns charged with attacking the summit faced many difficulties; the British and Indian troops getting lost in the dark on one side, and the column containing New Zealand troops had still failed to group even at dawn on August 7. Despite this, the attack on Chunuk Bair went ahead at mid-morning. Casualties were extremely heavy; yet of the New Zealand forces, the Auckland Battalion got within 200 metres of the summit. When the Wellington Battalion reached the summit under the cover of darkness on August 8 they found it deserted. The few Auckland troops that had made it to the top were shot by Turkish troops. Of the Wellington Battalion, approximately 70 of the 760 men in the unit survived. New Zealand troops managed to hold Chunuk Bair for two days until they were overcome by a massive Turkish counter-attack.
The attack on Chunuk Bair, while an initial victory, was compromised by delays and poor planning from the start. This only served as a reflection of the rest of the campaign.
The Defeat
All in all, the Battle of Gallipoli was a huge failure. After the massacre that was Chunuk Bair, the August offensives were the last straw. There were doubts in London about the future on the battle and in November after a sever storm it was decided to withdraw. New Zealand troops left Gallipoli on 19 and 20 December, with the last remaining British troops evacuated on the 8 and 9 of January 1916. The campaign was marked by "ill-defined goals, poor planning, insufficient artillery, inexperienced troops, inaccurate maps and intelligence, over confidence, inadequate equipment and logistics, and tactical deficiencies at all levels", and one could argue that it was doomed from the start. This raises questions about the necessity of the campaign - and once it became obvious that the losses would be huge - how long it was allowed to continue. With this in mind, it becomes difficult to accept that those who lost their lives made sacrifices in the name of freedom and democracy, instead a waste of life for a lost cause. This can be further related to war in general - is there truly a cause that can justify the violence and death it causes?