OFFICIAL HISTORY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 113, 12 April 1929, Page 7

OFFICIAL HISTORY

CAMPAIGN ON GALLIPOLI.

COURAGE OF THE ANZACS. DECISIONS OF 1915. (United Press Association.—By Electris Telegraph.—Copy r i ght.) (United Service.) LONDON, April 10.. The first volume of the Official History of the Gallipoli Campaign has been issued. There is an admirable preface by Brigadier-General AspinallOglander, who was chief general staff officer during the evacuation. The preface gives full credit to the superb courage of the Anzacs, in co-operation with the English forces, and the composition of the Australian and New Zealand units and their States and Provinces of origin are fully detailed. The preface points out that the campaign’s lack of success was due greatly to the neglect of tire age-old principles of war. All the belligerents displayed heroism and self-sacrifice reaching the topmost pinnacle of human endeavour.

It' is contended, that a wiser policyin 1915 would have been to regard the importance of the Western f ront as latent and cancel the spring offensive in France in favour of a temporary defensive, while striking a strong sudden blow at the Near East to destroy Turkey, succor Russia, and rally the Balkans to the Entente. When the crucial decision had to be made the British Government lacked an authoritative General Staff at the War Office to supply a broad general view of the military situation. For this reason, with barely enough munitions for one theatre, offensives were simultaneously undertaken in two, neither attaining success.

It is doubtful whether any army ever operated under more demoralising conditions' than faced General Hamilton’s forces at the Dardanelles. The problem of. 1915 was not incapable of solution. Thrice the issue hung in the balance. A combined naval and military attack, carefully planned before embarkation, and carried out under surprise conditions, could scarcely have failed.

The Mediterranean Expeditionary Force in Gallipoli, with a smaller casualty list than was incurred on the first day of the battle of the Somme in 1916, destroyed the flower of the Turkish army, safeguarded the Suez Canal, and laid the foundation of Turkey’s final defeat. It is stated that tile first estimate of the Turkish forces opposing the 15,000 Anzacs on April 25 was 20,000 men. Later statistics placed the number at 13,000. Something not previously disclosed is the service rendered in the nick "of time by the Australian submarine AE2. During the landing of the main Anzac body a Turkish battleship intermittently shelled the anchorage and compelled the transports to change their positions. . But to the amazement of the watchers it ceased to fire when causing most annoyance. It was later ascertained that this was directly due to the AE2’s passage up the Narrows. The Turkish battleship „ sighted her periscope near Chanak and incontinently ran for safety. Thus the submarine directly assisted in th» Anzac landing.