56 – The Appearance of Gallipoli
On January 10, 1915, the British Navy attacked the Heligoland Island.
Starting from this, Britain and Japan launched an all-out offensive. The attack of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was a disaster for the German army, which was active in Asia, Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean.
“Each ship is allowed discretion. From today, all ships of the Allied nations are the targets of our naval guns and torpedoes.”
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In the Red Sea, the Oriental Fleet of Admiral Spee dispersed in individual ships and scattered into the Indian Ocean.
“Even the likes of Japan and other second-rate powers are surrounding us. What should we do?”
“Unless there are special instructions from the homeland, we hold out as long as possible.”
The Chinese ports of Tsingtao and Kiaochow were surrounded by the Japanese army.
“They dare to invade this far? What do they hope to gain?”
Even the colonies in the Pacific couldn’t escape the attacks of the Japanese army.
“We are withdrawing to East Africa.”
Africa was no exception, so German commanders had a tough fight ahead of them.
“Thoroughly avoid the British’s gaze. The more we stay alive, the more burden there is on Britain.”
Even the scattered armed merchant ships and a few battleships in the Atlantic were constantly pursued by the British Navy.
“It’s fortunate that we have the Baltic Sea, otherwise we would have been suffocated.”
The German Navy’s front yard, the North Sea, was completely blockaded by the strength of the British Navy.
But all these fronts were merely secondary and peripheral fronts. Russia, which was responsible for the Eastern front where the fate of the negotiating countries was at stake, was on the verge of collapse.
“All imports and exports have been completely blocked. The Arctic Ocean is treacherous in winter, and Persia is uncooperative with us.”
“What about the Far East?”
“Do you mean moving 8,000 kilometers to the Far East?”
The blockade of the Dardanelles-Bosphorus Strait, which was responsible for 95% of the normal cargo flow, dealt a fatal blow to Russia.
Even so, losing Poland and the Baltic Sea made it difficult for Russia to bear the increasing burden, and the damage was inevitable.
As the British government, they could not help but feel the urgency to resolve this situation as soon as possible.
“If we continue like this, we might see Russia collapse. We need to make the Ottomans stop the blockade of the strait before that happens.”
“What can we do? They are already at war with Russia.”
That’s when Churchill stepped forward.
“Let’s break through the Dardanelles. Wouldn’t that solve the problem?”
Everyone was surprised at Churchill’s words.
If they broke through the Dardanelles and advanced to Constantinople, the weakened Ottoman Empire would surrender at once. The politicians were immediately captivated by Churchill’s plan to cut off all ties with a single move. If they could make the Ottomans surrender at the same time as the outbreak of war, Germany would lean towards compromise instead of dragging out the war. It was not a bad idea.
But the admirals who had to take charge on the field opposed it. Even Admiral von Tirpitz, the top-ranking naval officer, opposed the operation.
If you ask for the reason,
First, it was unrealistic to think that the German and Ottoman armies could pass through the large coastal artillery positions they had built before the war.
But since the British Navy was also planning to land in Germany, which had even greater defensive capabilities, the issue of coastal artillery was probably a good problem to have.
Second, the army was needed for the attack, but the British Army was not ready.
In the end, they had to seek cooperation from France, but the French were not enthusiastic about sending an expeditionary force to the Ottoman Empire due to the shock of the Balkan defeat.
Third, the unreality of the operation itself.
Even if heavily armed battleships could force their way through the strait, lightly armed destroyers, trawlers, and transport ships could not. If these ships were attacked by coastal artillery, the expeditionary force could be isolated in the Ottoman heartland.
Chulchil, who faced opposition from numerous opponents, came up with his own “improvement plan.”
“Then we will break through as a joint fleet. Without the army. Our navy, which boasts the world’s strongest power, is confident.”
It was a more absurd idea than the initial operation plan, but the British government, who was listening to Russia’s cries for help, took this story seriously.
“Whether we like it or not, if we can’t make the Ottoman Empire surrender quickly, Russia won’t survive this year. Minister Chulchil must be confident, so let’s support him.”
“Supporting a fat and unimpressive guy like him. This is something I’ll see in my lifetime.”
When the Cabinet gathered, Chulchil ordered Admiral Sir Cecil Carden, commander of the British Mediterranean Fleet, to prepare for the operation.
“The minister has lost his mind. This is tantamount to suicide.”
The admiral conveyed the meaning that the operation could not be carried out without the cooperation of the army, but he could not refuse the order.
France, although reluctant, also agreed to dispatch the battleships under the command of the Mediterranean Fleet to provide support.
Given the situation, the number of battleships that could be mobilized for the joint fleet reached close to 20.
Chulchil believed that if both countries joined forces, it would be relatively easy to make Constantinople surrender.
The British Mediterranean Fleet gathered its main combat ships, which were scattered in Malta, Alexandria, and Gibraltar, in Alexandria. France also sent its combat ships from Toulon to Alexandria.
“A naval operation alone is dangerous. If we try to break through the Dardanelles without the support of the army, we will end up like a rat trapped in a snake’s den.”
A few people expressed their opposition until the end, but Chulchil’s intention did not waver.
“How many cannons do we have at our disposal? Do you think the Ottomans will stand a chance against us? Coastal artillery can easily suppress their cannons, so don’t worry unnecessarily. Once we break their momentum, they won’t even have the will to rebel.”
Chulchil was confident that the allied fleet, armed with overwhelming technological prowess and equipment as proven by two Opium Wars, would easily defeat the Turks. The feeble display of the Ottoman Empire’s military power thus far only strengthened Chulchil’s conviction.
However, the Ottomans had the German army on their side.
And Germany had spent a considerable amount of time reforming the Ottoman Empire’s military, turning it into a formidable force that was no longer referred to as the “sick man of Europe.”
Chulchil failed to acknowledge this difference.
On January 21st, the allied fleet finally dropped anchor in Alexandria.
Their objective: to break through the Dardanelles Strait.
They began moving at a daunting speed towards the capital of the Ottoman Empire.
*
Ottoman Empire, Gallipoli Peninsula.
“Is this information reliable?”
“It’s confirmed by our headquarters.”
Colonel Mustafa Kemal doubted the information provided by General Sanders. The information had been confirmed by the German Army Intelligence Bureau, the Eastern Information Bureau, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There was almost no possibility of it being wrong.
“The British have gone mad. How dare they aim for the Dardanelles Strait.”
The Ottoman Empire’s army had already constructed powerful fortresses to defend the Gallipoli Peninsula, which was no different from the gateway to the capital.
At the end of last year, there had been a large-scale ammunition supply from the German Empire. Thanks to the ammunition sent specially by the Kaiser, the Ottoman Empire was in a state where it could fight without worrying about ammunition for the time being.
In addition, the Ottoman Navy had closed the strait and conducted mine-laying operations since the start of the war, turning it into a fact that the strait was impassable.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Ottoman army was thoroughly prepared for the defense of Gallipoli in every aspect.
“The problem is the range.”
Colonel Sanders did not assess the Ottoman army’s strength optimistically. Among the 100 coastal cannons, there were only 14 cannons that had sufficient range to engage in proper combat with the British Navy.
The gunners lacked training, and their observation and shooting control relied entirely on their instincts, making them vulnerable. The shortage of trained artillery officers instilled a sense of unease, as even the existing firepower couldn’t be fully utilized.
“But we’ll manage. This is the Ottoman Sea,” said Janders.
He agreed with that point.
The key was how few sacrifices they could make while repelling the enemy.
Janders had a somewhat pessimistic outlook on that.
“Your Excellency, have you arrived?”
“You’ve worked hard,” the Ottoman soldiers saluted the General and Chief of Staff.
Janders was officially treated as the commander of the Chakal garrison, but in reality, it was Colonel Kemal whom the Ottoman soldiers followed.
The group slowly surveyed the Kum Kale Fortress.
When the inspection was almost over, Janders voiced his opinion.
“When they come, we’ll start by smashing the fortress.”
“We can reinforce the trenches in advance.”
“In fact, we need more than that. We should cover parts of the sand battery with sand, so that it can completely conceal the medium-sized cannons from the coalition’s bombardment. Instead, we should make suitable dummy batteries and leave them as spoils for the enemy.”
“What? That’s…”
“After all, we can’t win in a long-range battle. We have to make the enemy think they have maximized their gains and then draw them in for close combat.”
“But, isn’t that too risky? What if the British attempt a landing?”
“We have the Çanakkale,” Janders said.
The Germans on the Western Front had proven how powerful a hindrance the Çanakkale could be.
Furthermore, the terrain of the Gallipoli Peninsula was extremely disadvantageous for the landing forces. Once they moved away from the narrow coast, it was necessary to immediately climb steep hills of tens of meters.
Thinking about the Ottoman army’s position on the hill, the invaders could only taste hell.
“But it’s still dangerous.”
“It is dangerous. But there’s nothing you can gain without taking risks. If you want to show the British a bitter taste, you have to take risks.”
Kemal pondered Vanderse’s proposal for a moment.
Certainly, it wasn’t easy to rely on an inexperienced artillery force to win the battle.
However, if the artillery didn’t serve its purpose, the enemy’s mine clearance speed would increase.
Is it a minefield? Or an attack on the enemy fleet?
Kemal quickly came to a conclusion.
It would be an endless fight if they didn’t repel the enemy.
“I will follow the general’s orders.”
“Not bad.”
After General Vanderse returned to headquarters, Kemal remained at the fortress and began to solidify the general’s instructions.
If this plan succeeded, the enemy would shed tears in the Dardanelles Strait.
Colonel encouraged the soldiers and personally raised the sandbag artillery positions.