The battle for Baby 700 (2/3 May 1915), was an engagement fought during the Gallipoli Campaign of the First World War, between the forces of the British Empire and the Ottoman Empire.
On 25 April 1915, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), conducted an amphibious landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The landing at Anzac Cove was supposed to capture Baby 700, on the third ridge from the Aegean coast on the first day, but Turkish opposition being stronger than expected foiled their plans and they were forced to form a defensive perimeter on the second ridge. Having successfully defended against a Turkish counter-attack on 27 April, they realised it would strengthen their position if they captured Baby 700. The operation was given to the New Zealand and Australian Division, their then strongest formation, supported by the 1st Royal Naval Brigade.
The attack proved a costly failure for the British Empire forces, after the New Zealand troops on the left flank were delayed, resulting in the main assault by the Australians becoming pinned down. A British force was brought up to help reinforce the position, but ultimately, they too were pushed back, leaving a single Australian battalion alone in the forward position. This battalion was subsequently withdrawn under darkness on the evening of 3 May, and the Turks regained the position. For several months a period of stalemate ensued. This lasted until August 1915, when, in conjunction with the Landing at Suvla, the area was attacked again. This time it met with limited success, but the deception raids notably at The Nek and Lone Pine resulted in severe casualties.
Background Strategic situation
Baby 700 is a hill in the Sari Bair range, between Russell's Top and Battleship Hill. It was named after its supposed height above sea level, but its actual height was only .Hutchinson 2006, p.51 The Turkish name for the hill was Kilic Bayir.Fewster, Basarin, Basarin 2003, p. xiii The most direct route to there from the present ANZAC lines was a distance of from Russell's Top through The Nek, a wide piece of high ground between Malone's Gully to the north and Monash Valley to the south.Bean 1941a, p. 584Hart 2011, p. 88
During the Landing at Anzac Cove, Baby 700 was supposed to have been secured by the 3rd Australian Brigade.Hart 2011, p.78 However, heavy Turkish resistance had forced the brigade commander, Colonel Ewen Sinclair-Maclagan, to instead stop and form a defence line on the second ridge. This left Baby 700 in Turkish hands, providing them with a dominant position overlooking the ANZAC beachhead.Bean 1941a, p. 576 That and their other positions at Russell's Top, The Nek and the head of Monash Valley, provided them with a distinct advantage over the ANZACs, to such an extent that the ANZAC posts along the south-west side of Monash Valley (Quinn's, Steel's, Courtney's) had Turkish trenches to their front and rear.Bean 1941a, p. 577
When they landed over the night of 25/26 April, the 4th Australian Brigade had occupied the posts along Monash Valley.Bean 1941a, p. 579 The men defending Quinn's Post were overlooked from the Chessboard on the left, and from the German Officers' Ridge to the right. The Turkish lines were only to their front. Meanwhile the men at Pope's Hill on the opposite slope of Monash Valley, had Turkish positions along Dead Man's Ridge only to their rear.Bean 1941a, p. 578 At this early stage of the campaign the ANZACs' lines were a series of intermittent trenches and posts with large gaps between them which allowed Turkish snipers to infiltrate their rear areas daily. A strong Turkish counter-attack against Anzac Cove was launched on 27 April by Ottoman troops occupying the high ground around Chunuk Bair.Broadbent 2005, pp. 121–122 Following this, it was decided that, in order to make the positions around Monash Valley safe, Baby 700 and those positions overlooking the valley had to be captured.Bean 1941a, pp. 581–582
Allied plans The initial plans called for a large-scale assault on 30 April, which would capture of all of 400 Plateau in the south, along Mortar Ridge to Baby 700, and along the seaward slopes to the coast in the north. The 1st New Zealand Brigade, in the north, the 4th Australian Brigade, in the centre, and the 1st Australian Brigade, in the south, would carry out the assault.Bean 1941a, p. 582 Brigadier-General Harold Walker, who was in command of the 1st Australian Brigade, knew the country and the state of his troops and was doubtful that it would succeed. He asked the commander of the 1st Australian Division, Major-General William Bridges, to come forward and observe the situation for himself. Bridges agreed with Walker and advised the corps commander Lieutenant-General William Birdwood accordingly. After a staff conference the operation as it stood was cancelled.Stevenson 2012, p.121
The attack was then modified, making the capture of Baby 700 the objective. The New Zealand and Australian Division, commanded by Major-General Alexander Godley, as the strongest formation, would conduct the assault at 19:30 on 2 May. As part of this effort, the 4th Australian Brigade was tasked with capturing the territory from Quinn's Post to the summit of Baby 700. At the same time, the 1st New Zealand Brigade would capture the territory between the summit and the sea to the north. A naval gunnery and field artillery bombardment of Baby 700 would begin thirty minutes before the start of the attack. It would be followed ten minutes later by the corps machine-guns, which would provide direct fire support. At 19:15, the bombardment would shift to targets on Battleship Hill and Chunuk Bair. The approach route for the attacking troops was up Monash Valley. The 1st Royal Naval Brigade would support the attacking forces.Bean 1941a, pp. 583–584 From north to south the initial assault units were the New Zealand Otago, the 13th Australian and the 16th Australian Battalions.Bean 1941a, p. 585
Turkish forces Turkish troops holding the area came mainly from the 19th Division, under Mustafa Kemal, who had established his headquarters on the third ridge from Anzac, which had been dubbed "Scrubby Knoll" by the Australians and New Zealanders, and "Kemalyeri" (Kemal's Place) by the Turks.Broadbent 2005, p. 128 Several regiments would be involved in the defence of Baby 700, including the 57th, 72nd and 77th.Turkish General Staff 2004, plate 20
Battle Initial attacks
At 19:15 as the bombardment lifted, the 16th Battalion climbed out of Monash Valley and as they cleared the ridge, came under heavy Turkish small arms fire, from The Nek and the Chessboard to their rear. Advancing a few yards, the battalion started digging in, extending the forward trench of Quinn's Post.Bean 1941a, p. 586 Another section of the battalion occupied an abandoned Turkish trench from the opposite crest, and the rest of the battalion fought and extended their trenches through the night. However, supplying the forward troops was difficult during the night and impossible during daylight, with the Turkish machine-guns firing from their rear.Bean 1941a, p. 587 At daylight the Australians charged another Turkish trench about away, but Turkish machine-guns on Baby 700 opened fire and forced them back. When the Turks started moving forwards towards the Australians trench around 05:00 a shell from an ANZAC battery landed behind them and part of the 16th Battalion withdrew back to their start position.Bean 1941a, pp. 593–594
The 13th Battalion, in the centre, could only initially advance in single file due to the nature of the country. The head of the battalion led by its adjutant, Captain James Durrant, reached the slope of the Chessboard undetected. There, he stopped and counted 250 men, then ordered a right turn and advanced and captured a Turkish trench.Bean 1941a, pp. 587–588 Meanwhile, part of the remainder of the battalion continued towards the Chessboard. A guide left in the valley had been killed and one platoon, with no one to direct them, went to assist the 16th Battalion, who were calling for reinforcements. Another platoon missed the turning, continued up the valley and were never seen again. Durrant, waiting for the rest of the battalion, returned to the valley in time to direct the remainder along the correct route. The 13th Battalion was now in a position to continue the attack, but there was no sign of the New Zealanders.Bean 1941a, pp. 588–589 While they waited, they dug a trench system on Dead Man's Ridge. Their efforts during the night had cost two hundred men.Bean 1941a, p. 591
Elsewhere, the Otago Battalion located on Walker's Ridge, had to move down to the north beach then south into Monash Valley to get into position to start the attack, a distance of around and it was not until 20:45 that they reached their start point.Bean 1941a, pp. 589–590 They climbed out of the valley to the left of Pope's Post, but by now the Turks were ready and opened fire on them. The New Zealanders made several attempts to move beyond the crest and eventually established a rough defence line at the foot of the Chessboard.Bean 1941a, p. 590 There was, however, a gap between the New Zealanders and the 13th Battalion, which was filled at midnight by a company from the 15th Australian Battalion. But like the other assault battalions they were short of where they were supposed to be by now; The Nek, Baby 700 and the head of Monash Valley were still held by the Turks.
Follow up attacks Godley believed the attacks had been partially successful and with a little extra effort they could achieve their objective. As a result, he instructed both brigade commanders to send more troops to support the attack.Bean 1941a, pp. 591–592 At 23:00, a company from the Canterbury Battalion left their trench on Walker's Ridge and headed towards The Nek. Encountering heavy fire from the Turkish positions they returned to their own trenches. In response, Colonel Francis Johnston, the brigade commander, ordered the whole Canterbury Battalion to try again, but the second attempt also failed. At 03:00, the battalion was ordered down into Monash Valley to help the Otago Battalion dig in and construct communications trenches; the leading troops reached them an hour later. They were directed to extend the left of the Otago Battalion's trench at the foot of the Chessboard.Bean 1941a, p. 592 At daylight the Turks could be seen along the Otago trench and opened fire, forcing the battalion and the company from the 15th Battalion back into cover.Bean 1941a, p. 593
At 01:35, Godley assigned two Royal Marine Light Infantry battalions to Colonel John Monash as the 4th Australian Brigade reserve. But the battalions heading up Monash Valley, by now crowded with wounded, did not arrive until dawn.Bean 1941a, p.594 Shortly afterwards, part of the 16th Battalion came running back from the front line, and some of the Marines went with them. By the time order was restored, it was daylight, and the Marines went forward to support the remainder of the 16th Battalion. Caught in the open by Turkish machine-guns to their front and rear, they were forced back. Left on their own and exposed to Turkish fire, small groups of the 16th Battalion started back, and eventually the Turks occupied their trench.Bean 1941a, p. 595