Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/29/1 - April - July 1915 - Part 2

July 15. Rly commn. from Sofia to Constant.
stopped on July 13. for 4 days. Reason 
given – bringing of troops from Const. to
Gallipoli via Uzun Kenpru.
----
on July 12. Prisoners captured on 12^th by our
8^th A.C. are from 11, 12, 19, 20 Regts ; and by
French - 10^th Regt.

All these had bn previously in 
Peninsula.
----
July 19.  Force from Black Sea.
39. 41. 42 Regts left Const on July 11 - 13.
They wd be here 20^th or 21^st if marched quickly.
[41^st 42 come from Ismid Pandik
area & 39 from betw Scutari & Beikoo
(Black Sea Military Area)]

46^th & 4^th Regts also left Const. on
13-14 July. Maybe here within 3 days 
by July 21, 22.  They are also from Black 
Sea.
----
Enemy knew (I don’t know date) that we
consisted of 4 Australian Bdes & either one or 
two from N.Z.

12

July 20th abt. (some of this is old and uncertain)
Northern Zone. Area around Anzac is 
called by enemy Northern Zone. It extends
from a little S of Bulair along coast to Kum
Tepe. Essad Pasha commands.

At end of May enemys defence ^in N Zone ws divided into 
3 sections. N section: Sazli Dere to abt Quinns 
held by 19 Div.
Central Sectn. Left of N. Sectn to abt 
German Officers Trench.
Held by 5 Div &

[*Turk documents 
at end of war 
seem to show tt 
this was wrong.
C.E.W.B*]

South. Sectn. From & including J. Jolly 
to S. end of Pine Ridge.
Held by the 16 Div.

(Probably this still holds - good reason to believe 
so at any rate as regards 19 & 16 Div.)

Also N or Anarfata Detachment.
S. or K. Tepe Detachment.
and
2nd Divn w some additional arty.
held the South of the zone from Asmak
Dere to Kum Tepe.

Order of battle (see next page).

13

3 bn. 72	19th Div.	18. Regt normally belongs to 6th Div II A.C.
3 bn. 18		27 Regt normally belongs to 9th Div III A.C. It opposed our landing
3 bn. 27
3 bn. 57
3 bn. 13	5th Div	(of II Army Corps).   [Apparently wrong in view of later  documents & Zeki Bey.  CEWB]
3 bn. 14
3 bn. 15
3 bns. 47	16th Div	(of VI A.C.)
3 bns. 48
3 bns. 125
3 bns 77	(Part of  19th Div.)
3 bns 1	2nd Div.	(5 & 6 have gone to S. Zone) ? 1
3 bns 5
3 bns 6

3 bns 64 relieved in firing line by 18 Regt on June 7
1 bn. 45 one Bn at least ws here a month ago. Genly belongs
to 15^th Div V A.C.

(Papers of a man of 33 Regt. were found
in valley S of snipers Ridge on July 2.
They had apptly been lying there some time)

14

4
Distributn of 19^th Divn. Normally pt of 77 Regt.
forms part of 19^th. This acc. to captured
orders ws K. Tepe detachment at end of 
May & prob still is. It is detached from own
divn.

18^th Regt. (formerly 6^th Div. II A.C.) &
27 Rgt (formerly 9 Div III A.C.) seem to 
have been placed in 19^th Divn. 

At beginning of July this Divn ws distributed:
(a) 72 Regt. N from Walkers Ridge.
(b) 18 Regt holding Walkers w its right on

the cliff.
(c) 27 Regt) extended line to Sq. 80 s.5.
(d) 57 Regt)                               (new map)
The line b.c.d. is the arc of circle extending

900 - 1000 yds.
----
Distributn of 5^th Divn. Captured orders directed
5^th Divn to “reinforce trenches of Merkez
Tepe” (Central or H.Q. Hill) & "together w /
19 Divn "to" fire on / enemy at this point."
Merkez Tepe is still unidentified but as
it is fortified & apptly at the pt. of junction of 5 &
19 Divn it may be Hill 180 (Sq. 180. n. new 
map)

At end of June an intelligent Gk deserter sd
tt only the 14 Regt of 5 Divn was in / firing line. 

15

13 & 15 Regts were in reserve near Mal Tepe.
There is some confirmatn of this - tt the 5 Div.
holds v. little of firing line.

Therefore 5^th Divn
(1) may hold from quinns to G.O.T.
(2) may have 1 regt holding sect. S. of quinns
excluding G.O.T.

XXXX (3) May form a zone reserve.
[*This is 
right acc. to 
Zeki Bey C.E.W.B.*]
(4) May be partly employed between 
K. Tepe & British where Ts now v.
active.
------
16^th Divn. is directed on 28 May to fortify
(a) Kanli Sirt (Bloody Hill or slope)
(b) Kirmzi Sirt (Red Hill or slope)

Strong points d'appui were to be made there
& along / edge of wood running S. from
Kirmzi Sirt. The only wood along our front
wh answers to this is the wood on Pine Ridge
along wh points d'appui have bn prepared.
Kirmzi Sirt is prob. Lonesome Pine
Kanli Sirt = Johnstones Jolly (cf. 
slaughter of 19 May).

The Armenian Officer at end of June 
placed order of Regts of 16^th Div (47 or 48 N.
                                                              (125^th. S.
The 4^th Bn shot a Turk of 125 Regt
on J. Jolly this wk.
If the 48th is still to N. of 125 Kanli
Sirt is probly Maclaurins hill &
G.O.T. is the right o / 16^th Divn.  The

[*48 ws to S of 125.*]

16

16 Div joins up with K. T. detachment
abt echelon Trenches.
----
K. Tepe detachment. 77^th Regt. has a
frontage extending South to Asmak
Dere exclusive.
Duties: to prevent an advance
to protect flank of 16^th
to prevent Disembarkatn.
----
Anafarta detachment. Originally some cavalry,
regt of Gendarmerie, 33^rd Regt & some batteries.
33 Regt. has now gone S: [64 Regt ws here
recently & ws relieved by 18 Regt so it may
have taken place of 33; 45 Regt ws 
here recently.  The

No recent evidence as to what
regt forms Anafarta detachment or its strength.
Duties: to serve as A.C. reserve.
to prevent us extending N.
to serve as cavalry support
& prevent disembarkatn
further N.

It ws located abt 1500 yds S of Biyuk
Anafarta. Responsibility agst 
disembarkatn N as far as abt
Taifur Kevi.

N. Landings. A Coy of gendarmerie is to
prevent any landing further

17

North. Its station is Tursht-en-Keni

Turk Left - So of Asmak Dere to Kum
Tepe at end of May the 2nd
Divn & some batteries. By June 7
only 1^st Regt remained. 5 & 6 had gone
to S. Zone.

There has bn gt activity in
this area last month & there is
reason to believe tt it is held in
considerable strength.

Part of 5 Divn may be employed
here.

They come under Commander of
N. Zone & are the 1st reinfs. & their
movement N wd be gtly hampered by
naval fire.

The force available agst us is now estimated
at:

Div.		Inf. War  Strength
19	(4 Regts 12 Bns)	12,000
16	(3    "         9  ")	9,000
5	(3    "         9  ")	9,000
2	(1     "         3  ")	3,000
Others	(2    "      ? 6  ")	6,000
Gendarmerie	1	1,000
		40,000

But very doubtful if at war strength.
[*Later.
Zeki Bey tells us that 9 Div.
was the next reserve - from S -
after 5 Divn.  C.E.W.B*]
18