Lone Pine: Under the Top! The Turks

[fastphil]

1915 Aug 06, Gallipoli Front. 1730 hours.

Size: large (battalion +)



Near the end of June, the Allies began formulating a plan that would bring about a breakout on the Gallipoli Front. Instead of landing additional units to assist at Krithia, the ANZAC sector and Sulva Bay to the north of it would be used as the spring board to launch a main attack which would cause the Turks to abandon their line at Krithia for fear of being cut off. The Turks would be kept in a state of disarray for as long as possible with diversions, and this would keep them from determining that the main push was in fact at Sulva Bay with the landing of a new British army corps.

In order to assist their comrades in the offensive, the 1st Australian Brigade were to open the battle in the ANZAC sector with a series of vigorous attacks on the formidable Turkish positions on 400 Plateau. The initial attack was to be made at Lone Pine in the evening of the 6th, along with other attacks on both flanks of the Lone Pine area. This would commit the Turks to the southern half of the ANZAC sector and tie down their reserves out of necessity and fear that this was the main allied offensive, while the main attack and breakout would occur that night in the north towards Sari Bair, followed by a beach landing at Sulva Bay.

In the Lone Pine area, to avoid Turkish fire and to achieve complete surprise, tunnels had been dug under No Man's Land and the openings of the tunnels would not be completed until the moment that the assault commenced, and even an 18-pdr field gun was man handled forward up to point blank range to support the attack.

At about 1630, the bombardment of Lone Pine opened the attack with some 28 guns and a British cruiser firing on Turkish positions for one hour while the Australians opened up the ends of the tunnels. As the last artillery shells fell at 1730, the Australians sprang from the tunnels and over the trenches into the surprised Turkish positions.

MISSION:

(Allied Powers) Attack across the 400 Plateau at Lone Pine and push the Turks out of their trenches! Once the forward trench is broken into, push down the trench to secure as much of the area as possible. If possible, establish posts at trench junctions to defend against Turkish counter attacks.

(Central Powers) Do not give a meter of ground to the enemy. Hold the trenches at all costs and counter attack and take back any lost positions!

NOTES:


Lone Pine: Under the Top!

*This scenario covers the attack on the top of the 400 Plateau, not the attack in the 1st Battalion area on the southern slope of the plateau (which did not progress far). Just to the south in the area that is marked as impassible, a great battle was fought in the rocky area on the south slope of 400 Plateau.

*Ottoman reinforcements show up on the second turn but are fixed. This is done to keep these units safely out of the artillery barrage that happens on the first turn (and to keep them from getting released from said barrage). These arriving fixed units are released at a point in which the two battalions fully recover from the surprise of the ANZAC attack.

Bean's account of the Lone Pine battle's opening attack describes the initial rush in vivid detail. He states: ""Five twenty-seven-get ready to go over the parapet," said a young officer crouched in the corner of one fire-step, glancing at his wrist-watch. Almost immediately the order came: "Pull down the top bags in that recess." The men on the step dragged down the uppermost row of sandbags, thus rendering the exit easier. "Prepare to jump out," said the officer, putting his whistle between his teeth. The men of the second line on the fire-step crouched higher against the wall. Those of the third, on the floor of the trench, took a firmer foothold for their spring. A whistle sounded and was repeated shrilly along the front. In a scatter of falling bags and earth the young officer and his men scrambled from the bay. Rifle-shots rang out from the enemy's trenches, gradually growing into a heavy fusillade. One of the men leaving that particular bay fell back, shot through the mouth. From every section of the Pimple, and from the holes of the forward line, troops were similarly scrambling; the sunny square of the Daisy Patch and the scrub south of it were full of figures running forward." --Bean, C.E.W., The Story of Anzac, Vol. II , 1924, pp. 497 - 534.

*The area was historically called "Lone Pine" because Ottoman troops chopped down all but one pine tree on the ridge to construct their network of bunkers in the area. The legend says that the tree was shot to bits in the attack and one of the Australian soldiers collected some pine cones from this tree and sent it home to Australia. Many years later a member of the soldier's family found the seeds and planted in several locations in Australia, some of which have become memorials to the Battle of Lone Pine and the Gallipoli campaign in general. The seeds from these trees are presented to schools and ex-service organizations in remembrance. Read more about it.

Hint: Hex 18,6 is the weakest link. Pin the units there and assault into that hex on turn 1! Delay any attack on the Turkish bunkers to the north until the center push has diverted forces from that area.

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Dennis and I have met on many SB fields both on the Ladder and in playtesting. We have been playing the Gallopoli series of encounters from the First World War. He as the Tommies and myself as the Turks. We will maintain separate threads to chronicle our battle turn by turn. We hope that you will find it interesting. Dennis is the first player in this scenario.