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Countless dead, countless! It was inpossible
to count. Memish Bayraktir, Turkish soldier By mid May the initial attempt
to size the Dardanelles had failed. The British clung to small gains they
had made.
The Turkish army now mounted a major attack to drive the Australians and
New Zealanders from Anzac. In the darknes of the arly hours of the early hours
of 19 May, Turkish soldiers advanced in waves on their enemies. The Turks
were met with a concentrated fire that kept them from entering the Anzac
trenches, except in one or two places. For about six hours the Turks pressed
their attack only to be driven back.
Over 10,000 Turkish soldiers were hit and an estimated 3,000 lay dead between
the lines. In this battle the Australians and New Zealand lost 160 dead
and 468 wounded. The Turkish bodies lay out in the open sun until 24 May
when a truce was arranged to permit burial of the dead.
A Turkish officer is led bilindfolded through the Anzac lines to discuss
a truce to bury the Turkish dead after the attack of 19 May 1915.
(Australian War Memorial H03952) |
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