The Cape Helles landing was the primary British assault in the Gallipoli campaign, aiming to seize the Dardanelles straits but ending in costly stalemate.
Key Facts
- Date
- 25 April 1915
- Main attacking division
- British 29th Division
- First-day advance objective
- 6 miles (9.7 km) to Achi Baba heights
- British commander
- Major General Aylmer Hunter-Weston
- Diversionary actions
- Bulair, Anzac Cove, Kum Kale, Besika Bay
- Duration of costly follow-on battles
- Approximately two months
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Britain sought to force open the Dardanelles straits to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the war. After a failed naval assault in March 1915, an amphibious operation was planned to seize the Gallipoli peninsula, with Cape Helles selected as the primary landing zone for the 29th Division to advance inland and capture the forts guarding the straits.
On 25 April 1915, British forces landed across multiple beaches at Cape Helles under Royal Navy gunfire support, accompanied by diversionary landings at Bulair, Kum Kale, and Besika Bay. Despite meagre Ottoman defences, V and W beaches turned into bloodbaths due to mismanagement by Hunter-Weston, while opportunities at less-contested beaches were not exploited. The British established a narrow foothold but failed to reach their first-day objectives.
For two months following the initial landing, British forces fought expensive battles to achieve the objectives set for the first day, including the capture of Achi Baba. They were ultimately repulsed by Ottoman defenders, leaving the campaign mired in stalemate. The failure contributed to the eventual Allied withdrawal from Gallipoli and the broader collapse of the Dardanelles strategy.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Major General Aylmer Hunter-Weston.
Side B
1 belligerent