Key Facts
- Date of summit seizure
- 8 August 1915
- Ottoman counter-attack
- Early morning, 10 August 1915
- Duration of Allied hold
- Approximately 2 days
- Ottoman counter-attack leader
- Mustafa Kemal
- Part of larger operation
- Battle of Sari Bair / August Offensive
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 8 August 1915, New Zealand and British units including the Wellington Battalion and Gloucestershire and Welch Regiment battalions reached the summit of Chunuk Bair. Reinforcements arrived during the afternoon, but heavy Ottoman fire severely depleted the first wave. New Zealand troops relieved them that evening and held the peak through 9 August before being replaced by South Lancashire and Wiltshire battalions.
01 / The Origins
By mid-1915 the Gallipoli Campaign had stalled into a costly stalemate. Allied commanders launched the August Offensive to break the deadlock at Anzac Cove and Suvla. Capturing the Sari Bair ridge, including Chunuk Bair as a secondary peak, was deemed essential to dominate the peninsula and potentially threaten Ottoman supply lines, offering a chance to revive the faltering campaign.
03 / The Outcome
In the early hours of 10 August, Mustafa Kemal led a powerful Ottoman counter-attack that massacred the British relief units and drove them from the summit. The Ottomans permanently retook Chunuk Bair within days, extinguishing the only Allied gain of the August Offensive. The failure confirmed the Gallipoli Campaign's strategic impasse and contributed to the eventual Allied evacuation.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent
Mustafa Kemal.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.