Australia and New Zealand in the Great War
The Australian Imperial Force

The Attack on Line Pine

by CE Bean from the Official History of Australia at War

THE OPENING ATTACK UPON LONE PINE

The front line of the Turkish trenches at Lone Pine could be seen from the Australian front on the same plateau, its high-heaped parapet showing clearly over the sparse low scrub’ at a distance of from 60 to 100 yards. The surface of the plateau was almost level, and its northern half, where the grassy square of the Daisy Patch still lay between the lines, was completely bare of scrub. But the Turks, by extremely laborious digging, had established their line round the head of Owen’s Gully, whence it wound 400 yards southwards through the scrub, skirting the Daisy Patch and crossing the plateau. From the southern edge of the Pine the same trench, dipping lower, continued along Snipers’ Ridge.

The centre of the enemy’s front on the Pine was far less advanced than its two flanks, receding towards the Turkish rear and merely serving to connect the advanced flanks. Although the growth of these trenches had been anxiously watched since the early days, only a rough notion of their plan could be obtained by observers from the ground. In June, however, photographs were taken from the air. From these, although the staff was at that time inexperienced in interpreting them, a rude plan of the Turkish trenches had been compiled; it was rough both in scale and detail, did not show the heights, gullies, or other natural features, and did not, therefore, make clear which trenches were on higher or lower ground. Nor did it show--what was clearly to he seen in the air-photograph-that the southern half of the trenches had been generally roofed over. It exhibited fairly well, however, the general run of the enemy’s lines, showing that a support line ran close behind the front on left and right, but that in the centre there were only a number of communication trenches leading back over the plateau and most of them ending at a transverse trench about a third of the way towards its eastern edge. This last was selected by General Walker as a suitable limit for the centre of his advance. It would, how-ever, only afford a front of 160 yards. It was estimated, indeed, that this and the two flanks taken together would not, when first captured, conveniently hold more than three infantry battalions. It was therefore arranged that three battalions-the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-should make the assault, and one-the 1st-act as reserve. The 3rd was to seize most of the deep central objective; the 4th and end the northern and southern flanks respectively. Each was to reach specified points shown in the map, and many officers spent part of the time before the attack in carefully noting through periscopes the line which they and their respective troops must follow. The general staff concentrated its efforts upon ensuring that the attacking brigade should be given a good start. This work mainly fell upon Colonel White of the divisional staff and Major King of the brigade. In order that the first blow should be an exceedingly heavy one, three lines-each a company strong-were to be launched by each battalion simultaneously, underground firing line in front of the Pimple, only forty to sixty yards from the Turks; the second from the old or main fire-trench of the Pimple thirty yards in rear; the third (carrying picks and shovels as well as rifles) was to follow from the main fire-trench immediately after the second. White and King had worked out on the spot, recess by recess, the space to be occupied by each battalion at its starting-point. The tunnels of the new underground line, as well as all important passages leading to the Pimple, had been widened, and each unit had been allotted a separate and clearly marked line of approach through these avenues.

 In front of parts of their trenches the Turks had constructed a fairly strong wire entanglement. In order to destroy this, to break down head-cover-which was known to exist-and to damage the flanking positions or those against which later attacks were designed, there had been arranged a bombardment extending over three clays. This was not a destructive bombardment, as known later in France, since comparatively few shells were allotted for each day. But various “shoots” at a slow rate of fire were to occur on August 4th, 5th, and 6th, and were to be followed on the third and final day by an hour’s ‘ intensive  bombardment by all guns. The nature of the slow bombardment may be illustrated by the shooting of the 1st New Zealand Field Battery on Russell’s Top, which was the only field-battery commanding the Turkish wire entanglements at the Pine, and was therefore charged with destroying them. For this purpose it was to fire at fixed hours on August 3rd, 4th, sth, and 6th, a total of 125 shells. The first day’s “shoot,” in which were used 24 high-explosive and   12 shrapnel shells, was intently watched from the infantry trenches. Medium result,” notes the 3rd Battalion diary.  Not much damage done,” says that of the 2nd. Next day it became clear that, with so meagre an allowance, the entanglements would not be broken down. Accordingly on the morning of August 5th the battery  was ordered to use shrapnel, set to burst on percussion against the ground, and to continue firing until the entanglements were destroyed. An observing-officer was stationed in the Pimple, with a direct telephone line to his guns. Most of the shooting was performed by one gun of the battery, but by 3 p.m. on August 6th, after 383 rounds in all had been fired, the entanglement (except a few “knife rests ”) had been destroyed to the satisfaction of the infantry commanders. During the night of August 5th star-shells were fired in order to prevent the enemy from repairing the damage.

 The actual trenches of the Pine, which were in a large measure covered, were bombarded by two New Zealand howitzers of the new 4.5-inch pattern, and by two old 5-inch weapons of the 69th (British) Brigade. The same New Zealand howitzers, with another battery of the 69th, were responsible for Johnston’s Jolly. The 4th (City of Glasgow) Battery of the Lowland Howitzer Brigade fired upon German Officers’; two Australian field batteries-the 4th and 5th-and a further howitzer battery of the Ggth Brigade were directed upon The Nek and Chessboard. Thus the Pine itself-trenches and entanglement-was in reality being bombarded by at most eight guns, while for the whole of the slow bombardment preparatory to this attack there were allotted only twenty-eight.

 At 2 p.m. on August 6th, as the last engineers were withdrawn from the Pimple tunnels, three mines were exploded in No-Man’s Land between the Pine and the Pimple, in order that the earth thrown up might increase the slender cover available. At 2.30 the battalions of the 1st Brigade began to file towards the Pimple. An hour later several warships were seen taking position off the coast, far to the south at Helles, while others were approaching Anzac. About 4 p.m. the offensive began at Helles ; the plumes of earth thrown up by the big shells could be seen leaping out against the distant skyline. Near Anzac a few minutes later the cruiser Bacchante, from her old station off Gaba Tepe, opened in answer to Turkish batteries which were firing at her. At 4.30 the intensive bombardment at Anzac began ; the guns which had been engaged in the slow shooting commenced to fire at a regular, though not rapid, rate. Those land batteries which had not previously taken part in the bombardment now opened upon the Turkish batteries and other usual targets. Two field-pieces of the 5th Battery were run up on to the open crest behind the old trench-line, 200 yards from the Turkish position. One of these, under Lieutenant Gatliff; succeeded in firing sixty rounds directly at the parapets of the Pine; the other, endeavouring to fire similarly at the Jolly, was hit by a Turkish' projectile. The ships' artillery was shelling more distant targets, chiefly on Gun Ridge and the main summits of Sari Bair.

 At the time when this bombardment began, the three battalions destined for the assault were still moving by their respective routes into the Pimple. Immediately behind that salient was the wide shallow depression-really the head of Victoria Gully-known as " Brown's Dip," which ever since the days.of the Landing had formed the approach and centre of communication for this part of the line. On its broad paths and ledges, long since worn white by traffic, the supplies required for the fight had been stored. Here Brigadier-General Smyth of the 1st Brigade had installed his headquarters, the old brigade-headquarters at the hpad of White's Valley, a few hundred yards to the north, being now occupied by General Walker and part of the staff of the division. In the centre of the Dip, in a series of long wide pits, were the companies of the 1st Battalion, the reserve unit, which had been moved thither before the other battalions began their march to the starting-point. Past it through the Dip were now filing in three separate routes its three sister battalions the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-which were to make the attack." The bright sting of a warm summer afternoon shone upon their backs, white calico squares, and broad white armlets. Behind them far down on the twinkling sea, lay the warships, firing occasional salvoes. The three columns steadily disappearing into the dusty rabbit-warren of trenches reminded onlookers of the regulated traffic of a metropolis. At one moment. fearing that the 2nd Battalion, by blocking certain trenches, might cause the deployment to be late, Major King came, flushed with haste, to a point of congestion. To save time, part of the 3rd was eventually moved through the old firing line instead of by its allotted route. When the bombardment was half-through, the three assaulting battalions were in position both in the tunnelled firing line and in the main line behind it, ready to launch the formidable demonstration upon which so much depended.

 Until the last only one doubt obsessed the regimental officers-whether the men, sick with diarrhea and strained with lack of sleep and heavy work, could sustain prolonged fighting or marching. But, as the battalions marched to the starting-point and settled themselves to wait for the signal, their officers-as often afterwards in France-watched with intense interest the evidence of qualities which, till the end of the war, never ceased to surprise even those who knew the Australian soldier best. Whatever their previous feelings, the actual filling and dumping of their packs, the march through the trenches, and the imminence of the advance after months of trench life, provided an excitement which put new vitality into the troops. As they waited in the crowded bays, there was not the least sign of nervousness in face, speech, or action. The prevailing thought was: “It’s the turn of the 1st Brigade to show what it can do.” The men chaffed each other drily, after the manner of spectators waiting to see a football match.

 Some belated messenger hurried along the trench to find his platoon, and, in passing, recognised a friend. ‘Ai1 revoir, Bill,” he nodded, “ meet you over there.” - “ So long, Tom,” was the answer; “see you again in half-an-hour.” In the opening of the main tunnel, leading forward from the old firing line to the new underground line-stood Major King. whistle in one hand, watch in the other. At the corresponding opening in the underground line was Major McConaghy, ready to repeat the signal for the attack-three blasts of the whistle. Watches had been twice compared and corrected, and while the officers gave a few last hints to their men they kept an eye on the minute-hand as though they were starting a boat-race. " 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. At the same time a tremendous rifle-fire from the Anzac line immediately north of the Pimple began to raise the dust in spurts from. the parapets of the Jolly. This was the fire of the 2nd Infantry Brigade, endeavouring to suppress the Turks in the Jolly while the 1^st was making its attack. The 3rd Infantry and 2nd Light Horse Brigades south of the Pine were meanwhile attempting by the same means to silence the enemy in that quarter also It appeared to onlookers that as soon as the attacking troops began to reach the enemy's trenches there occurred an unforeseen check. Instead of disappearing into the trench, they could be seen standing by its nearer edge, until there was strung along it a crowd not unlike that lining the rope round a cricket field. Fresh men were still running across, often tripping in the scrub or the barbed-wire in front of the Pimple, a few lying still, the majority picking themselves up to run on again. As each joined the crowd at the enemy's trench, he would move to left or right in search of a place.

On the right a number lay down aIong the enemy's parapet. Here and there stood one firing at some target beyond as coolly as if he were shooting in the paddocks at home. The crowd, which remained for fifteen minutes kneeling or lying along the enemy's parapet, made it dificult to observe what was happening on the farther side ; but bayonets could occasionally be seen moving deep into the Turkish position. In the meantime it was evident that the Turks in the Jolly had begun to recover; for, although that grim warren of trenches was absolutely devoid of visible signs of life or movement except for the dust of Australian bullets spurting in clouds along its bare parapets, from some point in it two machine-guns were now sweeping No-Man's Land. Several Turkish batteries also had opened, and the shrapnel burst constantly-first over the front line at the Pimple, and presently over No-Man's Land the view being sometimes entirely obscured by the clouds of yellow smoke and dust floating by under the rays of the setting  un. The position of any man outside the trenches was evidently becoming precarious, and the remnant of the crowd by the parapet began to jump into the Pine. Only on the right did a line of men still lie in the open. Not until an hour later did onlookers realise that they were dead. What had happened was this. The men's previous knowledge of the trenches to be attacked can be gathered from the sketch, which was drawn by Sergeant-Major Goldenstedt" from the 3rd Battalion's lines opposite the Jolly. Upon crossing No-Man's Land they had found the enemy's barbed-wire entanglements thoroughly beaten down, but, instead of a trench, they were confronted by a continuous sandy mound forming the roof of a covered gallery, but none were prepared for this; and the attack at once split into two separate fights-one portion of the troops staying at the front line and gradually entering it, another part racing farther ahead to where the saps were open and establishing themselves there.

Those who stayed at the front trench found that the headcover rested upon massive timbers, and below the eaves of these were numerous loop-holes, from some of which the puffs of rifle-blasts were spasmodically spurting. On the right was one particularly high mound of head-cover, which had been assumed to be a field-gun emplacement. Captain Paine and some of his men of the 2nd made straight towards it, when, half-way across, they perceived that it was a machinegun emplacement with a clumsily-built log roof. They could see the tongue of flame from the gun and the crew fumbling about the weapon, which in the excitement was firing unduly depressed, the bullets tearing up the dust close in front and passing harmlessly. Elsewhere also many Australians, perceiving the puffs of rifles firing through loop-holes, picked their way so as to avoid them; others, not heeding the holes, were killed as they passed.

 The line of heaped-up roof, resting on timbers of six by four inches and even of nine by four, was far too heavy to remove, and the bombardment had left it practically unbroken. There were a few holes, some made by shells, some sally-ports through which Turkish patrols had been wont to creep out at night; Here and there a few feet of trench had been left open between long covered shelters.  Some of the Australians stood over these, shooting into the dark passages beyond, from which shots were returned. It was presently found that, in order to avoid the bombardment, nearly half of the enemy’s garrison had been moved into the Turkish mine-tunnels which ran from this front trench in the direction of the Australian line. On the alarm, a few men had issued from this shelter, but the attack had come upon them too ,swiftly to allow of their manning the line, and the majority remained penned in the tunnels, fearing to move. Among the attacking Australians there were not wanting men of reckless gallantry who leapt almost immediately into the open spaces, or even let themselves down, feet foremost, through the holes in the head-cover. A number were killed both on the edge of the trench and inside it, but parts of the front line were thus occupied and the enemy in the tunnels completely cut off.

End of CE Bean transcript

The Lone Pine Memorial at Gallipoli

The Lone Pine battlefield, named for a solitary Turkish Pine that stood there at the start of the fighting, was situated about the centre of the eastern line of the ANZAC trenches on a rise known as '400 Plateau' that joined Bolton's Ridge to the south with the ridge along the east side of Monash Valley to the north. Being towards the southern end of ANZAC, the Lone Pine region was comparatively gentle and the opposing trenches were separated some distance with a flat no-man's land intervening.

The original Australian front at Lone Pine contained a salient. To the north of the salient, on the Turkish side, was the head of a gully called 'The Cup'. This was a reserve area for the Turks and lightly fortified. The Turkish trenches at Lone Pine were the strongest at ANZAC and no attack was expected there.

The commander of the Australian 1st Division, which was to make the attack, was General H.B. Walker who had replaced General W.T. Bridges after he was killed by a sniper in May. General Walker did not approve of an attack at Lone Pine, let alone a mere diversion. When General Sir Ian Hamilton, the British commander, insisted the attack proceed, Walker endeavoured to give his troops the best chance of success possible on such an unfavourable battleground.

The width of the front of the attack was 220 yards (200 m) and the distance between the two trench lines was about 100 yards (100 m). To reduce the distance to be crossed, the Australians projected a number of tunnels to within 40 yards (40 m) of the Turkish trenches. Immediately after the attack, one of these tunnels was to be opened along its length to make a communications trench via which reinforcements could advance without having to cross the exposed ground. Some of the attackers would have to make the advance over ground from the Australian trench line. To provide some measure of protection for these men, three mines were set and exploded to make craters in which they could seek shelter. The preliminary bombardment was stretched over three days and was successful in cutting much of the Turkish barbed wire.

At 5.30 p.m. the Australian 1st Infantry Brigade attacked. Half the force went via the prepared tunnels and half crossed the exposed ground between the trench lines. When they reached the Turkish trenches they found them roofed with pine logs with no easy entrance. Some fired, bombed and bayoneted from above, some found their way inside and others ran on past to the open communications and support trenches behind.

All the ground that was won by the Australians at Lone Pine was actually reached within a couple of hours of the start of the attack. However, the battle itself raged for another six days as the Turks counterattacked incessantly and at great cost. The 2nd and 3rd Infantry Brigades were poured in to reinforce the Australian gains. The fighting took place in the complicated maze of the former Turkish trench system. Hand grenades were the weapon of choice and the close quarters meant that some of them would travel back and forth up to three times before exploding. The Australians held the old Turkish fire trench and had footholds deeper in Turkish lines. They blocked the Turkish communications trenches as best they could, often with the bodies of the dead, to thwart raids. Other bodies were simply pitched over the parapet or left to lie at the bottom of the trench under a thin layer of dirt.

Though a victory for the Australians, the wider repercussions of the attack at Lone Pine weighed heavily on the outcome at Chunuk Bair. Sent north to reinforce Lone Pine, Lieutenant-colonel Hans Kannengiesser's Turkish 9th Division was directed instead to proceed on to Chunuk Bair where, at the time there was only an artillery battery and its 20-man infantry defence. His force arrived in time to seriously delay the New Zealand attack.

The Australians suffered 2300 casualties and the Turks 2500 in this assault.

Seven Australians were awarded the Victoria Cross at Lone Pine, including Corporal William Dunstan, who after the war became the general manager of Keith Murdoch's newspaper The Herald in Melbourne. Another VC recipient was Captain A.J. Shout who had already earned the Military Cross and been Mentioned in Dispatches since landing at Gallipoli. He was mortally wounded at Lone Pine and was buried at sea. The other VC recipients were Privates Leonard Keysor and John Hamilton, Corporal Alexander Burton and Lieutenants Frederick Tubb and William Symons.

On ANZAC Day, after the dawn service, Australian visitors congregate at the Lone Pine cemetery for a memorial service to remember all their countrymen who fought and died at Gallipoli.

Memorial "Lone Pine" trees have been planted in Australia , New Zealand and Gallipoli to commemorate the battle and the Gallipoli campaign in general.

Australians in the captured Turkish Trenches

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