| 1914 |
|
| Jul 27: |
Enver Pasha and the German
ambassador meet secretly to talk about a Turko-German alliance |
| Aug 2: |
The secret Turko-German
alliance is signed |
| Aug 3: |
Churchill informs the
Turkish authorities that the 2 warships they had ordered in England will
not be released and are confiscated by the English |
| Aug 4: |
England declares war on
Germany |
| Aug 10: |
The German warships Goeben
and Breslau steam through the Dardanelles into the Marmara. The
Dardanelles are closed for Allied ships |
| Oct 28-29: |
Three Turkish torpedo-ships
with a German crew attack Odessa and the Goeben does the same at
Sebastopol, a provocation to draw Turkey further into the war at
Germany's side |
| Nov 3-7: |
Declarations of war arrive
at Constantinople from Russia, England, France, Montenegro, Japan and
Belgium |
| Nov 3: |
British ships bombard the
forts of Seddulbahir and Kum Kale without causing any serious damage |
| Dec 13: |
Lieutenant Holbrook dives
in his submarine under the minefields in the Straits and sinks the old
Turkish battleship Messudieh |
| Dec 29: |
The disastrous battle of
Sarikamish : of Enver's 100,000 strong army, only 18,000 survivors
returned to Turkey |
| 1915 |
|
| Jan 2: |
Czar Nicholas of Russia
appeals for an Allied demonstration to relieve pressure from the Russian
front |
| Jan 3: |
British War Council
discusses aid to Russia |
| Jan 8: |
During a meeting in London,
Admiral Carden informs Churchill that a naval attack with an appropriate
strength in warships might force the Straits |
| Jan 13: |
War Council approves plan
for Royal Navy forcing Dardanelles |
| Jan 28: |
The definitive plans for an
attack on the Dardanelles are officially accepted |
| Jan 29: |
The Allied Fleet is
assembled |
| Feb 3-4: |
Djemal Pasha attacks the
Suez Canal after an advance through the desert, but is easily beaten
back |
| Feb 9: |
The British War Council
agrees to send troops to support the Naval operation |
| Feb 16: |
War Council decides to
concentrate troops in vicinity of Dardanelles |
| Feb 19: |
British and French
battleships under Carden bombard outer forts at Dardanelles |
| Feb 25: |
Further bombardments of
Turkish forts |
| Feb 26: |
Battleships reach entrance
of Narrows during bombardment Landing parties of Royal Marines destroy
Turkish guns in forts |
| Mar 1: |
Four battleships enter
Straits and bombard intermediate defences. Demolition parties land and
destroy more guns. Four French battleships bombard Bulair Lines from
Gulf of Saros |
| Mar 2: |
Dardanelles bombardment
continues |
| Mar 3: |
Landing party in Helles
area destroys gun battery |
| Mar 4: |
Australian 3rd Infantry
Brigade arrives at Lemnos Island |
| Mar 4-7: |
Naval operations continue
against Dardanelles defences |
| Mar 10-11: |
Naval bombardment at Bulair
and Dardanelles |
| Mar 10: |
The British War Council
decides to send the 29th Division to the East |
| Mar 11: |
General Sir Ian Hamilton is
appointed as commander-in-chief for the operation |
| Mar 13: |
Hamilton receives final
instructions from Kitchener |
| Mar 15: |
Minor Naval activity at
Dardanelles |
| Mar 17: |
Hamilton arrives at Tenedos |
| Mar 18: |
Major naval attempt to
force the Straits by 16 British and French battleships - 3
lost, 3 others put out of action. |
| Mar 19: |
Naval action not renewed.
Telegram from Hamilton to Kitchener, stating that only combined naval
and infantry action could be successful |
| Mar 22: |
Decision for a combined
naval and infantry operation is taken |
| Apr 11: |
Hamilton's staff members
arrive in Alexandria |
| Apr 13: |
Battleships Queen Elizabeth
and Queen reconnoitre Gallipoli Peninsula coastline with Expeditionary
Force commanders and staff |
| Apr 25: |
Landings at Kum Kale by the
French, at Anzac by the Australians and New Zealanders and at Helles by
the English |
| Apr 26: |
Turkish counter attacks
beaten off at Anzac |
| Apr 27: |
6 battalions of French
troops arrive at Helles and occupy the right flank near the Kereviz Dere |
| Apr 28: |
First Battle of Krithia |
| Apr 29: |
Heavy Turkish attacks all
along the Anzac line |
| April 30: |
Australian submarine sunk
in sea of Marmara |
| May 1-2: |
Night attack by 21 Turkish
battalions at Helles breaks into French and British positions and is
only stopped with great difficulty |
| May 4: |
Australian raid on Gaba
Tepe is beaten off |
| May 5-6: |
Australian 2nd Brigade and
N.Z. Infantry Brigade leave for Helles |
| May 6-8: |
Second Battle of Krithia,
involving combined French, British and Imperial Forces |
| May 10: |
Unsuccessful attack by
Australians at the head of Monash Valley |
| May 14: |
H.M.S. Goliath sunk at
mouth of the Straits |
| May 15: |
General Bridges mortally
wounded |
| May 19: |
Turkish attack at Anzac is
beaten off. 10,000 casualties |
| May 20: |
Turks first ask for an
short truce to bury the dead |
| May 24: |
Truce
to bury the dead |
| May 25: |
H.M.S. Triumph torpedoed
off Gaba Tepe |
| May 28: |
Late at night, Turks fire
mine in front of Quinn's Post |
| May 29: |
Attack on Quinn's Post in
which Major Quinn is killed |
| May 31: |
Turkish blockhouse blown up
in front of Quinn's by two sappers |
| June 4: |
3rd Battle of Krithia :
slight advance made in the Helles sector at heavy cost (Allied 6,500 /
Turkish 9,000). Night raid by Canterbury Infantry from Quinn's Post at
night |
| June 5: |
New sortie against German
Officers' Trench in front of Courtney's Post |
| June 7-8: |
Night sortie from Quinn's
Post |
| June 8: |
First monitor appears off
Anzac |
| June 21: |
French capture the Haricot
Redoubt at Helles at heavy cost (Allied 2500 / Turkish 6000) |
| June 28: |
Successful British attack
on left flank at Helles (Allied 3,500 / Turkish unknown) |
| June 29-30: |
Last Turkish attack on
Anzac fails |
| July 1-7: |
Secret treaty between
Germany and Bulgaria signed |
| July 2: |
Strong but unsuccessful
Turkish attack at Helles |
| July 4-5: |
Another Turkish attack at
Helles beaten back with heavy casualties (Allied negligible / Turkish
16,000) |
| July 10: |
Turks at Cape Helles ask
for armistice to bury their dead, but the Allied Command refuses. |
| July 12: |
General Masnou, commander
of 1st French Division at Helles, is mortally wounded |
| July 12-13: |
Allied attack at Helles
over 1 mile front (Allied 4,000 / Turkish 10,000) |
| July 31: |
Australians take Turkish
trench opposite Tasmania Post |
| Aug 6-7: |
British attack at Cape
Helles. Australians attack at Lone Pine, Quinn's Post and the Nek. Old
No3 Post retaken, Table Top and Bauchop's Hill taken by the New
Zealanders. Damakjelik Bair captured by the Left Covering Force. |
| Aug 7: |
9th British Corps lands at
Suvla Bay before dawn. Rhododendron Spur taken by the New Zealanders |
| Aug 8: |
Wellington Battalion
captures top of Chunk Bair. New army at Suvla remains inactive |
| Aug 9: |
Gurkhas reach the saddle
between Hill Q and Chunuk Bair. New Zealanders on Chunuk Bair relieved
by New Army Troops. |
| Aug 10: |
New Army Troops
driven off Chunuk Bair by Turkish counter attack. Unsuccessful British
attack at Suvla |
| Aug 11: |
Stalemate at Suvla, caused
by incompetence of commander Stopford |
| Aug 12: |
The 5th Norfolks disappear
during a fruitless attack at Suvla and enter history as "the
Vanished Battalion" |
| Aug 14: |
Telegram from Kitchener to
Hamilton, with the proposal to recall Stopford |
| Aug 15: |
Unsuccessful British attack
at Suvla along the Kiretch Tepe |
