During recent discussion on the Turkish machine guns thread [url="http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=40505&view=findpost&p=1209191"/url] I realised that the significance of Esha Pasher's 4 Aug 1915 map is not its emphasis on the Anzac Sector, but rather his planning to counter the anticipated additional landing/s in the area near Anzac.

I had been looking at the map from the perspective of machine guns trained on the Anzac Sector and then realised I should look at it more broadly and came to an alternate hypothesis to that being discussed in the MG's at Gallipoli thread.

The Ottomans had been warned of another landing or large attack being imminent and had reinforced the Peninusla accordingly and I would assume that this map was Esha Pasha's planning map he used in the review of defences in this area. If that is the case and Esha Pasha was looking at the various options open to Birdwood he appears to be planning for both a breakout attempt from the Anzac Sector and a landing South of Gaba Tepe, rather than a landing at Suvla Bay.

What is prominent to me on the disposition of forces South of Gaba Tepe is the smaller size of the sector in comparison to Anzac and Suvla Bay (narrower); its focus on the beach; the emphasis on forward infantry defence; the forward deployment of heavy artillery and three machine gun's/machine gun company's in the area from the headland to Gaba Tepe, with one and possibly two of those units providing enfilade fire from each headland, which mutually supports each other. Whilst the disposition and density of the forces at Suvla Bay are sparse.

If you have a look at the headland I describe, you will note a machine gun pointing towards the SW, with a similar "T" marking as to the one on Gaba Tepe, however when viewing the symbol under a magnifier it becomes apaarent that the symbol has small "\" and "/" at each end of the line, as in "\___/" this indicates that the machine gun is entrenched. In the case of the symbol I have "drawn" in this post it would indicate the trench is orientated to the South.

It is also notable that the map was apparently drawn first in chinagraph coloured pencils and then the symbols were later overdrawn in ink. Given the way "waxy" chinagraph pencils smudge something I don't believe the over-drawing to be uncommon nor unusual, particularly if the map is to become part of the written record. If that is the case the person who has overwritten the symbols has missed a machine gun just to the Northeast of the Southern most machine gun, by not completing the symbol, which under a magnifier has a clear red dot on its other side (the Eastern side).

Which brings us back to the machine gun at Gaba Tepe, it is on the Southern side of the Gaba Tepe headland, not having walked that specific point of ground, I do not know whether it is suitable for firing towards the North or NNE, but the simple "map reconnaisance" we are doing here would indicate it is very suitable place for a machine gun protecting the beach to the South and would interlock with the machine gun/s that is partially marked on the next headland to the South. One would expect that if this was the case the defender's would entrench the machine gun for additional protection. If that is the case the drawer/s of the symbol may simply have forgotten, or rubbed the "\ /" 's from either end of the map symbol (though it looks as though the "\ and /" were not marked originally) and it is an entrenched marking then machine gun is not a Nordenfeldt mechanical machine gun covering Anzac Cove, but an entrenced machine gun orientated towards the South.

As to the map, I believe it is apparent from the map that the Ottoman's had interpreted that the landing would occur not at Suvla Bay, but on the beach South of Gaba Tepe, not necessarily an unrealistic perception by the defenders as it would have relieved some fire on Anzac Cove from Gaba Tepe and "filled in" some of the ground between the Anzac and Helles Sectors strengthening the British hope of a link up between the two sectors and British success in the operation.

Cheers,
Hendo

This is the link to the map of Anzac Sector and to the south of Gaba Tepe, I posted it over in the Machine Gun thread Esat Pasha's map of 4 Aug 1915

Hendo,

re your last paragraph in post #1, see LvS 'Five Years in Turkey' pages 79/80
eg: "The open space between the Ari Burnu front and the south front was the source of the greatest anxiety of the Fifth Army because a landing in that space would have endangered the rear of the south front."

regards
Michael

Hendo



Further info. When asked specifically after the war where the attack in August was expected, the TGS answer was as per attachment extracted from CAB 45/236



John