 = Landing at Anzac Cove = 
 
 The landing at Anzac Cove on Sunday , 25 April 1915 , also known as the landing at Gaba Tepe , and to the Turks as the <unk> Battle , was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by the forces of the British Empire , which began the land phase of the Gallipoli Campaign of the First World War . 
 The assault troops , mostly from the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps ( ANZAC ) , landed at night on the western ( Aegean Sea ) side of the peninsula . They were put ashore one mile ( 1 @.@ 6 km ) north of their intended landing beach . In the darkness , the assault formations became mixed up , but the troops gradually made their way inland , under increasing opposition from the Ottoman Turkish defenders . Not long after coming ashore the ANZAC plans were discarded , and the companies and battalions were thrown into battle piece @-@ meal , and received mixed orders . Some advanced to their designated objectives while others were diverted to other areas , then ordered to dig in along defensive ridge lines . 
 Although they failed to achieve their objectives , by nightfall the ANZACs had formed a beachhead , albeit much smaller than intended . In places they were <unk> onto cliff faces with no organised defence system . Their precarious position convinced both divisional commanders to ask for an evacuation , but after taking advice from the Royal Navy about how practicable that would be , the army commander decided they would stay . The exact number of the day 's casualties is not known . The ANZACs had landed two divisions but over two thousand of their men had been killed or wounded , together with at least a similar number of Turkish casualties . 
 Since 1916 the anniversary of the landings on 25 April has been commemorated as Anzac Day , becoming one of the most important national celebrations in Australia and New Zealand . The anniversary is also commemorated in Turkey , the United Kingdom and Ireland . 
 
 = = Background = = 
 
 The Ottoman Turkish Empire entered the First World War on the side of the Central Powers on 31 October 1914 . The stalemate of trench warfare on the Western Front convinced the British Imperial War Cabinet that an attack on the Central Powers elsewhere , particularly Turkey , could be the best way of winning the war . From February 1915 this took the form of naval operations aimed at forcing a passage through the Dardanelles , but after several setbacks it was decided that a land campaign was also necessary . To that end , the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force was formed under the command of General Ian Hamilton . Three amphibious landings were planned to secure the Gallipoli Peninsula , which would allow the navy to attack the Turkish capital Constantinople , in the hope that would convince the Turks to ask for an armistice . 
 
 = = = <unk> = = = 
 
 Lieutenant @-@ General William Birdwood , commanding the inexperienced Australian and New Zealand Army Corps ( ANZAC ) , comprising the Australian Division and two brigades of the New Zealand and Australian Division , was ordered to conduct an amphibious assault on the western side of the Gallipoli Peninsula . The New Zealand and Australian Division normally also had two mounted brigades assigned to it , but these had been left in Egypt , as it was believed there would be no requirement or opportunities to use mounted troops on the peninsula . To bring the division up to strength , Hamilton had tried unsuccessfully to get a brigade of <unk> attached to them . In total ANZAC strength was 30 @,@ <unk> men . 
 The location chosen for the operation was between the headland of Gaba Tepe and the Fisherman 's Hut , three miles ( 4 @.@ 8 km ) to the north . Landing at dawn after a naval gunfire bombardment , the first troops were to seize the lower crests and southern spurs of Hill 971 . The second wave would pass them to capture the spur of Hill 971 , especially Mal Tepe . There they would be positioned to cut the enemy 's lines of communications to the Kilid Bahr Plateau , thus preventing the Turks from bringing reinforcements from the north to the Kilid Bahr Plateau during the attack by the British 29th Division which would advance from a separate beachhead further south @-@ west . The capture of Mal Tepe was " more vital and valuable than the capture of the Kilid Bahr Plateau itself . " 
 Birdwood planned to arrive off the peninsula after the moon had set , with the first troops landing at 03 : 30 , an hour before dawn . He declined the offer of an old merchant ship , loaded with troops , being deliberately grounded at Gaba Tepe . Instead , the troops were to travel in naval and merchant ships , transferring to rowing boats towed by small steamboats to make the assault . 
 First ashore would be the Australian Division , commanded by Major @-@ General William Bridges . The 3rd Australian Brigade , known as the covering force , were to capture the third ridge from Battleship Hill south along the Sari Bair mountain range to Gaba Tepe . The 2nd Australian Brigade , landing next , were to capture all the Sari Bar range up to Hill 971 on the left . The 26th Jacob 's Mountain Battery from the British Indian Army would land next and then the 1st Australian Brigade , the division 's reserve ; all were to be ashore by 08 : 30 . The New Zealand and Australian Division , commanded by Major @-@ General Alexander <unk> , followed them ; the 1st New Zealand Brigade then the 4th Australian Brigade . Only after the second division had landed would the advance to Mal Tepe begin . The planners had come to the conclusion that the area was sparsely , if at all , defended , and that they should be able to achieve their objectives with no problems ; Turkish opposition had not been considered . 
 
 = = = Turkish forces = = = 
 
 The First World War Ottoman Turkish Army was modelled after the German Imperial Army , with most of its members being conscripted for two years ( infantry ) or three years ( artillery ) ; they then served in the reserve for the next twenty @-@ three years . The pre @-@ war army had 208 @,@ 000 men in thirty @-@ six divisions , formed into army corps and field armies . On <unk> each division had three infantry and one artillery regiment for a total of around ten thousand men , or about half the size of the equivalent British formation . Unlike the largely inexperienced ANZACs , all the Turkish Army commanders , down to company commander level , were very experienced , being veterans of the Italo @-@ Turkish and Balkan Wars . 
 The British preparations could not be made in secret , and by March 1915 , the Turks were aware that a force of fifty thousand British and thirty thousand French troops was gathering at Lemnos . They considered there were only four likely places for them to land : Cape Helles , Gaba Tepe , <unk> , or on the Asiatic ( eastern ) coast of the Dardanelles . 
 On 24 March , the Turks formed the Fifth Army , a force of over 100 @,@ 000 men , in two corps of six divisions and a cavalry brigade , commanded by the German general Otto <unk> von Sanders . The Fifth Army deployed the III Corps at Gallipoli and the XV Corps on the Asiatic coast . The 5th Division and a cavalry brigade were on the European mainland , positioned to support the III Corps if required . The III Corps had the 9th Division ( 25th , 26th and 27th Infantry Regiments ) , the 19th Division ( 57th , 72nd and 77th Infantry Regiments ) and the 7th Division ( 19th , 20th and 21st Infantry Regiments ) . The 9th Division provided coastal defence from Cape Helles north to <unk> , where the 7th Division took over , while the 19th Division at <unk> was the corps reserve . The area around Gaba Tepe , where the ANZAC landings would take place , was defended by a battalion of the 27th Infantry Regiment . 
 
 = = Anzac Cove = = 
 
 On 19 April orders were issued for the ANZACs to stop training , and for all ships and small boats to take on coal and stores , in preparation for a landing originally scheduled to occur on 23 April . Weather conditions delayed their departure from Lemnos until dawn on 24 April . The Royal Navy battleships Queen , Triumph , Prince of Wales , London , and <unk> , the cruiser <unk> , seven destroyers and four transport ships led the way carrying the 3rd Brigade . They were followed by the rest of the force who were embarked in their own transport ships . 
 
 = = = First six companies = = = 
 
 At 01 : 00 on 25 April the British ships stopped at sea , and thirty @-@ six rowing boats towed by twelve <unk> embarked the first six companies , two each from the 9th , 10th and 11th Battalions . At 02 : 00 a Turkish <unk> reported seeing ships moving at sea , and at 02 : 30 the report was sent to 9th Division 's headquarters . At 02 : 53 the ships headed towards the peninsula , continuing until 03 : 30 when the larger ships stopped . With 50 yards ( 46 m ) to go , the rowing boats continued using only their oars . 
 Around 04 : 30 Turkish <unk> opened fire on the boats , but the first ANZAC troops were already ashore at Beach Z , called Ari Burnu at the time , but later known as Anzac Cove . ( It was formally renamed Anzac Cove by the Turkish government in 1985 . ) They were one mile ( 1 @.@ 6 km ) further north than intended , and instead of an open beach they were faced with steep cliffs and ridges up to around three hundred feet ( 91 m ) in height . However , the mistake had put them ashore at a relatively undefended area ; at Gaba Tepe further south where they had planned to land , there was a strong @-@ point , with an artillery battery close by equipped with two 15 cm and two 12 cm guns , and the 5th Company , 27th Infantry Regiment was positioned to counter @-@ attack any landing at that more southern point . The hills surrounding the <unk> where the ANZACs landed made the beach safe from direct fire Turkish artillery . Fifteen minutes after the landing , the Royal Navy began firing at targets in the hills . 
 On their way in , the rowing boats had become mixed up . The 11th Battalion grounded to the north of Ari Burnu point , while the 9th Battalion hit the point or just south of it , together with most of the 10th Battalion . The plan was for them to cross the open ground and assault the first ridge line , but they were faced with a hill that came down almost to the water line , and there was confusion while the officers tried to work out their location , under small arms fire from the 4th Company , 2nd Battalion , 27th Infantry Regiment , who had a platoon of between eighty and ninety men at Anzac Cove and a second platoon in the north around the Fisherman 's Hut . The third platoon was in a reserve position on the second ridge . They also manned the Gaba Tepe strong @-@ point , equipped with two obsolescent multi @-@ <unk> <unk> machine @-@ guns , and several smaller posts in the south . 
 Men from the 9th and 10th Battalions started up the Ari Burnu slope , grabbing the gorse branches or digging their bayonets into the soil to provide leverage . At the peak they found an abandoned trench , the Turks having withdrawn inland . Soon the Australians reached Plugge 's Plateau , the edge of which was defended by a trench , but the Turks had withdrawn to the next summit two hundred yards ( 180 m ) inland , from where they fired at the Australians coming onto the plateau . As they arrived , Major Edmund Brockman of the 11th Battalion started sorting out the mess , sending the 9th Battalion 's men to the right flank , the 11th Battalion 's to the left , and keeping the 10th Battalion in the centre . 
 
 = = = Second six companies = = = 
 
 The second six companies landed while it was still dark , the destroyers coming to within five hundred yards ( 460 m ) to disembark the troops , under fire . They also landed at Anzac Cove , but now as planned the 11th were in the north , 10th in the centre and the 9th in the south . The 12th Battalion landed all along the beach . This extended the beachhead 500 yards ( 460 m ) to the north of Ari Burnu , and 1 @.@ 5 miles ( 2 @.@ 4 km ) to the south . Landing under fire , some of the assaulting troops were killed in their boats , and others as they reached the beach . Once ashore they headed inland . In the south , the first men from the 9th and 12th Battalions reached the bottom of 400 Plateau . 
 In the north , the first men from the 11th and 12th Battalions started up Walker 's Ridge , under fire from a nearby Turkish trench . Around the same time Turkish artillery started bombarding the beachhead , destroying at least six boats . The Australians fought their way forward and reached Russell 's Top ; the Turks withdrew through The Nek to Baby 700 , 350 yards ( 320 m ) away . Coming under fire again the Australians went to ground , having advanced only around one thousand yards ( 910 m ) inland . Some also dug in at The Nek , a twenty yards ( 18 m ) piece of high ground between Malone 's Gully to the north and Monash Valley to the south . Around this time Colonel <unk> Sinclair @-@ Maclagan , commanding the 3rd Brigade , decided to change the corps plan . Concerned about a possible counter @-@ attack from the south , he decided to hold the Second Ridge instead of pushing forward to the Third or Gun Ridge . This <unk> suited the Turkish defence plans , which required the forward troops to gain time for the reserves to coordinate a counter @-@ attack . 
 
 = = = Turkish reaction = = = 
 
 At 05 : 45 , Lieutenant @-@ Colonel <unk> Sefik of the Turkish 27th Infantry Regiment received orders to move his 1st and 3rd Battalions to the west and support the 2nd Battalion around Gaba Tepe . The two battalions were already assembled , having spent that night carrying out military exercises . They could not be sent to Ari Burnu as it was not marked on the Turkish maps . Colonel <unk> Sami , commanding the 9th Division , also ordered the division 's machine @-@ gun company and an artillery battery to move in support of the 27th Infantry Regiment , followed soon after by an 77 mm artillery battery . At 08 : 00 Lieutenant @-@ Colonel <unk> Kemal , commanding the 19th Division , was ordered to send a battalion to support them . Kemal instead decided to go himself with the 57th Infantry Regiment and an artillery battery towards Chunuk Bair , which he realised was the key point in the defence ; whoever held those heights would dominate the battlefield . By chance , the 57th Infantry were supposed to have been on an exercise that morning around Hill 971 and had been prepared since 05 : 30 , waiting for orders . 
 At 09 : 00 Sefik and his two battalions were approaching <unk> Tepe , and made contact with his 2nd Battalion that had conducted a fighting withdrawal , and an hour and a half later the regiment was deployed to stop the ANZACs advancing any further . Around 10 : 00 Kemal arrived at Scrubby Knoll and <unk> some retreating troops , pushing them back into a defensive position . As they arrived , the 57th Infantry Regiment were given their orders and prepared to counter @-@ attack . Scrubby Knoll , known to the Turks as <unk> ( Kemal 's Place ) , now became the site of the Turkish headquarters for the remainder of the campaign . 
 
 = = Baby 700 = = 
 
 Baby 700 is a hill in the Sari Bair range , next to Battleship Hill or Big 700 . It was named after its supposed height above sea level , though its actual height is only 590 feet ( 180 m ) . 
 Maclagen sent the 11th Battalion , Captain Joseph Lalor 's company of the 12th Battalion and Major James Robertson 's of the 9th , towards Baby 700 . Brockman divided his own company , sending half up the right fork of Rest Gully , and half up the left , while Brockman and a reserve platoon headed up Monash Valley . As they moved forward , Turkish artillery targeted them with air burst shrapnel shells , which dispersed the companies . This , coupled with senior officers diverting men to other areas instead of towards Baby 700 , meant only fragments of the units eventually reached Baby 700 . 
 Arriving at Baby 700 , Captain Eric Tulloch , 11th Battalion , decided to take his remaining sixty men towards Battleship Hill , leaving Lalor 's company to dig in and defend The Nek . Tulloch moved around to the right before advancing towards the summit . The 11th Battalion crossed the first rise unopposed , but at the second , Turkish defenders around four hundred yards ( 370 m ) away opened fire on them . Going to ground , the Australians returned fire . When the Turkish fire <unk> the remaining fifty men resumed their advance , reaching the now evacuated Turkish position , behind which was a large depression , with Battleship Hill beyond that . Still under fire they moved forward again , then around seven hundred yards ( 640 m ) from the summit The Turks opened fire on them from a trench . The Australians held out for thirty minutes , but increasing Turkish fire and mounting casualties convinced Tulloch to withdraw . No other ANZAC unit would advance as far inland that day . 
 At 08 : 30 Robertson and Lalor decided to take their companies up Baby 700 . Instead of going round to the right like Tulloch , they went straight up the centre , crossed over the summit onto the northern slope and went to ground . A spur on their left , leading to Suvla Bay , was defended by a Turkish trench system . At 09 : 15 Turkish troops started moving down Battleship Hill , and for the next hour they exchanged fire . Where the spur joined Baby 700 , a group of Australians from the 9th , 11th , and 12th Battalions crossed Malone 's Gully and charged the Turkish trench . A Turkish machine @-@ gun on Baby 700 opened fire on them , forcing them back , followed by a general withdrawal of Australian troops . The Turks had secured Battleship Hill and were now driving the Australians off Baby 700 . From his headquarters at the head of Monash Valley , Maclagen could see the Turks attacking , and started sending all available men towards Baby 700 . 
 
 = = = Second wave = = = 
 
 The 2nd Brigade landed between 05 : 30 and 07 : 00 , and the reserve 1st Brigade landed between 09 : 00 and 12 : 00 , already putting the timetable behind schedule . The 2nd Brigade , which was supposed to be heading for Baby 700 on the left , were instead sent to the right to counter a Turkish attack building up there . At 07 : 20 Bridges and his staff landed ; finding no senior officers on the beach to brief them , they set out to locate the 3rd Brigade headquarters . 
 The 1st Brigade was on the opposite flank to the 3rd Brigade and already getting involved in battles of its own , when its commander , Colonel Percy Owen , received a request from Maclagen for reinforcements . Owen sent two companies from the 3rd Battalion and one from the 1st Battalion ( Swannell 's ) to support the 3rd Brigade . 
 Soon after , Lalor 's company had been forced back to The Nek and the Turks were threatening to recapture Russell 's Top , and at 10 : 15 Maclagen reported to Bridges his doubts over being able to hold out . In response Bridges sent part of his reserve , two companies from the 2nd Battalion ( Gordon 's and Richardson 's ) , to reinforce the 3rd Brigade . 
 At 11 : 00 Swannell 's company arrived at the foot of Baby 700 , joining the seventy survivors of Robertson 's and Lalor 's companies . They immediately charged and chased the Turks back over the summit of Baby 700 , then stopped and dug in . The two 2nd Battalion companies arrived alongside them , but all the companies had taken casualties , among the dead being Swannell and Robertson . 
 By this time most of the 3rd Brigade men had been killed or wounded , and the line was held by the five depleted companies from the 1st Brigade . On the left , Gordon 's company 2nd Battalion , with the 11th and 12th Battalion 's survivors , charged five times and captured the summit of Baby 700 , but were driven back by Turkish counter @-@ attacks ; Gordon was among the casualties . For the second time Maclagen requested reinforcements for Baby 700 , but the only reserves Bridges had available were two 2nd Battalion companies and the 4th Battalion . It was now 10 : 45 and the advance companies of the 1st New Zealand Brigade were disembarking , so it was decided they would go to Baby 700 . 
 
 = = = Third wave = = = 
 
 The New Zealand Brigade commander had been taken ill , so Birdwood appointed Brigadier @-@ General Harold Walker , a staff officer already ashore , as commander . The Auckland Battalion had landed by 12 : 00 , and were being sent north along the beach to Walker 's Ridge on their way to Russell 's Top . Seeing that the only way along the ridge was in single file along a goat track , Walker ordered them to take the route over Plugge 's Plateau . As each New Zealand unit landed they were directed the same way to Baby 700 . However , in trying to avoid Turkish fire , they became split up in Monash Valley and Rest Gully , and it was after midday that two of the Auckland companies reached Baby 700 . 
 At 12 : 30 two companies of the Canterbury Battalion landed and were sent to support the <unk> , who had now been ordered back to Plugge 's Plateau , and were forming on the left of the 3rd Brigade . The Canterbury companies moved into the line on the <unk> ' left , waiting for the rest of their brigade to land . However , between 12 : 30 and 16 : 00 not one infantry or artillery formation came ashore . The ships carrying the New Zealanders were in the bay , but the <unk> and rowing boats were being used to take the large numbers of wounded to the hospital ship . The transports with the 4th Australian Brigade on board were still well out at sea and not due to land until that evening . The landings <unk> around 16 : 30 when the Wellington Battalion came ashore , followed by the <unk> Battalion around 17 : 00 , who were put into the line beside the <unk> . Next to land were the two other Canterbury companies , who were sent north to Walker 's Ridge to extend the corps left flank . Events ashore now forced a change in the <unk> schedule , and at 17 : 50 orders were issued for the 4th Australian Brigade to start landing to boost the defence . It would take until the next day for the complete brigade to come ashore . The transports carrying both divisions ' artillery batteries had been forced further out to sea by Turkish artillery fire , and were unable to land . 
 
 = = = <unk> 's Hill = = = 
 
 <unk> 's Hill is a 1 @,@ 000 yard ( <unk> ) long section of the Second Ridge that connects Baby 700 to 400 Plateau , with a steep slope on the ANZAC side down to Monash Valley . In the coming days Quinn 's , Steel 's and Courtney 's <unk> would be built on the slope . The first ANZAC troops to reach the hill , from the 11th Battalion , found that the Turkish defenders had already withdrawn . As the Australians crested the hill they came under fire from Baby 700 , but to their front was a short , shallow slope into <unk> Valley . When Major James Denton 's company of the 11th Battalion arrived at the hill they started digging in , and soon after received orders from <unk> to hold the position at all costs . At 10 : 00 Turkish troops , advancing from Scrubby Knoll , got to within three hundred yards ( 270 m ) of the Australians on the hill , opening fire at them . <unk> there were two and a half companies from the 11th Battalion between Courtney 's Post , Steele 's Post , and Wire Gully . They had not been there long before the 3rd Battalion arrived to reinforce them . 
 
 = = 400 Plateau = = 
 
 The 400 Plateau , named for its height above sea level , was a wide and level plateau on the second ridge line , about six hundred by six hundred yards ( 550 by 550 m ) wide and around one thousand yards ( 910 m ) from Gun Ridge . The northern half of the plateau became known as Johnston 's Jolly , and the southern half as Lone Pine , with Owen 's Gully between them . 
 
 = = = 3rd Brigade = = = 
 
 If the landings had gone to plan , the 11th Battalion was supposed to be crossing the plateau heading north . The 10th Battalion , south of the plateau , was to capture a Turkish trench and artillery battery behind Gun Ridge . The 9th Battalion , <unk> south , was to attack the artillery battery at Gaba Tepe , and the 12th Battalion was the reserve , with 26th Jacob 's Mountain Battery to establish their gun line on the plateau . Unknown to the ANZACs , the Turks had an artillery battery sited on 400 Plateau . 
 After landing , some of the 9th and 10th Battalion 's men headed for 400 Plateau . The first 10th Battalion platoon to arrive was commanded by Lieutenant Noel Loutit , and accompanied by the Brigade @-@ Major , Charles Brand . They discovered the Turkish battery in the Lone Pine sector , which was preparing to move . As the Australians opened fire the battery withdrew down Owen 's Gully . Brand remained on the plateau and ordered Loutit to continue after the Turkish battery . However , the guns had been hidden at the head of the gully and Loutit 's platoon moved beyond them . Around the same time , Lieutenant Eric Smith and his 10th Battalion scouts and Lieutenant G. Thomas with his platoon from the 9th Battalion arrived on the plateau , looking for the guns . As they crossed the plateau Turkish machine @-@ guns opened fire on them from the Lone Pine area . One of Thomas 's sections located the battery , which had started firing from the gully . They opened fire , charged the gun crews , and captured the guns . The Turks did manage to remove the breech blocks , making the guns inoperable , so the Australians damaged the sights and internal screw mechanisms to put them out of action . By now the majority of the 9th and 10th Battalions , along with brigade commander Maclagen , had arrived on the plateau , and he ordered them to dig in on the plateau instead of advancing to Gun Ridge . Unfortunately the units that had already passed beyond there were <unk> their orders to " go as fast as you can , at all costs keep going " . 
 Loutit , Lieutenant J. Haig of the 10th , and thirty @-@ two men from the 9th , 10th , and 11th Battalions crossed <unk> Valley and climbed a spur of Gun Ridge , just to the south of Scrubby Knoll . As they reached the top , about four hundred yards ( 370 m ) further inland was Gun Ridge , defended by a large number of Turkish troops . Loutit and two men carried out a reconnaissance of Scrubby Knoll , from the top of which they could see the Dardanelles , around three miles ( 4 @.@ 8 km ) to the east . When one of the men was wounded they returned to the rest of their group , which was being engaged by Turkish machine @-@ gun and rifle fire . Around 08 : 00 , Loutit sent a man back for reinforcements ; he located Captain J. Ryder of the 9th Battalion , with half a company of men at Lone Pine . Ryder had not received the order to dig in , so he advanced and formed a line on Loutit 's right . Soon after , they came under fire from Scrubby Knoll and were in danger of being cut off ; Ryder sent a message back for more reinforcements . The messenger located Captain John Peck , the 11th Battalion 's adjutant , who collected all the men around him and went forward to reinforce Ryder . It was now 09 : 30 and the men on the spur , outflanked by the Turks , had started to withdraw . At 10 : 00 the Turks set up a machine @-@ gun on the spur and opened fire on the withdrawing Australians . <unk> by the Turks , only eleven survivors , including Loutit and Haig , reached Johnston 's Jolly and took cover . Further back , two companies of the 9th and the 10th Battalions had started digging a trench line . 
 
 = = = 2nd Brigade = = = 
 
 As part of the second wave , the 2nd Brigade had been landing since 05 : 30 ; the 5th , 6th and 8th Battalions were supposed to cross 400 Plateau and head to Hill 971 , while the 7th Battalion on the left were to climb Plugge 's Plateau then make for Hill 971 . One 7th Battalion company , Jackson 's , landed beside the Fisherman 's Hut in the north and was almost wiped out ; only forty men survived the landing . At 06 : 00 Major <unk> <unk> 's 7th Battalion company , and part of another , were sent onto 400 Plateau by Maclagen to strengthen the defence . When the 7th Battalion commander Lieutenant @-@ Colonel Harold Elliott landed he realised events were not going to plan , and he headed to the 3rd Brigade headquarters to find out what was happening . Maclagen ordered him to gather his battalion at the south of the beachhead , as the 2nd Brigade would now form the division 's right flank , not left . When the 2nd Brigade commander Colonel James McCay arrived Maclagen convinced him to move his brigade to the south , <unk> responsibility with the 3rd Brigade . Eventually agreeing , he established his headquarters on the seaward slope of 400 Plateau ( McCay 's Hill ) . Heading onto the plateau , McCay realised the ridge to his right , Bolton 's Ridge , would be a key point in their defence . He located the Brigade @-@ Major , Walter Cass , and ordered him to gather what men he could to defend the ridge . Looking around , he saw the 8th Battalion , commanded by Colonel William Bolton , moving forward , so Cass directed them to Bolton 's Ridge . As such , it was the only ANZAC battalion that remained together during the day . Eventually , around 07 : 00 , the rest of the brigade started arriving . As each company and battalion appeared they were pushed forward into the front line , but with no defined orders other than to support the 3rd Brigade . At 10 : 30 the six guns of the 26th <unk> Mountain Battery arrived , positioning three guns each side of White 's Valley . At noon they opened fire on the Turks on Gun Ridge . 
 Within two hours half the Australian Division was involved in the battle of 400 Plateau . However , most of the officers had misunderstood their orders . Believing the intention was to occupy Gun Ridge and not hold their present position , they still tried to advance . The 9th and 10th Battalions had started forming a defence line , but there was a gap between them that the 7th Battalion was sent to fill . Seeing the 2nd Brigade coming forward , units of the 3rd Brigade started to advance to Gun Ridge . The advancing Australians did not then know that the counter @-@ attacking Turkish forces had reached the Scrubby Knoll area around 08 : 00 and were prepared for them . As the Australians reached the Lone Pine section of the plateau , Turkish machine @-@ guns and rifles opened fire , <unk> the Australians . To the north other troops , advancing beyond Johnstone 's Jolly and Owen 's Gully , were caught by the same small arms fire . Soon afterwards a Turkish artillery battery also started firing at them . This was followed by a Turkish counter @-@ attack from Gun Ridge . Such was the situation they now found themselves in that at 15 : 30 McCay , now giving up all <unk> of advancing to Gun Ridge , ordered his brigade to dig in from Owen 's Gully to Bolton 's Ridge . 
 
 = = = Pine Ridge = = = 
 
 Pine Ridge is part of the 400 Plateau , and stretches , in a curve towards the sea , for around one mile ( 1 @.@ 6 km ) . Beyond Pine Ridge is <unk> Valley and Gun Ridge and , like the rest of the terrain , it was covered in a thick gorse scrub , but also had stunted pine trees around eleven feet ( 3 @.@ 4 m ) tall growing on it . 
 Several groups of men eventually made their way to Pine Ridge . Among the first was Lieutenant Eric Plant 's platoon from the 9th Battalion . Captain John <unk> 's company of the 12th Battalion moved forward from Bolton 's Ridge when they saw the 6th Battalion moving up behind them . As the 6th Battalion reached the ridge , the companies carried on towards Gun Ridge , while Lieutenant @-@ Colonel Walter <unk> established the battalion headquarters below Bolton 's Ridge . As the 6th Battalion moved forward they were engaged by Turkish small arms and artillery fire , causing heavy casualties . At 10 : 00 brigade headquarters received a message from the 6th Battalion asking for reinforcement , and McCay sent half the 5th Battalion to assist . At the same time the 8th Battalion were digging in on Bolton 's , except for two companies which moved forward to attack a group of Turks that had come up from the south behind the 6th Battalion . By noon the 8th Battalion was dug in on the ridge ; in front of them were scattered remnants of the 5th , 6th , 7th , and 9th Battalions , mostly out of view of each other in the scrub . Shortly after , McCay was informed that if he wanted the 6th Battalion to hold its position , it must be reinforced . So McCay sent his last reserves , a company of the 1st Battalion , and ordered the 8th to leave one company on the ridge and advance on the right of the 6th Battalion . The scattered formations managed to hold their positions for the remainder of the afternoon , then at 17 : 00 saw large numbers of Turkish troops coming over the southern section of Gun Ridge . 
 
 = = Turkish counter @-@ attack = = 
 
 Around 10 : 00 Kemal and the 1st Battalion , 57th Infantry were the first to arrive in the area between Scrubby Knoll and Chunuk Bair . From the knoll Kemal was able to observe the landings . He ordered the artillery battery to set up on the knoll , and the 1st Battalion to attack Baby 700 and <unk> Ridge from the North @-@ East , while the 2nd Battalion would simultaneously circle around and attack Baby 700 from the West . The 3rd Battalion would for the moment be held in reserve . At 10 : 30 Kemal informed II Corps he was attacking . 
 At 11 : 30 Sefik told Kemal that the ANZACs had a beachhead of around 2 @,@ 200 yards ( 2 @,@ 000 m ) , and that he would attack towards Ari Burnu , in conjunction with the 19th Division . Around midday Kemal was <unk> that the 9th Division was fully involved with the British landings at Cape Helles , and could not support his attack , so at 12 : 30 he ordered two battalions of the 77th Infantry Regiment ( the third battalion was guarding Suvla Bay ) to move forward between the 57th and 27th Infantry Regiments . At the same time he ordered his reserve 72nd Infantry Regiment to move further west . Within the next half @-@ hour the 27th and 57th Infantry Regiments started the counter @-@ attack , supported by three batteries of artillery . At 13 : 00 Kemal met with his corps commander <unk> Pasha and convinced him of the need to react in strength to the ANZAC landings . <unk> agreed and released the 72nd and 27th Infantry Regiments to Kemal 's command . Kemal deployed the four regiments from north to south ; 72nd , 57th , 27th and 77th . In total , Turkish strength opposing the landing numbered between ten thousand and twelve thousand men . 
 
 = = = North = = = 
 
 At 15 : 15 Lalor left the defence of The Nek to a platoon that had arrived as reinforcements , and moved his company to Baby 700 . There he joined a group from the 2nd Battalion , commanded by Lieutenant Leslie <unk> . Lalor was killed soon afterwards . The left flank of Baby 700 was now held by sixty men , the remnants of several units , commanded by a corporal . They had survived five charges by the Turks between 07 : 30 and 15 : 00 ; after the last charge the Australians were ordered to withdraw through The Nek . There , a company from the Canterbury Battalion had just arrived , with their commanding officer Lieutenant @-@ Colonel Douglas Stewart . By 16 : 00 the New Zealand companies had formed a defence line on Russell 's Top . On Baby 700 , there was on the left <unk> 's and Lalor 's men , and at the top of Malone 's <unk> were the survivors of the 2nd Battalion and some men from the 3rd Brigade . On the right were the men left from the Auckland companies , and a mixed group from the 1st , 2nd , 11th and 12th Battalions . Once Stewart 's men were secure , he ordered <unk> to withdraw . During a Turkish artillery bombardment of The Nek , Stewart was killed . The artillery heralded the start of a Turkish counter @-@ attack ; columns of troops appeared over the top of Battleship Hill and on the flanks and attacked the ANZAC lines . 
 At 16 : 30 the three battalions from the 72nd Infantry Regiment arrived and attacked from the north . At the same time the Australians and New Zealanders holding on at Baby 700 broke and ran back to an improvised line , from Walker 's Ridge in the north to Pope 's Hill in the south . The defence line at The Nek was now defended by nine New Zealanders , under the command of a sergeant ; they had three machine @-@ guns but the crews had all been killed or wounded . As the survivors arrived from Baby 700 their numbers rose to around sixty . Bridges in his divisional headquarters starting receiving messages from the front ; just after 17 : 00 Lieutenant @-@ Colonel George <unk> on Walker 's Ridge advised he was holding his position and " if reinforced could advance " . At 17 : 37 Maclagen reported they were being " heavily attacked " , at 18 : 15 the 3rd Battalion signalled , " 3rd Brigade being driven back " . At 19 : 15 from Maclagen again " 4th Brigade urgently required " . Bridges sent two hundred stragglers , from several different battalions , to reinforce <unk> and promised two extra battalions from the New Zealand and Australian Division which was now coming ashore . 
 <unk> was at 19 : 00 and the Turkish attack had now reached Malone 's <unk> and The Nek . The New Zealanders waited until the Turks came close , then opened fire in the darkness , stopping their advance . <unk> outnumbered , they asked for reinforcements . Instead , the supporting troops to their rear were withdrawn and the Turks managed to get behind them . So , taking the machine @-@ guns with them , they withdrew off Russell 's Top into Rest Gully . This left the defenders at Walker 's Ridge isolated from the rest of the force . 
 
 = = = South = = = 
 
 The Australians on 400 Plateau had for some time been subjected to sniping and artillery fire and could see Turkish troops digging in on Gun Ridge . Around 13 : 00 a column of Turkish reinforcements from the 27th Infantry Regiment , in at least battalion strength , were observed moving along the ridge @-@ line from the south . The Turks then turned towards 400 Plateau and advanced in extended order . The Turkish counter @-@ attack soon forced the advanced Australian troops to withdraw , and their machine @-@ gun fire caused them heavy casualties . It was not long before the attack had forced a wedge between the Australians on Baby 700 and those on 400 Plateau . The heavy Turkish fire onto Lone Pine forced the survivors to withdraw back to the western slope of 400 Plateau . At 14 : 25 Turkish artillery and small arms fire was so heavy that the Indian <unk> were forced to push their guns back off the plateau by hand , and they reformed on the beach . 
 Although in places there was a mixture of different companies and platoons dug in together , the Australians were deployed with the 8th Battalion in the south still centred on Bolton 's Ridge . North of them , covering the southern sector of 400 Plateau , were the mixed together 6th and 7th Battalions , both now commanded by Colonel Walter <unk> of the 6th . North of them was the 5th Battalion , and the 10th Battalion covered the northern sector of 400 Plateau at Johnston 's Jolly . But by now they were battalions in name only , having all taken heavy casualties ; the commanders had little accurate knowledge of where their men were located . 
 At 15 : 30 the two battalions of the Turkish 77th Infantry Regiment were in position , and with the 27th Infantry they counter @-@ attacked again . At 15 : 30 and at 16 : 45 McCay , now under severe pressure , requested reinforcements . The second time he was informed there was only one <unk> battalion left , the 4th , and Bridges was keeping them in reserve until more troops from the New Zealand and Australian Division had been landed . McCay then spoke to Bridges direct and informed him the situation was desperate and if not reinforced the Turks would get behind him . At 17 : 00 Bridges released the 4th Battalion to McCay who sent them to the south forming on the left of the 8th Battalion along Bolton 's Ridge . They arrived just in time to help counter Turkish probing attacks , by the 27th Infantry Regiment , from the south . 
 At 17 : 20 McCay signalled Bridges that large numbers of unwounded men were leaving the battlefield and heading for the beaches . This was followed by Maclagan asking for urgent artillery fire support , onto Gun Ridge , as his left was under a heavy attack and at 18 : 16 Owen reported the left flank was " rapidly " being forced to retire . At dusk Maclagan made his way to Bridges headquarters and when asked for his opinion replied " It 's touch and go . If the Turks come on in mass formation ... I don 't think anything can stop them . " As it got dark the Turkish artillery ceased firing , and although small arms fire continued on both sides , the effects were limited when firing blind . Darkness also provided the opportunity to start digging more substantial trenches and to resupply the troops with water and ammunition . 
 The last significant action of the day was at 22 : 00 south of Lone Pine , when the Turks charged towards Bolton 's Ridge . By now the 8th Battalion had positioned two machine @-@ guns to cover their front , which caused devastation amongst the attackers , and to their left the 4th Battalion also became involved . When the Turks got to within fifty yards ( 46 m ) the 8th Battalion counter @-@ attacked in a bayonet charge and the Turks withdrew . The ANZAC defence was aided by Royal Navy searchlights providing illumination . Both sides now waited for the next attack , but the day 's events had shattered both formations and they were no longer in any condition to conduct offensive operations . 
 
 = = Aftermath = = 
 
 By nightfall , around sixteen thousand men had been landed , and the ANZACs had formed a beachhead , although with several undefended sections . It stretched along Bolton 's Ridge in the south , across 400 Plateau , to Monash Valley . After a short gap it resumed at Pope 's Hill , then at the top of Walker 's Ridge . It was not a large beachhead ; it was under two miles ( 3 @.@ 2 km ) in length , with a depth around 790 yards ( 720 m ) , and in places only a few yards separated the two sides . That evening Birdwood had been ashore to check on the situation , and , satisfied , returned to HMS Queen . Around 21 : 15 he was asked to return to the beachhead . There he met with his senior officers , who asked him to arrange an evacuation . Unwilling to make that decision on his own he signalled Hamilton ; 
 Both my divisional generals and <unk> have represented to me that they fear their men are thoroughly demoralised by shrapnel fire to which they have been subjected all day after exhaustion and <unk> work in morning . Numbers have <unk> back from the firing line and cannot be collected in this difficult country . Even New Zealand Brigade which has only recently been engaged lost heavily and is to some extent demoralised . If troops are subjected to <unk> again tomorrow morning there is likely to be a <unk> , as I have no fresh troops with which to replace those in firing line . I know my representation is most serious , but if we are to re @-@ embark it must be at once . 
 Hamilton conferred with his naval commanders , who convinced him an evacuation would be almost impossible , and responded ; " dig <unk> right in and stick it out ... dig , dig , dig until you are safe " . The survivors had to fight on alone until 28 April when four battalions of the Royal Naval Division were attached to the corps . 
 On the Turkish side , by that night the 2nd Battalion 57th Infantry were on Baby 700 , the 3rd Battalion , reduced to only ninety men , were at The Nek , and the 1st Battalion on <unk> Ridge . Just south of them was the 77th Infantry , next was the 27th Infantry opposite 400 Plateau . The last regiment , the 72nd Infantry , were on Battleship Hill . As for manpower , the Turks were in a similar situation to the ANZACs . Of the two regiments most heavily involved , the 57th had been destroyed , and the 27th were exhausted with heavy casualties . Large numbers of the 77th had deserted , and the regiment was in no condition to fight . The 72nd was largely intact , but they were a poorly trained force of Arab conscripts . The III Corps , having to deal with both landings , could not assist as they had no reserves available . It was not until 27 April that the 33rd and 64th Infantry Regiments arrived to reinforce the Turkish forces . The ANZACs , however , had been unable to achieve their <unk> , and therefore dug in . Gallipoli , like the Western Front , turned into a war of <unk> . The German commander , <unk> von Saunders , was clear about the reasons for the outcome . He wrote that , " on the Turkish side the situation was saved by the immediate and independent action of the 19th Division . " The division commander , Kemal , became noted as " the most imaginative , most successful officer to fight on either side " during the campaign . As a commander he was able to get the most out of his troops , <unk> by his order to the 57th Infantry Regiment ; " Men , I am not ordering you to attack . I am ordering you to die . In the time that it takes us to die , other forces and commanders can come and take our place . " 
 In the following days there were several failed attacks and counter @-@ attacks by both sides . The Turks were the first to try during the Second attack on Anzac Cove on 27 April , followed by the ANZACs who tried to advance overnight 1 / 2 May . The Turkish Third attack on Anzac Cove on 19 May was the worst defeat of them all , with around ten thousand casualties , including three thousand dead . The next four months consisted of only local or diversionary attacks , until 6 August when the ANZACs , in connection with the Landing at Suvla Bay , attacked Chunuk Bair with only limited success . The Turks never succeeded in driving the Australians and New Zealanders back into the sea . Similarly , the ANZACs never broke out of their beachhead . Instead , in December 1915 , after eight months of fighting , they evacuated the peninsula . 
 
 = = = Casualties = = = 
 
 The full extent of casualties on that first day are not known . Birdwood , who did not come ashore until late in the day , estimated between three and four hundred dead on the beaches . The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage claims one in five of the three thousand New Zealanders involved became a casualty . The Australian War Memorial has 860 Australian dead between 25 – 30 April , and the Australian Government estimates 2 @,@ 000 wounded left Anzac Cove on 25 April , but more wounded were still waiting on the <unk> to be evacuated . The Commonwealth War Graves Commission documents that 754 Australian and 147 New Zealand soldiers died on 25 April 1915 . A higher than normal proportion of the ANZAC casualties were from the officer ranks . One theory was that they kept exposing themselves to fire , trying to find out where they were or to locate their troops . Four men were taken prisoner by the Turks . 
 It is estimated that the Turkish 27th and 57th Infantry Regiments lost around 2 @,@ 000 men , or fifty per cent of their combined strength . The full number of Turkish casualties for the day has not been recorded . During the campaign , 8 @,@ 708 Australians and 2 @,@ <unk> New Zealanders were killed . The exact number of Turkish dead is not known but has been estimated around 87 @,@ 000 . 
 
 = = = Anzac Day = = = 
 
 The anniversary of the landings , 25 April , has since 1916 been recognised in Australia and New Zealand as Anzac Day , now one of their most important national occasions . It does not celebrate a military victory , but instead commemorates all the Australians and New Zealanders " who served and died in all wars , conflicts , and peacekeeping operations " and " the contribution and suffering of all those who have served . " Around the country , dawn services are held at war memorials to commemorate those involved . In Australia , at 10 : 15 , another service is held at the Australian War Memorial , which the prime minister and governor general normally attend . The first official dawn services were held in Australia in 1927 and in New Zealand in 1939 . Lower @-@ key services are also held in the United Kingdom and Ireland . In Turkey , large groups of Australians and New Zealanders have begun to gather at Anzac Cove , where in 2005 an estimated 20 @,@ 000 people attended the service to commemorate the landings . <unk> figures rose to 38 @,@ 000 in 2012 and 50 @,@ 000 in 2013 . 
 
 