The Keep Military Museum, Dorchester, Dorset |
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Second AttemptThe following day the force re-organised units, which were badly mixed up, before renewing the attack on 9th August. This time the Dorsets were to advance across the broken gullies of the Kiretch Tepe Ridge, which was to be cleared by the 10th Irish Division. The advance on the crest of the main ridge went well, if slowly, and lower down the enemy were soon falling back as the Dorsets fought their way from gully to gully towards the foot of Kidney Hill. Here they halted to await clearance of the ridge above but the Munster Fusiliers, on their flank, were forced to withdraw precipitately. The Dorsets were short of water but the Battalion's pioneers brought supplies up from the beach and Corporal Moulton distributed bottles of water under heavy fire, despite advice to keep down. However, with their flanks in the air the Dorsets were ordered to withdraw. In their first battles the inexperienced 5th Dorsets, under the steady hand of Colonel Hannay had performed well. Others in the 11th Division; the first Kitchener formation to take part in an offensive, had not been as successful. Consequently, the Dorsets found themselves destined to play a leading part in the following attack. The next attempt to break out of Suvla would, however, have to await further reinforcement, which included two squadrons of the QODY - minus their horses. They arrived with just under four hundred men and received their first shellfire of the campaign while still in the naval launches in Suvla Bay. Related Image Gallery
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