WI Gallipoli Campaign Landings a Success?

[Eternity]

Hi all,

Basically I am wondering what would happen if the Gallipoli Campaign landings were a success instead of a disaster (Or rather, instead of turning into a disaster).

OTL the landings took place on April 25th 1915, and were unopposed for the most part, with the Turks bringing up reinforcements the following day and seizing the high ground. This was permitted because the allied troops stayed on the beaches for the most part, and did not advance inland to the high ground as they were supposed to.

Basically my question is: What happens if the allies move inland immediatly, and seize the high ground and get dug in BEFORE the Turk reinforcements arrive (As was the plan)? How does the Gallipoli Campaign go from that point on? Assume everything up until April 25th 1915 is as OTL.

EDIT: And by extension, in general terms, how would The Great War go from then on? Shorter? Longer? etc

 

[Cook]

OTL the landings took place on April 25th 1915, and were unopposed for the most part, with the Turks bringing up reinforcements the following day and seizing the high ground. This was permitted because the allied troops stayed on the beaches for the most part, and did not advance inland to the high ground as they were supposed to.

At Anzac Cove, far from ‘staying on the beaches’ the troops started working their way up the embankment within minutes of the landings, only one man was killed on the beach in the first wave of landings. Some Australian troops did reach the objective of Chunuk Bair but were pushed back. Far from coming up the next day, Turkish forces were on the move within half an hour of the landings being reported; they were already at a high state of alert.

At Cape Helles, the Turkish defences were incredibly heavy; huge numbers of British troops were killed before they even reached the beaches.

There were six Turkish divisions defending the Dardanelles from the III Corps of the 5th Turkish Army, this was in fact the strongest and most experienced corps in the entire Turkish army.

The campaign was effectively lost well before the main landings with the complete lack of operational security.

 

[Eternity]

There were landings at S, V, W, X, Y and Anzac (Z) Beaches.

At V & W Beach, the landings were opposed and terrible losses were suffered, yes, but they did succeed and despite the losses, were a 'success' (As far as things go).

S & X Beaches were initally unopposed (Although a counter-attack was defeated on X beach) and the soldiers there did not move for the following 2 days, despite having no opposition to stop them.

Y Beach landings were totally unopposed, and one officer almost advanced to Krithia Village (And saw it was deserted of troops), before retiring. The allied troops withdrew the following day when the Turks came up and attacked.

Z Beach (ANZAC) was continously opposed, and a complete disaster, yes.

Basically, Colonel Koe (Y Beach) and Lieutenant General Hunter-Weston (Overall commander) were idiots. How was it put by one soldier? It was an operation conceved by a genius and left to idiots to carry out. Or am I getting my military operations mixed up? Don't think I am...

Had S, X and Y beaches actually pushed out and not waited to be relieved or attacked, things could have been very different, so what if they did push out?

 

[Cymraeg]

I'd like to ask a more interesting question. What if the British had not been stopped by the French and had landed at Alexandretta instead?

 

[Cook]

I'd like to ask a more interesting question. What if the British had not been stopped by the French and had landed at Alexandretta instead?

That's a subject for a different thread; all it does here is derail discussion of the topic.