3. August Offensive

The final attempt to seize the Dardanelles took place in August. The main attack was to be made by the New Zealand and Australian Division which was to capture the heart of the Turkish position, Chunuk Bair which was accessible and undefended. A series of Turkish outposts on the northern Anzac flank were seized after the fall of darkness on 6 August and two columns, one New Zealand and the other the 4th Australian Brigade, left Anzac to approach Chunuk Bair using separate routes. The Australian column lost its way in the maze of ravines and the New Zealand column halted for four hours waiting for one of its lost units. The delay was to have tragic consequences; the New Zealanders were not in position to support the Australian attack on the Nek and by the time the New Zealanders moved, the Turks had brought up reinforcements to defend Chunuk Bair. The fight for Chunuk Bair continued until 10 August when a Turkish counter attack pushed the New Zealand and British troops from Chunuk Bair to a lower spur.

In support of the thrust towards Chunuk Bair, diversionary operations were planned for Helles, Suvla Bay and Anzac Cove. The first diversion was at Helles on the afternoon of 6 August. The British attacked at The Vineyard where heavy hand-to-hand fighting raged for a number of days. The British IX Corps landed against negligible resistance at Suvla Bay, north of Anzac Cove on 7 August and then remained on the beaches for 36 hours. By the time the order to advance was given, Turkish reinforcements had arrived. After suffering 8000 casualties on 9 and 10 August, the British occupied positions only marginally different from those held at daybreak on 7 August.