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Battle of Lone Pine
Battle of Lone Pine is one of the battle during the August Offensive, and in an off change, one of the winning battle the Commonwealth, mostly Australian, fought. The nature of this battle is extremely bloody.
Although the battle itself is a victory, this battle is a strategically defeat, because this battle did not serve its purpose of being decisive enough to draw away ottoman man power in Chunuk Bair and to some extend, the Nek, where both battle stalled and eventually fail. marking this the sole battle that enjoy some degree of success for the whole August Campaign.
Background
The August campaign saw the major push the Commonwealth need to break out of the Gallipoli area. The plan for the break out is a point of 5 battle involving 100,000 soldier of the commonwealth and 5 different battle.
The break out will call for the British to attack Krithia Vineyard, the Australian move up from the Nek, the New Zealand move south to Chunuk Bair, couple with the British land another 2 divisions north of ANZAC and finally with the Australian 1st Division taking the Lone Pine.
Lone Pine is situated in the Middle of the ANZAC zone, connected Bolton ridge from the South and Monash Valley in the East, the battle field was named after a single Turkish pine stood over the Turkish defence on 400 Plateau. The key of the ridge connects 400 Plateau to Chunuk Bair which connect directly to Baby 700 and subsequently Hill 971
The point the ANZAC going to assault would allow the ANZAC to use a reverse crest and round the Baby 700 and possible flank it or develop a double envelopment to assault Baby 700. Hence the importance of the battle.
Unlike other area in the battlefield, Being in a plateau, the ground around lone pine is flat, it resemble No Man's Land in the western front, and the trench network created quite far away from both side, the Australian estimated it would take 15 minutes from the Aussie to charge into Turkish trench in lone pine
.
The Battle
Lone pine had changed hand several time before the battle, it was held by Ottoman before the Gallipoli landing then ANZAC Captured it during the first week, and the ottoman recapture the area in May, and now the ANZAC is going to attack lone pine.
The attack started at 1730 when an Australian 1st Brigade charge over their own trench and launch into the ottoman trench, the brigade attack preceded by artillery bombardment and by the time the ottoman soldier re-emerge into their own trench after the bombing, the Australian were already more than half way there
The Australian 1st Brigade, at about 2000 strong, half diverted thru the tunnel system and the other half were "going-over", once the 1st brigade gone over the ottoman trenches, they realise the trench were reinforced with pine tree on top of the dugout and the soldier from 1st brigade cannot access the ottoman trench.
While some soldier tore away the bunker and occupied the trenches that way, some opt to go over the trench system and into the rear and storm the communication bunker and the HQ bunker, and gain access the frontline trench from the rear.
By then most Ottoman defender had retreated further north into Baby 700, which during the course of the assault had been bringing down plunging fire all along the ANZACs, while the ANZAC secure the frontline trenches, the frontline are still under intense artillery and sniper fire form Baby 700.
Still, the Australian have succeed to occupy lone pine.
Counter attack that night by the ottoman have been beaten back, as the ottoman did not have enough troop in the area to launch any meaningful counter attack, ottoman have 2 battalion (1 from 57th Regiment and another from 47th Regiment on ready counterattack that night. Against an almost full strength Australian Brigade (That's about 1200 ottoman against 2,000 Australian)
Day 2 sees the Ottoman have massed more reinforcement and now at 5 battalions strength, after reinforced by the 13th regiment, the ottoman launched repeat counterattack against the Australian line, however, the Australian did also brought up their own reinforcement and by the end of Day 3, the ottoman had given up retaking the Lone Pine, instead, the ottoman would harass the Australian in Lone Pine with troop in Baby 700
Post Mortem
The Battle of Lone Pine although did succeed in winning the tactical objective, the resource poured into the objective, however, is not proportional. While some historian suggest that, what is the point of lone pine if they pour a lot more resource then it already drained, and the problem is, one should never forget the Battle of Lone Pine was started as a feign attack
However, some would argue, up to that point in battle, the ANZAC have suffer one defeat after another, some would argue the Aussie need a lot more than just a feign attack, but a solid win.
But that do not really make sense that the command would purposely throw the whole campaign for just that solid win. But nonetheless, the battle had won, but the resource the Australian put into this battle did not have been out fought to the original objective, which does not draw much of the defender to relocate from Chunuk Bair and ultimately failed in succeeding at the breakout.
Battle of Lone Pine is one of the battle during the August Offensive, and in an off change, one of the winning battle the Commonwealth, mostly Australian, fought. The nature of this battle is extremely bloody.
Although the battle itself is a victory, this battle is a strategically defeat, because this battle did not serve its purpose of being decisive enough to draw away ottoman man power in Chunuk Bair and to some extend, the Nek, where both battle stalled and eventually fail. marking this the sole battle that enjoy some degree of success for the whole August Campaign.
Background
The August campaign saw the major push the Commonwealth need to break out of the Gallipoli area. The plan for the break out is a point of 5 battle involving 100,000 soldier of the commonwealth and 5 different battle.
The break out will call for the British to attack Krithia Vineyard, the Australian move up from the Nek, the New Zealand move south to Chunuk Bair, couple with the British land another 2 divisions north of ANZAC and finally with the Australian 1st Division taking the Lone Pine.
Lone Pine is situated in the Middle of the ANZAC zone, connected Bolton ridge from the South and Monash Valley in the East, the battle field was named after a single Turkish pine stood over the Turkish defence on 400 Plateau. The key of the ridge connects 400 Plateau to Chunuk Bair which connect directly to Baby 700 and subsequently Hill 971
The point the ANZAC going to assault would allow the ANZAC to use a reverse crest and round the Baby 700 and possible flank it or develop a double envelopment to assault Baby 700. Hence the importance of the battle.
Unlike other area in the battlefield, Being in a plateau, the ground around lone pine is flat, it resemble No Man's Land in the western front, and the trench network created quite far away from both side, the Australian estimated it would take 15 minutes from the Aussie to charge into Turkish trench in lone pine
.
The Battle
Lone pine had changed hand several time before the battle, it was held by Ottoman before the Gallipoli landing then ANZAC Captured it during the first week, and the ottoman recapture the area in May, and now the ANZAC is going to attack lone pine.
The attack started at 1730 when an Australian 1st Brigade charge over their own trench and launch into the ottoman trench, the brigade attack preceded by artillery bombardment and by the time the ottoman soldier re-emerge into their own trench after the bombing, the Australian were already more than half way there
The Australian 1st Brigade, at about 2000 strong, half diverted thru the tunnel system and the other half were "going-over", once the 1st brigade gone over the ottoman trenches, they realise the trench were reinforced with pine tree on top of the dugout and the soldier from 1st brigade cannot access the ottoman trench.
While some soldier tore away the bunker and occupied the trenches that way, some opt to go over the trench system and into the rear and storm the communication bunker and the HQ bunker, and gain access the frontline trench from the rear.
By then most Ottoman defender had retreated further north into Baby 700, which during the course of the assault had been bringing down plunging fire all along the ANZACs, while the ANZAC secure the frontline trenches, the frontline are still under intense artillery and sniper fire form Baby 700.
Still, the Australian have succeed to occupy lone pine.
Counter attack that night by the ottoman have been beaten back, as the ottoman did not have enough troop in the area to launch any meaningful counter attack, ottoman have 2 battalion (1 from 57th Regiment and another from 47th Regiment on ready counterattack that night. Against an almost full strength Australian Brigade (That's about 1200 ottoman against 2,000 Australian)
Day 2 sees the Ottoman have massed more reinforcement and now at 5 battalions strength, after reinforced by the 13th regiment, the ottoman launched repeat counterattack against the Australian line, however, the Australian did also brought up their own reinforcement and by the end of Day 3, the ottoman had given up retaking the Lone Pine, instead, the ottoman would harass the Australian in Lone Pine with troop in Baby 700
Post Mortem
The Battle of Lone Pine although did succeed in winning the tactical objective, the resource poured into the objective, however, is not proportional. While some historian suggest that, what is the point of lone pine if they pour a lot more resource then it already drained, and the problem is, one should never forget the Battle of Lone Pine was started as a feign attack
However, some would argue, up to that point in battle, the ANZAC have suffer one defeat after another, some would argue the Aussie need a lot more than just a feign attack, but a solid win.
But that do not really make sense that the command would purposely throw the whole campaign for just that solid win. But nonetheless, the battle had won, but the resource the Australian put into this battle did not have been out fought to the original objective, which does not draw much of the defender to relocate from Chunuk Bair and ultimately failed in succeeding at the breakout.
