Item 02: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett articles on the Gallipoli campaign, 1915 - Page 134

[Page 134]

[Handwritten title]
Report on Capture of Hill 60

An attack was commence on the afternoon of the 27th to capture the rest of the underfeature, shown by contour 60, N. of Kaiajik Aghala, which commands the Biyuk Anafarta valley to E. and N. The Turkish works on the knoll consisted of a fire trench on the S.W. side, with two communication trenches run ing N.E. on each side of the knoll itself. There was also a communication trench running N.W. across the top of the knoll connecting with the other two.
These works formed the flank of a line of defences running along the slope of the ridge on the N. side of the KAIAJIK DERE, - During the action of the 21st August a footing had been obtained on the knoll, part of the enemy's South Westerly trench had been occupied by the N.Z. Mounted Rifles, and a new trench of our own further East had been made and occupied and on the left the flank of our line N. Westwards to SUSAK KUYU rested on the knoll.
Communication trenches had been dug to the trenches actually held on the N. side of the Dere. The objective selected was the knoll itself, on the N.E. side of which the two main communication trenches join, forming a line of defence round the knoll; also a set of trenches E. of the knoll on a front of about 100 yds. The attack was to be made in three columns. 4th and 5th Bdes. were were to carry the set of trenches E. of the knoll. In the centre a detachment furnished by the N.Z. Mtd. Rifles and 5th Australian Bdes. were to carry the Eastern communication trench on the knoll and the trench across the top. On the left a detachment of the Connaught Rangers were given the Northern communication trench as their objective. A preminary bombardment of the knoll, the enemy trenches N. of the Kaiajik Dere, the enemy's gun positions and approaches to the objective com enced at 4 P.M.