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Terrain and the Gallipoli Campaign, 1915

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Part of the book series: The GeoJournal Library ((GEJL,volume 64))

Abstract

The Gallipoli Campaign of 1915 was one of the most strategically significant theatres during the Great War of 1914–1918. A land system analysis of the Gallipoli Peninsula was carried out, and five land systems, based on aspects of geology, geomorphology, hydrogeology and vegetation, were identified. The landings of 25th April 1915 were made at Cape Helles and Anzac Cove, with objectives to capture the high ground. The land system analysis demonstrates that these landing places were disadvantaged by terrain, with steep, deeply incised slopes, narrow beaches and inadequate water supplies. A later landing at Suvla Bay in August 1915 had more terrain advantages, with wide landing beaches and locally available water supplies, but the tactical advantages of a lightly held terrain were not exploited.

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© 2002 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Doyle, P., Bennett, M.R. (2002). Terrain and the Gallipoli Campaign, 1915. In: Doyle, P., Bennett, M.R. (eds) Fields of Battle. The GeoJournal Library, vol 64. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1550-8_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1550-8_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5940-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-1550-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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