W beach consists of a strip of deep, powdery sand some 350 yards
long and from 15 to 40 yards wide, situated immediately south of
Tekke Burnu, where a small gully running down to the sea opens out a
break in the cliffs. On either flank of the beach the ground rises
precipitously, but, in the centre, a number of sand dunes afford a
more gradual access to the ridge overlooking the sea. Much time and
ingenuity had been employed by the Turks in turning this landing-place
into a death trap. Close to the water's edge a broad wire entanglement
extended the whole length of the shore, and a supplementary barbed
network lay concealed under the surface of the sea in the shallows.
Land mines and sea mines had been laid. The high ground overlooking
the beach was strongly fortified with trenches to which the gully
afforded a natural covered approach. A number of machine guns also
were cunningly tucked away into holes in the cliff so as to be immune
from a naval bombardment whilst they were converging their fire on the
wire entanglements. The crest of the hill overlooking the beach was in
its turn commanded by high ground to the north-west and south-east,
and especially by two strong infantry redoubts near point 138. Both
these redoubts were protected by wire entanglements about 20 feet
broad, and could be approached only by a bare glacis-like slope
leading up from the high ground above W beach or from the Cape Helles
lighthouse. In addition, another separate entanglement ran down from
these two redoubts to the edge of the cliff near the lighthouse, making
intercommunication between V and W beaches impossible until these
redoubts had been captured.
So strong, in fact, were the defences of W beach that the Turks may
well have considered them impregnable, and it is my firm conviction
that no finer feat of arms has ever been achieved by the British
soldier--or any other soldier--than the storming of these trenches from
open boats on the morning of April 25.