This reserve was increased on May 1 by the addition of the 29th Indian
Infantry Brigade, which released the three battalions of the 88th
Brigade to return to the trenches. The Corps Expéditionnaire d'Orient
had disembarked the whole of their infantry, and all but two of their
batteries by the same evening.
At 10 p.m. the Turks opened a hot shell fire upon our position, and
half an hour later, just before the rise of the moon, they delivered
a series of desperate attacks. Their formation was in three solid
lines, the men in the front rank being deprived of ammunition to make
them rely only upon the bayonet. The officers were served out with
coloured Bengal lights to fire from their pistols, red indicating to
the Turkish guns that they were to lengthen their range; white that
our front trenches had been stormed; green that our main position had
been carried. The Turkish attack was to crawl on hands and knees until
the time came for the final rush to be made. An eloquent hortative was
signed Von Zowenstern and addressed to the Turkish rank and file who
were called upon, by one mighty effort, to fling us all back into the
sea.
"Attack the enemy with the bayonet and utterly destroy him!
"We shall not retire one step; for, if we do, our religion, our
country, and our nation will perish!
"Soldiers! The world is looking at you! Your only hope of salvation is
to bring this battle to a successful issue or gloriously to give up
your life in the attempt!"