During the night of May 10-11 the 6th Gurkhas started off to seize
this bluff. Their scouts descended to the sea, worked their way for
some distance through the broken ground along the shore, and crawled
hands and knees up the precipitous face of the cliff. On reaching
the top they were heavily fired on. As a surprise the enterprise
had failed, but as a reconnaissance it proved very useful. On the
following day Major-General H. B. Cox, commanding 29th Indian Infantry
Brigade, submitted proposals for a concerted attack on this bluff
(now called Gurkha Bluff), and arrangements were made with the Navy
for co-operation. These arrangements were completed on May 12; they
included a demonstration by the Manchester Brigade of the 42nd Division
and by our artillery and the support of the attack from the sea by the
guns of H.M.S. _Dublin_ and H.M.S. _Talbot_. At 6.30 a.m. on May 12 the
Manchester Brigade and the 29th Divisional artillery opened fire on
the Turkish trenches, and under cover of this fire a double company of
the 1/6th Gurkhas once more crept along the shore and assembled below
the bluff. Then, the attention of the Turks being taken up with the
bombardment, they swiftly scaled the cliffs and carried the work with a
rush. The machine-gun section of the Gurkhas was hurried forward, and
at 4.30 p.m. a second double company was pushed up to join the first.
An hour later these two double companies extended and began to entrench
to join up their new advanced left diagonally with the right of the
trenches previously held by their battalion.
At 6 p.m. a third double company advanced across the open from their
former front line of trenches under a heavy rifle and machine-gun fire,
and established themselves on this diagonal line between the main
ravine on their right and the newly captured redoubt. The 4th double
company moved up as a support, and held the former firing line.
Our left flank, which had been firmly held up against all attempts
on the 6th-8th, was now, by stratagem, advanced nearly 500 yards.
Purchased as it was with comparatively slight losses (21 killed, 92
wounded) this success was due to careful preparation and organization
by Major-General H. V. Cox, commanding 29th Indian Infantry Brigade,
Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. C. G. Bruce, commanding 1/6 Gurkhas, and
Major (temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) F. A. Wynter, R.G.A., commanding
the Artillery Group supporting the attack. The co-operation of the two
cruisers was excellent, and affords another instance of the admirable
support by the Navy to our troops.