First Battle of Krithia | |||||||
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Part of the First World War | |||||||
Map of the Helles front in 1915 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United Kingdom France | Ottoman Empire | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Aylmer Hunter-Weston | Halil Sami Bey | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
19 battalions, 13,500 men | 9 battalions | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
British: c. 2,000 killed French: 1,001 killed | 2,378 killed |
The First Battle of Krithia (Turkish: Birinci Kirte Muharebesi) was the first Allied attempt to advance in the Battle of Gallipoli during the First World War. Starting on 28 April, three days after the Landing at Cape Helles, the defensive power of the Ottoman forces quickly overwhelmed the attack, which suffered from poor leadership and planning, lack of communications, and exhaustion & demoralisation of the troops.