ells, until it seemed that not a living creature could
have survived. But when the Lancashire Fusiliers Brigade moved out
to the attack a few minutes later it soon became apparent that the
naval bombardment had by no means exterminated or demoralized the
Turks.

The British troops were greeted by a perfect hurricane of fire from
rifles and machine guns. Hundreds of the men went down and, brave as
the remainder were, they were compelled to abandon the attempt to
cross the open ground that lay between the British front and Krithia.
Some progress was made on the right, however, where a clump of fir
trees which had been holding up the advance for some time was finally
carried by the Fifth Royal Scots. Early in the afternoon the Turks
recaptured the firs and such of the ground they had lost and shortly
after four o'clock when Sir Ian Hamilton relieved the situation, the
British were in the position of being absolutely "stuck." The British
commander decided to make another desperate attempt, however, and
called upon the French for cooperation. The whole allied line advanced
to the attack just as evening was closing in but the Turks by this
time had brought up some additional batteries and poured in on the
French and the British a smothering fire of deadly shrapnel. So heavy
was the punishment of the French that the line literally melted away
and General d'Amade was compelled to throw his last reserve into the
front line. At nightfall the allied attack subsided.

During the night, word came to Sir Ian Hamilton that heavy Turkish
reenforcements were on their way and he decided to make one last
attempt to carry Krithia and Achi Baba before they arrived in the
morning. Accordingly, the Lancashire Fusiliers Brigade which had been
particularly roughly handled was withdrawn from the line, and their
places taken by the New Zealand Brigade. After another naval
bombardment the New Zealanders were ordered forward shortly after 10
a. m. of May 8, 1915. By 1.30 they were two hundred yards closer to
Krithia than any allied troops had been up to that time. There,
however, they were heavily checked. Other units were unable to
advance, and the French sent word that they were unable to go any
farther unless the British line could move.

There was a long pause. Finally word was passed along the line that
the final desperate effort was to be made--namely to carry Krithia and
Achi Baba by a combined bayonet attack. Every man in the line was
o