(3) Seize Sari Bair crestline;

(4) Hold enough of the hinterland of Suvla Bay to make it a comfortable
harbour.

* * * * *

(1) and (2) we have carried through handsomely. We have trebled our
holding at Anzac and we have put Suvla Bay in our pocket. (3) we have
not done; we are short of it by a couple of hundred yards; (4) we have
not done; it is a practicable harbour but subject certainly to
annoyance. In honest, gambler's language, we have won a good stake but
we have not broke the Ottoman Bank.

De Lisle reports confusion throughout Suvla Bay area. He _must_ have
three or four days to pull the troops together before he organizes a
fresh offensive. The IXth Corps has been _un corps sans tete_.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 9: Hankey belonged to the Royal Marine Artillery.--IAN H.,
1920.]

[Footnote 10: See Appendix IV containing actual letter of
instructions.--IAN H., 1920.]

CHAPTER XVII

THE LAST BATTLE

_18th August, 1915. Imbros._ Freddie and I left in the _Arno_ this
morning; Braithwaite and his boy Val came with us. We sailed for Suvla
_via_ Anzac and held a meeting which was nearer a Council of War than
anything up to date. Dawnay, Deedes and Beadon stood by; so did Generals
Skeen, Hammersley and Peyton. Reed, C.G.S., IXth Corps, was also
present. The discussion of the steps to be taken within the next two or
three days lasted an hour and a half. Every one who spoke had studied
the data and the ground and there was no divergence of view, which was a
comfort. Our attack will have as its objective the seizure of a foothold
on the high ground. Anzacs will co-operate. As I explained to the
Generals, we hardly dare hope to make a clean break through till drafts
and fresh munitions arrive as the Turks now have had too long to dig in.
But if we can seize and keep a point upon the watershed (however small)
from which we can observe the drop of our shell, we can knock out the
landing places of the Turks. At the end, I told them I had asked for
95,000 fresh rifles, 50,000 in new formations, 45,000 to bring my
skeleton units up to strength, adding, that if I was refused that help
then I felt Government had better get someone cleverer than myself to
put their Fleet into the Marmora. The Generals seemed satisfied with my
demands and sympathetic towards my personal attitude.

As to the coming attack, the tone of the Conference was hopeful. They
agreed that the nut was hard for