from the Aegean to the Dardanelles is
confronted by rising ground that culminates in the centre with the
flat summit of Achi Baba, 800 ft. high. On either side the ground
falls away to the sea in ravines and dry watercourses (_deres_), which
the Turks have had time to make impregnable to any except those superb
troops that are now fighting to pass over them.

There is no room upon the Gallipoli Peninsula to find weak points, and
we are now in the position of having to storm an immensely strong
fortress, the advanced works of which, by an amazing feat of arms, we
already hold, and the glacis of which has to be crossed before we move
forward to the assault upon the bastion of Achi Baba and beyond to the
final assault upon the very walls of that fortress, the Kilid Bahr
Plateau.

Farther up the coast the Australians and New Zealanders have made a
lodgment upon one of the strongest advanced works of the Kilid Bahr
Plateau. As seen from the northwest here they threaten the
communications of the "fortress" and are drawing against them a large
part of the garrison. This is composed of the flower of the Turkish
Army, and, notwithstanding casualties that must already amount to
70,000, the troops are fighting with gallantry--with desperation,
indeed, because they realize that when the bastion of Achi Baba falls
the occupation of the Kilid Bahr Plateau becomes a mere question of
time, and that when Kilid Bahr falls the doom of Constantinople is at
hand. In view of the difficulties--were it not for the landing one
would be tempted to say the impossibilities--which confront our men,
the gain of a score of yards in the Gallipoli Peninsula may fairly
represent for the purposes of comparison a gain of 500 yards in the
Western theatre of war. Therefore, to find its importance the gain of
500 yards on June 4 must be measured with affairs like Neuve Chapelle;
and the few quiet days that succeeded may be accepted as repose.

[Illustration: Map of Gallipoli Peninsula, showing the mountainous
nature of the terrain, and Achi Baba.]

After a violent effort on the night of June 11 to 12 there was a
brilliant little action by the Border Regiment and the South Wales
Borderers which resulted in the gain of two trenches. On the 16th the
enemy, led by a Turkish and a German officer, made an assault on the
trenches of the 88th Brigade, but were driven off with loss. However,
that night the trenches gained by the two regiments on the 11th were
h