Page 21 - Sylvia Malt - Side by Side

The Battle of Jutland - (considered the greatest Naval battle of the First World War) had
all the ingredients of being a great naval victory, but in the event, the result was much less
clear cut. At the end of May 1915, the British Grand Fleet sailed in pursuit of the German
High Seas Fleet, who were confident of making sorties on the east coast as the main British
Fleet were presently at Scapa Flow in the north of Scotland.

Admiral Jellicoe commanded the British Fleet whose heavy guns soon inflicted damage on
the German fleet. In the last phase of battle, after a night of intense fighting, the retreat of
the German battleships was covered by their lighter ships, while Admiral Jellicoe lost
time trying to avoid a torpedo attack. (Edwin Downton/ William Rutland)

Dardanelles (Gallipoli Campaign). The eight month Campaign in Gallipoli was fought
by the allies in an attempt to force Turkey out of the war and to relieve the deadlock of the
Western Front in France and Belgium, as well as opening a supply to Russia through the
Dardanelles and the Black Sea.

The men landed on the peninsula on 25th/26th April 1915. The Allies landed at Cape Helles
in the south and the Australian and New Zealand Corps north of the Gaba Tepe on the west
coast (an area soon known as Anzac). The climax of the campaign came in early August
when simultaneous assaults were launched on all three fronts. However, the difficult
terrain and stiff Turkish resistance soon led to the stalemate of trench warfare. (Arthur
Hardy/George Wenham/Sydney Kingsland/Alfred Knapp)

1916 - The Battles of the Somme. General Haig planned a meticulous operation
involving some 120,000 men. British confidence was high, particularly among the new
Army recruits going into battle for the first time.

On 1st July, British regiments undertook a massive assault on German defences, confident
after a long period of constant bombardment that the enemy would have been considerably
weakened and that they could easily achieve victory. Unfortunately, the exact opposite was
the case. It is estimated that as many as 60,000 men were either killed or injured in just two
hours on that notorious disastrous morning, which is regarded as the worst ever single
military tragedy in British history. The German troops had been aware of the coming
bombardment and had taken to their deeply dug-in trenches to sit out the onslaught. When
it eventually ceased, they were ready to take on the thousands of unprepared troops,
mowing them down with comparative ease.

The Battles in and around the Somme continued for many months, with the British
seemingly determined to win through in the end, no matter how many men they lost in the
process. Throughout late July and August 1916, these bloody encounters led only to
partial and temporary occupations of shattered ruins as determined German counter-
attacks and continuous artillery fire forced later withdrawals.
(Percy Bellingham/Arthur West/Frank Tossell/Robert Pillman/Hugh Perriman/
Alfred Stevens/Ralph Collins/Lewis Goldsmith)

The Mesopotamia Campaign. Soldiers who fought in the Middle East, Italy or Africa
were rather overlooked, as most people concentrated on the dreadful battles fought in
Europe. But the conditions for the unfortunate men sent to this harsh and unforgiving part
of the world were generally much worse. In an extremely hostile terrain, the troops had to
contend with soaring temperatures, flies and disease, and many fatal illnesses such as
dysentery and cholera.

21