Today is April 25, 2018.
The first day (1915) of the Gallipoli Battle’s Land Operations.
On the 103rd anniversary of this hero's defense, I would like to share with you a few interesting information and assessment about the operations.

First of all, worth remembering the operation plan.
The Allied forces (GB-FR-ANZAC) had to open the key point (Kilitbahir) of the throat to pass the throat, and invade the Kilitbahir Plateau for it
First, Alçıtepe and Conkbayırı’s south would be captured, then merged on Plateau

One of the polemics about Ottoman’s defence plan is 5th Army Commander Sanders changed the plan contrary to tactical necessities.The defence Turkish commanders established on coastal “zero point” changed by Sanders from “0” point to back which giving advantage to the enemy.

Sanders was claiming that enemies’ beach landing zones were not clear. Therefore,
* There would be small reconnaissance and surveillance troops on zero coastal areas for safety;
* And would be the big troops for intervene in the background

Sanders' decision was to let the enemy troops landing to the beach and hold on. Although Turkish commanders were strongly objected to this issue, the situation did not change.The report of 6th April 1915, written by Colonel Halil Sami in this subject, is a tactical masterpiece.

Did Sanders have a fault or a concealed thought? Everyone, except Sanders, agreed tactically on the landing beachs.Even in the Balkans War, Seddülbahir and Kaba Tepe are foreseen as landing sites; 2 divisions were tasked for defense. But in 1915, it was only one division there

The second point is that keeping weak of zero coast is a tactical failure, even in today's doctrine and technology. No matter how superior task force can be, is "zero" on the coastal. The landing force can exhibit its ability only after capturing beachhead line.

Another critical aspect of Sanders' decision is that reserve units are far behind in order to reinforce the weak coastal line. An analytical work shows this clearly.

It can be argued that Army Commander Sanders was not innocent and cunned tactically for political reasons due to he misjudged the point of enemies’ landing zones, kept the coastal’ troops weak, tasked over an entire coastal defense to a division, and kept the reserves far behind

At this point, there is also a criticism for Corps Commander Esat Pasha too. After stating difficulties from the Division Commanders repeatedly, Corps Commander could object to Army Commander and give the ultimatum "Only I decide how to defend my responsibility area”

In the second part of the Flood, let's try to understand the April 25 using the "show elevation profile " and "show sunlight time of the day" properties of the Google Earth program

In the main attack zone, when we examine the vertical section of the target Alçıtepe from Seddülbahir, there is a comfortable slope (3%) which can be attacked. However, the target distance is very long (9 km). But there is a fact no steps can be taken until Alçıtepe is captured

In ANZAC’s attack zone, the forces planned to reach Mal Tepe from Kaba Tepe. The distance was 8 km and there was a comfortable slope (5%) which can be attacked.

However the landed beach was more north than planned. Therefore the conditions are suddenly overturned. For Arıburnu, the new target’s distance (Conkbayırı) went down to 2.5 km, but the slope increased to 11%, making it an incredibly difficult offensive on a narrow beach.

According to Google Earth's "sun position by date and time" function, on April 25, 2018 at 07:15, the sun hits the peninsula from the east. It appears that the sun did not shine direct the eyes of allied troops and ships (artillery fire) on the Seddülbahir front.

However, for the ANZAC troops landing to Arıburnu's beach, the sun was shining directly for a while their eyes at 6:30 in the morning and this was a disadvantage.

In the last part of the Flood we will try to understand why 9.Division Commander Lt.Col.M.Kemal's 57.Regiment’s intervention to the line of contact was critical. Let's take a look at the positions of the commanders when the landing began on the morning of April 25th.

Army C. went to Saros Gulf thinking the main landing would there, Corps C. Esat Pasha was going to Army C. to take his orders, Frontline Division C. Col.Halil Sami could not reach both of them, and then wants from Lt.Col.M.Kemal a battalion for reinforcement of Conkbayırı front.

Let's remember the enemy's target. The enemy has to seize Conkbayır(‘s South) to seize the Kilitbahir Plateau.

Atatürk understands the bad going of this front, and instead of with a battalion, he intervenes in this front with his 57.Regiment, mountain artillary and sanitary elements and is doing a critical intervention to prevent Conkbayır’s seizing.

Atatürk's "tactical" intervention with 57.Regiment against the threat has become "operative" results on battles.Therefore it was a critical intervention. Conkbayiri and its south were mean "Kilitbahir Plateau". The lost of the plateau could mean the lost of battles.

At the end of the Flood, let's say a few critical things. Sanders' defense principle was not applicable to such a small peninsula. With changing of deployment of troops, Sanders increased the reserve battalions’ support distance (2.9 km on average) taken to the enemy an advantage

If there was such a mechanism as the "Supreme Military Operation Court", Sanders Pasha could have been a defendant, but he could also make an effective defense to acquit him too. Because there is not a pure school for art of the war.

The fact that Atatürk’s "Commander of the Dardanelles and Anafartalar" reputation was more useful for the War of Turkish Independence (WTI) than Gallipoli Battles. When he arrived in Samsun on 19 May 1919 for WTI, a curious public was waiting for him to see, listen and follow.

The last word: Attack to Gallipoli is true or false, but we honor all soldiers lost their lives or injured in Gallipoli who fought for their own country. Thanks to reading my Flood. Apologize if there is a typing error and thanks to @gelibolu2015 for (bibliographic) support.