01x05 - The Breakout

[bunniefuu]

Tolly: In w*r, there are a lot of ways to die. And in the end... maybe k*lling and dying is the same thing. My b*llet didn't k*ll me. But it k*lled something inside.

The break-out will occur over 48 hours - a series of interconnected feints and att*cks.

At its completion, we will hold the heights... here, as well as our right flank along the second ridge all the way down to the water.

Then it's simply a matter of sweeping across the peninsula.

And then it's on to Constantinople, eh?

Exactly, Freddie.

Now, General Birdwood, you will send two assaulting columns from Anzac here.

Malone's New Zealanders will take Chunuk Bair.

The Australians and Indians to take Hill 971.

It's damned hot, isn't it?

From Chunuk Bair, the New Zealanders will turn south, sweeping the Turks from positions at Battleship Hill...

Never felt such heat since the bloody Sudan.

...to Baby 700 here.

Meanwhile, in a pincer movement, the Australian Light Horse will move through the Nek towards the New Zealanders, moving south to join them.

Good plan, Birdy. Well done.

The two British divisions of General Stopford will land at Suvla Bay here.

He will then move right to link up with Birdwood's units here.

Meanwhile, the diversion down at Helles is proceeding.

As well, a major as*ault will pin down Turk positions at Plateau 400, known as 'Lonely Pine'.

100,000 troops on five fronts, gentlemen.

Sir, I am wondering, which are the feints and which are the true assaults?

Here's the heart of it.

Apart from this as*ault on Hill 971, they're all att*cks and they're all feints.

Each move works to advantage the other.

Is it all too complex? It's not chess.

We can't expect every att*ck to work as planned.

It's a major offensive, Colonel. It can't be made simple.

Activity, Cecil.

A build-up of reinforcements at Anzac, an att*ck at Helles, 20,000 men landing at Suvla...

Is it enough for me, though? What if the Turk is dug in?

Oi. Have a look at this.

What are you doing here?

I got permission to come back.

What's wrong with you blokes?

Two Bob's dead.

We were out on patrol.

When we got back, he had this wound in his arm.

Next thing you know, he starts groaning like billyo and grabbing his gut.

And he goes this awful colour and he just spews everywhere.

Got a bit of shrapnel is his gut and he didn't even know it.

Yes, he did. He said he had a pain in his stomach.

I'm just saying he didn't know what it was.

You've got a flamin' gut ache!

Hey.

Come on.

It's what we did for Cliff, Tolly.

It's what you bloody do.

Not for Two Bob. It's not what he wanted.

And how would you bloody know?

He didn't believe in God.

Who cares - the bloody padre does and he's the bloke doing the ceremony.

No. No padre, no God bloke.

How would you know anyway?

We gotta do the right thing.

I say we go and speak to Father O'Brien...

Just shut up, Bevan!

Ah, the heathen.

The Good Lord welcomes him into his kingdom.

Your friend hasn't rejected the blessings of heaven.

He's just ignorant of it. That's all, poor lad.

He's not a heathen and he's been in a church.

Oh, has he? Did he accept the Lord?

No. His stories were more important to him.

There are no greater stories than those of the true faith, lad.

Yeah? How do you know that?

Now you listen to me, you blaspheming little devil.

I ought to get you to recite your catechism by heart!

Good on you, Tol. Pissed him right off.

He wouldn't listen.

Alright, Tol.

Well, we gotta do something.

In Egypt did he say anything about Abo burials?

No.

Jeez, cobber.

What do we do now, eh?

Anybody know a song?

I don't remember the rest.

Something about a dingo.

"Though depleted in number, our troops are elated by their success as we have made a distinct advance of almost five yards in some places."

General Sir Ian Hamilton, OC Mediterranean Expedition.

I feel for Hamilton, though. You must.

Of course.

God, why?

He's here digging graves, his own and everyone else's.

Johnny Hamilton's a good man, Ellis.

He's a fool.

He's a brave, eloquent, intelligent man, but he's a fool nonetheless.

That man is no fool, Ellis.

That fool is no general, Henry.

What about these reinforcements?

Three new divisions.

He's done a good job of getting extra men out of Kitchener.

Too late. It won't do him any good.

He'll soon have superior numbers at Anzac, Ellis.

It won't help. That's what I've been telling you.

I disagree.

How do you know that?

Please, please!

Gentlemen, the Turks are playing at home and these rumoured break-outs, these extra men, they come way too late.

There will be enormous losses.

And, General Stopford, when the dial moves it indicates the men have landed down at Suvla Bay.

Good Lord!

Mmm.

You can command your troops from here, Freddie. I want you at HQ.

Oh, thank you, Johnny.

Bloody hot.

And now we issue orders to the senior commanders, Braith.

The die is cast.

Sir, is that wise?

What are you talking about?

Perhaps we should hold off letting them know the plan.

They need time to prepare, for God's sake.

They'll have time enough.

Secrecy is a w*apon, Sir Ian.

We att*ck the Turk suddenly without his foreknowledge.

He won't know what hit him.

Colonel Malone, sir.

Malone, just the man.

Sir.

I thought I'd bring the mountain to Mohammed.

You've calmed things down in this vicinity, I hear.

Not to my liking yet, sir, but we're getting on top.

Good. We need to take it up to them.

It's time we pulled our damn fingers out, sir.

Yes, well, I... I suppose that's a New Zealander's way of putting it.

This arm-wrestling, sir, it's just not working.

We need to kick 'em in the balls.

Then prepare your men, Colonel.

But, sir, it's all backwards.

att*ck Lone Pine before we take the heights?

Unless Baby 700's taken first they can fire down on us.

You're only a diversion, remember.

A diversion? A feint?

You're only part of a grander picture, Harold.

These are your orders.

I understand that, but we...

If you succeed in capturing Lone Pine then more's the good.

I expect that to be your goal.

Right.

A feint? It's just that - something half-hearted.

Bugger that. I'm gonna take Lone Pine somehow.

My thoughts exactly.

It would've bloody helped if these plans had come through a bit earlier.

Why did they sit on them? Why handicap us?

Still, a 5:30 as*ault - the sun will be going down.

You bought us that much at least.

I'll still lose more than I should.

Where are you mob going?

Up Walker's or the Nek. Not sure exactly.

What about you blokes?

I heard Lone Pine.

Jeez, you're in for it, eh?

I didn't really mean that.

Yeah.

See ya.

See ya, mate.

See ya, Tol.

See ya.

At Lone Pine, they dug tunnels within 50 yards from the Turkish trenches.

It gave us a head start from the blokes back on the front line.

We waited in the dark while the navy shelled the Turks for hours to give us a better chance.

We sewed white patches to our sleeves and our backs so in the chaos...

One minute!

One minute!

...we'd know who we were.

One minute!

One minute!

One minute! One minute!

When the shells stopped and the whistles blew we'd bust out and att*ck like ghosts.

Right on time.

Go!

Get over the trench! Get moving, get moving!

Let's go, men! Go, go, go!

Let's move. Go, go!

Move, move, move!

Move forward, men!

Come on, men! Let's move!

You bunch, move forward!

Use your bayonets!

b*mb! b*mb!

Take cover!

Keep moving, men! Keep moving!

Sounds about right.

Good luck, mate.

With me! Come on!

We've got them, we've got them!

Sir, the Australians have commenced their as*ault on Lone Pine.

Where's Stopford?

He's off Suvla aboard the 'Jonquil', sir.

Said he wanted to be with his men.

What? But I told him he...

Oh, well.

Perhaps that's best.

After all, there are 20,000 troops on those boats.

His att*ck from Suvla is our linchpin.

The navy should do something about their slippery ladders.

Indeed, sir.

It's very painful.

I'm sure.

So defence posts are set up?

12, sir, all along the line.

We've blocked off saps and communications trenches.

Any sign of any counterattack?

No, sir.

Right, he'll wait until tomorrow.

So we hold Lone Pine.

Some bloody feint.

A feint?!

Nothing, Tony.

Thank you.

That's it, then.

We've done our bit.

I feel we should be helping with the att*ck at the Nek now.

Or with the New Zealanders up on the heights.

Yes.

That thing, uh, I'm not sure it's working.

Tell the navy I need immediate details on the Suvla landings.

It's imperative that Stopford move for the hills.

Is he with his men?

He's resting on board the 'Jonquil', sir.

He says he has a sore leg.

I beg your pardon?

He hurt his knee, sir. A trip.

Mackenzie.

Sir.

What do we have on the New Zealanders up at the heights?

Nothing.

The Australian att*ck at the Nek?

This is their covering bombardment you hear now, sir.

Right.

Thank you.

The Nek was a narrow strip of land connecting two sharp ridges to the heights.

The Turk trenches looked down on ours from nearly half a football field away.

In that confined space 450 of the Light Horse were divided to att*ck in four waves on the back of another heavy naval barrage.

Lines two, three and four into the reserve trenches!

You men with as*ault equipment, keep moving!

What am I supposed to do? Bang them over the head with this?

Mate, shut up, would ya?

Nah, mate.

It's gonna be over before we even get there.

We're in the fourth bloody line.

11 more minutes?

That's what I've got.

The New Zealanders will be coming down from the north by now.

The Turks won't know what hit them.

Give it to them, Alex.

Seven minutes!

Seven minutes! Seven minutes!

Seven minutes!

What's going on?

Maybe it's a pause.

Big heavy burst to finish?

Surely.

Otherwise those bastards are going to regroup.

Come on!

One minute, sir.

One minute!

One minute!

One minute!

One minute!

Go!

Come on!

Second line ready!

Second line ready!

Second line ready.

Second line ready!

Come on, lads!

Go!

Allah...

Stretcher bearer!

Third line, move forward!

Move forward!

Jesus Christ.

Where the hell is Stopford?

Come on, lads. Move up.

Sir, Colonel Antill wants to know why the third line hasn't been sent out.

Come with me.

I'm ordering you to continue the att*ck, Colonel.

Sir, they're not getting 10 yards.

I have a report saying a marker flag has been seen in the Turkish trenches.

Impossible. There's no such flag.

I've no idea how you've heard that.

Push on, Colonel. Push on!

Don't forget - I told you.

I'm sorry, lads, but the order is to go.

Forward!

Come on! Up, up!

Fourth line, move forward!

Fourth line, move forward!

This has to stop.

I'm not ordering men out into that again.

You have your orders, Colonel. Send out the fourth line.

It's no use! This is m*rder.

Push on, Colonel.

I'm making this official. I'm going to find Hughes.

Listen!

I said push on.

We have our orders.

Fourth line ready!

Fourth line, move forward.

Bugger this.

Chook.

Wish Two Bob was here.

Yeah.

I remember that dingo bit.

"Watchful and weird"?

I didn't write it, mate.

Come on.

Forward, men!

COME ON!

Arggh!

Have the New Zealanders move south to support the Australians at the Nek.

No, sir.

The New Zealanders didn't arrive.

They were caught up in the land.

They're lost?

Yes, sir.

Sir.

So... alone at the Nek.

Not good.

Hey, Braith?

Braith?

Jesus.

The navy's getting stuck in to them.

Poor bastards under that.

The New Zealanders did get to Chunuk Bair.

They took the hill in the dark before dawn and they could see the Dardanelles from that height.

When the amm*nit*on ran out they used whatever they could find to battle with.

After nearly four months of the campaign it had come down to this.

Men in hand-to-hand combat trying to bash each other to death.

Sir, the New Zealanders have taken Chunuk Bair.

Excellent!

Time to advance.

From General Stopford, sir.

Is he ashore at Suvla?

His men have landed, sir.

He's still on the 'Jonquil' with his knee.

Damn his knee. Is he moving off the beach?

He's consolidating, sir.

"I am endeavouring to land stores and supplies."

Stores?

Now we have Chunuk Bair I need him there up in those hills aiding the Anzacs.

He says his men are tired, they're resting, sir, and...

Yes?

He says the Turks "tend to be aggressive".

God in heaven.

Right, that's it.

I'm going to Suvla Bay. I'm taking charge down there.

If I may say, sir...

No, you mayn't, Braithwaite!

Your advice is not welcome at the moment.

I'm going to Suvla Bay, dammit.

I'll remain here at GHQ, sir. There's plenty to be done.

Do as you please.

Hey, are you dead?

The Nek was a paddock of slaughter and a tragedy.

Lone Pine was a rabbit warren and a mass grave.

Thousands of men were dying all across the peninsula as part of a complex last-ditch effort to break out.

We were supposed to be a feint, a ruse, a distraction, but down in those covered trenches of Lone Pine we had won.

If this was a victory... I'd hate to see defeat.