Suvla - catastrophe in the salt marsh
Episode description
In today's podcast, we make a welcome return to the battlefields of Gallipoli and look at the fighting at Suvla. It was a disaster that spelled the end of a disastrous campaign.
Ian Hamilton, the commander of the British Mediterranean Force had been dealt a bad hand by the British Government. Short of trained soldiers and supplies, and forced to fight on a battlefield defended with almost fanatical idealism by Turkish soldiers under the inspirational command of Mustafa Kamal, the campaign was flawed from its inception.
Our podcast looks first of all the wider Gallipoli campaign, examines the plan and logic behind the offensive, and discovers some of the problems that senior command had in fighting in such an inhospitable landscape. Hamilton wanted new blood for the campaign but was provided with a Corps Commander with little to no battlefield experience, Lt General Frederick Stopford. Stopford was an indecisive man who allowed the plan to be diluted by the machinations of his staff.
We look at the landings at Suvla and discover a litany of command failings that cost the British thousands of casualties for no material gain. We also hear about Fred Potts VC, who remarkable exploits earned him the nickname of the "Shovel VC"
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