Battle At The Nek
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Throughout the night of 6-7 August, allied artillery lobbed shells onto the Turkish trenches at The Nek and onto the Chessboard, each battery firing at a rate of one shell every two-and-a-half minutes. At 4am, the batteries increased to four shells a minute, and the naval bombardment began. Nothing like this had been seen at ANZAC since 2 May, and a cloud of dust and smoke covered the Turkish trenches.

The rush from the trenches was timed to begin on the dot of 4.30 am. For an unknown reason the thunderous bombardment was suddenly cut short 'as if by a knife' seven minutes early.

The Turks of the 18th Regiment quickly reoccupied their positions in the trenches and prepared for the attack that obviously was imminent. Their trenches bristled with bayonets, and rifle fire began to crackle at the Australian lines between 20 and 60 metres away. Machine-guns fired off a few bullets to find the range.

Initial puzzlement in the Australian trenches about the silence of the artillery turned to resolve. When Colonel White said 'Go!', the first line of the 8th Light Horse leapt over the parapet. Rifle fire from hundreds of Turk rifles rose from a crackle to a roar. The rush only managed five or six yards, but many had fallen back into the trench dead or wounded. Others, wounded already, dragged themselves back to the parapet and fell in to avoid being shot again.

In 30 seconds it was all over. Exactly two minutes after the first attack, the second line emerged from the trench. This second line which had to dodge the bodies of their dead comrades, got a little further on before it too was halted by gunfire.

Soon someone noticed a small yellow and red flag fluttering in the dust haze at the south-west corner of the Turkish front line trench.. This was a marker to show that, by some miracle, at least one member of the 8th Light Horse had reached his objective. This marker flag was to have tragic consequences.

The most tragic moment was when the fourth line had moved onto the firing-step. It was now 5.15 am. An incident now took place that sealed their fate. An unknown officer approached the right wing of the waiting men and asked why they had not gone forward. Somehow an impression was created that such an order had been given and they jumped from the trench. As the Turkish guns again roared out, Major Scott exclaimed: 'By God, I believe the right has gone'. NCOs ordered a charge, and the slaughter recommenced.

Total casualties:

Out of a total of 300 in the first two lines,
-154 men had been killed and 80 men wounded.
The 10th L. H. Regiment (lines three and four)
-80 men were killed abd 138 men wounded.

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