November 07, 2005
Water Tour of Turkey
Take a tour of Istanbul, on the water, with Mike and Jim.
Posted by victoria at 02:02 PM
November 02, 2005
Elevator Going Up
More video from on deck off the coast of Turkey.
Posted by victoria at 01:20 PM
October 06, 2005
Diving Goliath
Posted by victoria at 06:54 AM
October 05, 2005
Floating Castles After 90 Years
See the remains of the WWI British Naval ship, HMS Triumph, 90 years after the Dardanelle Campaign.
Posted by victoria at 05:32 AM
October 04, 2005
Dive Stage
As the team loads up their gear, Warren explains how the team will use a dive stage to bypass the strong currents.
Posted by victoria at 05:20 AM
October 03, 2005
Istanbul Naval Museum
A trip to the Istanbul Naval Museum gives Mike and Warren some insight into their dive.
Posted by victoria at 07:42 PM
October 02, 2005
Score: Fisherman 1 / Octopus 0
Mike and Warren make friends with a local Fisherman and his catch.
Posted by victoria at 02:05 PM
October 01, 2005
Damage Control
The Sea hunters inspect damage to their ship after being struck the night before by another vessel.
Posted by victoria at 01:34 PM
September 19, 2005
Photo Journal: James Delgado
Take a look at Turkey through the lense of James Delgado.
Posted by victoria at 12:52 PM
September 16, 2005
Mike Fletcher: Last Call from Turkey
Hear Mike wrap up the events of the past week in Turkey.
Posted by victoria at 08:06 AM
September 15, 2005
Mike Fletcher: Calling from Istanbul 3
Mike tells us about near misses on the Dardanelles, and diving the Goliath. Turkey is an exciting location.
Posted by victoria at 09:11 AM
September 14, 2005
Mike Fletcher: Calling from Istanbul 2
Listen to Mike describe the waterways that were at the heart of the Battle of Gallipoli.
Posted by victoria at 07:25 AM
September 13, 2005
Mike Fletcher: Calling from Istanbul 1
Due to some technical difficulties we were unable to post these calls as they happened but they were great calls so we are posting them now.
Date wise this would have been the last weekend of August.
Posted by victoria at 10:13 AM
September 12, 2005
Scenes from Gallipoli
Posted by victoria at 08:52 AM
September 10, 2005
Safe in Home Port
The Sea Hunters are back in Halifax. The expedition went very well and we are sorting through the media so that we can get it up on Live from the Dive. The internet connection in Turkey was difficult but we will be posting the events of the trip as they happened.
Have a great weekend,
Victoria
Posted by victoria at 08:46 AM
September 07, 2005
Triumph Video
Dial-up may slow us down but it won't stop us from posting. JR just sent us this clip of the dive on the Triumph. Check back later for a phone report from Mike Fletcher, direct from Istanbul.
Posted by victoria at 10:21 AM
September 06, 2005
Gallipoli 90 Years Later
The Australian War Memorial web site (http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/index.asp) has posted vast amounts of information on the Gallipoli Campaign. It is as important now, as ever, to remember the battles of WWI since those involved are not here to tell the tale.
The failed Gallipoli Campaign took an estimated 131,000 soldiers lives as well as wounding 262,000.
Those soldiers are remembered today at memorials in the area. There are 31 CWGC cemeteries on the Gallipoli peninsula: six at Helles (plus the only solitary grave), four at Suvla and 21 at Anzac. For many of those killed or who died on hospital ships and were buried at sea, there is no known grave. These men's names are recorded on memorials for the missing. The main memorials are for the British at Cape Helles, for the Australians at Lone Pine and for the New Zealanders on Chunuk Bair.
Lest We Forget
Posted by victoria at 11:50 AM
September 05, 2005
Press Conference
After arriving in Turkey the Sea Hunters and their plans were presented to the public durring a press conference.
Posted by victoria at 09:55 AM
September 04, 2005
Dive Prep
No word yet on how the dives went, but here are a few shots of Mike geting geared up to go.
Posted by victoria at 06:48 AM
September 02, 2005
Pictures from Susan
With the dial up being what it is, we have to settle of still images insted of video today. That being said Sue has captured some great shots of the Sea Hunters on location. Thanks Sue. I look forward to hearing from you later.
Posted by victoria at 07:33 AM
August 30, 2005
Sailing the Seven Seas
I am not sure what 7 seas make up the group but according to Jim, the Sea Hunters are on one now, the Sea of Marmara. We meet up with the team on board a local ferry. Watch as Jim and Warren discuss the history of the area, as it relates to the Battle of Gallipoli.
Posted by victoria at 06:45 AM
August 28, 2005
Getting Started in Istanbul
The team has arrived safely in Turkey. This morning the plan is to have the gear transported from DETEK headquarters to Bandirma.
Bandirma is a port town on the south shore of the Sea of Marmara, with a dock for fast ferries to and from Istanbul, and the railhead for the train to Izmir.
After some filming around the docks, the team will take a boat trip, viewing of sites relating to Gallipoli campaign, and then continue filming around Istanbul.
Posted by victoria at 08:39 AM
August 26, 2005
Istanbul N 41° 4' E 29° 0'
If all travel plans work out the Team should be ariving in Istanbul this afternoon to meet with guide, Savas Karakas.
You can forget what you learned about Turkey from watching midnight Express (1978). Whether you are being weighed in the town square (a common practice), watching the Whirling Dervishes, or exploring Binbirdirek Cistern (an ancient well held up by 224 columns, each displaying a number) Turkey is sure to be a country filled with mystery, intrigue, and excitiment.
İstanbul is one of the world's great cities. Its history tracks back from Byzantium to Constantinople to its place at the head of the Ottoman Empire. Today it hums as Turkey's cultural heart and excitment capital.
Posted by victoria at 10:21 AM
August 25, 2005
The Second Battle of Krithia
Hamilton ordered two Anzac brigades-one Australian, one New Zealand-to Helles to assist British and French forces with a new assault on Krithia. The second battle for Krithia began on 6 May with a daring daylight frontal attack by the allies. Major General Aylmer Hunter-Weston commanded the attack. Turkish positions had not been mapped out; ammunition remained inadequate; planning was flawed. The attacks continued over three days. Nearly a third of all allied troops were killed or wounded. The Turkish forces were pushed back barely half-a-kilometer, albeit on a wide front.
The artillery situation at Helles, as at Anzac Cove, remained grim. The British had only 78 guns and howitzers and were still short of ammunition. When the battleship HMS Triumph was sunk on May 25 and the HMS Majestic sunk on May 27, both torpedoed, the situation worsened as the naval gunfire support was reduced. Those ships that remained in support could only fire while steaming at 12 knots, which did nothing to aid their accuracy.
The Turks launched a major assault at Anzac on May 19, 42,000 Turks attacked 10,000 Australians and New Zealanders but the attack tragically flawed. Lacking sufficient artillery and ammunition, the Turks relied on surprise and weight of numbers for success. The Anzac, with full knowledge of the plan, sat in the ready.
When it was over the Turks had suffered about 10,000 casualties. In comparison, the Anzac casualties were a mere 160 killed and 468 wounded. The Turkish losses were so severe that a truce was organized for May 24 in order to bury the scores of dead lying in no man's land.
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Number 46, May, 1915
Posted by victoria at 08:56 AM
August 24, 2005
The First Battle of Krithia
Having established beachheads at Cape Helles and Anzac Cove on the southern tip of the Gallipoli peninsular, Commander-in-Chief Sir Ian Hamilton was determined to open the peninsular land campaign by breaking through the Turkish defensive lines via the main Allied force at Cape Helles, capture Krithia and so link up with the remaining force at Anzac Cove.
Hamilton ordered Allied commander Hunter-Weston to seize control of Krithia to the immediate rear of the Turkish line, and with it Achi Baba, a prominent 200-metre hill feature some 2 km past Krithia. Hamilton had originally intended that Achi Baba should be seized on the first day of the landings; convinced of its key strategic value. He was persistent in striving for its capture from the day they landed.
The battle started early on the morning of April 28 with a naval bombardment. The plan of advance was for the French to hold position on the right while the British line would turn, capturing Krithia and assailing Achi Baba from the south and west.
The overly complex plan was poorly communicated to the brigade and battalion commanders of the 29th Division who would make the attack. Hunter-Weston remained far from the front and so was not able to exert any control as the attack developed.
Of the 13,500 Allied troops participating in the battle, 3000 would not surrive. The scale and duration of the battle was minor compared to later fighting but the First Battle of Krithia was one of the most significant of the campaign as it proved that the original British assumption of a swift victory over an indifferent enemy was grossly mistaken.
Posted by victoria at 12:22 PM
August 22, 2005
River Clyde
The plan for landing the 29th Division on the Gallipoli Peninsula at Cape Helles was that five beaches designated 'S', 'V', 'W', 'X' and 'Y' were to be attacked simultaneously. Some of the divisions were to be landed from the collier River Clyde. The innovative idea of converting this vessel into a 'Horse of Troy' came from a Royal Naval Officer, Commander Edward Unwin.
The ship was to be filled with troops and run aground at 'V' Beach. To expedite the safe disembarkation of troops, holes were cut through the steel plates in her sides; troops could emerge on to gangways supported by ropes which ran along the sides towards the bows of the vessel from each side. These gangways then led down to two barges which were to form a gangway to shore.
As the River Clyde steamed slowly in, the sun was facing her and it was very difficult to see the shore on account of smoke from the bursting shells. The ship headed for the beach and was run ashore about 06.25 hours, and grounded without the slightest jar in water that was out of the men's depth. And there she remained throughout the whole of the campaign.
After the gangways were made ready the troops instantly responded. However as they disembarked and made a dash for the shore they were taken down under heavy fire. One of the barges broke away and drifted into deep water, some soldiers jumped over the side in an attempt to make shore, however many men sank from the weight of their equipment and were drowned. The carnage on 'V' Beach was vast, dead and wounded lay at the waters edge, turned red from their blood.
Throughout most of the day the River Clyde was under heavy fire from the Turks. Some one thousand troops were still on board. By 01.00 hours on April 26th and under cover of darkness, all troops from the River Clyde had been got ashore and nearly all the collected wounded had been brought back to the vessel for treatment.
The two battalions that had landed at V Beach — the 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers and 1st Royal Munster Fusiliers — had been so severely mangled during the landing that they were combined to form a composite battalion, known as the "Dubsters". The battalions were reformed following the evacuation. The Munsters moved to the 48th Brigade of the 16th (Irish) Division in May 1916. They were joined in the 16th Division by the Dubliners in October 1917. Of the 1,100 Dubliners, only 11 would survive the entire Gallipoli campaign unscathed.
Posted by victoria at 07:32 AM
August 21, 2005
Landing at Anzac Cove
ANZAC is the acronym for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Initially the term 'Australasian Corps' had been proposed for this force, but there was a reluctance among both Australians and New Zealanders to lose their separate identities completely.
After the failure of the naval attacks, it had become clear that ground troops were necessary to eliminate the Turkish mobile artillery. This would allow mine sweepers to clear the waters for the larger vessels.
Troops began to land on April 25 and the Turks had had ample time to prepare adequate fortifications and the defending armies had grown six times larger than when the campaign began.
The Anzac covering force began to go ashore shortly before dawn at 4.30 am on April 25. The intended landing zone was a broad front centered about a mile north of Gaba Tepe.
Even if all had gone as planed the Anzacs would have struggled to secure its objectives, especially within the time allotted. But the plan was thrown into disarray even before the troops began landing. The Australian spearhead was mistakenly directed about two kilometres north of the envisaged landing place, nearer to Ari Burnu at what was later named Anzac Cove and on a much narrower front than envisaged in the plan. The reasons for this have been hotly debated over the last eighty years, with tides, faulty navigation by the landing fleet, belated changes of orders all being canvassed. An unauthorised alteration of direction northwards by one of the midshipmen commanding a steamboat, which pulled the whole line of tows in this direction, is the most likely explanation.
The battle for the heights was decided on the main ridge line where the Anzacs and Turks fought over a knoll called Baby 700. The position changed hands a number of times on the first day before the Turks, having the advantage of the higher ground on Battleship Hill, took final possession which they never relinquished. Once the Anzac advance was checked, the Turks counter-attacked, trying to force the invaders back to the shore, but failed to dislodge them from the foothold they had gained. A trench perimeter quickly developed. Amid sweltering and disease-ridden conditions, the deadlock dragged on into the summer. In July the British reinforced the bridgehead at Anzac Cove and in early August landed more troops at Suvla Bay further to the north, to seize the Sari Bair.
Posted by victoria at 02:23 PM
August 18, 2005
First Attack on the Dardanelles
On February 19, the first attack on the Dardanelles began when a large fleet of British and French vessels bombarding Turkish artillery along the coast. Although the attack was politically successful (Bulgaria stopped negotiations with Germany, Greece offered support) the military effect was very small. Continued bombardments and landings on February 25 also proved unsuccessful.
On 17th March the Allies sent some boats into the straight and the military intelligence reports stated that there were no mines in the area, to add to the risk of their attack. But the same night a small Turkish mine-layer Nusrat laid a minefield along the Asian shore.
The next morning, the commander of the Allied fleet, Admiral de Robeck divided the fleet into three sections. The first section entered the straits at 10.30 and advanced as far as the hidden minefield. The Intepe batteries started a heavy fire.
With intensified fire and a fierce bombardment, the action continued for three hours. In the afternoon Admiral de Robeck withdrew his ships in the third section and threw forward six warships waiting in the rear. During the withdrawal, one of the ships (HMS Ocean) hit a mine and sunk.
Two other battleships were sunk (the British HMS Irresistible and the French Bouvet) while the battle cruiser HMS Inflexible and the French battleships Suffren and Gaulois were badly damaged.
It was under these circumstances that Admiral de Robeck, at 17.30 brought the days operation to a close with the order, "All ships, general withdrawal.". The Allied assault stalled, and the British withdrew to Egypt to prepare for another, bigger assault.
Posted by victoria at 08:08 AM
August 16, 2005
A Plan is Formed
During WWI the Baltic Sea was controlled by the German Navy and the Black sea’s only entrance was controlled by the Ottoman Empire. Russia, an allied power, needed supply route over these seas.
With the Western front fixed by the end of 1914, a new front was seriously needed. The Allies also hoped that an attack on the Ottoman Empire would pull Bulgaria and Greece into the War and onto the Allied side.
By November 1914 an attack on Turkey had already been proposed by France and rejected. Later that same month Winston Churchill made known his plans for a naval attack on Dardanelles; by January 1915 the British Cabinet had approved the plan of attack. Sir Ian Hamilton was appointed General, commander of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force that would carry out the mission.
Posted by victoria at 02:34 PM
August 15, 2005
Gallipoli Map
This image is an overview of the Gallipoli Peninsula. The curved black lines approximately mark the furthest advance of Allied Forces. Click on the map for a larger view.
Posted by victoria at 11:40 AM
Battle of Gallipoli
The Sea Hunters are preparing for their next expedition to dive 2 wrecks who met their fate in the narrows of Dardanelles off the coast of Turkey.
The Battle of Gallipoli took place on the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli in 1915 during WWI. A combined British Empire and French operation was mounted in order to eventually capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople. The attempt failed, and an estimated 131,000 soldiers were killed and 262,000 wounded.
The Combatants were made up of soliders from Australia, New Zealand, and Newfoundland.
WWI had seen a year pass before the Newfoundland Regiment was sent to an active front. The regiment’s first encounter with the realities of war on the Gallipoli Peninsula was mild in relation to subsequent events on the Western Front. Nevertheless, it was at Gallipoli that the regiment received its baptism of fire, during which it acquired a reputation for steadfastness and courage.
On August 19, 1915, the Newfoundland Regiment received word that it was to be sent to Gallipoli and assigned to the 88th Brigade as part of the 29th Division of the British Army. After a brief stopover in Egypt, the 1,076 Newfoundlanders landed on the shores of the Dardanelles on September 19, 1915.
This is a great story with a lot of history. I will be continuing the story over the next week. You can check out the wrecks on the Shipwreck Map.
Posted by victoria at 09:39 AM
August 14, 2005
Turkey Fact Sheet
Location
Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria
Lat/Long
39 00 N, 35 00 E
Area
Slightly larger than Texas
total: 780,580 sq km
land: 770,760 sq km
Border Countries
Armenia 268 km, Azerbaijan 9 km, Bulgaria 240 km, Georgia 252 km, Greece 206 km, Iran 499 km, Iraq 352 km, Syria 822 km
water: 9,820 sq km
Climate
Temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
Strategic location controlling the Turkish Straits (Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, Dardanelles) that link Black and Aegean Seas; Mount Ararat, the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark, is in the far eastern portion of the country.
Population
69,660,559 (July 2005 est.)
Languages
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek
Internet Users
5.5 million (2003)
Posted by victoria at 07:02 PM
