Content | A-Z of Gallipoli Locations | Baby 700

Baby 700

Baby 700 was the name given to a hill 180 metres (590 feet) above sea level. It was marked on the maps as 700 feet above sea level. On the original maps this and the summit immediately to its north were shown respectively as a small and large circle within the '700 feet' contour. They were accordingly named 'Big 700' and 'Baby 700'. 'Big 700' was later renamed 'Battleship Hill'. It was a part of the Sari Bair range with Battleship Hill linking Russell's Top (by way of the Nek). Baby 700 was arguably the 'key' to the Anzac position, and was the scene of furious fighting on the 25th April. It was the objective of the 3rd Australian Brigade on landing and was occupied early in the morning by mixed parties of the 11th and 12th Battalions AIF.

View Baby 700 in a larger map

Both sides attacked and counter-attacked throughout the day (including numerous Turkish outflanking manoeuvres). The Anzacs were eventually forced back and had to form a line of posts clinging to the cliff-edges along the Second Ridge. The AIF units were later joined by part of the Auckland Infantry Battalion NZEF; but by late afternoon the exhausted Anzac forces had been driven off the hill.

The Turkish position on Baby 700 consisted of approximately seven tiers of trenches, making it the strongest of all positions at Anzac. These overlooked many of the Anzac positions.

It became the objective of several other further costly, but ultimately futile, attacks to recapture it, most notably on 2nd May and 7th August. The only direct approach was across The Nek, also held by the Turks. According to Australia's Official Historian, Charles Bean, who was present 'To attempt a frontal assault on this position was like endeavouring to attack an inverted frying-pan from the direction of its handle.' It was never again re-captured by the Anzac forces and was prominent in forming an almost impregnable defence against the August attacks of the 10th Australian Light Horse at the Nek.

Baby 700 1 The Nek as seen from Baby 700 (so very much the Turkish defenders view).

Baby 700 cemetery is located near the hill's summit although it is a part of the rise towards Chunuk Bair. Its not easy to see it as a summit from below. It is noticeable once the winding road drops away for a short distance beyond it before curving and climbing up towards the NZ Memorial. Its powerful position is easily seen by looking back down the road towards the sea and Russell's Top and Lone Pine to the right and left respectively.

Baby 700 2 The cemetery was made after the war. It covers an area of 1,356 square yards, and contains the graves of 23 soldiers from Australia and ten from New Zealand, one seaman of the Royal Naval Division, and 449 men whose unit in our forces could not be ascertained. The names of ten Australian soldiers, for whose burial in the cemetery there is evidence, are recorded on special tablets. The cemetery is surrounded on three sides by a belt of trees or shrubs.

Baby 700 Cemetery is located on the road to Chunuk Bair after the left turn to the Nek. A large number of graves of men from 11th and 12th Bns AIF whose remains were found here in 1919.

On This Day...

Monday, 17 May 1915

GALLIPOLI - Flight Commander Reginald Marix and his observer Charles Samson were involved in an interesting mission on 17 May 1915. That morning Marix....

More View All

GALLIPOLI - Flight Commander Reginald Marix and his observer Charles Samson were involved in an interesting mission on 17 May 1915. That morning Marix had noticed an unusual degree of activity at the port sighting four transports and several smaller craft visibly unloading stores and troops at the small port of Ak Bashi Liman.

Aerial Samson
Photograph: Taken by Squadron Commander Charles Samson on 17 May.

He also saw a large camp filled with soldiers further inland. He returned in the afternoon with Samson as his observer. They took the opportunity to try out a new aircraft as Samson would later recall.

"On May 17th Marix had his big Breguet ready for action. As our principle objective with this aeroplane was an attack on Constantinople, we had to test it out well before allowing the attempt to be made, so in order to see what it could do I made one of my infrequent trips as passenger. We carried no less than one 100-lb and fourteen 20-lb bombs, and also a Lewis gun, a pretty formidable amount for those days. Off we set with the idea of giving Ak Bashi Liman a look-over. Arriving there, we found the place a scene of great activity. We let go all our bombs and created complete panic, and also did a lot of damage. I have since talked with Turks who were actually on the spot at the time, and they all said that we put a complete stop to work for two days, as the labourers fled to the hills. The loss of life was severe, thirteen killed and forty-four wounded. Marix and I came back delighted with the Breguet; but rather doubtful if the engine was reliable enough as it was missing fire most of the time." (Squadron Commander Charles Samson, No. 3 Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service)

The two then carried out a more detailed reconnaissance and when their reports reached the GHQ it was concluded that a new Turkish division (it was the 2nd Division) was in transit and would be launching an attack on Anzac in the near future. Warnings reached the trenches on 18 May and as a ressult the Turks would be slaughtered when they launched mass attacks on the early morning of 19 May.