Few people realise that the Royal Australian Navy played a crucial part in the Gallipoli campaign, a tragic operation which cost 8000 Australian lives.
Australia's best known naval historian, Dr Tom Frame, describes the outstanding achievement of the submarine AE2, the first Allied submarine to penetrate the Dardanelles, and the heroic work of the RAN Bridging Train. He also reveals how the sunken AE2 was discovered by a join Australian-Turkish diving team in 1998.
Most striking is his argument that professional bravado, poor navigation and inaccurate charts resulted in the Azacs being put on the 'wrong' beach, rather than an alleged tidal current. Based on original research and the author's personal knowledge of the Gallipoli Peninsula and the north-east Aegean Sea, this compelling account make a major contribution to Gallipoli history.
Contents:
Acknowledgements
Chronology
Introduction
Part 1
1. Defending and Island Nation 1788-1913
2. Homeward Bound 1912-1914
3. Baptism by Fire and Water 1914
Part 2
4. The Dardanelles Campaign January-April 1915
5. The Moment of Reckoning 14-25 April 1915
6. Running Amok April-May 1915
7. Three Hard Years 1915-1917
Part 3
8. Sailors or Soldiers?
9. Sulva Bay August-November 1915
10. Disappointment and Despair December 1915-July 1917
Part 4
11. A Stab in the Dark?
12. The Real Culprits of Ari Burnu
13. The Legacy of AE2
14. Epilogue
Figures and Maps
Bibliography
Endnotes
Index
