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The Royal Navy was to land an amphibious force on the Dardanelles Peninsula, on the European side of the Strait, silence Turkish forts on the Asian entrance to the Strait. Use Capital ships to force the Strait to the Sea of Marmara and Constantinople while supporting the landings on the peninsula.

Unfortunately intelligence had not shown that the Turks had mined the Strait.

Naval units involved were older and 2nd class ships not forming part of the Grand Fleet, which was held ready to engage the German High Seas Fleet in the North Sea.

Amphibious forces were landed on the point of the Dardanelles and beaches on the Mediterranean side of the peninsula, while naval Capital ships engaged but did not silence Turkish forts on the Asian entrance to the Strait.

Ships entered the Strait and the Pre-Dreadnought battleships Ocean and Irresistible  struck mines and sank. The battlecruiser Inflexible struck a mine and withdrew to Malta.

The rest of the force withdrew from the Strait.

Due to the failure to silence the Turkish Asian forts and force the Strait, there was no naval gunfire support to the Asian side of the peninsula. The land forces were led by incompetent Generals who were not up to the task of leading forces on the western front.

As a result the land campaign degenerated into another costly  trench stalemate, with the Royal navy supporting it from the Mediterranean waters.

During the rest of the campaign the Navy suffered heavy losses.

The pre-dreadnought battleships Triumph and Majestic being sunk by German U-boats and Goliath sunk by Turkish torpedo boat. In addition Russell was mined and sunk off Malta.

Copyright © Ian M King, except where otherwise indicated.