Having arrived at the seaport of Aden at the entrance to the Red Sea, Australian and New Zealand troops were diverted to Egypt as a garrison force to protect the Suez Canal against the Ottoman Turks. This news was disheartening for many troops who were eager to fight the German army in the main theatre of the war.
Add DescriptiBritish, Australian, New Zealand and French troops made a pre-dawn amphibious landing on or near the Gallipoli peninsula. Although only lightly defended by the Turks, Anzac Cove was overlooked by precipitous terrain and was easily defended. Nevertheless, the ANZACs managed to gain a toehold, but in the following eight months of the campaign made little progress inland.on Here
A series of British attacks were launched along the Gallipoli peninsula in a renewed attempt to break out from the beach heads at Anzac Cove and Cape Helles and capture the high ground of the Kilid Bair Plateau and the Sari Bair Range. Several attacks were intended to draw Turkish reserves south from the main assault on the Sari Bair Range. The offensive fell short of its intended objectives.
On 6 August 1915, the 1st Division assaulted the Turkish positions at Lone Pine, which they ultimately captured, and spent the next three days defending it against repeated counter-attacks. So fierce was the fighting at Lone Pine that the 1st and 3rd brigades suffered 2277 casualties. Seven Victoria Crosses were awarded to Australian troops for this action.
The most successful operation of the Gallipoli campaign was the evacuation of the troops under cover of a comprehensive deception operation. As a result, the Turks were unable to inflict more than a very few casualties on the retreating forces. The whole Gallipoli operation however cost 26,111 Australian casualties, including 8141 deaths.