the showers of shell wherewith they deluged the Turkish lines until
their defenders were sitting dazed with their dugouts in ruins about
them. Also, in the same epistle, I have tried to explain Anzac.

In the domain of tactics our landing at Helles speaks for itself. Since
gunpowder was invented nothing finer than the 29th Division has been
achieved. But it will be a long time yet before people grasp that the
landing at Anzac is just as remarkable in the imaginative domain of
strategy. The military student of the future will, I hope and believe,
realize the significance of the stroke whereby we are hourly forcing a
great Empire to commit _hari kiri_ upon these barren, worthless
cliffs--whereby we keep pressing a dagger exactly over the black heart
of the Ottoman Raj. Only skin deep--so far; only through the skin. Yet
already how freely bleeds the wound. Daily the effort to escape this
doom; to push away the threat of that painful point will increase. Even
if we were never to make another yard's advance,--here--in the cove of
Anzac--is the cup into which the life blood of the Caliphat shall be
pressed. And on the whole Gallipoli Peninsula this little cove is the
one and only spot whereon a base could have been established, which is
sheltered (to a bearable extent) from the force of the enemy's fire.
Dead ground; defiladed from inland batteries; deep water right close to
the shore!

Enver dares not leave Anzac alone. We are too near his neck; the
Narrows!! So on this most precarious, God-forsaken spot he must maintain
an Army of his best troops, mostly supplied by sea,--by sea whereon our
submarines swallow 25 per cent. of their drafts, munitions and food,
just as a pike takes down the duckling before the eyes of their mother
on a pond. Hold fast's the word. We have only to keep our grip firm and
fast; Turkey will die of exhaustion trying to do what she can't do;
drive us into the sea!

Braithwaite and Amery dined. Great fun seeing Amery again. _What_
memories of his concealment in the Autocrat's "Special" going to the
Vereeniging Conference; of our efforts to create a strategical training
ground for British troops in South Africa; of our battles against one
another over the great Voluntary Service issue.

CHAPTER XII

A VICTORY AND AFTER

_28th June, 1915. Imbros._ The fateful day.

Left camp with Braithwaite, Dawnay and Ward. Embarked on the destroyer
_Colne_ (Commander Seymour) and sailed for Helles. T