Battle for No.3 Post

No.3 Post with Chunuk Bair on the skyline

Date	28–30 May 1915
Location	Gallipoli peninsula, Adrianople Vilayet, Ottoman Empire
Result	Post changed hands, first occupied by the Turkish, New Zealanders, then the Turkish again

Belligerents

British Empire

New Zealand

Ottoman Empire

Commanders and leaders

Andrew Russell

Mustafa Kemal

Units involved

New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade

19th Division

Casualties and losses

42 dead
109 wounded

200 casualties

British Empire

The Battle for No.3 Post (28–30 May 1915) was fought during the Gallipoli Campaign in the First World War, between the forces of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and the Turkish 19th Division.

The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was responsible for the defence of the northern perimeter of the ANZAC beach-head, holding a sector from the position known as Walker's Top down the ridge line to the sea. Part of this defence line was formed by No.1 and No.2 Posts, isolated positions in the far north that could only be approached in safety during the hours of darkness. Near the end of May 1915, the Turks started constructing a new position just inland from No.2 Post, that if left to be completed would cause problems for the New Zealanders. Therefore, it was decided to assault and capture the post. After the position was captured, it was named No.3 Post, and the New Zealanders settled in and attempted to improve its defences. The same night, the Turks counter-attacked. Surrounded and cut off from the rest of the brigade, running short of ammunition and supplies, the defending 9th (Wellington East Coast) Squadron held out for twenty-eight hours until relieved, and beat off several attempts to break through their lines. When the squadron was eventually relieved it was decided the post was untenable, and it was abandoned the same night.

The New Zealand Mounted Brigade's casualties during the battle were forty-two dead and 109 wounded. The exact number of Turkish casualties is not known but was around two hundred men. The New Zealand brigade went on to fight in the Battle of Chunuk Bair and the Battle of Hill 60, and was then evacuated from the peninsula before the campaign ended in December 1915.

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