HAPPY ÇANAKKALE VICTORY Çanakkale War naval operations Çanakkale Naval Operations World War I Çanakkale War Sinking of the abandoned Royal Navy battleship HMS Irresistible (March 18, 1915) Date February 19, 1915-March 18, 1915 Region Çanakkale Strait Result Ottoman victory Parties Ottoman Empire Ottoman Empire German Empire German Empire United Kingdom United Kingdom France France Russian Empire Russia Commanders and leaders Ottoman Empire Mirliva Cevat Ottoman Empire Lieutenant Colonel Selahattin Adil Ottoman Empire Colonel Talat (Little Talat) German Empire Admiral Guido von Usedom German Empire Admiral Johannes Merten United Kingdom Admiral Sackville Carden United Kingdom Admiral John de Robeck United Kingdom Commodore Roger Keyes United Kingdom Colonel Arthur Hayes-Sadler France Admiral Émile Guépratte Forces Canakkale Fortified Area Command 11 Mine lines 400 mines 2nd Heavy Artillery Brigade 230 guns in various forts and batteries 3rd Corps 1 super-dreadnought 3 battlecruisers 23 cruisers 28 pre-dreadnoughts 25 destroyers 13 submarines 1 seaplane carrier 18 March 1 super-dreadnought 16 pre-dreadnoughts 1 battlecruiser 1 seaplane carrier Various destroyers and minesweepers Casualties 3 November (1914) 86 killed, 21 wounded 19 February 15 killed and wounded 25 February 32 killed and wounded 1 March 13 killed and wounded 4 March 61 killed and wounded March 6-8 16 dead and wounded March 18 97 dead and wounded (79 Turks, 18 Germans) Total: (November 3, 1914-March 18, 1915) 435 February 25 8 dead March 4 52 dead, wounded and missing March 13 70 dead and wounded March 18 1 destroyer, 3 minesweepers and 3 pre-dreadnoughts sunk 2 pre-dreadnoughts and 1 battlecruiser badly damaged 660-800 dead The Gallipoli Campaign was a series of naval operations in the Dardanelles between the Allied Fleet and the defensive Ottoman Empire land artillery during World War I, from February 19, 1915 to March 18, 1915. The most comprehensive attack of the Combined Fleet against the Dardanelles on March 18 was the last operation of the operation and is referred to as the March 18 Naval Battle in many sources.[1][2] With the efforts of Churchill, the Allied Powers accepted the plan to pass the Dardanelles with only the navy, reach the front of Istanbul and force the Ottoman Empire, which was allied with Germany, to surrender with a single blow. The Combined Fleet formed for this operation began its attacks against the Strait on November 3, 1914. The main attempt to destroy the mine and artillery defenses in the Strait was made on March 18, 1915. In this battle, three battleships in the Combined Fleet were sunk and four battleships were severely damaged and were out of action. Within a few days, the Allied Powers decided that the Dardanelles could not be crossed with the navy alone, and that the strait could only be opened by occupying the Gallipoli Peninsula with a land army. With this decision, the landing on the peninsula was carried out on April 25, 1915. Before the war World War I had actually begun with the bombardment of Belgrade by the Austro-Hungarian Empire on July 28, 1914.[3] The Ottoman Empire signed an alliance treaty with Germany on August 2, 1914, one day after Germany declared war on the Russian Empire.[4] In the signing of the treaty, it was decided that the Ottoman Empire would appear neutral until the war preparations were completed. In other words, the treaty was kept secret, and the Ottomans declared "armed neutrality". The next day, mobilization preparations began.[5] Meanwhile, the German Mediterranean Division, with Germany's attack on Belgium on August 4, the main ships in the fleet, the battle cruiser Goeben and the light cruiser Breslau, were unable to leave the Mediterranean from Gibraltar, which was under British control, or via the Suez Canal. Thereupon, Admiral Wilhelm Souchon decided to go to Istanbul on 8 August.[6] The ships, which were withdrawn before the British Fleet in pursuit, arrived in front of the Dardanelles on 10 August.[7] Enver Pasha gave the order to the Commander of the Dardanelles Fortified Area "to let the ships in without delay".[8] The ships arrived in front of Istanbul on 3 August.[9] According to international agreements, these ships would either leave Ottoman territorial waters within 24 hours or be disarmed and interned. However, upon the strong opposition of the German ambassador, a solution was found to be that the ships had been purchased by the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman flag was hoisted on the ships. Goeben was renamed Yavuz, and Breslau was renamed Midilli.[10] Thereupon, the United Kingdom decided to blockade the exit of the Dardanelles. British Admiral Carden, who was the Malta Base Commander until this date, was appointed as the Blockade Squadron Commander on September 20. Under his command were the British Indomitable and Indefatigable battle cruisers, the Dublin and Glouchester light cruisers, the French Verite and Suffren battleships, the 12