This battle occurred at the very end of the largely unsuccessful August Offensive. The main objective in capturing Hill 60 was to establish defensive lines that joined British forces which had landed at Suvla Bay to existing trench systems in the north of the Anzac sector. An added bonus would be to seize the local fresh water wells which were an important resource to both sides. On 22 August the 18th Battalion, part of the newly-arrived 5th Brigade (NSW) launched a disastrous attack on the feature after only being ashore for less than 48 hours. There was little time for battle preparation, no artillery fire support available, no reconnaissance and the untested unit suffered 50% casualties for no tactical gain. As well as various Australian units, the week-long fight also involved British, Indian (Gurkha) and New Zealand troops but the Turkish defenders fought fiercely to keep control of their position. This was unfortunately typical of the confused and badly co-ordinated fighting which occurred on the Peninsula. The Allied forces gained very little except a few trenches across the lower slopes of Hill 60 at the cost of 1,100 casualties. One Australian, Second Lieutenant Hugo Throssell of the 10th Light Horse Regiment won the VC for his actions during this battle.
