The Gallipoli Campaign
With the guarantee of an alliance with Greece, Prime Minister Asquith now had a suitable supply base for any Balkan operations. The deal was predicated however on a an assurance that the British and French could reinforce the Greeks against the superior Ottoman forces. There were two possible routes that could target the empire: A thrust into Mesopotamia and the Levant or a push into Thrace and Anatolia in the west. Ultimately the Allies chose to do both.
The British had been planning attacks against the Ottoman Empire even prior to the war's start. Lord Kitchner, famous for his exploits in Egypt, Sudan and South Africa, had organized a plan that would target Alexandretta in a move that would aim to cut the Ottoman state in two. The plan was rejected due to the strain on French logistics and the political unwillingness of France to allow British forces in their area of influence. In late 1914 First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill proposed landing an Anglo-French force in Gallipoli. This move, if successful, would cut off Ottoman transit through the Bosphorus and allow for a future operation against Istanbul.
The stagnation of actions on the Western Front forced the Allies to look for different avenues of approach to combating the Central Powers. The Russians had attempted to assault the weakened eastern borders of Germany but had been routed in Prussia near Tannenberg. Additional advances against the Austrians further south proved remarkably more successful but once again German forces helped to shore up losses and halt further gains.
The Greek refusal to enter the war until properly reinforced made it so the operation had to be conducted via naval landing, much to Churchill's delight. Obsolete British battleships, which could no longer be used in the fight against the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) which was blockading access to Russia via the Baltic Sea. It would also act as a distracting action against Ottoman forces facing off against the Russians in the Caucuses.
On February 19th 1915 the opening salvos in the Gallipoli assault commenced. Anglo-French battleships were tasked with firing on the Ottoman artillery batteries while smaller ships dealt with the numerous mines blocking the path further up the straits. By February 25th the primary fortifications and the entrance to the straits had been cleared of mines. Unfortunately for the Allies however was that their bombardment had not destroyed the main Ottoman artillery batteries, which proved to be remarkably mobile.
Churchill, frustrated about the lack of definitive progress and worried about the reputation of the Royal Navy began to place pressure on Admiral Carden to make a bigger effort. After creating a new set of plans by March 5th he sent a telegraph to Churchill's office optimistically stating that his task force would reach Istanbul in 15 days. Unfortunately for Carden however the stress of the operation took a toll on him and was forced onto the sick list by medical personnel. His replacement would be Admiral John de Robeck.
The new plans were initiated on March 18th according to Carden's design as 18 battleships along with a complement of cruisers and destroyers made their way through the narrowest point of the Dardanelles. Almost immediately fire began to pour down from Ottoman artillery batteries. The minesweepers, which were run by civilian personnel, began to retreat in the face of the assault leaving the minefields still intact. Ship after ship began to strike mines and lay crippled in the straits.
Some warships that rushed to try and rescue the now stranded crews hit uncovered mines and were damaged. The French battleship Bouvet was one of the ships lost to the initial detonations, capsizing and sinking with most of her crew still on board. Several other British warships were severely damaged but managed to withdraw. Admiral de Robeck sounded a general recall for all naval forces engaging.
The failure of the operation had cost the Allies five ships and gave the Ottomans a major morale boost that was sorely needed. Despite the losses however the admiralty remained confident. Heavy casualties had been an expected possible outcome thus the reason for employing obsolete battleships in the operation. This was cause for annoyance but not for defeatist thought. The next phase of the planning called for a ground assault on the peninsula.
********
George Talbot stood on the deck of the SS River Clyde overlooking the rolling waves of the choppy Aegean Sea. Although it was slightly cloudy the convoy had not encountered any heavy rain in the past few days. While he found it quite pleasant many other soldiers did not find any relief from their sea sickness.
Born in Liverpool, George had long been accustomed to the dreary weather and ocean currents during his time aiding his father in the family fishery. Although his father, and even himself for a long while, thought that his love for the sea would mean he was bound for a career in the fishing fleets or in her majesty's navy the declaration of war in 1914 had led to him signing up at the army recruiting center. Apparently he was a fine marksman and his time hauling large loads meant he had the perfect physique for a well to do infantry officer.
Regardless of what the military thought George always loved being on board a ship, feeling the gentle, or in this case rough, rocking of the ocean underneath him and smelling the salty ocean spray. Memories of him and his father bringing in fish, more fish than he could count, onto the boat ready to be brought home. His father would let him throw the ones that were too young to be caught back into the ocean and scold him when he would throw back one that was too large. He was always quick to forgive though and would never let him return home unhappy. Another soldier, doubled over and retching interrupted his revelry. "Hello Thomas."
The man stopped midway through a halfhearted wave to grab the railing and vomit. Standing up with his watery eyes closed and head pointed to the sky he croaked, "Well George it is always good to know at least one person on this ship is having a good time. I swear we are all being punished for some infraction against the Lord."
"You ate too large a breakfast more likely." George gave him a smack to the stomach. "Although I suppose the way you and the other men act while on leave is enough to warrant a punishment." Thomas smiled weakly while holding his stomach. "Hold it. You are just as involved in that as all of us were."
George chuckled, "I suppose I can just handle my liquor a bit more than you gents can. Besides it made it easier to spend the night with half of those women." Thomas arched an eyebrow at him. "Really? I thought they were all quite lovely. John is happy though you introduced him to that young woman, so I suppose it makes you a bit more bearable."
"Well in my defense I was tired and didn't have the faculties to spend the night." Thomas looked at him, still heavily leaning on the railing. "I thought you could handle you liqueur?" George shrugged, "I suppose I was just being kind then. They took a fancy to one another and I swear I see him writing letters every time I see the man."
"How very kind of you sir." Thomas took an elegant bow. "May we be ever engrossed in your kindness." George looked at him with bemusement. "You know other officers would not accept such an attitude from the soldiers beneath them." It was Thomas' turn to shrug. "Most officers don't have your friendliness. Most of them are gits truly."
Then piercing through the sound of the ocean wind and crashing waves came the sound of artillery and naval guns. Dueling like titans from the myths of the ancients the flashes also slowly became visible.
"Time to get ready Thomas. We are going to be hitting the beaches soon. Good thing intelligence says it should be a soft landing. The navy sure gave them a good beating." The sounds of large calibre guns got louder as the ship steamed towards the coast.
"I will certainly be glad to get off of this God forsaken ship. Finally be able to hold down a meal." Thomas stood up and took a deep breath before turning to accompany George into the ship. They both resisted the urge to twist their faces at the horrible stench that wafted up from the numerous decks all crowded with soldiers who hadn't bathed in some time.
As they pushed their way through the men of their unit both George and Thomas began waking up sleeping men and calling for others to get geared up. They were part of the 29th Division which was set to land on the Gallipoli peninsula on the beach codenamed Cape Helles. Although command had predicted an uncontested landing George didn't want to leave anything to chance. Then after the last man had gathered his supplies an officer came into the hallway and shouted, "Everybody on deck! Get to your units and prepare to ship off!"
George and Thomas formed up on the deck with their squad and made their way into the landing boat. Thomas extended a hand, "Well Godspeed friend. See you at the top." George smiled and returned the handshake and stared at the smoking shoreline ahead.
********
The overall objective for the Gallipoli campaign was the city of Constantinople. If the operation were successful then naval forces could advance up through the Sea of Marmara and effectively control access to the Black Sea. Troop landings were to be made at three locations along the peninsula. Anzac forces were to land just north of Gaba Tepe that became later known as Anzac Cove. Landings would also occur south of Krithia by British and Imperial troops and a diversionary assault on Kum Kale by French forces.
The Ottoman commanders, advised by German officers loaned by Kaiser Wilhelm II, had been attempting to rush in reinforcements and ammunition to the defenders of the peninsula however supplies were only arriving at a trickle. The Ottomans had likewise ignored German advice to place more troops on the peninsula itself, fearful of both being cut off and another Allied landing elsewhere.
Initial landings by British and Anzac forces went unopposed as promised by command and troops of the 29th Division landing at Cape Helles even made it close to Krithia. Designated landing sites had been divided into 'S', 'V' 'W', 'X' and 'Y'. Ottoman troops that were still present proved to few and low on ammunition to properly resist. Troops quickly advanced past the beachhead toward the town but for an unknown reason the British commander of 'Y' Beach ordered his forces to pull back to the beach and the Ottomans brought forward a battalion of the 25th regiment to block further movement.
At 'W' and 'V' beaches, which were the main landing sites, British troops ran into more determined resistance. The terrain on these beaches provided the Ottomans with a superior position to fire on landing forces. When the SS River Clyde was run aground troops could only emerge in a piecemeal fashion, proving to be vulnerable targets for machine guns. Of the first two hundred men to disembark onto only 27 reached the beach.
At the Anzac landing site further north the defending Ottoman troops did not have the ammunition or the numbers to repel the Allied forces and were swiftly pushed back. On the morning of April 25th the 57th Regiment was out of ammunition and was ordered by Ottoman general Mustafa Kemal to conduct a bayonet charge on the Anzac positions. They were slaughtered to the last man but successfully stalled the Anzac advance and allowed for Ottoman reinforcements to fill the position. Unfortunately for the Allies on both landing sites little was done to take advantage of the superior position they found themselves in and lost their momentum.
On April 27th eighteen Ottoman battalions from the 19th and 5th Divisions launched a counterattack on the six Allied brigades near Anzac Cove. They launched a full scale frontal assault in an effort to drive them back to the beach. The sheer weight of numbers and firepower forced the Anzac troops to pull back with heavy casualties. Only naval gunfire prevented the Ottomans from pushing the Allied troops back into the sea. The Allies were growing desperate for a breakthrough and recalled some of the French forces from Kum Kale to assist in a push on Krithia village.
********
George lay pushed up against the boulder that was giving him the only cover between his body and the Ottoman machine guns. They had successfully captured Seddulbahir village the day before and were now pushing on Krithia, or trying to rather.
"John, do you have a line of sight on those bastards?!" George looked over at John, who was currently trying to take cover behind a small mound of earth. The young man tried to poke his head around the corner of the mound but quickly drew it back as bullets cracked by his head and kicked up dirt. "I can see the machine gun flash not the gunners!"
Swearing under his breathe George assessed the situation. The company was pinned down and taking heavy casualties, they were halfway to their objective and hadn't moved forward in the past half an hour. "Thomas, John when I say go give me cover fire!" Both men nodded. "Go!" They both began firing and caught the attention of the Ottomans. George popped up from cover and took aim at the flashes that were rattling off hundreds of rounds.
He took a breathe and what after what felt like an eternity squeezed the trigger. He saw a spark from where his round hit the shield on top of the gun and initially thought he failed but the gun stopped firing. He took a breath in astonishment and turned to his men and anyone who could hear him. "Push up! Move out now!"
Men emerged from their cover positions and began doing as told pushing up the hill. For a few moments George thought they had done it. They would push up into the village and capture it, allowing them to move up the peninsula and help the soldiers trapped at Anzac Cove. Then it came crashing down around him as the staccato of the machine gun he had hit began opening up again and this time accompanied with more flashes along the ridgeline.
Horror rose in him as he watched dozens of soldiers become lifeless corpses as they dropped to the ground, never to rise back up again. Then even worse came the horrifying sound of men screaming in agony. "Fall back! Fall back! God what have I done!" Across the line he could see other officers waving their arms and screaming, though over the chaos they appeared mute.
Thomas came running back holding his one arm with a bloody hand, covering where he had been hit. He threw himself back into cover and after seeing George return hastily to the position they had originally occupied looked over at him. "You know I actually thought I would get out of this in one piece."
"Please. Don't look so dramatic." He couldn't get over what had just happened, all those men who had died because of him. He felt someone hit his shoulder. "Hey! We need to fall back to our positions! They are slaughtering us!" Thomas was now in a low crouch, still clutching his rifle with his injured arm. George nodded. "You go back Thomas. I will get the rest of the men. Go!"
After night had fallen most of the units in the assault had pulled back near their starting positions. Rumors were pouring in that they had suffered thousands of casualties and that the Ottomans had been bringing in reinforcements throughout the day. Regardless George was exhausted and he slumped down in the crater left by an artillery shell and repurposed to be a foxhole.
"They died because of me. If I didn't tell them to move from cover they would be alive." he rubbed his face fighting back tears. He didn't know what to do with himself. Just as he was willing to throw himself into the dark abyss that were his thoughts the steady crunching of boots roused him and he looked up. Thomas stood there looking down at him. His arm was wrapped in white bandages with only a small blotch of blood to indicate he was hurt.
"It wasn't your fault you know." He slid down the side of the crater and sat down opposite George. Upon seeing the unconvinced look on his face Thomas continued. "Other officers on the line gave the order to charge first, they thought that a hard push would get us over the hill and to the village. They were wrong."
"The fact of the matter is I still ordered men to their deaths, regardless of what others did. And don't say there wasn't anything I could have done because I should have waited." Thomas looked at him for a moment considering what he would say next. "Tell yourself what you want but you should know that nobody faults you. You made a judgement of the situation and went for the goal. We can't always win."
********
The attack on April 29th failed utterly for the Allies and cost them nearly 3,000 casualties and only advancing about half way to Krithia village. The Ottomans had rushed in reinforcements to stabilize the line and repel any large Allied attacks, which it had done. Over the next few days the Ottomans gradually pushed back the Allied line until it reached a merciless gauntlet of machine gun fire.
In France just a few days prior Germany had violated the Hague Convention by using chlorine gas for the first time in the West against France in the Second Battle of Ypres.
General Hamilton, believing the Allied position in Anzac to be secure moved the Australian 2nd Infantry Brigade and the New Zealand Infantry Brigade along with nearly two dozen artillery pieces to the Helles beachhead and even recalled the 42 Division from Egypt. The objective for the assault was Krithia village and Achi Baba.
On May 6th after a brief artillery bombardment 20,000 Allied troops began to advance against the Ottoman positions around Krithia village. The combination of unfamiliar terrain, concentrated enemy fire and well defended positions meant that efforts to push forward were halted for the day.
On May 7th operations resumed and four battalions of New Zealand infantry along with the 29th Division advanced under ferocious fire and reached a position just south of the objective. The Australian 2nd Brigade continued the advance under covering fire from the British artillery and naval guns but their attack stalled around 450 yards short of the village. The New Zealand infantry were able to link up with their Australian counterparts but the British and French units had stalled farther back. The attack on Krithia village had failed and nearly exhausted both sides' ammunition stockpiles.
Despite General Hamilton's confidence on the security in Anzac the Ottomans felt secure enough to launch another assault on the bridgehead on May 19th. Unfortunately for the Turks aircraft reconnaissance had spotted the build up the day before and provided sufficient warning to the Allied defenders. Turkish forces number 42,000 for the assault and relied on surprise and weight of numbers to carry the day due to their lack of artillery ammunition.
This cost them dearly with 13,000 casualties, including 3,000 killed at a cost of only 628 Anzac casualties. The losses were so severe that a temporary truce was organized on May 24th in order to bury the dead in the middle of no man's land. Another attempt by the Ottomans to attack Australian positions on May 29th using tunneling was able to only temporarily push them back.
The Allies made yet another assault on Krithia on June 24th with the 29th Division, Royal Navy Division, 42nd Division and two French divisions making the attack. Much like the previous two attacks on the village, the assault failed and both sides returned to their entrenched positions. The 52nd Lowland Division was landed at Helles to aid in the successful British push up the left flank of the lines on June 28th. Ottoman counterattacks against the advance over the next week failed to break through. Likewise another British assault on Achi Baba Nullah failed to gain any major ground and only cost them more casualties.
Faced with a deteriorating strategic situation General Hamilton created a plan that, if successful, would lead to the capture of the Sari Bair Range and capture Hill 971 and Chunuk Bair. These were a series of hills that could be used to gain purchase over other Ottoman positions and make further opposition against the landing sites at Helles untenable.
Allied forces landed at night at Suvla Bay on August 6th with minimal resistance and quickly seized the landing beaches. Unfortunately Lieutenant General Frederick Stopford, the British leader of the operation, had a cautious set of early objectives and did little to advance his forced inland against near nonexistent Ottoman defenders. This lack of action allowed the Ottomans to rush in reinforcements and occupy the high ground overlooking the landings.
Diversionary attacks were also launched at Helles and Anzac in order to divert the defenders attention from the attacks on Hill 971 and Chunuk Bair, but both failed to gain ground. It would not be until the following morning of the 7th that the New Zealanders would be able to capture the summit of Chunuk Bair from the Ottoman defenders.
Due to the delay of the New Zealanders attack the Australian 3rd Light Horse Brigade, which was meant to flank the Ottoman positions in tandem with the New Zealand Infantry Brigade's assault, found itself facing an undistracted positions and paid dearly for it. Chaotic efforts and confusion by the Australian 4th Brigade and an Indian Brigade meant the poorly executed assault on Hill 971 was easily pushed away.
Mustafa Kemal lead a fierce counterattack on August 10th to recapture the heights from the New Zealanders and their reinforcements from the Wiltshire and Loyal North Lancashire Regiments. They easily pushed the Allies from the heights inflicting heavy casualties. Another assault on the 12th by the newly arrived 54th East Anglian Division on Kavak Tepe and Tekke Tepe failed including the isolation and complete destruction of a company from the Norfolk Regiment. This failure forced Hamilton's general staff to consider the possibility of evacuation.
Hamilton requested an additional 95,000 troops to assist in the coming operation. Reinforcements from Egypt in the form of the newly formed Australian 2nd Division and 5th Infantry Brigade landed on August 19-20 and the 6th. It was at this time the 29th Division was split, sending half of its force to Suvla and the other to Greece. The Dardanelles Committee had been held on August 20 and determined that any forces Britain could spare would be sent to France to assist in their August offensive.
On August 21st the British tried to renew the offensive by attempting to capture Scimitar Hill and Hill 60 which would have united the Anzac and Suvla into a continuous beachhead. To further damage Hamilton's mood news came from Lord Kitchener on September 25th that three more divisions were being transferred to Salonika to assist the coming Greek offensive. The British attacks against the hills failed and on August 29th the operation had effectively ended.
After the failure of offensive operations the public mindset began to shift away from the Aegean theatre and to the battlefields of France. Thanks to the work of journalists and disenfranchised senior staff public opinion began to turn against Hamilton as well, viewing his handling of the operation as clumsy and poor. To make matters worse the conditions within the camps and trenches had fallen to the point where dysentery was spreading among both sides and flies grew to large swarms which fed on uncovered bodies and exposed waste stemming from poor sanitation.
By October 12th the senior staff held a conference to debate the prospect of evacuation in light of deteriorating conditions clinically, strategically and climatically. They voiced doubt that the Allied force gathering in eastern Greece would be able to reach them in time to make a difference. Hamilton vetoed the decision to evacuate, his choice proved fortuitous.
Bulgaria, after being promised territorial and monetary reward formally entered the war on the side of Central Powers on October 14th. They promptly invaded Serbia and broke through the border defenses the Serbians had erected. However due to poor weather and the mountainous terrain 1st Army became bogged down within 15 miles of the border. Their entry into the war also allowed for Prime Minister Venizelos to declare war in support of its ally Serbia on October 15th.
********
George sat crouched in the low trench that had been carved into the cold earth. Compared to the Helles beaches in Gallipoli, this feels like paradise, he thought looking at the men around him. Many men from the 29th Division had been pulled out of Gallipoli and replaced by other battalions. They had been sent to Thessalonica and then east to the border with Bulgaria. They hadn't been told their objective but rumors spreading around the line said they were launching an attack soon that would relieve the forces in Gallipoli. George had been overjoyed at the idea, not only because he wouldn't be stuck in that hellhole but also because he had a chance to avenge the men he had watched die, because of him.
It was 0700 and he had been up all night waiting for anything, any news of what they were going to do. Greece had declared war in the early hours that morning and the men on the front had been moved into position along the Greco-Bulgarian border. Then just as he thought the monotony was going to drive him mad the crunching of cold dirt and the shuffle of feet caught his attention. He turned around and saw a runner coming toward him hunched over.
The man crouched down next to him and pulled a sheet of paper out from his sack. "Command says to be prepared for assault within half an hour. After the artillery barrage has concluded. Little resistance is expected but be on your toes." George read the paper, confirming the message and nodded. "Right. Unto the breach. Thank you." The runner nodded and headed off to his next officer.
George shook Thomas, who had been sleeping. "Get up Thomas. Get the others up while you are lolling about." Thomas stirred, visibly irritated. "You would think I could have gotten just a little longer sleep after staying up in the middle of the night on guard. In the freezing cold mind you." Despite his complaints he did as he was told and began making other men unhappy by waking them.
Then a few minutes later the roar of artillery shells flying overhead began and the pillars of dirt and fire started billowing from the Bulgarian positions. "Get ready everyone! Once that fire stops we are going across! Last one to meet a Bulgarian is buying drinks for their squad!" His cry was met by a chorus of cheers and laughter from the men who could hear him.
A half hour later on the dot the last whistle of artillery shells made their way overhead and for a split second there was absolute silence, a ringing silence, then came the whistles. The shriek of dozens of whistles rang out as officers stood waving their pistols and hundreds of soldiers rose out from cover. They began to run across the open field and after reaching within two hundred yards of the Bulgarian lines broken fire began to emerge. George saw one man spin sharply twisting to the ground and lay face up, the top half of his head gone.
Grimacing and giving a momentary pause to give a single nod to the fallen soldier he pressed on with the rest of his men. For a moment he thought he heard the staccato of a machine gun opening fire but it was quickly silent, probably due to quick return fire at the gunner, or well thrown hand grenades.
Within twenty five yards George could see dozens of Bulgarian soldiers rushing through the trench. One panicked looking young man looked over at him and fixed him with a hard stare and raised a rifle. George pointed his own pistol and fired off several rounds. Dirt kicked up around the enemy soldier but didn't hit him, however it did elicit a strong flinch. Then before the Bulgarian could reacquire his aim another shot rang out and the man dropped.
George looked around at who had saved him but could not pick out which soldier had done the deed. He quickly turned back and ran towards the enemy line covering the distance quickly and already found a scene of of brutality in front of him.
Severed arms and legs, damaged bodies with shrapnel imbedded in them and wounded men bleeding and screaming were spread around the trench. Fortunately there was very little fighting going on. There was a line of Bulgarians with their hands on their heads looking terrified and a few others who were being manhandled into place alongside the others.
Thomas came walking up toward him with a young Bulgarian soldier in front of him. As he pushed the man toward the line of prisoners George saw that he had blood coming from his head. "Thomas you injured?" Thomas looked puzzled for a moment then chuckled feeling his scalp with his fingers. "Just a little. Bugger jumped me and gave me a nice glancing blow to the head. Hurt like hell but when you have the gent who gave it to you trying to do it again that pain goes away right quick."
"Good thing you have a thick skull then." George laughed and looked around. "Do you know how many we lost?" Thomas shrugged. "No idea but we have to get these prisoners ready to be handed over before we continue advancing."
George nodded and wiped the sweat off his brow, "Well see to it then. Get these men handed off and secure then we keep moving."
"So we are taking the long road to Constantinople I'm guessing?" Thomas said as he began to walk off. "I suppose we are."
********
The Allied forces that had gathered on the Greco-Bulgarian border burst through the lightly defended border as most of the Bulgarian army was either still mobilizing or fighting against the Serbs. Greek troops were able to successfully capture Xanthi on October 17th with little effort. Elements from Greek II Corps and British XVI Corps were to push directly on the city of Komotini while the French 17th Colonial Infantry and 30th Infantry Divisions were to clear the northern flank of the army.
The offensive, named Operation Hades, was meant to break through the Bulgarian coastal holdings along the Aegean and relieve the Anglo-French forces holed up in Gallipoli and prepare for an advance against the historic city of Constantinople. The other end of the operation was meant to assist the Serbians who had been beaten back by the Bulgarians and Austro-Hungarians.
The Bulgarians were quick to respond and began rapidly redeploying elements of the 3rd Army to the southern border and even made requests to the Ottomans to send troops to aid them. They were rebuffed by the Turks who said that their efforts were focused on Gallipoli and that to do otherwise would risk a breakout by the Allied forces there. Additionally they argued that they were near to crushing the bridgeheads and that once the allies were pushed into the sea the advance into Bulgaria would slow.
Elements of the British XVI Corps pushed east toward Komotini, a city on the roadway to Alexandroupoli, and encountered the leading units of the Bulgarian 3rd Army in the form of 6th and 1st Infantry Divisions. The unprepared and outnumbered Bulgarian units were forced to withdraw from the city rather than be destroyed by the British, ceding the city on October 24th.
Greek II Corps was determined to keep pushing on, encouraging British commanders to push the advantage while they could. With intelligence suggesting the Ottomans were not sending reinforcements to aid the Bulgarians the British decided move. While British and French elements moved north to cover the main advance from the Bulgarian 3rd Army. The problem now was that the 6th and 1st Infantry Divisions that had been pushed back now began to fortify Alexandroupoli in preparation for the Allied attack.
As the Allied units advanced towards the city they found the way becoming increasingly blocked by these defenses. Fortunately they had access to a resource the Ottomans did not, the Royal Navy. Greek troops from the 14th Division arrived outside the city on November 7th and prepared positions in the event of a long siege. Even before artillery arrived on the scene the Royal Navy had begun bombarding the city and the trench system that had been dug. Bulgarian artillery attempted to respond but aerial reconnaissance helped to locate the batteries for the navy.
After British units arrived at the city on November 10th the Bulgarian commander determined that the situation was untenable and ordered for a retreat from the city in order to make their way north to regroup with the 3rd Army. The city would fall the day later to the jubilation of the primarily Greek population. Two days later the Allied forces reached the Maritsa River, only ninety miles from Gallipoli.
Engineers quickly rushed to construct bridges for the infantry to cross, but not before paddle boats had transported some men across to establish a beachhead. The Greeks had officially invaded the Ottoman Empire, the object of their centuries long animosity. To defend the crossing was a small company from the Ottoman 1st Army, which was easily brushed aside by the the advancing infantry. Before nightfall nearly ten thousand troops had crossed over the river to expand the bridgehead.
Despite Sanderso's pleas to General Mustafa Kemal to bring their units off of the Gallipoli peninsula and face off against the oncoming Greeks and British the Ottoman general refused to yield. He claimed that the reserve units from the Ottoman 5th Army would be sufficient to hold back the Allied advance from reaching Gallipoli.
His overconfidence in his troops proved disastrous. The full might of the Greek II Corps and British XVI Corps slammed into the Ottoman I Corps and 5th Division along the Ottoman line anchored on the town of.
The Ottoman line broke under the strain and the Greek units pushed through without mercy. The advance units of the Greek 14th Division had reached the small villages that stood guard ten miles from their objective, Constantinople.
Operation Prometheus
So everything had lead to this moment; this great moment in Greek history. Lieutenant. Alec Ganas observed the sprawling city that loomed hazily in the distance through his binoculars. This war, this crusade, would culminate in this proud moment for him and for all of Greece. Beyond those small towns he knew lay the Theodosian Walls. The walls that guarded Constantinople were a living testament of a time gone by. One where Greece and her people had controlled the known world and now it was set to reclaim its legacy. Now an Allied army was posed to retake the city after over four hundred years, or at least that was how he viewed it. Having been a history professor at a school in Larissa gave one a unique look at everything, especially warfare.
Lieutenant Ganas looked around at the situation before him; hastily dug foxholes with a series of small "trenches" cut between them, and in front of them was an open field leading towards the Ottoman position.
At the age of 26 Alec Ganas was one of the older members of the platoon he now lead but he was still a young man, or at least that was what he told himself. Having grown up in a middle class family in Larissa he had always longed to become a teacher, which his parents had called 'a foolish venture for the underemployed.' Nevertheless he had pursued his passion and received an education in Athens where he had refused a teaching opportunity in order to educate his own city and take an opportunity to show up his parents. When Greece had entered the war against the Central Powers in 1915 Ganas had rushed to the recruiting office as soon as he had filed the paperwork at the school. Basic training had been hard but it was nothing he couldn't handle and had emerged as a fresh Lieutenant in the Greek XIV corps. He had fought a hard campaign through Bulgaria, into Thrace and to the doorstep of Constantinople where he now found himself.
"Anything Lieutenant?" asked Pvt. Petroski from the opposite side of the foxhole.
For a young man of 19 Alexander Petroski had shown himself to be a competent and able bodied soldier capable of performing any task ordered to him. Growing up Catholic, he had come from a strict religious household and took everything he did to heart. Prior to any hard task and meal he would say his prayers and so far it seemed to have paid off. That being said it didn't stop Petroski from being filled with life and possessing a good sense of humor. He also seemed to have a knack for dealing with local populations, especially its women.
Lt. Ganas smiled at the fond memories of hearing the other soldiers returning from leave grumbling about how they had their chances with a fine young woman dashed by Petroski and his signature smile.
"No, but that doesn't mean they don't have snipers watching and waiting for some poor sap to stick their head out too far" Ganas said edging the binoculars down to the hole's edge.
"You mean like you just were Lieutenant?" Petroski commented with a small smile. "It would be a shame if someone took your head off before you got the chance to see Ms. Sophia."
In truth his Pvt. was correct in his comment but Ganas wouldn't subvert the chain of command by admitting to it. While he tended to have a rather relaxed attitude around his men there was always too much and a correct time to behave that way, and on the brink of a major offensive was not that time. He slid back down into the foxhole his unit had dug a week prior and examined his pistol. While a majority of the Hellenic Army was outfitted according to British and French designs a visiting American officer had given him this pistol as a sign of respect or something to that effect. Ganas hadn't understood the accent which he was told was notable among those from the state of Alabama. What he had mused about was the annoyance the event had caused among some of the British officers who now lamented having to bring in special ammo just for him. His response to their sorrow was saying that he had to make every round count.
Ganas checked his watch, half past 6, almost time for the fireworks to begin. At 630 hours the artillery barrage was suppose to begin, allowing the Greek and British infantry to rush forward across no-man's land and take the Ottoman positions. After that nasty task had been accomplished their units would take the fight to the city itself; where, God willing, they would meet a warm reception from the local Greeks.
"Rafal, tell the men to fix bayonets and get ready to go" and added "tell them God go with them." The runner nodded after jotting down the brief message and bolted out of the foxhole to spread the word to the other men of the platoon all while avoiding the attention of an angry sniper.
Alexander Rafal was a curious sort. His family had come to Greece from Serbia Macedonia and started their own farm, which was rather successful as farming goes. When the war had started he professed that it was his duty to fight for their new homeland; to which his family only relented because of his six siblings being able to take up the lost position. Unfortunately during training he had earned the ire of the fellow recruits due to his twitchy and high energy nature. Ganas had put this to use and made the man a runner, and had never regretted it since.
"God certainly will be with us." Petroski said kissing the rosary he kept in his breast pocket "Of course the Bible also says we must be cleansed of our sins before entering heaven. I guess that means you are out Lieutenant."
Ganas' response was one of sarcastic laughter. "Should I ask those women you wooed just how high and holy you were?"
Petroski waved his retort off "Let ye without sin cast the first stone. I know, I know." Again with that smile "Nothing holy and pure about those encounters though sir."
As if on cue the moment Rafal jumped back into the foxhole the distinct scream of shells roared overhead. Ganas and the other four men in his foxhole covered their ears with their hands as the earth shuddered and every sound was drowned out as hundreds of shells slammed into the Ottoman positions. After what felt like hours Ganas suddenly realized that the landscape was eerily quiet, he felt numb and only then became conscious of the fact that he had held his eyes shut for the duration of the bombardment. He swore under his breathe as he fumbled for his whistle, the signal for his unit to begin the assault. Ganas took a deep breath and blew as hard as he could.
Ganas, Petroski, Rafal and the other thirty men of the platoon pulled themselves out of their foxholes and began their run at full tilt. After reaching the enemy lines they found most of their foes dead on the ground either from the concussive forces of the blasts or from the severing of their limbs and other assorted body parts that now littered the field. However there were some Turks, blood pouring from their ears, that frantically tried to grab at their rifles or any object that could be used as a weapon. Some poor boy tried to grab a rock before Rafal shot him point blank in the head with his enfield.
At Ganas' disapproving stare Rafal replied "Sorry Lieutenant. He could have seriously hurt someone, and better a dead Turk than one that lives to have us feed them."
These "clean up" actions yielded few prisoners, which Ganas found to be a disturbing fact on its own. Whenever he asked soldiers about it they normally responded with laughter as they picked through the littered remains. He had protested the apparent disregard for human life to his superiors only to be told "to be concerned only with the objective given rather than some humanitarian aid." All he could do was march across the line and attempt to hold back soldiers or otherwise reiterate the orders he had already given them.
After about an hour of securing the trench line a messenger ran up to Ganas and after pulling off a quick salute handed a letter to him and breathlessly said "Commander orders all units to immediately push into the city sir."
After reading through the scribbled letter Ganas sighed, they were supposed to wait a few hours so other units along the front could reorganize before assaulting the city. Damn fools eager for their promotions and congratulations from the king. "Tell the commander we will immediately begin our attack, when I have my men organized and ready." Ganas said sternly and to his credit the messenger didn't blink at the condescending response, only saluted and ran off.
"This is going to be a long day isn't it Lieutenant?" Petroski asked. "It certainly appears that way" Ganas said looking around at the mess that was the Ottoman trench and added "gather up anything you want, as long as it isn't macabre and prepare for assault in an hour."
********
Nearly 100,000 troops from Greece, Great Britain and France had amassed in Eastern Thrace in order to assault and capture the strategic city of Constantinople and surrounding peninsula which guarded passage through the Bosphorus Straits that connected the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. The Greek Prime Minister Venizelos had wished to send more troops in order to capture the city but those forces were needed to help hold back the Bulgarians and Austrians from pushing into Greek and Serbian territory. This had caused a rift between the separate delegations but cooler heads prevailed as the British delegate reminded his Greek compatriot of the potential prizes for them all if the war ended as planned.
Operation Prometheus was factored into the existing Coalition force's operations and the "Allied Army of the Orient" commanded by French General Maurice Sarrail, who had come from the fields of France battling the Germans at Verdun and the Ardennes was poised to achieve those goals. All forces combined totaled over 400,000 soldiers from 5 different nations but were split among several fronts. The Greek government, driven by the desire of her people had pushed hard to continue the offensive towards Constantinople following the Pyrrhic victory at Gallipoli.
Five divisions of Allied Forces, two British and three Greek including a cavalry regiment were to make the assault on Constantinople and the surrounding countryside. The other ten British and French Divisions were assisting in rearguard actions or holding the line against Bulgarian and Austrian attempts to push into Greece and the remaining Serbian forces out of Macedonia. This assault had also come under scrutiny as several Greek Generals, most notably Panagiotis Danglis, thought the British would seize the opportunity to block Greek troops from entering the city and claiming it for their own. So it was negotiated that the Greek 1st and 2nd infantry divisions would take the flanks and 14th infantry division in the center while the British 22nd and 26th divisions would take position along either side of the Greek center.
To the north five French divisions under command of General Paul Lebois were to strike east in the direction of Sanyer and Kagithane; the former to cut off possible crossing points and the latter to move on Galata in conjunction with British and Greek forces.
Winston Churchill managed naval forces operating in the Aegean including fire support and ensuring the Turks didn't attempt to land forces in the rear of the Allied advance. Their efforts could only go so far as the Ottomans had mined the Bosphorus with multitudes of anti-ship mines and as long as the Turks held the Asiatic side of Anatolia they could shell any minesweeper attempting to clear the fields.
Despite the recent setbacks that some would call catastrophic the Ottoman Fifth Army was still an effective fighting force and could wreak havoc if the Allied attack gave it the chance to do so. However General Otto Liman von Sanderso had been forced to split his forces in order to aid the Bulgarians to the north to prevent a collapse there. Arrayed against the impending Allied assault were I, II, and III Corps which also contained the remnants of 9th Division, which had survived, albeit mutilated, from the Gallipoli Campaign. Many of the Divisions that filled Fifth Army were composed of raw recruits and conscripts in order to fill the ranks as the Ottomans attempted to hold back the enemy tide.
Sanderso knew, just as any competent commander should, that the Allies main target was Constantinople and that if they succeeded in capturing it all Ottoman forces in Europe would be cut off without a viable escape route. This was why he had arrayed his troops in a way that would leave his veteran troops in the rear and ready to face an advancing Allied force. He was sacrificing men for time, a desperate move but one he had to employ if the Ottoman forces had a chance at retreating across the Bosphorus.
First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill had strongly suggested an Asian landing in Turkey proper was the only way to assure a quick and total Ottoman collapse. His suggestion was overruled by the commanding generals, who received an extra incentive after hearing that the Russians were considering a possible landing to take the ancient city. Though the Allied Powers were engaged in formal alliance with one another politics still played a factor in strategic planning, for benefit and harm, and the longstanding European policy of preventing Russian access to the Mediterranean was still very much in mind.
At 630 hours on May 1st artillery from British and Greek positions opened fire on Turkish positions ten miles from Constantinople's outer boundaries and continued on for thirty minutes. Most positions would be easily overrun by the advancing infantry but sporadic resistance proved fierce. British forces from the 60th Division advancing on the town of Injirh-koi found themselves at the mercy of Turkish machine guns and snipers that had survived the barrage. It was only after the timely arrival of a cavalry core from 1st Lothians and Border Horse in the rear of the town that prompted a collapse in the Ottoman position. Several instances of fierce resistance continued to show that the Ottomans were not going to give up their European holdings without a fight.
Elements of the Greek 14th Infantry Division and British 26th Division ran headlong into the well prepared positions of the Ottoman I Corps about 8 miles from the city. Caught in the open the Allied infantry was shredded by machine guns and artillery. Forcing them to dig in and form a shallow trench as a means to protect themselves while artillery could be brought to bear.
Unfortunately not all losses during the advance were the result of enemy fire for both sides. The French 11th Colonial Infantry Division was caught under their own artillery barrage and suffered 500 casualties. Some French units also reported what appeared to be Turkish deserters; indicated by the pistol wounds to the back of their skulls.
Infantry units of the 10th Irish Division advancing on an old military complex encountered a well dug in Turkish force that had been completely missed by the artillery barrage and payed the price for it sustaining almost 100 casualties. It was only through a well timed charge coupled with suppressive fire that Allied units overcame the defenders.
One curious incident had French troops encountering a group of surrendering Ottomans who had already looted the bodies of their dead officers. It seemed that the group in question were conscripts that wanted to surrender to the friendlier of the Allied armies but their officers attempted to stop them. The loot was handed over to the French infantrymen as a sign of good faith and a considerable bribe to ensure they were treated fairly.
Von Sanderso proved to be an excellent tactician, managing to delay the Allied advance at every turn, although it cost the Ottomans dearly as casualties mounted under withering assaults. While forces in the south were delaying the British and Greek forces marching on Constantinople IV and V Corps were being pushed toward the Black Sea by French forces and under threat of being cut in two.
In the following weeks ferocious fighting raged along the road to Constantinople as Allied forces pushed against stubborn Ottoman defenders. Unfortunately for the Ottomans, the Allied assault combined with overwhelming firepower of the British navy meant any coastal defenses that were erected could be quickly savaged and rendered useless. This strategy meant that the initial phase of the offensive was completed more or less according to schedule.
In total the initial advance phases of Operation Prometheus cost the Allies 12,000 casualties in two weeks but the speed of the assault brought Allied forces within two miles of the Aurelian Walls. Commanders eager to claim a psychological and strategic victory ordered that all units put down for two days while the necessary supplies could be brought up and units reorganized but on the third day the Battle for Constantinople was set to begin in earnest.
********
Ganas ducked behind a low wall as bullets whizzed overhead. Blast it, God you have a very good sense of irony if you choose to kill me here, he thought. His platoon, unofficially nicknamed The Varangians after their assault vector put them as taking the dead center of Constantinople, had already taken twenty casualties after entering the first part of the city.
Entering through the Gate of Romanus the Greek force had met a hail of gunfire from machine guns placed in the homes closest to them. While they had suffered two killed in the immediate barrage Ganas had directed his men to lay suppressive fire on the Ottoman positions while Rafal ran forward a hurled a well placed grenade through the window killing the crew.
The situation had only gotten more difficult from there as the fighting had devolved into close quarters combat with miniature battles being waged for ever home. In a scene that he had never imagined Ganas saw the civilian population, at least the Muslim one, taking up arms or knives to aid the Ottoman garrison. He had received word from other officers that the Greek population had likewise taken up arms to aid their assault on the city. The result was less than pretty and meant Greek units had to worry about killing friendlies.
"Lieutenant!" Petroski shouted from across the street "Snipers in the minarets surrounding the Apostles' Church! We need to take them out!"
Ganas looked up past the row of houses and at the minaret tower and although he was too far away to see movement he was sure that Petroski was correct in his judgement. "We don't have the firepower to bring them down and it is going to make advancing up the street a nightmare," Ganas shouted back.
He called a runner up and hastily scribbled away a message calling for an artillery strike on the minaret. He hoped from their position on the hills to the west of Kiosk would give a good vantage point for support. He mimed to Petroski artillery destroying the position, much to the young man's pleasure. "You always know how to make the day go by better LT" he shouted.
Rafal was clearing having an issue with this form of fighting as he nervously fidgeted about behind Petroski, who, after one too many collisions grabbed him by the should a swung him into the wall. "Alexander, if you bump me one more time I will start having you send messages across the street," and with a smile held out the tip of a helmet which was promptly gutted by a sniper round. Rafal quickly quieted down but still kept shuffling his feet as he stood.
Meanwhile Ganas knew they had to get moving on to their current objective, the Church of the Apostles as it happened but the building still lay a few blocks down the road, which all had to be taken. Thankfully for them it appeared as though a majority of the Ottoman garrison had withdrawn behind the Wall of Constantine, or at least that was what command said.
"Move into the houses and provide support." he motioned across to the men behind him and across the street where Petroski stood hugging the wall, then added "Carefully." Ganas had heard too many instances of troopers gunning down civilians in their homes and he wanted to keep his unit clean of that heinous act. Petroski only responded with a nod and made the sign of the cross.
Ganas motioned for a sergeant to break down the door of the house behind which they now hid and with one mighty kick broke it down as if it were made of paper. Hercules would be proud, Ganas mused as he brought up the third man in the entry team. First floor was clear, now up to the second, and that was when it happened.
A young boy, no older than seventeen, burst out of a room brandishing a pistol and shot the sergeant with a glancing blow off of his throat. An instant later the private in front of Ganas tackled the Turk into the room he had emerged from and started to bring down hammer blows with his fists. The boy tried to bring his pistol up, only to have it knocked away. Then the Greek on top of him brought out his trench knife, and in a horrifying display Ganas watched as the soldier stabbed the boy dozens of times before stopping only when the boy's screams had ceased.
Not only had the display of sheer brutality horrified Ganas to the point of nearly vomiting but the entire time the private was bringing his knife down the young boy had been crying and desperately trying to stop the blade from penetrating one more time.
He sat hyperventilating as the rest of the squad cleared the rest of the house, and after finding no one else watched in silence as the medic tended to their comrade's wounds. The medic, who called himself Aesop, said the man would probably never speak again but he would live. "Both lucky and unfortunate at the same time" he had said as they carried him out. Ganas hadn't bothered to respond but knew this probably wouldn't be the last he saw of the medic.
It took the rest of the day but Ganas' platoon had made it to the housing perimeter on the western side of the Church of the Apostles. The artillery barrage that Ganas had requested was denied in order to preserve the church, a response that resulted in him screaming at the poor messenger demanding a response he couldn't possibly offer.
His platoon had also been reinforced later in the day with a fresh batch of recruits from Athens, lead by a chipper gentleman named Macario. With the added support they had been able to clear their section of houses that lead up to the church. Surprisingly they had only suffered one wounded after a soldier was hit in the thigh by a sniper.
Ganas, Petroski and Macario sat together in silence on one of the rugs that hadn't been torn to shreds in the assault until Petroski broke the silence "You couldn't have stopped him sir. It was too quick and even if you had tried to there isn't a reason to believe that it would have saved his life."
"You don't know that Petroski. He was just some kid; all alone." he looked up at the cross that hung on the wall and vowed to himself never to let any subordinate get away with another offense like that, no matter what the cost fighting back tears the whole time.
"Well the way I see it," Macario said "A good Turk is a dead one, about time they paid for what they have done to us. I thought you would appreciate that, historian." He added the last word with a bit of venom, but before Ganas had a chance to respond Petroski had done it for him.
"Quiet your tongue and that kind of talk, especially in the Lord's House." Petroski hissed fingering Macario's chest "It makes for a lousy human being and a sorry excuse for a Christian. I will certainly pray for his soul even if you can not spare a small amount of sympathy."
"Don't you dare question my honor, Catholic. The only way to win this war is to kill them all, just like they tried to do to us!" They were both standing now but before things came to blows Ganas had stood and parted them both.
"Knock it off, both of you!" he shouted "Get back to your units and if I here any word of this argument in hushed tones or gossip I will make sure you lead the next charge. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir!" They both saluted and filed out of the room with visible tension between them. Ganas waited until they left and then sank onto the carpet again and sighed. Again he looked at the cross and whispered softly "God, if you are listening I need your help. I will give you a fine church, the Hagia Sophia, I know it has been a while but I am sure you remember it." He smiled remembering Constantine's same promise in return for victory at Milvian Bridge. A Constantine founded the city, lost the city and was prophesized to reclaim the city. If only it were true he thought then added aloud "Thank you, for everything, but if it comes to a crossroads, save them." With that he layed down on his field blanket and tried to get some rest.
Both units were tasked with assaulting the church the next morning along with several other platoons from the north and south. It was bound to be bloody, especially for the raw recruits but Ganas didn't dare voice that opinion aloud.
********
At 500 hours five platoons from the 14th Greek Infantry division made the assault on the Church of the Apostles losing fifty men, primarily fresh recruits, but would secure the complex by 1200 hours. This local assault was one among a city wide push to capture more of the complex beyond the Wall of Constantine and hopefully squeeze the Ottoman garrison to surrender. The advance costed the Allied forces another 1,000 casualties but pushed to within a few blocks from the easternmost section of the city, and some units claimed to see the palace and hippodrome through the haze of smoke and ash that filled the sky.
To the north west the French 17th, 30th, and 76th Divisions were poised to cut a path between the Ottoman IV and V Corps and capture Kryikoy, swiftly isolating both areas of operations from mutual support. Well entrenched Ottoman positions were slowing the advance to a crawl however, especially with the additional Bulgarian infantry and artillery support.
In Kagithane, some five miles north of Galata, French forces had encountered such staunch resistance that commanding officers opted to place the city under siege and proceed in their push to Galata. Much to the dismay of the troops about half of the 57th Infantry division was left behind to guard the flank of the advancing forces. Although the Ottomans realized the purpose of the French units they lacked the necessary manpower to stop the advance and instead chose to pull militia and regular army units back to Galata.
The British 12th Division pushed into the Harbor of Eleutherios against fierce Ottoman resistance but managed to secure the area. After the fall of this key sector militia forces fell into a rout towards the east of the city, seceding a large amount of territory to advancing British forces. It was also at this time that the Ottoman Garrison commander General Mehmet Esat Pasha was killed by a Greek sniper as the former was visiting front line troops in an attempt to rally retreating forces. His death would come as a serious blow to morale in a situation that was already perilous.
The fighting would rage for another week and see Greek forces from the 14th Infantry Division capture the Acropolis and plant the flag of Greece in a moment that signaled the end of the Siege of Constantinople. For British troops watching from the palace it was a celebratory moment, for the Greek people it signified a turning point and a reclamation. The remaining Ottoman militia and army troops surrendered en masse to the Allied forces and the native Greek population filled the streets in celebration.
French forces from the 156th Infantry Division seized Galata the following week after suffering the delay at Kagithane, suffering minimal casualties. The remaining Ottoman forces had withdrawn across the channel to the Anatolian coast, not only surrendering Constantinople to the Allies but also cutting off the path of retreat for the remaining armies in Thrace. General Otto von Sanders was among the many high ranking officers to flee across the channel in order to prepare for the anticipated Allied invasion of Anatolia. British naval forces attempted to stop these crossings but remnants of the Ottoman Navy and coastal artillery battalions prevented the Royal Navy from landing many shots. This failure allowed Ottoman senior staff and upwards of 50,000 troops to successfully evacuate to Asia.
The end of April 1916 saw British, French, and Greek forces in control of most of Eastern Thrace and while British First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill pushed for a major naval landing in Anatolia he was overruled by the other senior staff. They argued that pushing north into Serbia and Bulgaria would be key to keeping Romania in the war and relieving pressure from the Western Front. In recognition of their monumental achievement, as well as needing time to gather and organize forces, many troops were given leave in Constantinople.
********
Ganas and Petroski sat atop a collapsed minaret that used to be a part of the Hagia Sophia taking in the historic church and all its glory. Their platoon had been given temporary leave for having played a crucial part in the seizure of the palace, although Ganas understood this to be a friendly gesture from command. The only reason they had stopped was because brass apparently disagreed about the next course of action.
"I suppose it is a nice church." Petroski said and added with a wry smile, "would have been just a little better if it was a Catholic church." Ganas laughed, the first time he felt like he had done so in a long time.
"Well this beauty and the whole city is a wonderful Greek one, and that's what matters now. I am just glad we all made it through alive. If only we had captured the Ottoman command before they fled across the Bosphorus."
"Can't win them all LT. Whether we drive into Asia or into Bulgaria the end result will be the same; we will win," Petroski replied. Rafal came wandering up to the two of them and clapped them both on the shoulder "What are you boys doing here? We are heroes, and their are plenty of girls I know who would be thrilled to meet a real Varangian."
Petroski looked at Ganas who nodded in response to his unspoken request "Go ahead, you both have earned it. I am going to stay here for a while, some time for myself. I will meet you later."
Petroski stood to walk away "Well this is a paid trip after all, no reason why we should waste it." He smiled his classic smile and added while glancing over his shoulder "Looks like you gave God back his church. It's good to keep promises."
