Gallipoli, 1915: Churchill’s Greatest Gamble

Gallipoli 1915: Churchill’s Greatest Gamble realistically covers the first three days of the campaign, a time of wild maneuver, of decisive attacks parried by the timely arrival of reinforcements, and the onset of trench warfare. Speed – but not reckless haste – is the key to success.

The map covers the entire peninsula from north of Anzac Cove to Cape Helles, based on the 1922 British Ordnance Survey. Players can choose to land at the historical beaches, or create their own plans.

The game system emphasizes command and control. Players command by Brigade and Regiment. To be successful, a player must plan for the eventual exhaustion of their troops, rotating them out of line to rest and recover stragglers. The result is an accurate modeling of the tempo of these battles.

Infantry combat is ranged rifle and MG fire, culminating in close assault. Artillery is powerful but ultimately limited. Shrapnel from the standard field guns is deadly against troops in the open, but only the rare howitzers firing high-angle HE can deal with trenches.