Tactics Gallipoli forcing the strait.

[toofatfortakeoff]

Probably been asked before, but if, even the allies had broken the Dardanelles, surely another huge battle awaited at the passage through Istanbul via the sea of Marmora would have blown the plan out of the water...eh? Or am I missing something...wasn't there a general Ottoman jihad declared  against the Empire and allies?

All this with Russia defeating the Turks quite heavily at that point in the North West of Turkey.  Id have thought Turkey/Germany  would have bottled an incoming  fleet or supply ships even if there had been a breakthrough. 

And if the allied navies came sailing gloriously through the strait, on the west there is also Bulgaria to contend with, who though that navy was small, would have engaged sea batteries? They were already mining the Black Sea with their small navy. No slouches in land warfare either. 

 

[KizmeRD]

Surely, if the Straits had been forced, as envisaged, at the outset, then Bulgaria (and Roumania) wouldn’t have resisted the entry of the Allied/Entente fleet into the Black Sea, and in all probability Bulgaria would have taken a very different decision as to who to side with?

(Don’t you just hate historical what if’s?)

MB

Edited 26 July , 2021 by KizmeRD

[Smithy26]

The whole point of getting through the Dardanelles was to get to the Marmara and threaten the Ottoman Capitol Istanbul, not to go into Black Sea.  If the Naval guns are able to hit their capitol it is instant surrender.

[KizmeRD]

Just to re-wind, what is the actual point of the question being asked here by OP?

Is it the reason why the tactics adopted by the Entente Allies failed?

Or is the question more about the strategic value of defeating the Ottomans, opening up a fresh front, and easing the flow of war materials into Russia?

Please clarify.

MB