Exercise Eagle Tour 2011 Story by Major ITA (A) Simone Gatto, ENG Branch, Photos by Lieutenant Colonel ITA (A) Stefano Sbaccanti, PAO “Soldiers seem always to be peninsula to study on needed when diplomacy fails”. site, with an aseptic This was certainly true in Asia modus operandi, the Minor in 1914 for Gallipoli campaign in order to campaign that remains among the prepare NRDC-ITA key most contentious episodes of leaders and Senior WWI history, where United N a t i o n a l Kingdom – France led forces Representatives to fought versus tenacious and conduct large-scale enduring Turkish supported by operation, train them in Germany. At the very beginning d e c i s i o n m a k i n g of the campaign the main Allied process and to upswing intention was to force open a team building within The organizing team, from left Maj. Gatto, Col. warm water passage to Russia the participants. Stella, Lt.Col. Tempesta and Lt.Col. Belogi through the Dardanelles and the T h e e x e r c i s e w a s Constantinople conquest, but organized by Engineer Branch the Dardanelle strait between very soon the expeditionary and G8 Purchase & Contract, Europe and Asia. operation developed into a with the support of the Senior ruinous trench warfare. Turkish Representative. The s econd day, after an Its visionary origins, its tragic The exercise was launched on overnight rest on the Asian cost course and the dramatic ending March the 31st with a historical the delegation by ferryboat all give the power to stimulate introduction and a specific landed at Eceabat, on the conflicting arguments. Gallipoli lecture run by Professor Stephen European Gallipoli peninsula, to has always been interpreted in Prince to provide the participants study the events related to the national terms, with of course with a first flavor of the historical Cape Hellas battle area. At different story description facts. Eceabat, the delegation stopped covering what the belligerent The real tour started on May the in front of the model showing n a t i o n s h a v e d e c i d e d t o 09th , with a charter flight to the overall area of the campaign emphasize. This year NRDC Italy Cannakale (on the Turkish Asian where the two accompanying battlefield tour (Exercise Eagle side) from Malpensa. From historians, Professor Prince for f Tour 2011 – Ex ET 2011) has Cannakale airport the delegation the Allied side and Dr. Yildirim been organized on the Gallipoli moved by bus to the Hellenic for the Turkish side. They town of Troy where introduced the sea battle and gave they had the the audience the first overview on possibility to visit the entire Campaign. The sea the famous ruins of battle was also analyzed at the t h e d i f f e r e n t war museum located in the “Troy” from Bronze Tabyasi Naval Battery where a age till Roman historical movie showed the e m p i r e p e r i o d . heroic acts of both belligerents. T h r o u g h t h e On the way to Cape Hellas, centuries, Troy had among the different historical stands, the delegation had the om the Staf the om a s t r a t e g i c r importance, because opportunity to pay respect to the of its position on t h o u s a n d s o f F r e n c h a n d F A static display at Kilitbahir 10 NRDC-ITA Magazine during the landing. The day after, the focus was on the ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) area of operation, (photo ANZAC) starting from ANZAC cove. During Gallipoli campaign there was no better known place than ANZAC Cove, since more than 2 7 0 0 0 A u s t r a l i a n s , N e w Zealanders and Indians were put ashore in ANZAC cove between 25 April and 01 May 1915 F o r t h i s r e a s o n , A N Z A C represents the place where The French cemetery Australians found themselves by Commonwealth fallen during the one placard reports what Ataturk accident. The value, mateship, b a t t l e s w i t h t w o s i m p l e said about the 57th Regiment: self-sacrifice and integrity, of ceremonies at the France War “this is a famous regiment, those soldiers were instrumental Cemetery of Gallipoli, that because all of them were killed”. in the formation of Australian overlook Morto Bay on the Unbelievable but true! From the identity. Every year on April the Southern part of the promontory, memorial is possible to have a 2 5 t h n o t l e s s t h a n 7 0 0 0 and to the Commonwealth tremendous view on Kumkale Australians visit this area to pay memorial stands on the tip of the Cape on the Asian side and on S respect to their fallen heroes. The Gallipoli Peninsula. The obelisk beach. epic facts of the ANZAC are over 30 m can be seen by all From here, the group moved reported by Mel Gibson and ships passing through the through W beach, also known as M a r k L e e i n t h e f a m o u s Dardanelles and it is the 1st Lancashire Landing, Y beach Australian movie “Gallipoli”. memorial for the men who fell and Gully beach. At these three F r o m A N Z A C c o v e t h e during the campaign or were lost stands the audience had the delegation had the opportunity to in the sea. opportunity to appreciate some climb a little bit on Shrapnel On the memorial there are military constructions, such as Valley, where Turkish snipers reported all the names of the piers and water cisterns used killed hundreds of Allied, and ships and the Army formations f that took part to the campaign. The French took part to the campaign with the “Corps Expéditionnaire d’Orient”. That was responsible for the right section of the Allied line at Kereves Dere, a deep gully about one kilometer north where is now located the Turkish memorial. After these touching ceremonies the group moved to the Turkish Memorial highs, higher 42 om the Staf the om metres, that commemorates all r the Turkish soldiers died during The ANZAC Cove F the battle of Canakkale. There, 11 NRDC-ITA Magazine Turkish memorial museum. During the night, Lieutenant General Gian Marco Chiarini, Commander NRDC- ITA, hosted a social event on a ferry boat along the Marmora. During the event, also attended by the Commander and Chief of Staff of the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps - Turkey, General Chiarini bid farewell to some Staff Officers who were due to leave the HQs soon. Seeing Istanbul from the ferry boat was an amazing experience and remarked the extreme historical importance of the strait! Wreath-lying ceremony at the Turkish cemetery On Friday, the “Panorama 1453” museum was visited. There, it appreciate for themselves how questions. was possible to appreciate the fall demanding the terrain was. At the end of the third day, after of Constantinople on a painted Next stops were the Australian a six hours bus transfer From 360° ceiling sphere. Lone Pine Cemetery and the G a l l i p o l i p e n i n s u l a t h e Turkish Soldier Memorial where delegation arrived in the Pera The exercise met all the goals the delegation paid a visit and district, the heart of Istanbul, a prefixed; it increased the team laid a commemoratives wreath to melting pot megalopolis where building within the NRDC-ITA the heroic, tenacious and Europe hugs Asia. key leaders and multinational enduring Turkish soldier. The The day after, in Istanbul the members and provided a great Nek, the Chinuk Bair and the group had the opportunity to visit opportunity for the NRDC-ITA New Zealand stands closed the the ancient area including Santa delegation to study on site the tour leaving the delegation with a Sofia, the Blue Mosque, the historic events which took place lot of unanswered strategic Roman Cistern, the Topaki f om the Staf the om r F NRDC-ITA Staff at Troy 12 NRDC-ITA Magazine .