Gallipoli as a combined naval and land operation

Battenberg's work as naval adviser to the Inspector General of Fortifications required him to explain how naval heavy artillery could defeat Army defences. Despite the friction normally associated with that role, the Duke of Cambridge praised his tact and the goodwill he established between the services. If Churchill still proposed Gallipoli, these relationships could support landings alongside the initial naval attempt. Troops attacking the forts from shore would divide the defenders' fire and give the mine-clearance ships more room to work. Battenberg's intelligence experience could also encourage an earlier appraisal of the minefields and further use of anti-mine bulges. The operation might succeed under these conditions, although success remains uncertain. Opening the straits would let the Allies supply Russia through its Black Sea ports.