Gallipoli's command problem and the price of forcing straits

The historical comparison turns on orders that urged the navy forward before the army arrived while also warning commanders against excessive losses. Vice-Admiral Sackville Carden was capable but poorly suited to a deliberate, casualty-heavy forcing operation. John de Robeck and Roger Keyes were more aggressive, and placing them together in command earlier might have produced another attempt after the fleet came close to clearing the remaining mine lines. Ships attacking shore batteries enter an artillery contest in which losses must be expected. A successful forcing operation required commanders willing to grind forward through mines and fortifications, with little scope for maneuver. Preparing older pre-dreadnoughts with cork in suitable spare compartments could have helped them remain afloat after mine damage. That proposal required preparation time the historical assault had lacked.