The original plan was now reversed by the War Council. The intention had been for the army, in a subsidiary role, to occupy the territory subdued by the navy. It was now proposed that the army would make an amphibious assault upon the Gallipoli peninsula to eliminate the Turkish land defences and open the Dardanelles for the passage of the navy.

The Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF), an army of combined British, Dominion, Indian and French formations totalling some 70,000 men (including 20,000 Australians training in Egypt), was assembled under the command of General Sir Ian Hamilton.

After a further six weeks of preparation and delays and in the absence of clear directives from the War Council, the Allied army assaulted the peninsula on 25 April. Landings were made at a number of places simultaneously with the object of seizing the southern section of the peninsula from Cape Helles to the Narrows.