The Battle of Gallipoli
The Battle of Gallipoli, also known as the Gallipoli Campaign, took place between 1915 and 1916 during World War I. Member countries of the Allied powers waged the battle against Turkish forces, then known as the Ottoman Empire, over control of the Turkish straits.
The Colliding Bullets
The image that often accompanies this story shows two bullets, one lodged within the other. The story suggests that these bullets collided and fused during the heat of the battle. However, upon closer inspection and consultation with ballistics experts, this claim has been debunked.
The Ballistics Perspective
Ballistics experts who reviewed the image were not convinced that the bullets collided. One of the bullets clearly displays rifling marks, the grooves inside the gun barrel that spin a bullet for accuracy. The lack of rifling marks on the other bullet suggests that it was never fired.
Arthur Alphin, a firearms and ballistics expert and military historian, suggested an alternative explanation. He proposed that a deceased or disabled soldier was lying on the ground, and as long-range machine gun fire came in, a bullet struck his web gear.
The Verdict
While the image of the two bullets is intriguing, the evidence suggests that they did not collide in mid-air. The chances of such an event occurring are astronomically low, and the physical evidence does not support the claim.