ANZAC.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16422, 16 January 1919, Page 8

ANZAC.

SCENES REVISITED. GREAT WORK OF DESTROYERS.. LONDON, December 30. Mr Peacock, special commissioner in tho Mediterranean for the _un cable service, telegraphs from Galtipoli: — We made a pilgrimage to Anzac on the adversary of the evacuation. The British divisional co " ll ? , J nde [' Colonel Findlay CN'ew Zealand Mounted Rifles) and Colonel Richardson* (Australian Light Horse), with *heir staffs and a large number of officers and men of the combmedf o rcesv ls j ed Anzac. Captain Jepson acting as from the of Lone Pine, over the melancholy Mild we reached the close and nairow trenches still n a fair state of preservation, and seomingly littlo touched since the days of battle. The pirtj visited Quinn's, Pope s, and Courtney s Posts, Russell's Top, Shrapnel Gull>, and Walker's Ridge, and then proceeded to the Cove. . „ , General Croker, commanding the mil Division, said that Anzac was a -wonderful sight for a soldier. It must have been the scene of the most intense trench warfare of the war; indeed tho most intense imaginable. He hacl no idea that the troops had been faced t with such difficulties, and was that such things had been possible. He was satisfied that the Galhpoli campaign had an enormous effsct upon tho war by destroying the flower of the Turkish armies. _ . Colonel Findlay paid a glowing tribute to the heroic achievements, indomitable perseverance, tenacity, and endurance of the Anzacs. Colonel Richardson made a sympathetic and appreciative reference to the courage of tne brave comrades who were buried there. We then returned along the beach past Number Two Post. arden's'Point, Hill 60, and nast Biyuk, Anafarta, Boghali, and Maidos. FINE STORY OF NASTY WORK. The Australians did 1 not disappear from the Mediterranean when Anzac ■was evacuated. Whilst tho Light Horse were hitting Johnny :Turk in Palestine, Australian destroyers were racing about the Adriatic and Jigean, and sometimes under the enemy's' very nose at the Dardanelles. It is a fine story of dirty and nasty work well done. The longest period was spent in the great anti-sub-marine barrage. Our six destroyers had the most wretched part of the business, but were consoled by the thought that they were protecting Australian troops, which were being transported from Egypt to,ltaly. This barrage was one of the wonders of the war, being designed to keep the submarines penned up. in the Adriatic. It did not for some time, but! was just becoming perfect when peace arrived. WARREGO DODGES TORPEDO. It consisted of four definite lines of obstacles across the Straits of Otranto. Inside was a series of overlapping patrol beats by destroyers. These beats .were clearly marked on the chart, and were given numbers arid letters. . On this patrol the Australians were engaged, ft was mostly cold, dreary, miserable, and cheerless work. Three days and nights, racing back and forth, over a trackless beat, ever on the alert, and then back to port for two days' relief. Lively incidents -were abundant, for the Australians and Germans were always enterprising when there was ai chance of overpowering a lonely destroyer. When a torpedo ' intended for the Warrego. stfuck the Oriano, tlie former was able to demonstrate her gratitude by rescuing the crew and towing thei wreck into port. . / "THE MORNING. SACRIFICE/' Attacking expeditions and long runs to the iEgean relieved the monotony. All six Australians sometimes raced on a cutting-out expedition full steam ahead in dark and dirty weather. The second line of ".lie barrage consisted of submarine cruisers to catch the submarines which dived under the first line. Tho third was a submerged net 40 miles long, tnd charged with mines. Then there was a host of drifters, and cruisers. It was of gigantic proportions, but the quality of the game in the enclosure was good. At one time the inner patrol was, known as "the morning sacrifice,'' so audacious was the enemy; but the plucky seamen did their duty, winning many honours in hopeless fights. CHAMPION GUNNERS. The Australians had the best gunnery record in the Mediterranean. They have had a lot of the worst jobs, though they cannot be called happy, because they are homesick and want Australian control/ _ You find amongst these young companies the same typical clean-cut look and the same _ resourcefulness, self-reliance, and independence as in the Army. As they double about their little craft completing their orders,' these State school boys seem to carry a sparkle in : the eye which says, "Can they beat that?" Twenty-one officers and 392 men or the. 7th Light Horse and 25 officers and 164 men of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles have arrived at Chanak from Egypt as the Australasian section of the British division of occupation at the Dardanelles. The transport Emperor, carrying 2000 Russian prisoners, homewardbound passed through tne Straits todav. Bolshevism on board was very bad, and a plot to murder 60 who came from the Caucasus nearly succeeded. Life is unsafe anywhere here, and it is so. cheap at Constantinople tjhat it is not nice to go out aftfcrf dark. GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN REVIEWED A remarkable interview was given, to Mr Peacock by Mustapha Keinal Pasha, .who commanded tne Turkish Anzac and Suvla;.armies in 1915. He described the Australians as terrible, but brave and very good fighters, and said that the plan of attack was a good/ strong idea ; also if a landing had been combined with the first naval attack it would have succeeded, andl the troops would have captured Constantinople. The Turks knew • for weeks that the British intended to make a permanent landing, and prepared for it. The general contended that the British tried to hold too largef an area. He admits that he was nervous for a while, but after the Suvla landing te said the Turks had all the best of the position.