DARDANELLES SHELLED

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2391, 22 February 1915, Page 5

DARDANELLES SHELLED

SEVERAL FORTS SILENCED \ 1 ————— POWDER MAGAZINE BLOWN UP /. ■ ; : THE GERMAN BLOCKADE ; NORWEGIAN STEAMER . : SUNK "■ USE OF NEUTRAL FUGS ■' BRITISH ATTITUDE COMPLETELY JUSTIFIED

: A naval bombardment, of the Turkish forts at the entrance td the Dardanelles takes pride of place in the war news to-day. It was carried out on Friday and Saturday by a strong Anglo-French squadron, consisting mainly of pre-Dreadnought battleships, and inflicted serious damage on the forts, which ; seem to have made a very ineffectual response. , The Admiralty bulletin states that the forts on the European side of the entrance to the strait were silenced, and supplementary reports indicate -that similar havoc was wrought upon the forts on the Asiatic side. The bombarding squadron is commanded by a British officer (Vice-Admiral Garden), and a majority of the ships forming the squadron are British. Thij latest development of German submarine piracy is an attack on neutral shipping. Two of four steamers reported to-day to have been torpedoed are of Norwegian ownership.' One was sunk, and a' British ship has shared her fate. ' Another. Norwegian ship and a French' ship, also torpedoed, contrived to make port. The retirement of the Russians from Bukowina, at the eastern end of Galicili, is confirmed. Their retreat from the East Prussian frontier continues, and although the Germans claim a great victory, it appears from the Russian accounts that they are retiring very slowly and stubbornly,' resisting the advancing German forces. Along the Carpathians, Austro-Germa,n forces have been uniformly repulsed', and have-lost heavily in a series of attacks on the positions held by the Russians. Therp is little news to-day of events in the Western theatre, but severe fighting is reported in the neighbourhood of Ypres and at some other points.