ATTACK ON THE DARDANELLES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2403, 8 March 1915, Page 5

ATTACK ON THE DARDANELLES

FORTS DESTROYED-—MAGAZINES BLOWN UP ; SMYRNA SHELLED BY THE EAST INDIA SQUADRON : By Telegraph— Frees Assoclation-Coiiyrieht The Prims Minister has received the following from the High Commissioner:— ' : London, March 6, 8 p.m. The Admiralty states that further reports have been received from ViceAdmiral Carden respecting operations on.March 3 to 5. At tfvo in the afternoon March 3, although the weather was still unfavourable, the battleships Irfesistible, Albion. Prince George, and Triumph resumed the attack on Fort Dardnos and concealed guns. These were less active., and were dealt with by the ships with more certainty. A useful seaplane reconnaisance located several encampments and two permanent batteries.

On March 4 the weather was fine, and sweeping and bombarding operations within the Straits were continued steadily. In the meanwhile demolition parties, covered by detachments from the Marine Brigade, landed at Kum Kali and Seddul Bahr forts, to continue the clearance of the ground at the entrance -of the Straits. The party at Seddul Bahr discovered and destroyed four Nordenfeldts. Skirmishing ensued on both banks. The ' enemy was found Holding villages in force'. Further down the coast the Sapphire silenced a battery of field guns north of Dikili, in the Gulf of Adramyti, and the defences of Besika were shelled by the Prince George. The casualties were 19 killed, 3 missing, 25 wounded. On March 6 the attack was begun by indirect fire by the battleship Queen Elizabeth upon the defences of the Narrows. - The attack was supported in dealing with the by. the Inflexible and Prince George. Fire was continued on Forts Rumilieh, Medjidieh, Tabia, Hamidieh, and the two Tabia and Namazieh forts marked on the' Admiralty map as J, L, and M, and armed with five to fourteen-inch guns. The Queen Elizabeth fired 29 rounds with satisfactory/ results. The magazine in Fort L, an important fort armed with the best' and heaviest guns, blew up. The other forts were damaged by the fire of the Inflexible and Prince George. Operations inside the Dardanelles were carried out by. the Irresistible, Canopus, Cornwallis, and Albion. These vessels were much fired at by concealed guns, but were not hit. The Sapphire fired on the troops in the neighbourhood of the Gulf of Adramyti, and destroyed the military station at Tuzburna. a On March 5 the_ Commander-in-Chief of the" East Indies, Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Peirse, arrived with his squadron, of battleships off Smyrna, and a methodical bombardment of Fort Yenickale was carried out during tne afternoon for two hours under favourable conditions of weather. ' Thirty-two hits were secured, inflicting considerable damage on the fort. There were two heavy explosions, apparently of the magazines. The Euryalus, the flagship of the Vice-Admiral, shot with remarkable accuracy from her after 9,2 guns. The fire was not returned. • Tho bombardment at closer range has now begun. The weather conditions are good. The reduction of the Smyrna defences is a necessary incident of the main operation.

TERRIFIC EFFECTS OF THE 15-INCH GUNS V Athens, March 5. • The bombardment of the Dardanelles was resumed with' extraordinary intensity. Each shot from the 15-inch guns (of the Queen Elizabeth) shattered thousands of tons of rocks, and Turks, with forts and batteries,' were destroyed. The ships have entirely demolished tho abandoned strongholds. FRENCH WARSHIPS DO GOOD WORK. , . Paris, March .5. A communique says:—"Operations were continued in the Dardanelles on. Thursday. Trawlers, despite a gale, dragged the straits. The cruiser D'Entrecasteanx,demolished the semaphore and lighthouse at Arsoun. The Jau'reguiberrv destroyed the. oil depot at Said. , Athens, March 5. The Allies bombarded the forts at Kind Bahr, Medjidieh, and- Nagara. Part of the fire was directed over ,one of the headlands. • . Rome, March 5. Admiral Souchon, aboard the cruiser Breslau, with the Hamidieh and Medjidieh and four Turkish d.estroyers, is anchored at Nagara. BOMBARDMENT OF SMYRNA FORTS RESUMED. (Rec. March 7. 10.30 p.m.) ■ Athens, March 7. Mine-sweeping has been coinpleted as far as Chanak. The British resumed the bombardment of the forts at Smyrna, vigorously shelling the batteries on Two-Brothers Hill. FORTIFYING ISLANDS IN THE SEA OF MARMORA. (Rec. March 7, i p.m.) Bukarest, March 6. Tho Turks and Germans are realising that they are powerless to prevent the Allied fleets from penetrating tho Dardanelles. They are hastily disarming some of the forts and transporting the guns to islands in the Sea of Marmora. The civil population is being insufficiently fed, and there is murmuring aeainst tho Germans. Fifty German officers passed through Bukarest en route to Berlin. TURKEY RECEIVES SMALL COMFORT FROM HER FRIENDS, (Rec. March 7, 3.30 p.m.) Paris, March 6. Bukarest reports tliat Turkey has received small comforo from tho interchange of telegrams with Berlin and Vienna. Austria in replying to a request for immediate naval help, admonished the Turks against despairing of final victory, and advised them to transfer tbeir capital to somewhere in Asia. . . . i It is reported that the Turks operating in the Sinai Peninsula havo been hurried!v recalled to Constantinople, entirely freeing Egypt, from flt,t#ek. There ia an unconfirmed rumour that the Sultan has left, Constantinople.

GERfIfAN OFFICERS LEAVING FRANCE FOR TURKEY. (Rec. March 7, 3.30 p.m.) Amsterdam, March 6. A number of German officers have left tlio front in France for Constantinople, presumably to take command of. the* troops concentrating in Gallipoli. A GERMAN NEWSPAPER'S VIEWS. (Rec. March 7, 5.30 p.m.) London, March S. The "Tageblatt" declares that Englanid is hastening to oceupy Constantinople in order to prevent Russia getting* there.—"Times" and Sydney, "Sun"' Services. A'SIGNIFICANT REQUEST TO THE UNITED STATES. (Rec. March 7, 11.40 p.m.) Washington, Marcji 6. Germany lias asked tbe United States to manago its diplomatic affairs at Constantinople, in view of the threatened occupation by tbo Allies. It is reported heTe that the Turks propose to defend the capital vigorously. \