THE ATTACK ON THE DARDANELLES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2448, 29 April 1915, Page 5

THE ATTACK ON THE DARDANELLES

FRENCH OCCUPY FORT RUM DAYS OF HARD FIGHTING ON LAND (Rec.-April 28, 8.40 p.m.) , , . Paris, April 28. 1 lie French have occupied Fort Kum Kaleh, at tlio entrance to tli© Dardanelles. (Rec. April 28, 9.40 p.m.) ' . . Paris, April 28. Official.—French troops were especially detailed for the operations on Fort Kunj Kaleh. The landing, which was entirely successful, was effected under the fleet's protection', and despite the enemy's fire our troops occupied the village, and repulsed seven night counter-attacks supported by heavy artillery. The enemy's losses were high. '• • Fort Kum Kaleh stands on a point about one mile and a quarter northeast of Cape Yoni-Shehr, the extreme end of the promontory on the Asiatic side. . It should be mentioned that Kaleh, in Turkish, means a castle, and Tabia a battery. In ancient times there was on this sandy point a stone castle mounting 200 guns, some of the ordnance firing stone shot, and in the same position a modern fort had been erected, carrying four 10.2 in. and two 5.9 in. guns. ■ • OPERATIONS OF THE LAND TROOPS .STRONG FOOTING ON TURKISH GROUND. London, April 28, 1.50 a.m. The High Commissioner reports:— "After days of hard fighting in diffioult country the troops have landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula, thoroughly making good their footing, with the effective help of the Navy. The French have taken five hundred prisoners. "It is officially announced at Cairo that the Allied forces have effected' a landing on both sides of the Dardanelles, under excellent conditions. Our forces are continuing their advance." TURKS LAY CLAIM TO SUCCESS. ' ' . , ' London, April 27. A Turkish communique from Constantinople olaims that the Allied, troops at In Tepe Bumu and Kum Kaleh (on the southern side of the Dardanelles entrance) were repulsed to the coast, and that a portion returned to the ships. The Allies are said to have lost 400 dead and 200 prisoners. ' A party of Moslem soldiers that landed with the French at Kum. Kaleh deserted and joined the Turks. The communique adds that the Turks before Karbatepheh took prisoner a number of Britishers aiid Australians, including a captain and a lieutenant.

BOSPHORUS FORTS SHELLED BY THE RUSSIANS The High Commissioner reports:— ' (Rec. April 27, 10.50 a.m.) "The Russian Black Sea Fleet on Sunday bombarded the Turkish forts on the Bosphorus. ; Groat explosions were observed in one fort. A-Turkish battleship in the 6traits made a futile reply to the Ru66ians' fire." RUSSIA AND CONSTANTINOPLE. . (Rec. April 27, 5.40 p.m.) _ London, April 27. At a Slavonic dinner at Petrograd, the eminent historian M. Platoriaf, dwelt on the importance of' Constantinople for Russia. He' declared that it was no longer possible for the Russians to live without the Black Sea and the straits, and insisted that she- could not restrict herself to the Bosphoru6.— "Times" and Sydney "Sun" services. I BOMB PLOT AGAINST /TURKISH COUNCIL OF MINISTERS HUGE INFERNAL MACHINE DISCOVERED JUST IN TIME. ' Paris, April 27. The Salonika correspondent of the "Echo de Paris" states that a huge infernal machine was';discovered at the War Ministry. It was timed to explode during a meeting of the N Council of Ministvs, including Enver Pasha, General Von Sanders, and Field-Marsh al Von der Goltz. , The German police believe that a serious political organisation is working against the Germans, and Young Turks. Several functionaries at the Ministry have been arrested. ' HINi TO GERMANY: ADEQUATE HELP OR SEPARATE PEACE (Rec. April 28, 11.40 p.m.) Paris, April 28. The "Temps" reports that at a secret meeting in Constantinople of leading members of the Union Committee—from which the Germans were barred —it was decided to allow military events to take their courso at present, but that if Germany failed to provide adequate assistance a separato peace should be sued for at any price. • " A NEW TITLE FOR THE SULTAN, ' ■ (Rec. April 28, 8.40 p.m.) x ' ' Amsterdam, April 28. 1 The Council of Ministers has asked the Sultan to accept the title of Ghazi, or "Conqueror." WHOLESALE MASSACRES IN ARMENIA London, April 27. Tiflis reports that refugees who have reached the Russian lines state that Mohammedans are massacring Armenians wholesale. The inhabitants of ten villarges have been slaughtered.