FORCING THE DARDANELLES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2448, 29 April 1915, Page 7

FORCING THE DARDANELLES

THE EXPLOIT OF 1807 BRITISH SQUADRON MAKES THE PASSAGE In ISO 7 a British Bquadron under Sir John Duckworth passed through the Dardanelles with little damage. Returning a fortnight later, however, thoy suffered heavy losses from stone shot hurled from the castles of Sestos and Abydos. The dispatches of Duckworth to Lord Collingwood aro. intereting, as showing the . djfforenco between naval warfare of the early nineteenth century and that of to-day. Writing from the ltoyal George, off Constantinople, on February 21, Duckworth says:— "Information had been given me by His Majesty's Minister, Mr. Arbuthnot, and Sir Thomas Louis, that the Turkish squadron, consisting of a 64-guu ship, four frigates, and several corvettes, had been for some time at anchor within the Inner Castle, and conceiving it possible they might have remained there, I had given orders to Rear-Admiral Sir Sidney Smith, to bring up with the Thunderer, Standard, and Active, and destroy them, should our passage be opposed. At a quarter before nine o'clock tho whole of the squadron had passed the outer castles without- having returned a shot to their fire (which occasioned but little injury). This forbearance was produced by the desire of His Majesty's Minister, expressed to preserve every appearance of amity, that he might negotiate with the strongest proof of, the pacific disposition of our Sovereign towards the Porte; a second battery on the European side fired also with as little effect. At half-past nine o'clock the Canopus, whioh, on account of Sir Thomas Louis's knowledge of the Channel, joined to the steady gallantry which I had before experienced, had been appointed to lead, entered the narrow passage of Sestos and Abydos, and sustained a very heavy cannonade from both castles, within point-blank shot of each. They opened their fire on our ships as they continued to pass in succession, although I was happy iu observing that the very spirited return it met with had so considerably diminished its force that the effect ou the sternmost ships could not have been so severe.

"Immediately to the N.E. of the castles, and between them and Point l'esquies, on which a formidable battery had been newly erected, tho small squadron which I have already Vi'uded to were at anchor. The van division of our squad) on gave them their broadsides as they passed, and Sir Sidney Smith, with his division, closed j .to the midst; and the effect of the fire was such that in half an hour the Turks had all cut their cables to run on s? ore. The object of the Itear-Admiral was then to destroy them, which was most rapidly effected, Is in less than four hours the whole of them had exploded, except a small corvette' and a gunboat, whicn it was thought proper to preserve. I enclose to your Lordship a statement of their number; and when*l add also an account of the lo'ss His Majesty's ships have sustained, I cannot help expressing my satisfaction that we have suffered so lightly: as, had any of their stone shot, some of which exceeded 800 weight, made such a breach between wina and water, as they have done in our sides, the ship must have sunk; or had they struck a lower mast in the centre, it must evidently have been cut in two; in the rigging, too, no accident occurred that was not perfectly arranged in the course of next day. The sprit-sail yard of the Royal George, the gaft of the Canopus, and the main-top-sail yard of the Standard are the only spars that were injured. "The 64 having run on shore on Pesquies Point, I ordered the Repulse to work up and destroy her, which Captain Leggo, in conjunction with the boats of the Pompee, executed with great promptitude and judgment. The battery on the point, of more than thirty guns, which, had it been completely finished, was in a position to nave annoyed the squadron most severely in passing, was taken possession of by the royal marines and boats' crews of the rear division, the Turks having retired at their approach, and the guns were immediately spiked. This service was performed under the direction of Captain Nicholls, of the Standard's marines, whose spirit and enterpriso can never be doubted; but a 6 circumstances rendered it impracticable to elfect the ontire destruction of the redoubt, orders were given by Sir Sidney Smith to Captain Moubray, which I fully approved, to remain at anchor near the I'osquies, and to employ Lieutenants Carol and Arab in, of tho Pompee, and Lieutenant Lawrie, of the marines, to complete the demolition of the redoubt and guns; which when performed the Active was to continue in the passage of the Dardanelles till further orders.

"At a quarter to five p.m. the squadron was enabled to make sail; and on the evening of the next day, the 20th. came to an anchor at ten o'clock, near the Prince's Islands, about eight miles from Constantinople, when I dispatched Captain Capel, in tho Endymion, to anchor near the town, if the wind, Which was light, would permit the ship to stem the current, to convoy the ambassador's dispatches to the Sublime Porte in the morning by a flag of truce; but he found it impracticable to get within four miles, and consequently anchored at half-past 11 p.m. I have now the highest satisfaction to add that the conduct of the rfficers and ships' companies of the squadron under my command has fully supported the character of the British Navy, and is deserving of my warmest eulogium." In a later dispatch, Duckworth acquaints Lord Collingwood with details of futile overtures with the Sultan with a view to a peace settlement. Apparently the Turks were busy with their defences while these were proceeding. On. March 1 Duckworth weighed anchor with his 6qnadron, with a view of returning through the passage, having become convinced that a bombardment of Constantinople was impracticable. "At this time," he says, "the whole line of coast presented a chain of batteries, 12 Turkish line 'of battleships (two of them three-deckers), with nine frigates, were with their sails bent, and apparently in readiness, filled with troops; add to this near 200,000 were said to be in Constantinople to march against the Russians; besides, there were an- innumerable quantity of small craft with boats, and fire vessels had been prepared to act against us. With the batteries alone, wo might have coped, or with the ships, could wo have got them out of their stronghold; but your lordship will be aware that after combating the opposition which the resources of an empire bad been many weeks employed in preparing, we should have been in. no state to have defended ourselves against them a'i described and then repass the Dardanelles."

The squadron arrived off Pt. Pesquies on tho evening of March 2. Duckworth's dispatch continues; — "The Turks have been occupied unceasingly in adding to the number of their forts; some had been already completed, and others were in a forward state. The fire of the two inner castles had, on our going up, been severe; but I am sorry to say the effccts they have had on our ships returning has proved them to bo doubly formidable; in short, had they been allowed another week to complete their defences throughout the channel, it would liavo been a very doubtful point whothar a return lay open to us at all. The manner in which they employed the. interval of our absence has proved their assiduity. I transmit vour lordship ail account of

ships, as also their loss in killed and wounded, which your lordship'will perceive is far from trilling. The mainmast of the Windsor Castle being more than tliree-quarters cut through by a granite shot of eight hundredweight, wo have found great difficulty in saving it." Hie actions resulted in the burning of one Turkish lino of battlcsliips of 64 guns, four frigates, three corvcttes, 0110 brig, and two gunboats, and tho capture of 0110 corvette and one gunboat. Tho British losses wore 42 killed, 235 wounded, four missing. Tho British loss (wit-h tho exception of six killed and 19 I wounded off the island of Prota) was incurred on tho return voyage.