ENEMY'S COUNTER-ATTACK CRUSHED

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2463, 17 May 1915, Page 6

ENEMY'S COUNTER-ATTACK CRUSHED

STEADY PROGRESS OF THE ALLIES

' Hia Excellenoy tie Governor has received' the following telegram from the Secretary of State for the Colonies. The message ib a continuation of the statement made by the Prime Minister, reported m the telegram of Mw 6:"The advance of our troops in the Gallipoli Peninsula is being slowly but -surely pushed forward, the guns of the Navy continuing to give valuable help ' to the land forces. On the night of May 2 the enemy counter-attacked all ■ along the line; The engagement lasted till midnight, and the Turks were 'S5 >revoked -with very heavy losses. • . , , , -On the morning of May 3, our troops again made a Bhort advance, capduring several hundred prisoners.. . u , . "On the night of May i the Turks again attacked, but could make no impression upon our troops. . , „ "We again made progress on May 6 in face of an obstinate defence. "Fiehtwg continued on, May 7 and 8, and by tna morning of May 9 the • .Memy's advanced trenches on the Achi.Baba'riage were earned, but the main position, whero the enemy is very. , strongly entrenched, nmamed uncaptured. lie ground gained has been consolidated. . '<Tlie Australian and New Zealand troops'are strongly entrenched on Sari Bair. On May 6 a portion of tho Australian and Now Zealand corps was sent to reinforce the attack on the Achi Baba position. r T? , , 1 • "On the night of May 'J the 15th and 16th battalions of the Fourth Australian Infantry Brigade attacked the Turks on Sari Bair hill, taking three rows tof trenches' with the bayonet. The Turks counter-attacked _at dawn in great force, but camo under the fire of the Australian and Isew Zealand artillery, ' whicll was in readiness for them. The, result was that the Turks suffered terrific losses. Reports state that they, lay so thick on the ground that they form-a considerable obstacle." r ■.