BRILLIANT DARING OF THE COLONIALS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2475, 31 May 1915, Page 5

BRILLIANT DARING OF THE COLONIALS

AUSTRALIAN OFFICER'S STORY THE ENEMY'S SUBMARINES THREAT TO ENTER SUEZ CANAL (By Telegraph/—Press Assn.—Copyright.) ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) London, Hay 28. The "Times" correspondent says: "The great landing operations of other wars were never like that at Gallipoli. Never have landing forces fought their way through such obstacles as did the British, French, and Australasian troops. On six beaches the grim fight was simply hell. Every Tuico-Prussinn ruse was employed., Our losses were heavy, but the wounds mostly were slight. The wounded are cheerful an(f confident, and longing to be back at the front." An Australian officer told the correspondent: "We were anxious before it began, knowing that some of our men were rather raw. On Hearing the beach the enemy opened fire with shrapnel, machine-guns and rifles. The Austraand New Zealanders just fixed bayonets and went up the rocks and hillsides. All but two men were killed' in one boat, and these two jumped out and rushed on with the others. They charged over the rough barbed-wire entanglements, and the Turks bolted. . . . , The Furtive Sniper. "Some units rushed on too far, and suffered heavily, being cut up by machine-guns. The scrub everywhere was full of snipers, who were provided with a week's food and two thousand rounds of ammunition. They were deadly, straight shots. One sniper was was killed wore an Australian uniform, and had eight identification badges round his neck. The snipers fired til! our men were five yards away; then they prayed for quarter. "A disguised stretcher party cried:' Make room for the wounded.' The peculiar accent revealed that they were Turkish. The Australians and Now Zealanders show down a dozen of tliom. The stretcher contained a machinegun and three boxes of ammunition. It was diffioult at first to restrain the men from firing, but they soon learnt." Impetuous Rushes. The correspondent says: "There is reason to believe that some of the Australians and New Zealanders actually got close to Maidos in their firßt impetuous rushes. Wounded left in places, and temporarily abandoned, were found to have been murdered. When the positions were re-won the Australasians had their revenge on the Turks, who were counter-attacking in dense formation. "The spirit of all ranks is amazing. One 'Australian, who was climbing down a cliff, was warned that there was a mine below. His response was: 'Catch me when I come up!' "Swarthy men sprang up at one point, crying: 'Salaam, sahibs. We are Punjabis.' The sceptical Australians attacked, and discovered they were Turks and Germans with blackened faces.

"The New Zealanders fought heroically. The Turks fought well, but fled screeching at the sight of the bayonet." THE LOSS OF THE BRITISH BATTLESHIPS GERMAN REJOICINGS OVER THE TRIUMPH. Copenhagen, May 28. There were jubilations in Germany over the sinking of the British bat» tlesliip Triumph. The "Berliner Zeitung" forecasts that the Allies will be tumble to maintain the Dardanelles campaign, and asserts that the British losses at Ariburnu wore so heavy tiiat they were compelled to ask for time to bury their dead. Captain Persius, in the ''Tagebkitt," hints that the submarine which torpedoed ilio Triumph travelled from the North Sea to the Dardanellss. WILL SUBMARINES VISIT SUEZ CANAL ? VEILED THREAT BY THE TURKS. ■ ; Copenhagen, May 28. The Porte has notified neutrals that, owing to the British and French' actions in Egypt, Turkey has decided to extend hostilities to tile Canal. The responsibility for damage to neutral vessels will 'devolve on _ Britain and France. This is interpreted to imply an extension of submarine warfare to the Canal zone. FIGHTING THE TURKS IN ASIA REPORT BY THE RUSSIAN COMMANDER. Petrograd, May 28. Official.—The commander in the Cauoasus reportß that he has occupied Urumia (Daria-Shah), in the province of Azerbaijan, sixty-five miles south-west by west of Tabriz). THE EXPLOITS OF SUBMARINE Ell GREAT PANIC AT CONSTANTINOPLE. (Rec. May 31, 0.10 a.m.) London, May 29. Eeuter's correspondent at Athens,in a telegram from Dedegatch (Bulgaria), describes the exploit"of the British submarine Ell. "While four Turkish transports were embarking troops on- the quays adjoining the Torhanes Gun Factory, tho submarine attacked them. It is presumed that the.current deflected her torpedo, which struck a lighter, blowing it to atoms;" ; _ "The submarine also holed German steamers at Stamboul, causing them to be beaohed. The raid caused, a. great panic. 'All the shops closed,.and the troops wero disembarked from the transports again. DISPOSITION OF TIE TURKISH STRENGTH EIGHTY THOUSAND TROOPS IN GALLIPOLI. (Rec. May 31, 0.5 a.m.) London, May 29. It is estimated that the Turkish losses in the Dardanelles have reached girty thousand. The force which is holding the Peninsula is now eighty thousand. The Turks will remain on the defensive in the Caucasus and in Sinai, and concentrate their efforts on the Dardanelles and Constantinople. Reinforcements have been hastily brought from Syria and are arriving on the Marmora coast, famished after long marches.