HOT FIGHTING IN GALLIPOLI

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2496, 24 June 1915, Page 5

HOT FIGHTING IN GALLIPOLI

THE TURKISH ATTACK ON MAY 18 HURLED BACK BY THE COLONIALS (Rec. June 23, 7.35 p.m.) London, June 23. Mr. Ashmoad Bartlett, the English' war correspondent, reports that General von Sanders, in attempting to carry out his threat to drive the Britishers into tho sea, received another hiding, on May 18, from the Australians and iNew Zealandera, resulting in Turkish, losses of at least seven or eight thousand, compared to five hundrea colonials killed and wounded. The ground occupied by the Australians and New Zealanders consists of two sonu-circles of hills, the outer one higher than the inner, and rising to fiir hundred feet in some plaoes. A great valley, called Shrapnel Valley, runs north-east up the centre of tho position, dividing it into two sectors, both broken ground, consisting of tho lessor hills and deup gullies covered with thick shrubs or earth-coloured sandstone. The position faciug the north is called Walker's llidge, following tho perimeter of their defence around until it again strikes the coast. To the south you are introduced to Pope's Hill, Dead Man's Ridge, Bloody Angle, Quinn's Post, Courtnay Spot, M'Laurin's Hill, Johnston's Gully, Scott's Point, Bolton's Hill, and Point Rosenthal. Within this perimeter are defensive positions; including? Plucger's Plateau and Monash Gullr. ■

The Enemy's Trenches. The Turks' are"' entrenched almost around the position," except where the ships' guns Keep. them oli thp coast. Generally _ their . trenches north and north-east are higher than"those of the culouiak,. and .those,.to-.tkft south and south-east are,, lower- .The. average distance between the trenches is two hundred yards-TSometiiHeH .a--quarter of a mile, and. sometimes twenty'yards. Tho Turks, strongly entrenched between Walker's Ilidgo and l'opo's Hill, can. snipe at nil men going up the valleys." The Australian and New Zealand position resembles a prosperous mining camp.. There are good, roads from the foreshore,; banked where- exposed to shrapnel or snipers." Every section of the position is self-contained, with unlimited supply of ammunition; Whereover von Sanders attempts. to attack the British) he is obliged to leave a high proportion of his forces facing the colonials, otherwise they would cut his communications. t Von Sanders's Vain Hope. "Accordingly, on May IS, von Sander# determined on a final effort at Gaba Tepe, and brought up five fresh regiments and personally directed the operations. When 12-inch and Oincli yuns and howitzers were added to the bombardment by the field guns it was evident that mi attack was coming. The enemy's machiue-guus opened lire from the Turkish position at the head of Monash Gully, and a hill 700 feet high, tho fire being chiefly directed at Quimi's Post. ' "Under cover of the machine-guns tiie Turkish snipers from Monasli Gully grept forward until a thick line was established. This offered a splendid target when assaulted at 3 o'clock, and repulsed within an hour. A series of attacks were then delivered at Quimi's Post, and Courtenav's Post, These faded under our rifle fire, which was delivered at close range. The Turks left , piles of dead in front of the trenches. "The Turks at dawn,- on May 19, opened a fierce bombardinent of our trenches, and between six and liino o'clock delivered a series of desperate attacks on Quinn's Post and Courtenay's Post, but not a Turk set foot in the colonial trenches, although hundreds of their dead lay within a few yards. "The Turks, by ten o'clock, began to retire under a. deadly fire from our field-guns and howitzers, and contented themselves with sniping at us for the Vest of the day. No Heart for the Fight, "At least thirty thousand Turks were massed against the colonial position, and probably one-third were wiped out. / They attacked bravely enough, but there were signs that they were acting under compulsion, and with no confidence of success. They made four or five efforts in some places, but all failed dismally. "The ground, when viewed through the trench periscopes, presented an extraordinary _ spectable. Turkish dead were lying in groups of twenty and thirty, as if for mutual protection. Some were hung up on our barbed wire; others were bayoneted on the parapets, and hundreds of wounded must have perished between tho lines. t "The Australians aiid New Zealanders were delighted, feeling that they had many scores to wipe out, and the rovenge exceeded their utmost expectations. There are now signs that the Turks intend to remain strictly on the defensive, weary of being driven to slaughter by their German masters." THE COLONIAL FICHTINC SPIRIT AT THREE O'CLOCK IX THE MOENIXG. (Hoc. June 23, 5.10 p.m.) London, June 22. Mr. Frank Boland, an Australian journalist, gives an, instance of the fighting spirit of the Australians at the Dardanelles.: "At three o'clock one morning tho enemy, reinforccd, were making a general attack. Their ma-ohino-guns had ceased firing, and the rifle bullots came flying over, high. Observers reported that tho enemy waß advancing en masse. "Get to theml "boy's," /said the platoon officer, calmly. For hours our rifles had been barking from our loopholes, and now the men rose to the shouldor of the parapot and jostled for places. They, laughed like liappy _ children as the effect of their fire, and when the rifles ran hot the supports below would grudgingly hand up their own, with, imploring, cries.,.ofu...iComo down, Bill! Let me have a- shot at them ' .» ''.Bill, "-very angry: • 'Don't pull at my Jfig, "you silly" josser I' 'Yon made me miss a big blighter not fifty yards off!' • "The enemy was mowed down and demoralised, and the_ remaining Turks faded into tho adjoining gully."—r "Times" and Sydney "Sun" services.