VIOLENT ATTACK ON DARDANELLES FORTS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2504, 3 July 1915, Page 5

VIOLENT ATTACK ON DARDANELLES FORTS

j BOMBARDMENT BY THE ALLIES KEPORTED TO HAVE TAKEN piTHIA ..' - 4 33y Telegraph—Press Association—Cojjjright • i ■ ; . . Athens, July I'. Reports from Mitylene state that a violent attack was resumed against .til© 1 Straits at mid-day on Tuesday, principally directed against the interior forts, which replied' vigorously. An Allied squadron in the Gulf of Saros bombarded the Turkish around Suola,', damaging the towns of Dardanelles, Jlaidos, and Gallipoli. It is rumoured that the allies have.occupied Krithia. , A-French torpedo , boat oil Wednesday, effectively, bombarded au encamp went opposite Chio. : i JHE ALLIES ATTACK ON THE KRITHIA LINES} TART PLAYED BY : THE COLONIAL CORPS.' • (Hie High Commissioner, reports:— London, July 1, 11.50 p.m. : "Sir Lan Hamilton's report on the part played by the Australians and New Zealand Corps last Tuesday in the. Dardanelles fighting states that the corps was instructed to operate with a view to preventing the enemy" from detaching troops.to tho southern area. Tho Second Australian Light Horse ' and tho Third'lnfantry Brigades moved out. to the right of tho position, a distance of seven- hundred yards/encountering tho enemy in strength. '• "Tho enemy's attacks 1 wore easily ropulsed, our. machine-guns and artillery, doing considerable execution."- . . . . ,_ By TOograpli—Press. Association—Copyright ' . (Rec. Jiily 2, 9 p.m.)' • London, ■ July 2. ' Sir lan Hamilton's report of tho 'Australian and Now Zealand Army Corps'part in the operations of June 29 states that tho action was. opened between 11.30 and noon en .June 29, by tho warships Huinber, Pincher, and Cheltaer engaging the enemy's heavy guns at ono part, while tho- Second Australian . Light Horse Brigado .and the Third Infantry- Brigade moved out on'the right • of the position, advancing- seven hundred yards, when the enemy was encountered in strength. Meanwhile the artillery engaged, the'enemy's reserves, who were collected, in a ravine opposite the right centre, by effectively shelling - them with guns and howitzers,. ' . . "About 2.30 p.m. tho enemy cleared off, and was preparing toi counter-' attack against the left of our advanced troops when' our howitzer, , and' ma-chine-gun fire easily Repulsed them. The retirement of our I 'advanced troops began at three o'clock, well covered by riflle fire, machine guiis, ..and artillery, and all were back in \tho trenches between 4.30 and 5.30 p.m.; "Our machine guns and artillery, did''considerable execution, and- the naval fire also was valuable. Wo mado a demonstration after dark with flares, star shells, and destroyer bombardment, which was successful. "The (Dorps-report that 180 of the enemy have been taken pris- .. oner sinoo June 28. A Circassian prisoner was .carried, wounded, by a private of'the Royal-Scots into '.our lilies, under heavy, tire.' 1 - ' '. . '.\ . " . AN AFFAIR OF HAND-GRENADES AND MACHINE-GUNS ■ London, July I'. . •Router's -4gent at the Dardanelles reports that hand grenades and ma-, oliine-guns -are becoming increasingly important in the trench encounters. Tho Turks rarely await the bayonet, but cause much' trouble--with bombs" of the cricket-ball typo. The British throw them-back if they do not explode. The Australians recently organised a'- bomb-throwing competition against tho enemy's trenches, for, prizes imder elaborate rules, one of which disqualified a ' competitor for exposing himself. '■! T Machine-guns are the Alpha- and Omega; of the Turkish defence. If both sides were deprived of them, the campaign would bo'as good ,as ■ won. The Turks could not stop our attacks. It is doubtful if the Turks could attack at all but for tho machine-guns-served by Germans ill the second-line trenches', whioli would bo turned on them if they wavered in the attack. Their front trench: is practically empty unless our trenoh is very close. • The ; Turks .wait in tho rear trenches, and pass through deep: communication trenches when an attack is feared. trenches are often ten feet'deep, with the parapet loop-' 1 holed'every yard. ~ • ', . ', . • Signs exist that the enemy's reserves are giving out. The prisoners include old and-untrained num. Hie enemy's enfilading fire from the Asiatic sfliore has lately increased,in. intensity. The Turks have mounted several &• inch guns behind tho ridges overlooking the Plain of Troy, the guns having - probably been taken from the Gooben antl Breslau. - ■ '' Tho Allies regard' them in a sporting spirit, the shell providing occasions for races to the dugouts. Five hundred fell on the southern eijd of tho petiinsukvAii a single day. '.Our loss was ndiculouslyf . CAUGHT SNIPING HIS OWN OFFICERS r ; : '-i,-T:r|^ERM'AN-'AUSTRALIAN , S- ! SRE A,' " ' "'V.T '{Reo* 'July 2, 8.30 p.m.)', ' ' • Sydney,' July 2. Router's Correspondent at Cairo, recounting stories of German-spies in th'§ Australian ranks at the Dardanelles, says that the most disconcerting.instance of this kind of. treachery isolated about ono of our own men, who enjoyed t'lie reputation of being "a first-class sniper. He used to go daily to tho enemy till suspicions wef® aroused, When he was followed anE discovered sniping 'his • ° ml^io C maii was born in 'Australia of German' parentage. While tho troops were at Cairo several men were suspected of being spies, but this particular man appears to have cleverly disarmed• suspicion. ■_ :.V , The coi respondent mentions that the telephone wire to the 'Australian Headquarters was tapped by the Germans,- Nvho sent this message: "Wo are going to drive you Australian devils into the sea'' The Headquarters, were moved owing to tho shelling, and'next day the Turks concentrated their firo on tho,new quarters, proving that information had been to the enemy.,- ' . -' """' I: ,', v 'A WAR CORRESPONDENT'S STORf TURKS'" iCOMMUNIOAT lONS' OOLONIAjLSi • (Rec. July 2, 10.40 p.m.-)' - . London, July 2. Tho "Daily Chroniclo's" correspondent writes:—"The Australians and New Zcalanders threaten tho enemy's communications' witlr Achi Baba, and consequently draw upon themselves tho flower of tho Turkish arm.Vwithstanding tho.enemy's casualties (already 70,000), tho Turks fight with •gallant desperation, realising tliat the fall of Acln Baba and Kilid Bahr ; means the doom of Constantinople." . Describing tho French operations at ICereves Doro on June 21, tho cor- > respondent says:—"The '75's' drummed incessantly to the accompaniment of tho tremendous reverberations of tho '125's' and howitzers. Tho French captured and recaptured tho trenches, -and wero ojccted again and again. Then camo tho order that they must recapture and, hold, tho trenches. British urnin and howitKora wmo asked for, and immediately sent, mid tho bombardment .was maintained throughout the nftewioon. H seemed as jf o.y.ci>' gun <ui eartU.jvfia s * v *

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•' 'The third attack .WjJaunched on one. trench', and,, tho .enemy, short,' of i ammunition, fought witlt-stick¥,'6tones, and fists." A'battalion which camo ] hurrying from the Turkish.right was caught in open ground.by.tho-'76-6,'.and -4 melted away. V " V;; »*.t 1 "Six hundred Turkish trendies were taken, and keldr * In ono i trench, teii feet deep, tho Turkish dead brimmed over. They have been ! .valiant, theso dead men. ... ,V - ; :-i "Officers from tho West say. that,'as a fighting unit, one, Turk is worth i two Germans. In fact, with,his back to tho' wall, the Turk is maguificoilt. ; The French casualties jrorb f on',. considering what. might < <liayo,d)?pn, ! , i • ' GERMAN: SPIES IN AUSTRALrAN&JNIFORMS, ; (*Reo. July;, 2, -Q.l& .p.m.)', . > : ' Melbourne, July 2. A dispatch Which' has heon received from Gallipoli relates that a quantity ' j of uniforms disappeared from tho Australian- lxu.,EgTOt t - ? attd r ■ ] used by; German spies !on.tlio GalUpoli Peninsula* ■" fy"* : ; i ' ; "DESTROYERS DOING REALLYi -F.INEgjWORK, s ~ (Reo. July 2, 8.30 p.m.)' ' . '•• < ; . i: . Sydney, July %. >-> i Captain Bean (official correspondent with' the Australians),> writes: "Sines { the'> withdrawal of the main taval force from the Dardanelles operations' thai destroyers have jumped at the chance of; using ..their guns^.and^are,,doing really ": '■■■. ; :'j fine work jn supporting tho. land-forces;; 1 x ° i, , , TURKS, ' ' Paris, July. 2, > ■ : (A! French' naval officer descrißes tKe TurkisK'-losses-as enormous, 'Masses ' of corpses are lying between the lines. Tho'Turks are'humiliated at the mamet v tie.. : .Germans assi%ed -pll ■ control and suppressed discontent* ' fW? ■ BRITISH CASUALTIES UE TILL'. HAT3i; : , , ' O . London, July 1. Mr. AsquitL", House of Commons, stated that tie naval arid tary casualties at the Dardanelles to May 31 were:—Officers: 496 killed, 1134 : ' wounded, 92 missing*' Men: 6927. killed, 23,543 wounded, and .6445; jaupsing^:". '"T„l;'A TURKfSH MUTINYrAGAINST, THE.iGERMANS, .."■■'y'- Athens, July 1. Enver Pasha has returned to Constantinople, bringing with him thirty-five : Turkish officers, who were handcuffed. They were accused of particip;ajiiug ig >::' mutiny, againpt tho. Germans, and the ringleaders were hanged, 'T l '.;'-™' ' '• SIR lAN: HAMILTON'S DISPATCH, N /} - - London, July, 2; , Mr. 'Asquith/ iri the House of Commons, said that General Suvlan :V ' ilton'sf Dardgnelles digp.at-cli '.ivould bo published in a feiy djjys.,' r .