BRILLIANT TACTICS IN GALLIPOLI

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2548, 24 August 1915, Page 5

BRILLIANT TACTICS IN GALLIPOLI

THE LANDING AT SUVLA i . ■ i TtJRKS COMPLETELY HOODWINKED £ By Telegraph—Press Association—OopyrijM | (Rec. iAugust 23, 8.10 p.m.) ' London, 'August 23. The "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent at Athens states that tho landing at Suvla Bay was the most brilliant work yet carried, out during the -war, and the battle ■which, followed a. highly successful disembarkation was the most stubborn and sanguinary which has yet been fought in the Dardanelles. Compared y with tho lauding at Gabo Tepej t-ho brilliancy of that at Suvla lies ill another direction, thoughits immediate consequence was a fierce, long struggle, which brought out all that was best in the fighting qualities of the British' troops. The point about this latest achievement was that it was a complote and 1 staggering surprise to the Turks, who anticipated a new attack on the Asiatic side, and had feverishly fortified the coast lino as far south as Point Baba, and demonstrations were made such as strengthened their belief in our intention.' Then suddenly camc the news that a groat force had landed at Suvla. Never in militaay operations has an enemy been so completely hoodwinked. The ut- ; most secrecy was preserved, even among high officers. Tho various units com- ■ posing tho landing force departed from their several bases, each unknown to the other. - , A Strange Armada, 1 "On tho appointed night the stars alone witnessed this strange armada, in the calm 'Aegean_ waters, of warships, transports, destroyers, and trawlers steaming on to their destination. They arrived at Sulva Bay .in the still darkness. It was a stirring picture. Every description of ship ■was.packcd with soldiers, and composed the largest force ever yet thrown from'the sea directly into hostile country. Hardly had the anchors found their rest-ing-place when hundreds of small boats, pinnaces, and launches were making swiftly and silently for the shore. . "Every soldier carried three days rations, and as they landed they form- ( ed up and advanced on both sides of a salt- lake, which, during tho summer, y is a heat-baked, salt-crustcd, uneven d3!»ert. When daylight came the work was still proceeding with the greatest speedy The artillery, and supplies in vast quantities, were landed without opposition. "Tho northern section, in great force, moved in a north-easterly direction, while the southern section moved in a, south-easterly direction towards £ the left of tho Anzac line. Tho only lurks on tho spot wore on an observation post, where there were fifty men, Who surrendered to the first-comers. No sign of tho ei;omy was reported until almost night, when our advanced i: forces "were six miios inland. ' 0 \ Tho Alarm. j "During the day the enemy was informed of our coup, and forces wero rushed to tho spot. Tho_ second night saw an extraordinarily weird piqture, l when tho Turks and British came within striking distance. Both mado preparations to oppose any farther advance of each, and along tho oxtended lilies tho opponents desperately dug trenches, made guni-positions, and erected entanglements. Hero_ and there little battles were fought. Bodies of Turks sometimes rushed out in an endeavour to obtain a moro suitable sec- 1 tion of ground, and then tho Britishers would drop their entrenching tools, and silently wipe out the attackers with the bayonet. On other occasions they would seizo their rifles, advance cautiously, and annihilate some group. Sucii s fights punctuated tho long night. It is estimated that during tho darkness l 1 the Turks brought up seventy thousand men. J , A Terrific Battle, i; . , , . !• "Tlw spwiul HWiitiitf £ saw u. bnttla lisglu,' 'I'Jis mow uf the o ,istrogg!« was beyond the effective but it was & ktroaq artiUorx

position. The Turks threw strong bodies against several points of our line, . but were driven back. Then the British counter-attacked. The heat was great, and'tho only protection were the stunted hushes, small boulders, and; small groups of dead men. Both the Turks and tho British are telling of that last stand, in which all that heroic men can know of. valour has been exhausted. j "It was costly work, especially for the Turks. Despito their numerical • superiority, and tho advantage of higher ground, all day long these two lines turned aifd twisted, and turned again, hut neither broke. Our artillery was magnificent, and the work of the machine guns was particularly deadly. The sandy ravines, scantily covered with stunted grass, wero quickly transformed-. into veritable fortresses, raked and reraked -with a ferocious fire, and takeuj and retaken ivitli stupendous courage. Behind these terrible scenes of carnag fc- - the men worked, strengthening the positions,-and tending and carrying off tb>£> wounded. . ' "The Turks were massed frequently,- and penetrated the trenches wheajtv tho' British were digging. Fights with* spades and bayonets ensued, ar/dl often in these melees the rifles wore.fired at a distance of inches. Grenadas wero used with awful effect, and the thick clouds of choking dust added enormously to tho hardships. Tho third night eamo with its cooling relief, but there was little rest for the trench-diggers, who worked solidly while 'th e enemy launched attack after attack, each being driven back with hideous los is/is to the enemy. "On Sunday, the British line, unbroken and strengthened, launched; a heavy attack 011 the enemy's left flank, which was routed in disorder, 'Kith exceptionally severe, losses. Australians and New Zealanders. ■"During the Suvla. operations the Australians and New ZealanderK, to the southward, had been heavily engaged, and the attack from the fjuvln. 1 forces on the right, and the Anzac forces on the left, was so successfu l that 1 a junction was effected, resulting in tho formation of a twelve-mile cont'itmous < battle-line. Through this line passes 0110 of tho main routes for' the s applies to the Turkish forces facing the Anglo-French on the south. . ; "The Turlcish communications are therefore seriously threatened.' The ] enemy's other road to the eastward is guarded by inferior artillery, ajicl even ' i this is now under our artillery fire, Which oan also sweep Bokal Liller, stretching east and west from Suvla and Anzac to near Nagara. 1 , "The battlefield, presented an awful sight, but a feature of the operations was the rapidity with which the wounded were carried off. The rifles,, • ammu- 1 nition cases, packs of provision, and other grimmer remains, made a ( terrible litter, while tJhe horror" of the scene was increased by the enemy's/ funeral ] pyres. The Turks lost at least 2700, fourfold tho number of our losr/ejs." , TURKISH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE., _ . .. (Rec. August 23, 11.40 p.m.). Amsterdam, Aufgust 23. A Turkish' official report states: "After heavy preparations for landing naval guns on' August 21, the enemy's division attacked Anafortja,', but wero repulsed with immense losses. . '■ "An attack on Seni Bumu the same day failed." . BRITISH SEAPLANE SINKS A TURKISH TRANSPORT. Paris,, August 22. The Athens correspondent of "Le Temps" reports that a .British seaplane bombed and sank a Turkish transport filled with troops in tho 'Spa of Marmora. ' (Rec. August 23, 11.40 p.m.) . . _ , . Lont'/on, 'August 23. Mitylene reports'that Lieutenant Edmonds bombed a trar/sport in the Sea of Marmora. He descended low enough to drop a heavy borab full on the vessel's deck. Tho explosion split the transport, and it is btjlieved that all on board perished. 4 GERMAN SUBMARINE FORCED T0 SEEK REFUGE. . Rome, August 22. Reports from Mitylene; state that a German submarine, pursued by threo destroyers and two other Allied ships, took refuge at fiivalibary, and will probably bo unablo to escape. • RUSSIAN DESTROYERS IN THE 81/ACK SEA', (R-ec. August 23, 11.30 p.m.) ! Peffograd, 'August 23. Official.—"Our destroyers in tho Black Sea have destroyed over a hundred Turkish boats." JUST ONE MONTH'S, SUPPLY OF MUNITIONS REPORTED STATE OF TURKDSH ARMY. i ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) : London, August 22. The "Echo de Paris" learns from a reliable siource that Turkey has informed Berlin that the supply of ammunition will not last longer than a 1 month, and that Berlin replied: "We will bo ahlo within a month to bring t supplies to the Turkish Army." _ ] Turkish reinforcements continue to arrive ftom Asia Minor. Tho total number 'of troops assembled at Keshan, Uzunkupri, and in the neighbourhood J of Gallipoli, is stated to amount to 250,000. Ilhe training of recruits has been 1 seriously impeded by tho lack of ammunition. , Many of the-men have'-not ■ learned yet how to use their rifles. ■Many of the wounded now arriving from Gallipoli are being sent to tho interior of Asia Minor , with a Viow to concealing the Turks' heavy losses. Cases of gangrene are numerous..