THE GALLIPOLI WAR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2572, 21 September 1915, Page 5

THE GALLIPOLI WAR

DISPATCH FROM SIR lAN HAMILTON By Telograiili—Press Association—Copyright ■ (Rec.' September 21, 1.25 a.m.) London, September 20. Sir lan Hamilton's dispatch is a con- , tinuation. of that which was cabled on July 6. He says: '.'I determined onMay 5 to continue the advance. /Hera I: were many urgent calls for reinforce- ' nients during the previous critical fighting, which forced me to disorganise and mix together several formations in the southern group, to the extent even of • the French on our. right, 6aving the British battalion which was holding their i most extreme right.";. It became necessary to form temporarily a composed brigade, consisting of the Second Australian and New Zealand Brigades, which were withdrawn for that purpose from the northern section, and a Naval Brigade.

"During the three days from May. 6, - to May .8 our troops were destined .to-heiZ.'. severely tried. ' We were about to attack a series of positions which had been scientifically selected in advance by the. enemy, and which, although not yet joined into one line of , entrenchment, were already strengthened by works on the more important tactical features.- ? Strong attacks by the Anglo-French forces on May 6 and 7 had gained from two hundred to three hundred t yards. We occupied_ or passed 'over the ljne of Turkish trenches, but the new lines needed consolidating. I was certain that fresh reinforcements were reaching the Turks, so I decided to call • on the men for one more push before the new enemy -forces could get in touch with their surroundings. "My plan for the fresh attack was for the New Zealand Brigade to advance ' through the line we held during the night of May 7, and press on towards Krithia. Simultaneously, the'- 87th Brigade was to tlireaten the work west of the ravine, and steal patches of ground from the areas dominated by the German, machine-guns. "On. May 8, after a heavy fire from the ships' ; batteries, the /.whole front of the New Zealand Brigade-began to move at 10.30 o'clock-in the morning, meeting with strenuous opposition from'' the reinforced' enemy. 1 lie New Zea- ■ landers pushed forward on the right • and advanced in the centre, gaining, about two hundred yards, but could make little further p-ogress. -

"At 5.30 o'clock in the afternoon I ordered the line, reinforced by the Australian Brigado, to advance, after a heavy artillery bombardment. Some companies of New Zealanders did not receive orders in time,' but: acting on thoir own initiative pushed on, making ' tho whole advance simultaneously with tho British. This steady ad ranee could bo folio .ved by tho sparkle of tho bayonets till the Ions; lines 'were entirely, enveloped by-smoke clouds."