THE GREAT BATTLE ON GALLIPOLI

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2592, 14 October 1915, Page 6

THE GREAT BATTLE ON GALLIPOLI

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS

VALOUR OF THE MAORIS

HOW OUR WOUNDED ARE

TENDED

(By Malcolm Ross.)

fDispatclies from tho Now Zealand War Correspondent in the Dardanelles (Mr. Malcolm Ross), dated August 8-9, 16-17, are to hand. From them wo have extracted the following intimate description of tile part played by the New Zea landers in the great battle on Gallipoli in the early days of August last, together with an interesting account of the methods of tlie Now Zealand lied Cross organisation in caring for the wounded from tho timo they are picked up on tho battlefield till they are comfortably installed in some base hospital.] It was tho afternoon- of Friday, August 6, and we had ascertained that a big attack was contemplated on the northern Turkish position. There were also rumours of another landing on a largo scale just to the north of our farthest position on tho extreme left —No. 3 outpost held by tho Otago Mounted Riflos —who had been for some time in the trenches—and a number of the Maori Contingent. Punctually; at 5 p.m. a howitzer fired the shot in tho general bombardment that was to precede the attack. Battery after battery came into action, and the Turkish guns replied. The shells from tho French seventy-fives in possession of tho '1' urks, shrieked viciously over our heads at high volocity on their way to Anznc, and some of the intervening positions. The bombardment continued furiously for half an hour, and then the - crackle of rifle-fire on the Tight caine as an intimation that tho Australian attack had begun. The banging of tho guns, tho rattle of riflo fire, and the intermittent popping of tho ma-chine-guns on both sides now made a great din.

At the outpost tho Otago colonel was preparing to lead his men into battle as soon as the shades of night fell. He was, as ever, cheery and bravo. In the dusk outside his dugout we sat and chatted of the prospects of tho night attack. The men, he said, were eager and in high spirits, though thev knew there was stiff work ahead. We listened to two of tliein soberly discussing, with a strong Scottish accent,. the question of whether on the eve of a' battle a man should shake hands with his chum or not. With the old Covenanter spirit, they decided that there should be 110 such good-byes. With those words tho gallant colonel buckled on his armour and went off with his regiment and a, platoon of the jviaoris into the darkness. He succeeded in accomplishing tho task tbat had been set him that night, and move. Sad to tell, he was shot through the head and spine after a dashing chargo at the head of 150 of his men into a Turkish trench. All Night Fighting. All night long the bombardment and the crackle of the Turkish fire continued. Tho staff worked throughout tho night, and scarcely anyono got to sleep. At 4 a.m. tlie guns of the Navy were faring rapidly on the Turkish positions. I had been asleep for two hours, and woke to find a figure, apparently dead, 111 front of my bivouac. Presently he moved, sat up, and rubbed his eyes", and I saw that he was wounded, "lly word! that's quick firing," he said; "they are rockmg it in, aren't, they ?" .. As dawn came I saw that it was his arm that was injured. He was in some pain, and very grimy, with blood on his bare knees, between the putties and the shorts; but he was cheerful and talka-* tivo. Ho had been out 011 the left with tinee squadrons of the Canterbury Mounted llilles. They inarched aloii>» tho flat for 500 yards and then inland for another 300 yards, uhen tho Turks opened firo.

Tho Canterbury men drove off- the enemy jit tlii& point, but on reaching ;i scrubby knoll about-150 yards further oil a Turkish machine-gun opened fire on their right flank. The New Zealaiulers charged, and took the gun, though the Turks met them with tho bayonet. Finally tho Canterbury Mounteds" got into the Turkish tienches at the point of the bayonet. It was hero that my newly-found acquaintance was wounded. "That," he said, "was where I finished. I got,a Turk in the throat with the first thrust, ]usfc as he got mo in the arm." This man also was loud in his praise of tho MjioriSj who, ciftor tho work of bayoneting iu the Turkish trenches was finished went plunging on through the scrubby slopes, searching the enemy bivouacs for further .victims. Their losses in comparison to their numbers were considerable.

lo put the Turks off on a wrong tack, there had been far some time previously indications of another landing at'Gaba. Tepe, just south of the Australian position, and tho Turks, utterly misled, had been furiously digging and strengthening this position. Secretly and silently large numbers of-new troops had been landed and'placed in special places and terraces where . they could not be observed from the air. 'While tile fight at Lonesome Pine ?/as going on tlieso troops were moved out in the darkness to our left flank. There were thousands of them, and the operation was a difficult one, because they had to go along a single road on the beach. This road had been inndo under cover of tho darkness, and was cunningly constructed so that it could not be recognised as a road by the hostile aeroplanes. Coltr Steel. A comprehensive plan of action had apparently been carefully thought out in connection with ilia operations on the left flank. The first thing to be done was to send a covering force from Nos. 2 and 3 outposts, our extreme left, to take certain hills that would have prevented the main body of the attacking force from getting oilt. These positions arc what aro known to us as tho old No. 3 Post, Table Top, Little Table Top, and Bauchop's Hill. This atack, which was to bo a night one, with the bayonet only, was assigned to the. New Zealand Mounted llille Brigade and the Maoris.

Another covering force was sent out to take Damak Selik Bair, on the extreme left, just over the Akliyl Dere, now a dry watercourse. The troops commenced to form up for this attack about 7.30 p.m. Others began to pour out of tlio end of our long communication trench, and with the assistance of guides to march slowly and silently to the various points. of attack assigned tliem. On the left the Turks, as at other points,, were at close quarters and strongly entrenched on a series of rugged scrub-covered hills intersected with deep water-worn ravines extending from a little flat near the centra of Ocean Beach to tho long curving ridge of Cliunuk Bair about 850 feet high and 2200 yards inland. The wliolo country is" most difficult" and puzzling from the military point of view to anyone who has not been over it and studied it thoroughly. Maori Warriors in Battle, "Under covor of the darkness the Otago and Canterbury Mounted Infantry went out to attack Bauehop's Hill. This was likely to prove a hard nut to crack. The Dosition once gained would.

protect tlie ndvanoo of the Indian Brigade led by the Ghurkas on tlio loft, while oil tile other side it would protect llio left ilauk of the New Zealand Inlantry .Brigade. Tho objectivo in tlio momiHino of the Otago men was a scrubcovered spur below tho higher ridge of Cliuuuk Jlair, named Rhododendron Spur, tho Ghurkas eventually would liavo to fight up tho steep brushwood slopes—ideal figliting country for tlioin. Tlio Auckland Regiment left from No. 2 outpost a little to tho south of No. 1, and marcliod up a valley past/ the Fisherman's Hut Ridge. They then turned sharp to tho left in front of tho old No. 3 post, which wo once hold for two or three days. It had been occupied lor some time past by a body of Turks, who woro well entrenched, and tlio attack had to be mado up a precipitous i'aco.

Tlio Wellington Regiment had Eo gain a footing on Destroyer Hill, and then move up an almost precipitous cliff on to a little bit of level land known as "Table Top," and which is attached to Rhododendron Spur. The Maoris wore distributed amongst; tho force—ono platoon with tho Otago men attacking Banchop's Hill, 0110 platoon with tho Now Zealand Infantry attacking Tablo Top, tho rest of tho contingent being held in reserve. Tho men were told not to load their magazines, for this was to bo a night attack, and tho bayonet only had to bo usod. Both officers and men had broad bauds of whito calico sewn on Mieir coat sleeves, and a big square patch of the same material sewn on tho backs of their coats—a necessary precaution in an attack on a dark night, so that in the general melee in the scrub and the trenches friend should not be bayoneting friond, hut only the enemy. Tho regiment going out on the left soon mot with rifle fire from tho Turks concealed in the scrub, and tlio Maoris dashed on to tho front 1 . One or two of tho other parties had a little difficulty in following tho exact line of route, Apart' from these incidents the plans laid down worked out well, and the New Zealandei's did all that was asked of them.

Punctually at 9 p.m., a. destroyer, standing close in, flashed a strong searchlight on the land, and began to firo on the Turkish trenches for ten minutes. Her guns l were Silent for another ten minutes. Then there was another . ten minutes' bombardment. The firing was so close that the pungent smell of the propelling powder was wafted on shore by tho light sea- breeze. 1 Our men charged into the Turkish trenches with great elan,' bayoneting right and left. Trench after trench was cleared, and many of the Turks broke and ran. Of these a number were bayoneted, and when daylight came others were either shot or taken prisoner. Few escaped. One could only follow tho fight from the flash anil rattle of the Turkish rifles, the cheering of our men, and the mid shouts of the Maoris. Once their blood was up the Maoris fought magnificently. Charging into the Turkish trendies they were more than a match for even the hefty Turk, who, for the first timo in history, listened to the wild war cries of the Ngapuhi and other famous tribes resounding among the hills and dales of Sari Bail'. By dawn the positions sought for had been won, and at a moderato sacrifice, considering the difficulty of the operation.. But there was still sterner work ahead. Rhododendron Ridge. The forces which the .New Zealand General had at his disposal for the operations on the left wing was a strong ,one, and one that was largely representative of the' Empire. While the initial attack was going on, the assaulting columns of the New Zealand' Infantry Brigade moved—partly along the communication trench and partly along the new beach road—and entered three ravines. Tho Wellington Regiment on the right went Tip the Sazli Beit Dere, and the remainder of this force moved ii]> tho Charlik Dero, the objective of fins column being Rhododendron Ridge, a predominant feature of the Sari Bair Ranges. The left assaulting column moved further to -the north and entered tho Argyhl Dere.

The advance of the assaulting columns commenced at 10 p.m. on Friday, and tho heads of the columns soon met with opposition, which necessitated picketing the heights. It meant putting men on every little spur they reached. As already explained, tho ground over which these operations had to be conducted was bristling with difficulties and complicated contours.

During the wholo of tho night fighting was continuous. Our .troops wire forbidden to firo. The bayonet only was used. This plan had the great advantage that there was no danger of our own troops firing into one another. It had also this advantage: that the Turkish fire soon disclosed the positions of the enemy. Frequent cheers and tho warlike cries of the Maoris resounded through the glens. Many i\irks were killed and a largo number of prisoners were taken. Our casualties also wero large, - but up to tho_ present there has been no - opportunity of making any reliable estimate. Heforo this letter reaches New Zealand tho full tale, will be told. It says a great deal for the care taken and the secrecy observed that both tho concentration and the attack came as a great surprise to the enemy. Manv Turks were found asleep in their dug-outs, and in finally cases they were undressed. Prisoners, of whom many were taken, afterwards admitted that they had no provious warning of our attack. At Break of Day. Dawn was rapidly breaking and the long column was still stretched out in comparatively open' country. Had it been caught in this position when daylight came it must inevitably have suffered mucb, both from machinegun, and shell fire. Tho'columns, however, wore hurriedly ensconced in the numerous valleys and hollows that abound, and when the light grow strong enough for the guns to shoot there was no target at -which they could fire. Meantime, however, there was a wonderful bombardment of the Turkish position in front of our old position at Walker's Ridge, Russell's Top, and the Nok. Gun after gun began to speak till almost every cun on sea and shore was in action. The noise of the guns and of the bursting shells, with the continuous hard staccato of rifle-fire, and the intermittent popping of the ma-chine-guns, filled the hills and dales with a war chorus polyplionous and grand. Some of the Turkish parapets were blown away in clouds of dust, and in ploiceis "the trenches themselves wero badly shattered.

As dawn broke we could also see that tlie_ new landing to the north of our position lin<l been secretly and successfully accomplished. Later in the morning we could seo the Turkish shells bursting near -the ships and the troops oa shore. The laudiiia at such a spot was as unexpected as it was disconcerting to tlic enemy. The result of this important operation is not yet known •here.