THE GALLIPOLI ADVENTURE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 54, 28 November 1918, Page 5

THE GALLIPOLI ADVENTURE

WHAT THE ENEMY THOUGHT OF IT GENERAL VON SANDERS INTERVIEWED

London, November 2G. Mr. Ward Price (war correspondent), who is. now at Constantinople, interviewed General Liman von Sanders (Director of the Turkish Armies), who said he found the British a brave and chivalrous enemy, both at the Dardanelles and in Palestine. He telegraphed von JjiidendortF in August that unless, he received reinforcements nothing could prevent a debacle. The Turkish weakness was due to sending all available reserves to Azerbaijan, in Persia, for thf conquest of tlio Caucasus, despite German protests.

Discussing British strategy at the Dardanelles, General von Sanders said a naval attack on the Straits could not have succeeded owing to the mines. "I proposed," he said, "to flood the Straits broadcast with mines. The function of tile forts were simpi.v to protect the minefields from interference. If I had been attacking the Dardanelles I would not have landed at Cape Ilelles or at Anzac. 1 would have made the principal landing on the coast of Asia Minor, off Tenedos. Such a landing would give a convenient lxise close at hand, while two days' march would have brought the Allies to the rear of the Dardanelles forts, whicli can only fire to seaward. At the same time 1 should have landed on the neck of Gallipoli close to the Bulair line's. So strongly did I expect that you would choose these places that .when I took command months before tlie landing 1 posted tffo of my six divisions opposite Tenedos, two on the Peninsula, and two at Bulair. The Landing at Suvla. "With regard to the Suvla landing, I would have 'preferred to land between Anzac and Helios, where the Peninsula is narrower and the Turks could have been attacked from the rear. The landing at Suvla might have succeeded if hard pressed, as there were 1 only two battalions of Turkish gendarmes, two squadrons of cavalry, and two batteries of old guns to oppose it during the first twenty-four lioui's. If the British troops had pushed inland _with several columns some would have made a good position on the heights."' General von Sanders said he hurried up a division by a forced ;march. Another critical moment was when the push was made for Chunuk Bail'. He rushed up a division from the Asiatic side, which would have been blown to piece's by the British guns if they had arrived half an hour later. There were only three battalions left on the, Asiatic side, where there was great anxiety lest there should be a fresh British landing, ik w'as also touch-and-go at Kirechkeuy, on Iljs north side of Suvla Bay, where the Allies attacked three days after landing. General von Sahders expected the withdrawal after Lord Kitchener's visit. "I entirely agreed with the wisdom of the decision," he said. "The Turks wero constantly being reinforced, and at the end 1 had twenty-one divisions. The withdrawal was extremely well carried out'. The concealment devices at Suvla were most effective. Our patrols on the last night sighted red flares on the beach, and; thought .for a' while that fresh troops were being landed. When the news came that the British positions wero empty 1 galloped from headquarters to organise a pursuit, but. the Turkish telephones were so bad that I was unsuccessful. The 'Turks, advancing in the fog, stumbled on.the, British land-mines, and had heavy losses. Ninety mines were found on flic front of a- single division." General von Sanders said that he saw preparations for 1 the evacuation of Helles, but was unable to guess the date.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.