STOP PRESS NEWS

Horowhenua Chronicle, 21 September 1915, Page 3

STOP PRESS NEWS

Chronicle Office .3 u.m. SIR lAN HAMILTON'S REPORT (Continued). We deeply regret Admiral Bridges' fatal wound. His sincere and singlein in ded devotion to duty was his outstanding characteristic. On the 18th Anzac was subjected to a Heavy bombardment at midnight; the most violent machine gun and 'rifle fire yet experienced. It broke' out when heavy Turkish columns assaulted us on the 'left. Another attack before daylight on the centre of this section was repeated four times, but always repulsed with heavy loss. At five o'clock the battle was fairly joined and the enemy guns, including 12-inch and 9-inch, kept up a furious cannonade. At 9.30 tlie Turks wore pressing against the left of Courtney's Post, and on die right of Quinn's Post. This attack was unable to face the fire from the right and swung round to tho left, where it suffered severely from the fire from the trenches beyond Quinn's Post, finally giving -way under its heavy Josses. According to a prisoner's report 30,000 men, including five fresh regime/nts, were used, with General von Saunders himself commanding. Over three thousand dead of the enemy were lying in open view of our trenches. A large proportion was due to artillery fire. Our casualties were about 100 killed and 500 wounded. On the 20th at five in the afternoon white flags began to appear all along the Turkish line, and Major-General

Walker met the Turkish officers halfway between the trenches. They asked for a suspension of hostilities for the removal of tho dead and wounded. Major-General Walker said that he 'had not tho power, but would exchange letters at o'clock. Meantime hostilities were recommenced within ten minutes. Hearing of these movements General Bird wood ordered

the trenches to be manned against a possible attack as the enemy's concentration continued, and every tiling pointed to tlie Turks intention to use the last of the daylight to get their troops into posi tion without being shelled. A message was sent across that the clearing oi the dead and wounded would not oe allowed during the night, and immediately fire broke out on the front ot our right section and masses of Turks ad vanced behind lines of unarmed men holding up their hands. Firing became general all along the Turkish line accompanied, by a heavy bombardment Evidently tho attack was pre-arrang ed as the Turks seemed anxious to bn»-.v the dead, and as human sentiment and medical science both favoured Has course I sent Major Braithwaite to as sist General .Birdwood in ma-king ar rangements for a suspension of hostilities. A result of this was that from

7.30 to 4.30 3000 Turkish dead, killed on or since the 18th. were removed and buried. The fighting from the 28th May to the sth June seemed to coip centrate round- Quinn's Post. The enemy wore detected in their galleries and were stopped by countermines. killing 50 Turks and ■wounding 30. hut one gallery was overlooked and a mine sprung at 3..;( i on the morning of the 29th in centre of the from of Quinn's Post. This was followed by a very heavy bomb attack, before which our left centre sub-section fell back, letting in u Tiirki-sh .storming party, and isolating a sub-section left on the right. At 0.30 we eouiifor-aHacked, and in half an hour the position »vas retaken with tiliu bayunei. by tile loth Australian hi tan try, led by Major Quiiin, who unfortunately \va« killed. In tliis light the Australian!) killed or captured ail the Turks, and ti:u restoration was commenced ol our lortx tcations. ihe lurko again attacked at U.3U, supported by artillery 'and machine <£uns, rille-firo and sliowers of bombs ironi the trenches. The stea liness of the infantry lire and the shell-ug ot our guns enabled us to inflict a bioody repulse, demoralising the eneiuy witli such eitect that theii' ond line of bomb-throwers flung their niiss.es into tho middle of their own tirst line. At 7.15 tho attack slackened, and at 8.-15 it practically ceased. Our casualties were two officers iuid tliiiiy-iiiue men killed,twelve officers and 176 wounded. The enemy's looses must have been serious. Except for the first 'withdrawal in confusion after the mine explosion the men lought -with the greatest tenacity and courage. On the ciOtk two parties from Quinn's Post went forward, cleared the t%o_ enemy sapheads and peno' traLd the trenches beyond, but were gradually driven back by a «ounterattack, despite our heavy support fi.ro Our casualties chiefly were caused by bom lis, whereof the enemy seemed to .have an unlimited supply. On the night of the Ist June two NW Zealand sappers crept out and laid a. cha'ge of guncotton against the timber and sand-bag bomb-proof shelters wjii<_!i were completely destroyed. At sun.- et on the 4th June at Anzao there was carried out three enterprises n compliance with my order. The enemy'.; attention was distracted for a while and an attack was delivered on the -outhern zone. Pirfctly,ji,. demonstration was made in the direction ■ f Uab.ite.pe, the navy co-operating : il bo:, barding the trenches. Secondly, a sortie was made at 11 o'clock towards a trench~2oo yards from Quinn's Po,t, This failed, but a second sortie by 100 men at 3.55 in the morning penetrated the trench and demolished tho macliino gun emplacement, after which wo withdrew in good order. Thirdly at 11 o'clock at night at Quinn's Post, a party' of 660, accompanied by bombtli lowers on either bank stormed an enemy trench and bayonet-ted many iin ! catpured 28 of the working party, wlr'eh 'had followed up the attack, and then U'o made .another attack on tho Turkish trenches on the left with machine guns and grenades, drawing a very heavy fire. After daybreak the Tu-lis strongly attacked, and captured trenches, using a heavier type oi' I bomb than hitherto. At 6.30 we were obliged to abandon the trendh. and retire to the original fire trench. Oar i cisualties were 80; those of the enemy considerably heavier. ,