THE DARDANELLES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 11, 13 May 1915, Page 5

THE DARDANELLES

A DESPERATE BATTLE. BRITISH FIGHTING THEIR WAY v NORTHWARDS. ASSISTANCE FROM QUEEN ELIZABETH. Unit™ Prism Association. (Received 9.20,a.m.) ~ . ' Athens, May 12. A desperate battle is proceeding between the towns of Gallipoli and Maidos. The Queen Elizabeth is firing from the Gulf of Saros on the Turkish reinforcements. GALLANT FIGHTING. HEROISM* AND SELF-SACRIFICE. Times and Sydney Sun Service. (Received 8 a.m.) London, May 12. A correspondent writes: ''While the Australasians were fighting gal.lantly against heavy odds, the British troops were being crowned with equal laurels at the southern end of the Peninsula. The story of the successful landing of the 29th Division was one of devoted heroism and self-sacrifice. Already *a line stretches from the southern end of the whole Peninsula to the lower slopes of the heights at Aehibaba. Both flanks secured artillery from the warships. The army, which is faced with a heavy task, holds a fine tract of flat country and convenient landing places with immunity from the enemy's guns. The southern landing, which was different from the north, was successfully solved by the Australians. There was no foreshore, and jagged rocks appeared at intervals on the stretches of beach where the Britishers diseiti barked under cover of the warships, the enemy holding heights of seven hundred feet commanding the landing; nevertheless, a landing was effected witlt Keavy losses after a desperate daylong struggle. At points the Britishers literally clung to the cliff edge, being exposed to a raking fire from fortified hedges. There was barbed wire on the beaches, and the naval units attempting to cut them were shot down by concealed maxims. The Engineers and Royal Xavals rushed on, and swarmed up the cliffs, capturing the outlying trenches and checking the enfiladiisg fire. On the foreshore the Turks dared not leave their trenches. There was a serious development at night time v the Turks being heavily reinforced and savagely attacking the beach parties of officers, bluejackets, engineers, and the Xavals who were disembarking stores on the foreshore. They were ordered to .push on to the firing line, while others carried up ammunition. After night-long fighting, the Turks, were driven off with heavy loss. "Another landing on the 25th was memorable for a novel experiment in running a transport ashore, so as to faeifiate the disembarkation of the troops and avoid exposure, the transports' steel sides acting as a cover and saving hundreds, who disembarked from doors cut in the sides. Twelve Maxims were mounted on the bow, their lire covering the landing. The transport) swept in, preceded by pin-

naees and boats for the landing, and grounded on a deep-water rock-reef. A lighter was brought up to assist the disembarkation, the men holding the lighter under a hail of bullets. Meanwhile, Maxims and pompoms were raining a tornado on the transport. The landing party of a hundred were almost annihilated, and the disembarkation was deferred. . Two hundred troops, packed like sardines 'tweendecks, landed under cover of darkness in safety at eleven o'clock. A furious ifusilade from the Turks swept the beach, but did no damage. In the advance on the 26th, there was a desperate fight for the trendies, which were won, and the Turks fled from the beach, and the way was cleared for the advance inland. "There has been no finer tale of the landing of Australian and British troops." PROCRESS OF THE ALLIES. Paris, May 12. Official: The Anglo-French forces south of Gallipoli, supported by the fleet, delivered a general attack on the evening of May Bth on the Turkish positions, which they had penetrated on the 7th. The troops, with remarkable dash and vigor, carried several lines of trenches on a height adjoining Krithia with the bayonet. During the 9th the troops fortified themselves on the ground won. The Turks did not attempt to counter-attack. GENERAL HAMILTON'S APPRECIATION. Melbourne, May 12. In the Federal House Mr A. Fisher (the Premier) read, amidst enthusiasm, Sir lan Hamilton's appreciation of the Australians and New Zealanders at the Dardanelles, similar to the one sent to the Dominion. AUSTRALASIANS' VALUABLE FUNCTION. London, May 11. Lord Crewe, in the House of Lords, said Sir tan Hamilton (in charge of the operations at the Dardanelles) had reported that the enemy made a violent attack along the whole line on May 2 from 8 o'clock in the evening to midnight. The enemy was repulsed with inconsiderable loss to us and heavy losses to the enemy. On every succeeding night to the (ith the enemy renewed the attack witli diminishing intensity. On each occasion they were repulsed easily. Our troops made a certain advance and their positions were strengthened and consolidated. The enemy losses were heavy. The Australians and New Zealanders have been attacked unsuccessfully. They fulfilled a most valuable function in contending against a powerful enemy and forcing a passage towards the narrow neck of the peninsula. TOTAL CASUALTIES. Wellington, May 12. The Defence Department notifies that.the total casualties reported to date are:—Killed and died of wounds, 12 officers and 28 men; wounded and missing, 2 officers: wounded, 24 officers and 653 men; total casualties, 729.

THE CASUALTY LIST. i V/OUNDED. Auckland Battalion. Private K Gunn Private A. J. Phillips ! Otago Battalion. Private .). S. Crawford Private John Hassack Wellington Battalion. Private W. H. Biggs Private P. H. Davey Private A. H. Hartley Private I'. X. X. Jamieson Private R. Riekard Private 1). L. Smith Howitzer Battery. (Junner A. Cock. DIED OF WOUNDS. > Otago Battalion. Private C. L. Harding Sergeant P. Savage Xevv Zealanders serving with the Australian forces: Wounded.—Serge'anti. Q. Lines, Private I). J)ennis. DESTRUCTION OF ONE OF THE MODERN FORTS. (Received 9.20 a.m.) Bucharest, May V2. The Russian fleet destroyed an ultramodern fort at the Bosphorus.