THE DARDANELLES

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 16, 19 May 1915, Page 5

THE DARDANELLES

“EXTRAORDINARY FEAT OF ARMS.” United Pbess Association. London, May I^. Mr. Ash mead Bartlett (the war correspondent at the Dardanelles), telegraphing on the 10fcli states tmt toe British are not yet in possession of ! Acid Balm, but they forced the Turks to disclose their strength and character of their defences. We are in a position to estimate the difficulty of jthe task, and there are other e<]uali]y formidable positions behind Achi f{ a l>a, all of which must he taken hid |,y hill and valley by valley. When the fleet is past the Narrows the end has come, but victory will only be gained, by more men and a continuous supply of ammunition. The Turks know our positions are impregnable, but hopb we will hurl ourselves against their entrenchments. Our successful landing administered a staggering blow to the Turks and the Germans, who, not without reason,' regarded the peninsula as impregnable. The more the positions are examined the more apparent is the extraordinary feat of arms of April 25 th. The superlative merit of achievement lies with the same men who went through the dreadful ordeal and maintained their positions without reinforcements for several days. Ihe Turks fought with extreme bravery up to the 28th, when they pressed our thinly held lines in close formation, hoping by sheer weight ot force to make a way through the enfeebled khaki line, but everywhere they were repulsed. Long lines of their dead lying in perfect military formation in front of our tienebes ic avealed the high-water mark of their futile efforts. Since then the enemy’s efforts were only spasmodic, and were mainly directed against the French at Kum Kale. The Turks attacked the French in mass fprmation on the night of the 28th, hut molted away before rapid rifle fire and they were routed by a fierce bayonet attack. The Turks returned to the attack on the Saturday following. There was desperate fighting on the part of the Fieuch, trenches falling momentarily into their , Prisoners stated that the enemy was largely reinforced from Adrianople and Asia Minor. The Allies allowed the Turks to break themselves in waves ol , dead and wounded against our defences, and meanwhile the Allies prepared a great counter-stroke, which ended the first phase. Mr. Ashmead Bartlett praises the splendid work of the Army Service Corps, which carried out its duties under the Turkish guns, which were continually shelling the landing places. AUSTRALIAN COMMANDER WOUNDED. Sydney, May 18. General Sir lam Hamilton cables that General Bridges has been seriously wounded. (General Bridges was in command of the Australian troops at the Dardanelles and before war broke out he was in command of the forces in Australia. He served in the South African war, after which he went to Australia.)