The Fighting in Gallipoli.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 100, 28 August 1915, Page 7

The Fighting in Gallipoli.

NUTili FrtJM A DJARY. (By jialeolm lioss, Official War Correspunclen'., -N./j. r urces). Imbros, 6th Jul;.. bii Lii.-.. -I-'-, >■" ""> bKUtUI al ..>; U i tie j.wi'}', suites tuut m tUJ composition oi tiie lurkish jMiipii-e ■'Liiuic ia nine nuita >i<is cnurueter or poriormance except Constantinople nerscli, round vvlioni, century alter century, the subject territories expand and contract with an almost rhythmic movement." In olden times no sooner was one enemy disponed of than another appeared. And so now. The Tui'k in Europe lor centuries has been able to stave nil' final defeat, and Constantinople haa been saved. But today the Turk realises that he is lighting a loe more powerful than any he has hitherto encountered, and that his beloved city is- in danger. Under these circumstances it is scarce to be wondered at that he is putting up a great tight. Our antipodean friends, who write to us- here, generally wind up their letters by expressing the opinion "by the time this reaches you, no dubt, you will be in Constantinople." These good people cannot realise the tremendous difficulties that lie between us and Constantinople. It is well that the public should recognise these difficulties. Undoubtedly they were misled in the first instance by the optimistic accounts that were published about the naval operations. The Navy, however, could not have got through to Constantinople unaided by the Army, and the fact that they tried to do so has made Sir lan Hamilton's task all the harder. But that the Allies will win through to Constantinople, if necessary, no one doubts.

July opened with the usual morning shelling of the beach, but the Turks, had they seen the result, must have been disappointed with it. In the trenches also our men were proving more than a match for the Turks. Men are told off to watch a certain number of yards of enemy trench, and as each man is provided with a periscope he can do this ."in safety. Such men will observe the slightest alteration in an enemy trench —the removal of a sandbag or the

withering of a branch that has been green. Behind such a branch there will occasionally be a Turk, and an accurate marksman may pick him off. Good shots are told off to hre at the loopholes in the Turkish trenches, and this shooting has been s« effective that the Turk now, as a rule,. doe B not take careful aim through the loophole. He is afraid of getting one in the eye. Therefore he simply holds his riile up above his head and blazes away. Such shooting is, of course ineffective. By various ruses our men stir the Turks

up all times of the day and night. They have done this to such an extent that the somewhat raw and inexperienced troops that have recently been opposed to us have got "jumpy," with the result that they waste a great deal of ammunition. Recent orders found on Turkish pri-

soners indicate that there are a considerable number of young and untrained troops in the held, or about to enter it, and that many of these do no know even the elementary prin-: cipies of drill and musketry. At the same time there are quite a number of seasoned troops on the Peninsula, and as they are well entrenched it

would bo a mistake to hold the position too cheaply.

After a couple of days' partial immunity from shelling, our friend with the high explosive started in from the 'south again, and, considering the number of men who were about on the beach, working and bathing, it was truly amazing to note the small amount of damage he did. While this shelling was on we watched some men coming ashore from a barge. A number grabbed their accoutrements and ran for it, but others calmly walked along the wharf as if they were strolling down Lainbton-quay on a Sunday morning. On the whole, quite a number of us are beginning to think that such incidents add interest to what otherwise would be rather a monotonous existence.

One day 1 went with the General to one of our outposts, where the men were putting in some excellent work on trenches, tunnels, and gun emplacements. Amongst the lot were .six Australians, all well to do. Their time to be relieve had come, but they asked to be allowed to stay on and finish the job! They wanted to say that that particular bit of work was theirs. One way the son of a well-to-do Western newspaper proprietor, and the others also were wealthy men or the sons of wealtthy men. "Von saw that fellow with no shut," said the O.C. to the General.

"Yes; what about him?" asked the General.

"Well, he's a millionaire," replied the O.C.

The shirtless millionaire just at that moment was at work on a hit of tunnelling, that would have done credit to an experienced miner. Near this spot we crept wearily along a shallow.trench, because ahead nhown above the parapet would have drawn the Turkish fire from an adjacent trench, and looking across the slope we could -see a dead' Turk hunched up as if he had been v shot while running forward. A couple of yards away was his rifle. All (his wo could see through the branches of a bush growing on the edge of the trench. Much as

either side would have liked to bury the man no one dare go out to do so, even under cover of the\night .

As we were returning our guns opened lire upon some Turks who were seen moving, and a waterplane iiew along the coast. A submarine had made its appearance in the Gulf, and our destroyers and trawlers were on the qui vive

u.i lYlonUa.v, sth July, one of our sections repanod being shelled by

heavy gun.,, ami we at Anzac had u , new ix-iu gun turned on us. The j shells from the latter mostly hit the sea harmlessly, throwing up great geysers of water, which subsided >nto a great ring of foam; other shells that burst in air sent great chunks of iron hurtling through space over a wide area, and our men ran to get them as trophies. During the week a determined attack was made on our left centre, but was repulsed with heavy loss to the enemy. In this attack practically none'of the New Zealanders were engaged, it being met by the Australians attached to our division. Prisoners stated-that the attack had been ordered by Enver Pasha, who visied the lines that night on his way routk to Cape Relies.