The Dardanelles.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 6, 6 September 1915, Page 5

The Dardanelles.

TURKISH MUNITION FACTORIES IDLE. SHORTAGE OF METAL AND COAL. 1 CONSTANTINOPLE TERRORISED. [United Press Association.] j; (Received 11.30 a.ni.) Paris, September 5. The Eelu* tie Paris’ Salonika corresi pondent states that Turkey is Reeling tho lack of munitions, and the old 'stocks are being depleted. Coal and 'metals are scarce. The munition factory at Tophane. Zeitnn, and Bourneo ; h’cWe not been smoking for several days. Tile Echo de Paris’ Rome correspondent states that the condition of the ] people at Constantinople is pitiable, and they are terrorised at the approach of final catastrophe. It is rumoured that Djemal Pasha, who is now at Bagdad, is considering organisation for a revolt against Enver Pasha. TURKISH ATTACK DEFEATED. The High Commissioner reports: — London, Sept. 4 (3.35 p.m.). A French official report states; J( AA the Dardanelles, a Turkish night* attack against the south sector held f bv the Australasians was repulsed Ait”’ heavy losses. SURPRISE AT BRITISH DOCCEpNESS. I Rotterdam, September 4. - - German comments on the Dardanelles developments indicate that experts are surprised, and warn the defenders against their former eoeksureness. They must not underestimate the British doggedness. The British admitted that they expected to have many disappointments before the final success, and they did not expect important Anglo-French reinforcements to be sent. Italian help is more likely to gravely increase the Turkish difficulties. THE FIGHT FOR HILL 70.

London, September 5. 1 ' 'M r A'shhieaU 1 'Bartlett’s report .Pleiades:—

The brigade holding th<L;Tijdgf 1 Lt jypntj o| phoeolate Hill wak drived'ofr southward by terrible fire.. A, till idbank : of Ha me surmbunted by roiling blaek smoke cloud’s j swept across the hill. The heat was ’terrific., and many jmen placed in .safety had to lie hastily carried 'out and placed in the opeb.' Ttuis the development of the attack 1 was delayed.' Another, division wheeling towards Hill 112 was caught at short range by the Turkish second line upon the flank in the open plain. Obviously it was impossible to proceed with the assault unless this trench line wap taken. Fighting , pontinued intensely, throughput the' afternoon. There was, tremendous rifle lire,, but we. ,<;nujd npt , gain another y:|t;cl, j Meanwhile, a b»jb* talion and in reserve at La I a paba, were ordered, to re-attflek 70. , did troops were fop the first time in action, led by bearing sama.rd the, best, kipnyn naipPs flij : lT3pgla m|. ( They moved out of cover, and haft no sooner appeared in open order; erasing Salt, Lake than the enemy concentrated heavy shrapnel on the.exposed lines. Advancing in the open as if on parade they pressed on steadily, losing many, but never wavering. They formed np behind the brigade at Hill 70. | It was now 6 o’clock, and every available) gun again furiously bom- ( horded the crest. , The Turkish batteries concentrated their tire on our trenches. The scene was majestic, but awful. The light was rapidly waning, the horizon being blotted out by smoke and flames, and the trees, scrub, grass and, homesteads were blazing. The noise of the guu.s and the unceasing roar of thousands of rifles made a perfect inferno. The bat- 5 talion advanced and seized the southern slopes, digging in preparatory to an advance towards the top. The shell lire now seemed to tell upon the Turks and many were observed streaming down the trench line, either because it had become untenable, or they were preparing to meet an advance. ,■ 'Hie situation was unchanged for an hour, and then the Yeomanry again advanced in solid masses, forming up on the lower western and northern slopes. It was almost dark and the attack seemed to liang fire. Suddenly the Yeomanry leapt to their feet and charged like a single man right uphill. They were met by a withering fire rising to a crescendo as they neared the northern crest, but nothing could stop them. They charged with amazing speed, without a halt, 1 from bottom to top, losing many leaders, including gallant Sir John Mil bank. ft was a stirring sight that was watched by thousands in the evergathering gloom. One' bioment they were below the crest, the next moment they were on top of it, the next , they bad disappeared into the , . trenches, bayonetting the defenders who had not fled earlier, while others i who had not stopped in the trenchline were pursued down the reverse 'slopes. From a thousand lips a shout rose up: “Hill 70 is won!” The

night was now rapidly falling; tho j figures became blurred, then lost I” shape, and finally disappeared. As I left Chocolate Hill 1 looked back upon a vista of rolling clouds and huge fires, from which came the incessant roar of rifle tire, this was ominous, because the question was whether we could hold Hill 70 throughout the night, in the face of determined counter-attacks. The battle raged ceaselessly. Apparently the Turks were never driven oil the knoll on the northern crest, whence during the night they enfiladed, with the use of machine guns and artillery. The Yeomanry who dashed down the reverse slopes were subjected to counter-attacks, and they lost heavily, and were obliged to retire. It was decided that it was impossible to hold Hill 70. and at daylight the troops were ordered to withdraw to their original position. Daylight thus found Hill 70 no longer in our possession, i Nothing will lessen the glory of that I final charge of England’s Yeomanry, and thus ended the great fight. However, the Anzac troops .achieved some successes, the Australian infantry finally driving the Turks from Hill 00, while our whole line is now linked up by means of trenchline instead of by isolated posts. ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

' i 1 t - j ; London. September 4. Reuter’s correspondent at the Dardanelles says that Hill (30 is entirely scrub-covered, except for a sandy gully fiihU.tlie.itojb, forming a scimitar-shap-ed scar without cover. The men in the afternoon reached the edge of the 'sCmiifhlA' The hill shook with the concussions of the naval guns, and gorse fires, blazed at the base of the hill. At 13.20 the reinforcements of the Yeomanry advanced under a tremendous shrapnel lire, in full view, over the Salt Lake, an expanse of a mile of dry mud, flat as a billiard table, and climbed the hillside. At 7.30 they launched an attack across the scimitar. A s it running a race they swept across the gully with iucerdible rapidity, and vanished into the smoke and darkness on the hill top. None doubted that the hill was captured, and there was profound disappointment when it was found to be untenable.

The Indians on ‘the northep ,flank frl)W 1 Anzac established M 'tlifeimselves from. Karaji, Kagbala,, in the ,hills,. to Sijslvkkuyu 9>| the; 'fhjfcrjj |t|ey touch' the other corps. j 1 He' summer is breaking, , jU'Y nights are growing col(,lpij. . A, north-easter is heralding the autuinhal storms. The army wither. jviU pud the liy' plague. tV; .“TTT-fn : i" ~