The Dardanelles.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 19, 21 September 1915, Page 5

The Dardanelles.

SITUATION AT ANZAC. , < --i~ *') ‘ ' J,VIVID DESCRIPTION OF RECENT FICHT»Nq ft 3 ; .ii United PbW Ae^QOUpoN^ Lonityq,, Reuter’s correspondent' _w ( ith , the headquarters Staff at ing on 4th gives a vivid description of the, WW*>H i During the last week.'of August the gallant Australians and New Zealanc - ers were called on for yet another effort, and responded with their usna courage and devotion. As-.a- -resu Knoll 60 passed finally into our hands, and four hundred acres of groun were added to Anfcac: is the last crest df thfe'-last ridge-sep-arating Anzac ttbS* the ■ noHhwarc plain. The TurkfJI citing to the knoll with the utitfostf determination, and. when flung o «t*Af”«hetfi trenches nbyi an irresistible ruth of Atistralians and New Zealanders* ■ the • enemy' a would, bomb their way back again* ing terrible loss .unflinchingly. AN ben the' trenches were . finally capture they were full of .the enemy’s dead. It took three days’ hard, fighting, to turn out the Turks. The ground over which we charged is still thickly strewn with the bodies of the enemy and our own slain. It is computed that the Turks lost five thousand. The Indians and Connaught Rangers shared in the fighting. The Australians and New Zealanders'have since been expecting a Turkish general attack, but this has pot materialised. The Turks have not forgotten the Lone Pine trenches and the result of their descent from- the towering ridge of Chunuk Bair 'on August' 10, when the New Zealanders did all they were asked to do when a British battalion was later swept off the ridge by twelve Turkish battalions. The eiiemy charged into the tremendous ravine below, and coining down the steep side, came under the fire of ten machinegunners under Captain "\\ allingfoid. Tho machine-gunners claim five thousand killed. A New Zealand staff officer, describing the fight, said the Turks came down in thousands, and went hack in hundreds. Reuter continues: In any case the Turks must have realised they were courting death in a general attack on. the Anzac defences. The men behind them are the salt of the earth, are of equal courage to any troops, and are superior in physique to any but the picked mien of other countries, while in intelligence, self-reliance, and endurance they are the best soldiers in the world. Banger at Anzac can only come through physical over-strain and bodily weariness of the troops. • The world realises now how the Australians and New Zealanders have fought, but it is not known how they dug in, heaved and carried when not fighting. Innumerable saps, communication trenches, and covered trenches have been dug on the lower levels, and the mule transport can he used; but higher up every cartridge, biscuit, and niounthful of water must he humped on the men’s backs. Approach to the valleys can now he made in perfect safety through * the saps. The army lives in dugouts along the sides of the gullies, ascending to the upper ridges. A month ago one- seemed to he watching some vast ant-hill. Ants issued from the mouths of innumerable dugouts and scurried along every path

of the gully. Now the population of the ant-hill seems to have diminished two-thirds, and half the dug-outs are now empty. ; Visitors can have the choice of,-a whole terrace of commodious shelters. It is difficult fo ! say how Anzac will fare in the .winter-iime/ when the great rains comet I 'arid vast quantities ( of .water will , stream douV thb hill,sides: i The, deep' j gullies' wjIJT *6e converted iffto torrent beds, with ’ water washing two. three feet deep over the, present gfro,qnd. The, angles, j>f ithg ground however, [flip tq steep ,that engineers should be able to devise a IprhVtmdL dfiiinago'tsystem, i but nthe trenches and dug-outs will necessarily h§ soaking wet: .Herein lies* the danger to the health of the troops, and this can only be averted by flooring; /; ro'ofing, and rivettibg the sides of the trenches. A great quantity of material will he necessary, which canhot be supplied on the spot; -'but' coin- 1 mandefs With 1 experience in the Flbin-

ders trenches [will 'leave nothing urn donq to sjiare Anzac-Kvoidable suffering frorii'the rigors of‘ winter. 1 L'

■ ■■ ■' Ml | ' 1 ‘ ACCOUNT OF MAY OPERATIONS. ATTACKING ENTRENCHED TURKS London, September 20. General Sir lan Hamilton’s despatch is a continuance of his previous one, cabled on July'(3th. He says: “I determined on May sth to continue the advance. The many urgent calls for reinforcements during the previous critical fighting, forced me to disorganise and mix together several formations in the southern-group, to the extent even of the French on our right, saving the British battalions who were banded on their most extreme right. It became necessary to form a temporarily-composed brigade consisting of the Second Australian and New Zealand brigades, who were withdrawn for the purpose from the northern section, and a naval brigade. During the three days, from 6th to Bth May, our troops were destined to be severely tried. They were about to attack a series of positions that were scientifically selected in advance, which although not yet joined into one line of entrenchment, were already strengthened by works on more important tactical features. Strong attacks by the Anglo-French on May 6th and ith had gained two hundred or three hundred yards,: and we occupied or passed over the first line of Turkish trenches, but the new lines needed consolidating. \ . it was certain that fresh reinforcements were reaching the lurks, and I decided to call the men to make one more push before the new enemy forces could get into touch with their surroundings. My plan for the fresh attack was for the New Zealand Brigade to advance through the line wo had held during the night of the seventh, and press on towards Knthia. Simulaneously the 87th Brigade would threaten work in the west rav-

ine and steal patches of ground from areas dominated by the German mac-

hine guns. On the Bth, after heavy lire from the ships’ batteries along the whole front, the New Zealand Brigade began to move at 10.30 in the morning, meeting with strenuous opposition from the reinforced enemy. The New Zealanders pushed forward on the right,, and advanced to the centre, gaining about 200 yards, but could make little further progress. At 5.30 in the altcinoou 1 ordered the lino to be reinforced by the Australian Brigade. The advance was made after heavy artillery bombardment. Some companies of the New Zealanders had not received orders at this time, but, acting on their own initiative, they pushed on, making the whole advance. Simultaneously the British were ready, and the advance could be followed by the’sparkle of bayonets till the long lines were entirely hidden in clouds of smoke.

PLAYING SECOND FIDDLE. i at GRIPS WITH THE TURKS. particular praise for the AUSTRALASIANS. SMALL BUT IMPORTANT CAIN. (Received 8.*25 a.m.) London, September 20, Sir lan Hamilton’s despatch continues: — The Senegalese and the lirailleurs faced the heaviest Turkish artillery fire and were compelled to retire. They rallied for another’ rush forward, but met another repulse. Then a small supporting column charged along the crest of Kerevesdere, and then darkness fell. 'Next morning it was learned that the New Zealanders’ 'firing line had marched over the enemy s cleverly-concealed machine-guns without seeing them. The machine-guns r e-opening fire on our supports as they came up, caused heavy loss, but the first line pressed on and armed within a few yards of the Turkish trenches which had been holding up our advance. They then dug in'themselves! The Australian, Brigade had advanced despite heavy losses from shrapnel, machine-guns '• KM- -fire, ami .propped three hundred or four hundred vards.. The deternpn# IW our'shown the New Zealand and Australian Brigades. Under 'Colonels Johnston and :Mclf ay respectivek,. if wrirthy . of, particular praise: •dtyeir louses iwerei toJTesppndmgly.. iWiti despite fierce counter-attacks' by numerous fresh troops they htu<& to' ' wliat' thdy hajd won with admire tenacityJ ’ The 1 net result of l%ursday’s fighting was a gain of 600 yWds. The British right won four hundred yards, and the left and the centh.of the French liad captured all L,the ground in front of the farm at/fjimmermaii; lifsoj a redoubt r for nwb'ch.' obstinate fi'feMrag l had been going on Xrg whole thtee days, ,n .This j maynot.seejm niiichj. 'but' it -is actually more' 'than! at* first | nieets-the 1 'eye.- 'The Turks un'deV German 1 leaders were quick to realise the fact, afid frdht nightfall tiirdaym on the 'loth, ‘ef--forts were' made everywhere to push us hack' by a specially heavy attack, cidniinating in a violent hand-to-hand conflict. Everywhere the assaults were repulsed. Now for the first time since I left, we planted a fairly firm foothold on this point the Gallipoli Peninsula. Meanwhile in the northern zones the Australian ■ and New Zealand Army Corps had strengthened their grip on Tuikish soil. They had been defending and digging themselves in more firmly on those cliffs on which the first fopthold seemed so precarious. Their rule in this stage of the operations was, firstly, to keep open the door leading into the vitals of the Turkish position; secondly, to uphold as large a body as possible in front of them so as to lessen the strain at Cape Hellas. In fact, Anzac was cast to play second fiddle to Cape Hellas. The part out of harmony was the daredevil '"spirit animating the warriors from the South. It come about that tlie Australians and New Zealanders’ defensive always tends to take on! the character of an attack. Their line in this period formed a rough semi-cir-cle inland from the beach at Anzac to cover a diameter of about eleven hundred yards of the firing line and eyerywhere is close to the enemy’s trenches. In all sections sapping and counter-sapping and bomb attacks are incessant. As many as fourteen hundred shells per hour fall at Anzac, and are of all calibres, from 11 inchers to field shrapnel. Around Quinn’s Post the contest above and below ground was particularly severe. ■ We carried on May 9 some of the enemy’s trenches at the point of the bayonet, and established troops therein and sent up reinforcements. A strong counter-attack at dawn forced ns to evacuate the trenches. In opposing this counter-attack our guns did great execution. Tt was discovered later from a Turkish officer’s diary that six hundred were killed and two thousand wounded. A sortie on the night of the 14th, the object being to fill in the Turkish trenches, failed.

BURYING THE DEAD,

GENERAL BRIDGE’S DEATH REGRETTED. THE TURKS SUFFER SEVERELY ABUSE OF THE WHITE FLAG. London, September 20. Writing on the 15th, General Hamilton says: I deeply regret General Bridge’s fatal wound. He was I sincere and single-minded in his de- . votion to Australia and Duty, His loss stands out midst the hundreds of other brave officers who have gone. On the 18th Anzac was subjected to heavy bombardment at midnight. The most violent machine-gun and rifle-fire yet experienced broke out, and heavy Turkish columns assauted our left. On the second of these , actions they were beaten off with j loss. There was another attack before daylight on our centre of this section and was repeated four times, but was always repulsed with heavy loss. At five o’clock the battleHvhd fairly joined, the enemy guns, including 12-incher,s and 9-ittchers, keeping up a furious cannonade. At 0.30 the Turks were pressing against our left at Courtney Post and on 9Ui|| right at Quinn’s Post, but in this attack they were unable to face the fire from our right, and swung round to the left, where they suffered severely from the trenches beyond Quinn’s Post, giving way under heavy 1 losses.

According to a prisoner’s "rffoMi thirty thousand, including live fresh regiments, were used. General von Sanders himself commanding. Over three thousand dead of the enemy were lying open to view from our trenches, a large proportion being due to artillery fire. Our casualties were about 100 killed and 500 wounded.

On the 20th at five o’clock in the afternoon white flags and Cresents began to appear all along the Upp-Major-General Walker met some Turkish officer* half-way jbetweeiU the trenches, S M> asked for h suspension for tile removal of their dead and wounded. Major-General Walker said he had not power to do so. but •would [exchange letters at eight o’clock. Ini the meantime, were recommenced for ten minutes. Hearing of these movements, Gem, era] Birdwood ordered the trenches to be manned; agftinst a possible attack. The concentration of the enemy continued, and everything pointed to the Turks’ intention to use the'last* of-the daylight to get troops into position without being shelled. A message was sent across that the c|earing t of the dead] and , wounded, would not’, be; allowed ~ during the, night, and immediately fire broke out on the front of our right section. Masses ,pf Turks advanced behind lines of unarmed men, holding up their, hands, amT'firing became general all 1 along the Turkish line, accompanied ,iby a, bombardment.. Evidently, ..«h« {‘ptfack 1 ' jv|s pre-aV-| ranged. As the Turks seemed anxious to bury the dead, - human sentiment and medical science both favoured this course, I sent General Braithwaite to assist General Birdwood in making arrangements, and the result was a suspension of arms on the 24th, from 7.30 to 4.30. Three thousand Turkish dead, who were killed on or since 18th were removed or buried.

The fighting from May 28 to June 5 seemed to concentrate round Quinn’s Tost. Thp enemy’s were detected there, and work put them was stopped by countermines, killing 20 Turks and wounding t 30. But one gallery was overlooked and the mine was sprung at 3.30 on;the, morning of the 29th in the centre of Quinn’s Post. This was followed by a, very heavy bomb attack, before which our left centre subsection fell back, letting in the Turkish storming party and isolating a subsection on the left. From 2 o’clock on, the right to 5.30, we counter-attacked, and in half an hour the positiofi Sviis retaken with the bayonet by the Fifteenth Australian ' Infantry, led by Major Quinn, who was unfortunately killed. We killed or captured all the Turks in the trench and the work of restoration commenced.

“THE SHADOW.”

ATTACK AND COUNTER-ATTACK TURKISH ATTEMPT TO DRIVE ALLIES INTO THE SEA. INNUMERABLE ACTS OF GALLANTRY. (Received 10.0 a.m.) London, September 20. The despatch continues: The Turks again attacked at 6.30 i.m. supported by artillery, inachinetuii and rifle-fire and showers of bombs from the trenches. The steadiness of the infantry and the tine shooting of our gnus enabled us to inflict a bloody repulse, demoralising the enemy to such an effect that their second line of homh-throwei s flung missiles into the middle of their own first line. At 7.15 a.m. the attack slackened and at 8.45 had practically ceased. Our casualties were two officers and thirty-nine men killed, and twelve officers and 1/6 wounded. The enemy’s must have been serious. Except for the first withdrawal in confusion and the mine explosion, all ranks fought with the greatest tenacity and courage. ,: bn’'the 30th two parties from Quinn’s Post went forward and cleared two enemy sapheads, and penetrated to the trenches beyond, but were gradually driven back by a counterattack. despite our heavy supporting fire.! The casualties were chiefly caused by bombs, of which the 4 , enemy ssem to have an unlimited supply. On the night of June 1 two New Zealand Rappers crept out and laid a i 'charge 'of gun-cotton against a bombproof trench, and completely destroy- j ed it. At sunset on June 4 the Anzacs carried out three enterprises in compliance with my order. The enemy’s attention was distracted while the attack was delivered in the southern zone; firstly by a demonstration in the direction of Gaha Tepe, the navy co-operating and bombarding the trenches ; secondly, by a sortie at eleven at night towards a trench two hundred yards from Qlvihii’s' Post. *' This failed, but a second sortie, of a hundred min at 2.55 ifn • ( thje . * mornijig penetrated the trench, demolished a machine-gun emplacement,' ’ and ' withdrew in good order; at jnigbt, a Quinn’s Post party of sixty accompanied the bomb-throwers, on either flank and- ‘stormed the 1 enemy trench. They/ bayonetted many, and captured lowed up the; attack. ( A|eamybi|e, we heavily attacked the Turkish trenches on the left with machine-gun and grenades, drawing a heavy fire. After daybreak, the Turks stronglyattacked the captured trench, using a heavier type of bomb than hitherto. At 6.30 we were obliged to abandon the trench and retire- to the original fire trench, i Our casualties were eighty. The enemy’s wei‘e considerably heavier, j y. On the sth, two officers and a huni dxecf mem of the first Australian Infantry sortied from . Quinn’s! ilPostp' their objective, being the destruction |>f a fuachind-guii in a trench known as ’“Tfle' Qerman Officers’ Trench.*’. A special party of men under -Lieutenant Eric Lloyd dashed for the machine-gun. One managed to fire three rounds into the gun at a range of five feet; another three at the same range through a loophole. The darkness of the trench and the overhead cover prevented the use of the bayonet, but some damage was done by shooting down over the parapet. As much of the trench as possible was dismantled. The party were enfiladed all the time by machine-guns on cither flank; The object of this gal-, lunt assault being attained, the party withdrew in good order with their wounded. The total casualties in the sortie were thirty-six. Incessant attacks and counter-at-tacks./ till the end of June grievously 7 swelled the casualty list. Several of thc.se daily encounters would have •beeif the subject of separate despatdhes in the campaigns of my youth, but 1 cannot even so much as mention them here. I will briefly mention one example eacli from the French,; British and Anzac spheres, so that you may understand the nature of the demands made on the troops’ energies and fortitude. On the night of Jpne 29 the Turks, under Enver Pasha’s direct persona 1 order to drive us all into the sea, made a big attack at Anzac, principally- against the portion of the line under General Godley. From midnight till 1.30 musketry and gun-fire of the greatest intensity was ponied on to our trenches’. Heavy columns then advanced to the assault, but was completely crumpled up by the

musketry and machine-gun fire of the Seventh and Eighth Light Horse. An hour later, another grand attack against our leit was equally cut to pieces by artillery and rifle-fire. The enemy’s casualties may he judged from the fact that in parts exposed to view between 100 and 500 were actually seen to fall. Sir lan Hamilton eulogises General Gourand’s daring in danger and calm in crisis; General Hunter-Weston’s resolute genius for war; General Braithwaite’s untiring loyalty; and General Maxwell’s remarkable administrative abilities in Egypt. General Birdwood, he says, has been the sold of Anzac and not for a single day has he ever quitted his post. Ho is cheery and full of human sympathy. He spent many hours out of each twenty-four inspiring the defenders in the front of the trenches. 11unknown to every soldier in Ins force, at least every soldier believes, that he is known to bis chief. General Hamilton concludes: I must refer to the shadow cast over the whole of our adventure by the loss of so many gallant, true-heartec comrades. Some I shall never see again. Some will have the mark of the Dardanelles set upon them lor life. Others, thank God—and these are far the greater proportion— will he hack in due course at the front.

“BIRDWOOD’S COMMAND.” TRIBUTE BY “SPECIAL ORDER.” “EXPLOITS WHICH JAMLL LIVE IN HISTORY. (Received noon.) London, September 20. General Sir lan Hamilton issued the following as a special order on September 7 : “I desire to record a fine feat or arms by General Birdvvood’s command during the battle at Sari Bail. The fervent desire of all ranks to close with the enemy, the impetuosity of their onset, and the steadfast valour with which they maintained the loin* struggle—these will surely appeal to their fellow-countrymen the world over. The gallant capture of the almost impregnable Lone tine trenches by the Australian Division, and equally the defence of the position against repeated counter-attacks are exploits which will live m history Thie determined assaults carried on from other parts of the Australian Division’s, line;are also of inestimable service' in ipreventh.g the movement of ilhvge -reinforcements to the noitln kikt flank.” i or uTroops under General ‘Oofflfey, Particularly the New Zealand and Australian -■ divisions, were' called oh- to carry out the most difficult military operation-eyer attempted,! vm., a night ttiircHland assault by several holnAifis in ■ mountainous country strongly entrenched and held by a numerous and determined enemj. Their brilliant conduct during the operation, and' the success ..achieved, won for them a reputation wheieol any country iw|st‘ beproud of. To the Australian and New Zealand Corps to the if aori.4, Sikhs, Gurkhas, and to the BH ash troops, associated in this famous |. corps, at Sari Bair, Geperal Hamilton tenders his admiratipn for their -gallantry and thanks f6r their achievements, and says that felt it was a- high him to" command a force numbering such hienN \ /

THE MACKENZIES. ! , I THE COMMISSIONER’S COTTAGE. CLUTHA MACKENZIE IN A "SPECIAL JOB." f "ACRES OF DEAD AND DYING.” (Reecived 12.30 p.m.) ■ London, September 20. The Hon. Thomas Mackenzie (New Zealand’s High Commissioner) has taken a cottage adjacent to the hospital at Walton for the purpose of cheering np the New Zealanders. Mr Clutlia Mackenzie, being interviewed, said: “The New Zealanders and Australians were given a special ! job on the night of August 8 to attack the foothills leading to Sari Bair, which was the key to the situation. The fighting was terrific during the night. We advanced two miles and took all the ridges and foothills leading to the main Turkish * position. Meanwhile the British landed at Suvla Bay, and several regiments on the following day reached the hill top after fighting of a most awful character. My regiment was practically wiped out, and many other New Zealanders, including the Maoris, fared just as baddy. The scene on the summit was beyond description. There was acres of dead and dying men.”