The Dardanelles

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 22, 31 December 1915, Page 5

The Dardanelles

'A , ~" rll ' in'* 1 --'- (li j m-'t jii'mmmtivM'iti 'THE SUVLA EVACUATION. >.,1 fvll ;!■<! jv{l ■tj- lj.|j .. .IWOJ PEN PICTURE FROM MALCOLM j ROSS.' ; • 11 ■ I r>» —4. ! ! t i. . : -?i 1 I AN EVENT IN HISTORY. -4 I i PKB PHEBB A BSOOI AXIOM. Wellington, December 31. The following special has been received from the Official New Zealand War Correspondent, dated Anzao Bay; Decemb'ei' 1 19th r •ur > inf Three mile's away across the' silky sea lies a dark shape Hof! 1 land t where eight months ago,* just ns the, lepion-grey dawn was breaking over ,the long Wizard-shaped ' • tnoUnfain, I waftilled such signs arf'wAk*Visible oft th.e landing of the troops on ; Gallipblir Now night fsills' gradually upon the same -historic hills, and L anl watching for'signs of their.'departure. To-night the first and second Australian divisons are leaving their old positions at Anzac; the New Zealand and Australian division is leaving the slopes of the foothills; on the range further north the Indian Brigade is leaving hill 60, where for months they'looked over the Suvla flats j' further north still, from across the same flats and “Chocolate Hill” in the middle of them, and from the distant slopes of Kireetch Tepo and on the far away shores north of us, the British are returning from a position which the world knows as Suvla. NERVES ARE ON THE ELDGE.

•' ‘Th(i moon is just beginning to flood the sea and land with light so deal that lone can scarcely notice the change fx'om twilight into night. Hie brightness of the moon is one of oux chief anxieties, for if the enemy sees what we are doing, and attacks during* certain stages of the embarkation before to-night is over, then nothing can prevent one of the most sanguinary and desperate fights in the history of this or any other war. At present, although everyone’s nerves are one edge with the proximity and constant possibility of a great tragedy, befoxe ; to-morrow's day can break, yet there is nothing whatever on the grey shape of land to suggest that the Turks have the least hint of what is going forward. fb THE OUTWARD CALM. As a matter of fact, certain movement of troops are. taking place m. the last half hour, which, if carelessly carried out, would result in the discovery of our plan, but looking on with all tile apprehension in the world one cannot make out the least difference in the scene. The grey mountain is sleeping under the moon; red pinpoints of incinerator fires are winking exactly as usual on hill and, valley all over our position; the g ie .Y ® nl ° ® ® the evening fires curl upwards in the gullies; from the crest of a ridge the lazy “pick-pock of desu - tory rifle fire. It is the ordinary bight's- sniping, the Turks firing at our loopholes and we at theirs. bar ~outh of Hellos conies more than the usual rumble of the guns. We made ■an attack at Helles this afternoon. 1 THE DREADED DAY. It can be stated that the movement which this moment is going on is which from the day of landing everyone most dreaded. I heard it said on thd day of the landing, and it ho-

< came a commonplace remark ever 'since, that though the experiences of the landing were had enough, one thing would be worse, and that was, if it ever fell to our lot to have to get off again. One reads the papers and speeches of members of Parliament, tasking light-heartedly why the forces’ tare not withdrawn from the Cardan*elles, as if the process was merely picking up baggage and walking. Peo ’pie talking like that could not have the faintest conception of the conditions under which we have been holding on for eight months. Did they realise that the main beacn, from which all the work of supplying Anzac has to be done, is within nl hundred yards of the main ceig® pivot of the whole Turkish line; jM| if the Turks tight their way for three hundred yards they would reach the edge of a cliff from which they could look down, as from the gallery of a theatre, upon a narrow flat containing nearly all our stores, upon an ordinary depot with all the paraphernalia for landink and embarkation. Six hundreo yards below would be the North Beach itself, that is, the beach just north of Avibnrnu Point, with, at three oi our five landing stages, a sohtaiy sunken landing steamer, which served as a breakwater. South of Anhurnu Point, Anzac Cove, or the South Beach is “Watson” pier, which was built by Australian signallers. Jiie pier is within sight of Gaba Tepe Promontory, and the enemy can see it.

ON THE BEACHES. The guns of the enemy’s batteries to the south can put a shell on any part of the beach easily. There are fourteen guns in those particular batteries, but all go by the name ol Beachy Bill, and they have made Watson’s Beach easily the most unsafe place on the Peninsula, and the only chance was to get the troops away without the enemy (of whom there are eighty-five thousand at Anzac and Suvla) having any suspicion of it The North Beach is better hidden than Watson's, as the enemy cannot actually see it from anywhere on the ground round the landing point but there is an offshoot from the main ridge to the north from which he could look over the umer ridges into Anbnrmi Point, and halt the North Beach is known as the Sniper’s Rest, because it is habitually sniped from there at night with a machine gun. From Sniper’s Nest can! see (the top (of. one of -the lauding stedfl and boats moving; (o oy^frym them.* ; TbOBO twpilittle, °* beaili over which r the ; >vholg of Oflfrsppr plies, have i#m are ) of the beach.,, Anzac is frpni Jircjct rifle, £re W^tP uv Jft*i is even more'•opep)r,f 0 ~UfPn fY u it id *everal;W»W^^ nt fc .° i the -W’. est 'Turkish mb^evvpr.,,, Compete secrecy is the onb’v'conditiop ,which,fan prevent £he most terrible , conditions on the beach. Every man knows this, and it can be imagined with what feelings they read the airy speeches ami airer articles discussing the probability of our evacuation. The only .consideration has been' that the enemy would probably consider that not even the Bwlisfl talk' so much about evacuation if they, are really thinking of. the undertaking. heard, i ovpcpktjob, M tovoi n | THE ; STEPPING; STONES. , s jr., Siilv'a'-and Anzac are nqttsife? Helles, of any value themselves; ,tmp' are phlv' ilSetm ai stepping stones* -to a further.advance, and since the failure of i> the Suvla'attack the ouiy chance of further advance the landing of very large additional foicvs. The concentration of the forces no, further scattering, seems clearly necessary, but it is obvious that another army is scarcely likely to be spared for Gallipoli. I have heard the chances of evacuation discussed amongst the men for some weeks, so that when the news of the decision spread it wa s not altogether unexpected. I have heard every sort ot view expressed. A few were very depressed bn leaving Anzac, but the majority were glad enough to accept. Fate as it conies to them, and get away from the peculiar difficulties and especial labours of this position before the hardships were doubled by winter, but. the uppermost thought m the mind of every man was regret at leaving those little mountain cemeteries which every valley arid hillside contains. For a week past at any time of the day one saw small parties of men carefully lettering-in the halfobliterated name of some comrade on a rough wooden cross, or carefully raking the mound, bordering it vently with fuse caps from fallen shells.. The demand for ordnance wood for crosses has been , extraordinary. I noticed more chaplains sowink wattle and manuka on the graves. The men believe the Turks respect graveyards.

“AU RE VOIR’' TO “ABDUL.”

' Many Australian soldiers have been writing letters to leave in the dugouts for “Abdul,” telling him what a clean lighter they think he has been, and wishing him “Au revoir.” It is diflicult to say whether there has been any sign that the Turks have heard of oui ■ intention, but one would be inclined to think that, by the action of his guns he knows something is in the air. It is noticeable that during the last three days “Beachy Bill” has left off shelling the south beacli and trying to get the exact range of the northern beach. The only man who can see it for him is this observer at Sniper’s Nest, or on part of the same ridge who can see the mast of the breakwater steamer, and probably the extreme end of the beach. Luckilj practice has not been good, for thousand upon thousand ’of our troops will have to pass’ this way. Whatever may. have given the enemy an inkling must certainly have made him think. There, was an occurrence the night before about one o’clock in the morn-

ing. On looking out one noticed that the whole sky to‘the northward was flushed orange by the reflection of a great fire. The fire clearly came from within our lines and not far from the lorth beach, and probably either the Ordnance dump, or supply dump, was turning. As one knew no stores were co l)o on any account burned till after everyone had left ? this occurrence looked like a tragedy, but nothing mportant followed. AiN ACCIDENTAL SCARE. On reaching the, place we found a huge supply stack of flaming biscuit joxes and meat tins', while oil drums exploding were being hurled through die air. The men from the Generals downwards were perspiring in an attempt to isolate the stack, which had jecorne ignited by accident. “Beadiy Bill,” who was throwing shells tear by, clearly thought this was his ioing, for as soon as he saw the glow le began to throw in more shells, vhich fell about a hundred yards on ,ne side. The accident seemed unortunate for a time, but the enemy •an hardly think we are such fools that re should deliberately burn our stores ;wo or three nights before attemptng a secret evacuation. He knows ve are using every artifice to try and ,empt him tb attack, and probably Jiinks this is the end of them.-Indeed, f he had. attacked at any time up ,o now, we should only have been too jlad to receive hini. ' ON THE WARSHIP.

South of us, there were stealing off through the night mist, which fortunately hung low over the surface of the sea, dark shapes. From ashore joihes the ordinary “pick-pock” of ■ifles. The moon--is so bright one can easily see to write. , Another distant gray shape is passing outwards .0 the far southward. They are jlearly getting, away without the .east hitch and ahead of Dime. Thank God, that so many many thousand are clear at any rate. A big monitor has just been stealing past us. This ship I have never seen before and she must be going to enfilade the Suvla tx'enches .f anything goes wrong, well, we can forecastle below me I can see the vhite tops of the caps of about twen-cy-five sailors, gazing intently. They ire intensely interested and hospitable to any soldier, of whom there ire two or three aboard. The ship’s officers are straining at the leash to id of use. This ship has sortie time .vatched over the interests of Anzac Sri j the sea. The whole company is jager..,to. help the army: “To-night, 3Maity€/n{/*dcs\ well, cafi go jin ana pick* them off if it comes 1 do* I that,” says The one thiilg. that, corngs hard evidently is ■that 'so long as everything goes wfell there- -is no call-upon them, except the actual arranging of the transport; 'chh '• only fire a 'few 1 - normal rounds on the flanks.

“What’s that feller up to down there?” savs an officer of the watch, looking * mb&W at -a** ri&il.” ‘^We 1 oan j scarcely^eo ; the beggar’s searchligli. Why 'doesn’t he ginger up a bit f-dmr : toltv* Ut

** ‘THE THE GUNS. Some gun has flashed down near yur ; beach! JGProbablyiqife is we fare leaving that it can be fired by us ment from 'the old ..Anzac position. So small fiefci KimsTjrre; placfc|' in the valleys where, ftlifey. aS'e t.hiddjh froriif the .enemy and cannot lire on the enemy’s front trenches'; theymould fire positions four thousand yards away, but from the first in order that the Australian field guns plight fire into the enemy’s trenches it has been necessary to place them on the top of hills. Men - dragged them there by solid muscle and early in the day eight of them were actually in the old firing, line. Almost all the remainder of the hill-rests are in full view of the Turks. Two old howitzers with sides shaky and nearly as dangerous to us as the enemy were left until the last, and possibly some, mounted guns in exposed positions.. A. ( four-poiut-seven naval gun, - made > ip. 1896 and reputed to have been at Ladysmith was blown up some days, ago. AN ATTACK AT HELLES.

A very heavy fir© has suddenly broken out ten miles away at least from where this Cruiser -lies. We can distinctly hear the, ripple of the rifle fire and machine guns, punctuated by the thud of] bombs.; It is the first time that we have ever heard the rifle fire at Helles from Anzac. It gave one a very big heart-thump at first, because it sounded almost like an attack on the Anzac right, but there is the casual “pick-pock” of our rifles on the right audible clearly above it,' and quite distinct. The British made an attack this afternoon at Helles,the Forty-second and Fiftysecond divisions (that is the Manchester and Lowland divisions) made a charge. We could see the Turkish shrapnel bursting over them. Navy and land guns’ were helping the British by one of the most tremendous short bombardments ever listened to. Wo wonder if this rifle fire means that we took some of the trenches and that the Turks are counter-at-tacking. Everyhing ashore is quite ridrpial, but now and then a bomb flashes at places where the hues are very close, such as at Hill 60 in the north, or at The Apex, or at The Neck, or at Lone Pine, or in the far South, where the Second Light Horse Brigade is holding Chasm Post on the extreme right.

MORE ABORT “BEACHY BILL.” Messages just received by th e Captain say that the " hole plan is working splendidly. A lighter is moving jtowards the shore about half a mile j from us. We can hear the voice of i the Captain here asking instructions [from the officer on watch; he stamps impatiently on the bridge. There is 'a sound of very heavy firing down south, and wo can directly hear the machine guns, first one, then two toI i

gether, and then continuous rifle fire. The troops are now coming off, using not only the North Beach, but also the beach at Anzac Cove, on to which Beachy Bill can put a shell whenever he. likes. He can make that Vach 'almost impassable at any moment ho likes. Occasionally, when there is some small increase in sniping from the trenches it makes one hold his breath for a moment. I remember ibis, that Beachy Bill has, so far, only fired four or five shots during the whole night; that is certain proof he cannot suspect there is any unusual' movement on. There is a bright light for a few moments down near the south line of Brighton beach, and a naval officer says it is a flare from the -funnel of some steamboat. There is • a collection of a few cutters, with a steamboat, which is to gather at Brighton beach in order to bring off the latefet party. We often land stores at Brighton beach, so Beachy Bill will notice nothing unusual in this. EXACTLY AS USUAL. Inshore, just about the usual numbers of trawlers and small craft are lying at Brighton. There are flashes of occasional bombs and casual firing all aloftg the line, with an occasional rattle of anchor chains; the sparks of the incinerator, fires every now and then are fanned into a bigger flare, and every thing is exactly as usual. THE UNSUSPECTING TURK.

A message arrived from the officer commanding ' the remaining troops spying the enemy were actually seen strenuously employed making trenches and putting up barbed wire. They must surely think our activity means an attack by us.