RAID ON THE DARDANELLES

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 145, 22 February 1915, Page 5

RAID ON THE DARDANELLES

FORTS AT THE EN/TRANCE ! SHELLED. | MUCH DAMAGE DONE. ] WELLINGTON, Feb. 21. The Prime Minister has received the following from the High Commissioner dated Londn, February 20th.: The British Admiralty J-.muunces that yesterday morning at 8 o'clock o ' British fleet of battleships and battlecruisers, acompanied by a flotilla and aided by a strong French squadron, the whole under the command of Vice-Ad-miral Saekvile H. Garden, attacked the forts at the entrance of tho Dardanelles. The forts at Cape Helles and Kum Kale were bombarded with deliberate long-range fire and considerable effect produced on the two forts. The two were frequently hit, but being open earthworks, it was difficult to estimate the damage. Tho forts being out-ranged were not able +o reply to the fire. At 2.45 a portion of the battleship force was ordered to engage the forts at closer range with their secondary armament. • The forts at both sides of the entrance opened fire, and were engaged at moderate ranges. The Vengeance, Cornwallis, Triumph, Suffron, Gaulois, and Bouvet supported the Inflexible and Agememnon at long range. The forts on the European side were apparently silenced. One fort on the Asiatic side was still firing when the operation was suspended owing to failing daylight. The ships of the allied fleets were not hit. His Majesty's aeroplane Arkroyal was in attendance, with a number of seaplanes and aeroplanes of the naval wing. THE GREEK REPORT. LONDON, Feb. 20. Athens reports that twelve battleships and twenty torpedoers partook in the bombardment of the forts at El Hamdieh and Kum Kale. Tho fc rts were destroyed, the powder magazine exploded, and many guns put out of action. THE TURKISH VERSION. CONSTANTINOPLE, Feb. 21. Official: The outer forts wore shelled. Four hundred shots were fired, but were unsuccessful. Oiui aol-ilier was killed. DARDANELLES DISCUSSED. ENFORCED PASSAGE SUGGESTED. (Reed. 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, Feb. 20. Forcing the passage of the Dardanelles, besides securing the mastery of Constantinople, would open a way to .the Black Sea and facilitate the export of ten million quarters of Russian wheat, now lying at various ports, and thus cause the cheapening of food in Britain and France. PIOUS FRENCH CAPTA'N. LONDON, Paris reports that French colonial troops, ina ttacking an important position, suffered severely. jfc A battery of 75 centimetre guns commanded by an enormous captain, clean shaven, supported them. The captain climbed a tree and made observations, and the Germans were speedily annihilated. The captain was a priest after the battle, and celebrated Mass in a ruined barn, preaching a stirring sermon, and exhorting his hearers to pray for "those German gunners just exterminated."