GALLIPOLI FIGHTING.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 261, 23 July 1915, Page 5

GALLIPOLI FIGHTING.

DESCRIBED BY NAVAL OFFICER

The following is an extract from a letter received from third engineroom articer J. B. Moss, of H.M.s. , formerly of Dunedin: — "I am writing this on watch, having the morning one, as things are quiet, and we are just abreast of Sedd ul Bahr fort, which is a mass of ruins, and lies inside, about a quarter of a mile from Cape Helles. At present wo have thousands of troops ashore attacking a hill called Achi Baba, which is much more strongly fortified than the 203 metre hill of .Port Arthur fame. The German officers that we have taken prisoners say that 'you might take Constantinople, but Achl Baba never. ’ However, avc have had two weeks’ attack on it now, and, although our losses are iTenvy in respect of wounded, our death roll is comparatively small. and many of the wounded will be able to return to the firing-line in a few Aveeks. The Great Battle,

“I Avill endeavour to give you some idea, of the great battle. It started tAvo ago last Sunday, and, except with spells of desultory firing, has continued with unabated vigour throughout. It happened, thus: —On the 23 April, the and left for —• —, the ultimate base for operations. As we steamed out through the fleet of battleships and transports Ave were loudly cheered, for it became knoAvn that we Avere -the advance guard of a general attack on Gallipoli Peninsula. Our ship led the way, and steamed out of the harbour. Our band struck up, ‘Fall in and Follow Me,’ and each ship avc passed cheered up, for Ave wore lined up on deck in review order, and Ave returned each cheer as if aa'c were going out for show. My Avord, it was a grand sight. And Avho Avould haA T e thought, us they watched us, that in a feAA' days 10 per cent, of our men would be no more, as events subsequently pro A-ed. Arriving at —•— we waited for the transports to embark aboard us their troops. We had South Wales Borderers. On Saturday night the captain piped: ‘All. hands, aft,’ explained to us the nature of the operations, and exhorted all to put the best foot forward for the glory of the Empire, saying: ‘Wc have to take this ridge. Do as I tell you. I will see you take it.’ And ho did, for he landed with the. men, and only returned, when they were entrenched on that hill. We had "a particularly easy piece of beach to land on, as events proved, but it was not before we had Host heavily that wc were able to advance up to the hill. It was never intended that this peninsula should be used for aught else but "fighting on, and the Turk must’have spent milions on trenching the country.

Mowed Down. Like Grass. ' "Now let us pull down ‘B’ Bench, at which point the Dublin Fusiliers and Irmlslciiijlug Guards were to, land. An old c<rllicr had been prepared. with large hatchings cut in its sides, and the gangways rigged to enable the troops bo walk ashore. B'ho. was run ashore on what was supposed to be the most favourable place, and, oh. what slaughter! . They wore >- mowed down like grass before a scythe. Eventually a landing was effected, but they could do nothing but lie in the water, screened with the bodies of dead comrades. For thirty hours we (the fleet in general) shelled., that place with 15-ln, 32in, and 6in guns. On the 27th, by a grand charge, they took fort No. 3 and the slope up from Sedd ul Bahr beach. During this time our troops were landed with some opposition at various points on the Aegean side of the Peninsula, and had made good progress, so we were now well established on shore, and the transports were busy landing guns and ammunition and the necessary equipment that makes up a fighting army. The weather here is warming up, and w r e are well into the summer.

A Sanguinary Encounter. "We have been much engaged with the Turks, and yesterday inflicted great loss on the 21st Army Corps of the Turks. The modest estimate of loss w r as 7,500 killed and 3,000 wounded, and our casualties totalled 750 killed. The whole of the lighting was done by our beloved boys from the colonies, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, backed up by our big guns, And%ow the town of Krithia is almost in our possession. It is an awful war, but when one sees the sights of these terrible Turks led by these fiendish Huns, and the atrocities perpet-' rated on our honourable men, why, one 's blood boils with horror and indignation.

Millions of Men Wanted. “The war drags on, but we will never win without millions of troops more, arid then only by great sacrifice. I am not joining the 'all! is lost', party, but why can’t the British and Colonials sec that freedom and honour and the very life of the Empire are at stake? We are on our trial. 1 Let our nation be well represented, not diplomatically; for that Is at ah end. but-as fighters; This does not sound -cheery, but -L am here and , see how we are hampered for want of these men. Men we possess; and who should be up and doing. We '*r^ v go&£ ; to win.: The herder ; the th«> gratttervtbe', honour; hud;'-with; ‘out of Europe;, w it peace la this world, let us tope thatit .will; be effected sooner Ifcan I expect, -, and remomber, ‘England always wins in the end.’ ”