BRITISH BUNGLING.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 290, 18 September 1915, Page 2

BRITISH BUNGLING.

the reverses of the medal

Whilst we may without “swank” glory over Sir lan Hamilton’s vigorously written narraitve of moving events at the Dardanelles, there is no reason why we should stifle our critical faculties ind deny ourselves the pleasure ;,s.c) of inquiring into those things that lie behind this record of sublime— and often futile — Sir lank- dispatch, when rightly, read, is slmph tlie record of a series of blunder.' g'cased over by brilliant deeds. Three weeks after the initial naval ! bombardment the authorities appear to have realised that this war isn’t an affair for the salllcjrs alone, and that military co-operation was required. Sir lan Hamilton was then sent out, very hastily; this headquarters staff had net been mobilised, and did not join him for another fortnight, and the general was. of course, powerless to act until Ms intellectual munitions peached him. The naval bombardment in March, which end|ed in the loss of three battleships, seems to have been a desperate undertaking under the stimulus ef Sir lan’s presence, and the general, having witnessed that attack, at once reputed that the co-operation of the whole of the forces under his command was essential to the success of the enterprise. WARNING THE ENEMY. But the difficulties due to want of forethought now asserted themselves with disastrous consequences. The land force had net been s ent out in suitable form for immediate use, and the (’emit was that the whole force had to be taken to Egypt, landed, re-distributed, and re-embarked. A whole month was thus lost, and it is impossible to say bow many lives were sacrificed in consequence. Even new every one of the three natural features which Sir lan Hamilton describes as dominating this petition are still in Turkish hands. If the Germans in Constantinople had not received two months’ notice of i our intention to land at Gallipoli things j might have gone differently. :

TOO LATE FOR THE FAIR

An ihuminatin'j example of the Brifiisih ha,bit of arriving “too late foV the fair” is furnishbd tjy Sir lan Hamilton’s narrative of the first attack on Krithia at t|he end of April, an attack made, apparently, in a terrible p ir”» in Liii.r tnat the landing achieved in the face of fearful difficulties and at a terrible cost should not be bar re nf Results. “Had it been possible,” writes Sir lan, “to push in reinforcements in men, artillery and munitions during the day, Krithia should have fallen, and - much subsequent fighting for its capture would have bebn avoided. Two days lateb this would have been feasible, but I bad to {reckon with ceratinty that the

enemy would in that same time have received proportionately greater suppert.”

To hbvr many episodes in this war would similar words apply! “Time is

on our side” was a favourite phrase with our journalisst in the early days of the war, but Father Time is strictly neutral and favours no man. You are there, c|r Jyou are not, and, generally 1 «r speaking, we have not been there when we should have been in this war. As regards the Dardanelles we have, it would seem, forced Time to be the enemy’s ally instead of our own. To put the matter bluntly Lord Kitchener’s assurances' that ample naval and military forces were on the spot to deal with the situation are not justified by Sir lan Hamilton’s dispatch. Still the bright spots in that dispatch are very numerous. The co-operation between the Ajrmy and the Fleet was perfect. So was the co-operation between the British and the French. Equally successful was the initiative left to the local commanders and the able use made of it. The main British landing, for example, was not effected at the point originally intended by the Commander-in-Chief, but was carried out at a spot cn tine cthy side of Cape Helles, where conditions were found to be favourable, But, best of all, is the confidence the dispatch gives us in the capacity of our newly raised and hurriedly trained troops. Sir Tan Hamilton does not ; syy it in so many woWls, but on reading his despatch one sentence often used by commanding officers during the Boer War comes irresistibly to mind—- “ The men are splendid.”