FIGHTING AT THE DARDANELLES

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 290, 18 September 1915, Page 3

FIGHTING AT THE DARDANELLES

THE DAILY ROUND

SHELLING AND BOMBING

TREjNCH WARFARE AMOjNG- THE HILLS. (From Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent with the N.Z. Forces.) July 20th. In my last artier I gave a short description cf the position west and north of Anzor, Cove defended hy the New Zealand and Australian Division of th& Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. I purpose giving- now some idea of a week’s doings in regard to these positions l , (insofar as the present situation Will permit.

On 13th July two eneniy mountain guns on Mortar R'idfge, opposite Courtney’s, opened on that post during, the early morning. They were enraged by

our howitzers, one shell hitting the left emplacement. Courtney’s; was also subjected to fire from the Turkish “seventy-fives.” At 9.15 p.m. we carried out a “fifie demonstration” with great success, h,eavy ineffective fire being drawn from the enemy’s, trenches in front of Quinn’s. One of our batteries fired some well-directed shells into the enemy's trenches. At 5.30 a.m. about 50ft in front of our drenches at Courtney’s was blown up at a sap where our miners had broken into what appeared to be a hew Turkish trench ready for opening from our sap into the Turkish trench.

There was the usual etheUiing during the day. Here also our “fire demonstration” was a success, and drew' heavy firg i(rom the enemy—fire that was, of course, entirely ineffective. During the demonstration the enemy trenches Avere lit up by star shells from the mountain guns. This was foil lowed by artillery fir e directed on “the chessboard,” a position in which the Turks have criss-crossed the (ground, with trenches to such an.extent as to well deserve the name. The slopes l on the : south-west of “Baby 700,” a (hill beyond cur position on the left centre, wer e also shelled by our guns. On the Australian side the rifle fire drawn at night was greater than anything previously experienced on this flank. In one place Turks seen with fixed bayonets were promptly dealt with by the Australians,. Thje gun fij.-e generally apparently (had the effect of making the enemy call up Ms local resreves. The rapidity of the Turkish machine gun fire was noticeable, and the rapidity with which their field guns were directed on positions was remarked upon. Within three minutes of the Australians opening fire the first Turkish shell was dropped on Holly Ridge, ana from 250 to 300 shells fell near the trenches occupied by the 3rd Infantry Brigade. This shelling, how a,-or, was respnosibie for only a very few casualties.

On 14th July Courtney’s Post was severely shelled by an enemy s. Tin. Bun hidden in the direction of Hill 971, but the damage done to the trenches was soon repaired. There were, naturally, a few casualties. The Turks also suffered from our shelling of < ne of their positions, known as “German Officers’ Trench.” They made great headway durng the night in repairing tlio damage. In another section the Annafarta gun dropped a 'few shells at odd times during the afternoon at the fcor of Plugge’s Plateau. Thro ighout the night the enemy kept up sharp bursts of rifle fire, and showed considerable uneasiness. It is possible that several of theft’ trenches were filled with new troops. One of our howitzers replied to the Turkish “seventy five,” and silenced it for the time being. The enemy’s (heavy howitzer firing at Courtney's Post was engaged by the Australian Field Batteries and the 5-inch howitzets. On the Australian side the

enemy’s fire was active during the night, with occasional heavy bursts. A patrol encountered five Turks who refused to surrender. These were ropped by the Australians at close range, and tike ethers also appeared to have been hit. Subsequently thirty or forty Turks tried to rush the Australian patrol of six, but the latter withdrew safely. later, in another position, a Turkish patrol was forede to retire by heavy rifle fire. On the 15th Julj Ccutrnsy's was shelled by a 6-incfh gun from the direction cf Battleship Hill, to the north. One shot landed inside the post and did som e damage, but there were no casualties. At 3 p.m., the mountain gun on Mortar Ridge also shelled this position, and the 6-inch gam again opened, causing some damage to the trenches on the right of Courtney’s, but no casual, ties. There was rather more rifle fire than usual from the enemy during the night. In section— there was a very quiet day, with little shelling. During the afternoon there was a great deal of sniping along the beach on the left wing from rough, scrubby country north of Walker's Ridge, Bayonet? which had not been seen for some time, wer, 3 noticed in the enemy trenches opposite the nek between 9 and 10 p.m., indicating that new troops had been moved up. Our bomb-throwing made the enemy nervus, and they fired a good deal a,t nothing In particular One of our batteries fired at the tren dies and barbed-wire entanglements or the Turkish position on Lonesome Pine, and, at the request of the O.C. section, devoted special attention to

the enemy’s second trench from the front. Thirty-four rounds - were f red. Out Howitzer Battery also caoie into ' action at the request of tire 0.0. section, tiring at the Turksih. *U” ' trench opposlite Russell’s Ton. hi.is day Capt. J. S. Campbell, medic d officer Bth Australian Light Horse, had both legs blown off. On tjh e 16th, July further icpairs were made to the trenches at Coufrtrev’s Post. At 7.30 p.rn.. the enemy

was heard working undergo; i ,nl at

some distance from our mines. The enemy 1.7 gun agahi opened fire in the evening, but the shells appeared to fall into Steele’s Posit, occupied by the Australians. A Turkish bomb, apparently tlfrown from a mortal’, landed on the left of Pope’s Hill, put did not explode'. Heavy bombing took p l ace at Quinn’s between 1.30 and G 30 a.m. The enemy were (heard digging within a few feet of the tunnel, )n sap No. —, so a charge of was tied to disturb their proceedings. A Turkish gun from the Chocolate Mills shelled our support trenches at 'he northwest of Russell’s Top, damaging the parapets but 'inflicting only tvo casualties.

On the 17th July, in the early morning, there was constant bombing at Quinn’s. In the evening th e enemy 5.7 inch fired a few shots into Courtney's Post. There were no ■•asualties from this shelling, but slight damage was done to the trenches. In the evening a mine was successfully exploded in front of No. Post at Quinn’s. At Quinn’s our people also bombed the enemy and drew short bkrsts of rifle fire. At 7.39 p.m. th e mountain gun fired three she'd 3 int a Turkish machine gun emplacement on “Baby 700,” a high point on thie (left flank. Our Mountain Batteries have been doing | excellent work. On 18tlh July the enemy mountain gun shelled Courtney’S, but did no damage. The .exploded a mine in that post which exposed a Turkish trench not hitherto located. ; From No. —section a body of enemy ■lnfantry, estimated at about a battalion, was s*een manoeuvring about tire Chocolate Hills, and another party—about one company—was seen marchnig from Kutcfhuk An af art a to Biyuk Anafarta villages; to the north-east of our position. Mounted Turkish troops were also seen patrolling in a northerly direction. In Ansae Cov e a Taube flew lower than usual, over the position, dropping two bombs, one of which exploded, but did no damage. This bomb which burst near its base, was pyramidal in form, and made of btronze. It was stated to be the same type as was recently used in the German raid on London. On tthe Sunday morning one of our aeroplanes scouted high over the Turkish position at the back of Anzac Cove. An enemy gun on two occasions burst shrapnel under her. but she was much too high to be hit by thes e guns. We (had the usual shelling of the beach and a m ok tar dropped a few r 11-inch shells into our gully. The shell was a round on)0. Apparently both mortar and shell were of an Old pattern, but the shell had evidently keen refilled with a high explosive, for it burst with ,a lend report and chunks of blackened iron wefre thrown about. One fragment went through the roof of a man’s dug-out, but the occupant, who was sitting outside only three or four yards away, escaped injury. The exploding of thes e sheds made a ddsconcertirfg noise, but they hit no one, and did no damage. Some of the bathers on the beach Tvere

. H °t so fortunate la the shelling front th e other grape, but the moment the shelling ceased tjhje bathing was resumed. It is a great f actor in the health of the Army Carps, and is no doubt worth all the risk.

To-day, Monday, 19th July, we can hear the boominfg of the guns at AcMBaba. Opposite our bay the baJjloon is up, and a cruisejr and two monitors are planting shells from their heavy gun® on to the mainland at long ranges. Thus day by day and night by nighfc we do our daily round. There are rumours of a new Turkish army of 100,000 men making a Anal effort to drive Js into the sen. This is the time of the religious festival of Ramazan—s t you: > hie time to play upon the fanatic a? fed: mgs of the Turks. We are a hoping they will attack.

COMPULSORY SERVICE. DISCUSSION IN HOUSE OF COMMOjNS. VARIOUS VIEWPOINTS. LONDON, Sept. 1*», Mr Amery (U.), Sir A. M. Mond, Captain Guest, and Mr Chlozza Money favoured compusory national service. Captain Guest’s speech was listened to with rapt attention, jeven from opponents. Replying to the argument that it is dangerous to swop horses when crossing a stream, he agreed with that if the end of the war was near, but we had hardly begun, hardly got our feet wet, and the stream, had grown much wider during the past year. Germany, flcr nine months; thanks to superior equipment, had held up the combined forces of AngloFrench with the left hand, while with the right sh;e had detf.t Russia a striggering blow. "We really wanted four million under arms.

Mr Dillon, In opposing conscription,: vehemently attacked portion, of the Press for doing its utmost to impede the voluntary system. Many a man in Ireland had been gaoled for much, less than Lord Northcllffe had done. But for !his power and connections he woulld have been gaoled long ago. The country would commit the greatest blunder if it abandoned the voluntary 1 system.

Mr "Walsh voiced Labour’s hostility to compulsion. He said that if the Government declared it was necessary in order to win* and produced facts to prove the assertion, the Trade Union Congress would reconsider the Bristol resolution and ui&e trade unionists to acquiesce.