The Dardanelles

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 231, 9 March 1915, Page 5

The Dardanelles

PANIC IN CONSTANTINOPLE. CHRISTIANS FEAR MASSACRES. Received 8. 11.5 p.m. Loiidon, March 8. The Times' correspondent at .Sofia says Constantinople is pariie-strieken. There are thousands of refugees in Gallipoli, and tliei- increase the alarm, ft is feared that the appearance of the Allied fleet will he the signal for a greater murder of Christians. Many are already fleeing. Tlie German officers being unpopular with the masses, great efforts are being made to fortify the environs of the city under the direction of Knver PitsTia.

SMYRNA FORTS SILENCED. ALARM IN CONSTANTINOPLE. London, March 7. Router's Attliens correspondent states that Rear-Admiral Pier.se silenced the forts on the Smyrna heights, and is now bombarding the forts at the entrance of the Gulf. Tiie cruiser Kurvalus is Admiral Pierce's flagship. Reuter's Athens correspondent states that the Queen Elizabeth on March 5 operated in the Gulf of Saros. Iler first shots silenced tin* battery on the heights, Tlie armaments of fort L include Hin guns.

i _ _ KiHi.-ire-.t, March 7. U alarm in the German olor.y nt Constantinople. German officers are H'ndinir away their families. Many women, including Hcrr von Sanger's wife, have arrived here. QUEEX ELIZABETH'S LOXG-RAXGE GUNS. FIRIXG OVER PENINSULA AND STRAITS. A TERRIFIC FIRE. Received Si 9 p.m. Official: The Queen Illizabeth, from the Gulf of Saros, bombarded two large forts on the Asiatic coast, near Chanak. Simultaneously the within the Dardanelles bombarded Darifenus, on the lAsiatic coast, and Soghanbere, on the European coast.

REAL TROUBLE LIES AHEAD. Received 9, 1.45 a.m. Amsterdam, March 8. The Frankfurter Zeitung publishes an interview with Enver Pasha. He declares that the subjection of the outer torts of the Dardanelles is expected, but the real defences are further in, where a narrow defile is commanded" by mines and artillery to prevent ships manoeuvI ling. These defences are so' far unaffected.^ TURKS LIBERATE FLOATING MIXES. THE BOMBARDMENT DESCRIBED. Received 8, 9 p.m. London, March 8. The Daily Chronicle's correspondent at Athens says the Turks are using many floating mines in the Dardanelles. Some of them floated as far as Tenedos. The heavier Turkish guns arc skilfully hidden, and it is necessary to knock them out individually, calling, for the most skilful marksmanship. Already fifty have been destroyed. A spectator on Mount Ilias watched the opening of the bombardment. He sdescribe it as a magnificent spectacle. Tlie fleet was ranged in semi-circles at the entrance, and the shells screamed every two minutes, and Huge masses of earth and stone-work were thrown up. The din was terrific. As the Turkish batteries refused to be drawn, one British and one French ship stood in. spitting fire and smoke towards Seddul Bahr. The ships sped under the Hat. teries, drawing their fire. Fountains of water were springing" high in the air round the ships, but none of the shots landed within a hundred yards. Immediately the batteries thus disclosed their positions the fleet opened a terrific • fire with the heaviest guns. Each projectile appeared to create a frightful inferno. One section of the fleet, sheltering at the cxtremeitv of Gallopoli Peninsula, fired over a hilly promontory at Kum Kale forts.

Another section under the coast north, east of Tenedos concentrated a galling fire on the same spot, also demoralising groups of Turkish troops on the mainland.