The Dardanelles

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 250, 31 March 1915, Page 5

The Dardanelles

BOMBARDING THE BOSPHORUS.

RUSSIA TAKKS A HAND.

Petrograd, March '&■

The Russian fleet bombarded the Hospliorus batteries. Aviators also successfully bombed the batteries. We drove back destroyers which endeavored to emerge from the Straits.

NO MORE NEWS,

v STRICT CENSORSHIP ENFORCED.

(Times and Sydney Sun Services.) Received March" 30, 5.20 p.m. London March 30. A rigid censorship has been established regarding the Dardanelles, at the request of the British Admiral No news will be permitted after this. The Admiralty has arranged for three accredited correspondents to accompany the forces, Bartlett representing the London papers, Lawrence the provincial, and probably Bean the dominion papers.

DARDANELLES CONCISELY

DESCRIBED.

A very concise but comprehensive description of the Dardanelles is given in a recent publication of Chamber's Journal, in which a writer states:—'The fortifications proper consist of, first, the old castles of Sestos and Abydos, nowknown as Seddul Bahr and Kum Kakii, standing one on either side of the intrance. These ancient edifices, however, may he almost disregarded by the superDreadnought, the real defences lying higher up the channel at Kilid Bahr and Chanak Kalcssi, where the shores are but a mile apart. From the entrance the European bank is higher, rising 150 and 200 feet. At Kilid Bahr there are some batteries almost flush with the water. On these are about 40 Krupp guns, some of them mounted.on earthworks, others en barbette. The latter could _ not be worked when a fleet approached in finning its way up the channel, as the fire from the fillip's small arms and machine guns would sweep them. The guns in the earthworks are better protected, though even these would probably be silenced by those of the fleet; but above on the crest of the hill, some hundreds of'feet above the water, are some very powerful. batteries. These constitute the greatest danger to an advancing fleet, as from their elevation the projectiles from the ships' guns would pass over them, while they would be able to play upon the enemy's decks, the most vital part in the modern battleship. Immediately behind thU point the shore falls away almost at right angles, and this greatly increases the difficulty of an ascending squadron, for the force of the stream runs across the channel ami tends to take the bows of vessels across towards Chanak. Chanak is not so strong naturally as_ Kilid Bahr, but the fortifications are much stronger, the Krupp guns being for the most part in easements. When it is remembered that, in addition to these very powerful fort', there would be all the obstacles that the scientific skill of the greatest milita'-y Power that the world has ever kno_«vn could design for destroying an attacking fleet, the forcing of a passage at the pesent time would seem an impossible undertaking. The writer describes the Dardar-llcs as he saw them some years ago. Since then these defences have been very greatly strengthened by General Liman von Sanders. Some of the old forts have been practically reconstructed, and the latest type of Krurip guns have been placed in position at the most effective positions in the straits. The heights of Cape Hellas have been rearmed, and powerful steel protected

fortifications have been constructed at Chanak and Kilid Ba'ir so as to com-

mand the narrowest "part of the passages. An arrangement of torpedotubes has been set up at the water's edge, whilst all down the Asiatic coast of the Sea of Marmora from Omali to Lapsaki sti;ong earthworks on the terrace system and containing heavy guns are now in evidence. Not only are the Straits thickly mined, but they are patrolled day and night by steam tracers. Powerful searchlights have, also been placed at the entrances and at var-

ious commanding positions on hot 1 ! coasts, whilst the approaches to the Dardanelles by land have been protected by earthworks and trene'ies supported by detached forts, most noticeably so in the direction of the Gulf of Saros."