A GREAT BATTLE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 293, 20 May 1915, Page 5

A GREAT BATTLE.

m UNPARALLELED TUSSLE. Great Hew Zealand Charge. Vivid Pictures of War. I r^ — : — '—i Times and Sydney Sun Services.

Received May 1!!, 10 p.m. London, May 18. Mr. Ashmead Rartlett, the war correspondent, in his narrative of the operations at the Dardanelles, says the navy is working incessantly in connection with the landing of troops, animals, guns, stores and ammunition, and at tile same time is keeping down the enemy's fire. Deep-water piers have been built and roads cut, and the work never stops. The army and navy is a marvellous organisation which is'distinct yet co-opera-tive, and carried out their work with great difficulty. The enemy'aircraft ell'orts to bomb the warships and the crowded beaches excite derision. One shot blew up a gun-caisson, killing a man and the horses. There is a wonderful scene at night nt the southern end of the peninsula, giving the appearance of one of the world's greatest uorts. There are masses of lights on the seashore like several (owns, while at sea hundreds of great transports and numerous warships l:e packed outside the forbidding and still defiant Straits.

sweeping movement towards TIIII -100 behind Krithia, and were met by tremendous shrapnel fire. Shells bunt right over our men, and whole companies disappeared in clouds of earth, but they never wavered and advanced, losing heavily. As the enemy aim high, most of the wounds were slight. Darkness stopped the fight within eight hundred yards of Krithia. The Turkj fought with extreme bravery and determination, whilst their handling of artillerv wai masterly. THE P.ATTLE RESUMED. The battle was resumed on the ISth with greater violence. The fleet shelled the ground behind Krithia. The British infantry left and centre advanced under a withering outburst. Both brigades doffi-'edlv faced it, and sometimes were driven back. Eventually, they got in a position to make a linal assault possible. The New Zen landers moved forward with the Australians on the left and over the whole battlefield the lines were straightened. The'positions of the units were' ascertained to enable the ships to jiau'.'e the range.

Tiic English and Trench reinforcements arrived on '.May (i. and now commenced one of tile most remarkable battles eviM- fought. Almost every detail could lie followed with tlie naked eve. The hiiUle was of the old-fashion-ed type, being chiefly conducted liy the commanders from what they could see with their own eves, apart from the fieldtelegraphs and telephones. The eventual objective was the possession of Achi Baba. The first step was to fret possession of two {Treat 'i r, " s »' ' A ''hi T?alia, stretching towai'ds Saros and the Dardanelles.' THE BRITISH OBJECTIVE, A perfect view of the hattle was obtaiiied from a hill six miles distant. The Allied armies were 'practically lighting for the "Rhomboid side, culminating with the peak of Achi Jlaba. The other two sides were already in our possession, and were covered by the warships. Five of the enemy's snipers occupied the rugged scrub which covered the ground, and they had to lie limited out man liy man. Ravines, low hills and dead ground offered every kind of concealment to the enemy who constructed endless trenches, which cuulil only he located'with extreme difliculty, while machine-guns were concealed with masterful skill.

At 5.15 every ship and every shore battery opened a stupendous lire. The hills were covered by immense clouds of yellow, and made a magnificent spectacle. The noise was frightful. Thousands of bursting projectiles', like volcanoes, were bursting everywhere, and it locked as if the whole country was afire. Ti.e bombardment lasted fifteen minutes. The infantry leaped the ■trenches and dashed towards Krithia, and the French towards the Alaidos Road. They were met by a. murderous Turkish fire. The '' ■'•■• Zealandevs hurried forward in a solid phalanx*, and were joined by many of the SBt.li brigade in a mad charge. A TORNADO OK BULLETS. They bayonettcd all in the first Turk ish trench and them passed over broken ground shooting and stabbing. Many were falling before the terrible fusilade, but not a soul turned back. On the right the Australians, with the Xew Zea landers, advanced over coverless ground, facing a tornado of bullets, being enfiladed by machine-gun fire from the right, which our artillery was unable to repress. The manner in which the Australians went forward will never be forgotten by those witnessing the advance. They went steadily, as if on parade, .sometimes doubling and sometimes walking. They melted away under a dreadful fusilade, but reserves tilled the gaps. A point was reached beyc.ni* which it was iiej.ossiji'e to od\ancc. They lay down and attempted t.) : ply to th • enemy's concealed fire, and entrenched themselves where llioy lay. It was obvious v. thii could net be taken by a direct assault.

The British left, including Australians ami Xuw Zoalandors, rested at Saros, and tlio French on the Dardanelles, with our warships on either flank sweeping every yard of the enemy's positions, not a sign of whom was visible. There was nothing more remarkable than the wav the Turks were dug in. Deadly stillness prevailed, broken only by the occasional' bursting of shrapnel.

The Australians and New Zealandcrs were in reserve behind the Indian Brigade, and the immediate British objective was to push the left wing forward and at the same time endeavor to occupy Krithia and the ridge on which stands the French objective, advance up the spurs and get astride the Maidos Road, and at the same time advance into the valley of the Kerivea "River. The first day's fighting was almost entirely confined to the right wing. It was necessary to get a good footing on the right, otherwise the British advance could be enfiladed. , •: ;

The French carried, out desperate bayonet charges. Darkness ended the conflict, and the end was not achieved, though .some ground was gained.

A STRONG ADVANCE. At eleven o'clock the French " seventyfives" round Scdd-c!-Bahr began a fierce and sustained bombardment for half an hour. At the same time our battleships turned their big guns on the upper slopes of Achi Baha and the trenches in the Kereves Valley. At 11.30 the j Senegalese in the left trenches swept forward in open order up the mountain wiul steady progress, the artillery covering iliem beautifully, bursting shrap- ' iielYifty yards ahead of the front line. When the infantry readied the top of the slope they met with strenuous resistance, and the advance was checked. The guns of the ships and the '■'seventyfives" pounded shell and shrapnel vainly, for the Turks' lire was not checked. The Senegalese repeatedly swept forword. only to break before the storm. The fighting ebbed and flowed all day. Our guns could not inflict much damage to the enemy's trenches, which were Sft. dec]), and extremely narrow. Although the French did not succeed in getting astride the Maidos Road. I hey made good progress, and obtained a footing in (lie Kereves Valley. On the 17th our ships furiously bombarded, sweeping the broken country slopes leading to Krifhia. Shrubs and ravines wv;v yellow with bursting lyddite, and it seemed impossible that anything could live in the zone. FRENCH CAIN OROPXD. Our left made a general advance. The 87th and 88th Brigades pressed towards the Krithia Road, hut they had no sooner left the trenches than the Turks opened a tremendous fire from a concealed position. The advance was continued, and several trenches were captured. The enemy's field-guns were concentrated on our reserves. our regiments got. too far forward, and was compelled' to retire under a- hail from machine-guns. The fire died down early in the afternoon.

The Vrencli opened a furious bombardment, and then advanced and gained considerable ground. The Turks brought nuiny guns against the French, and lired shrapnel on the ground behind lo prevent reserves coming irp. The French lines wavered and then broke, and swept down the slopes under an unbearable lire. Their reserves gallantly counterattacked, and reocoupiod the abandoned trenches and hold (hem tenaciously through the night under heavy lire. Meainvhile. the Ttritisli concentrated artillery on Krithia. The infantry pressed forward under furious machine-gun lire, and occupied a number of ravines. On our e.tremc loft the British made a