The Dardanelles.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 303, 1 June 1915, Page 5

The Dardanelles.

THE LOST SMALL CASUALTY LISTS. Received May 31, 10.15 p.m. London, May 31. The Admiralty report that the casualties in the loss of the battleship Triumph were three officers and eleven men killed and forty-two missing. On the Majestic two were killed, forty-seven are missing, and it is believed a number are dead. OPERATIONS IN ASIA MINOR. SUCCESSFUL ALLIED ATTACK. TURKISH ATTACK REPULSED. Received June 1, 1.30 a.m. London, May 31. Mitylene reports the Allies attacked the Turks near Gaba Tope, and occupied ,;a front of two kilometres. The Turks endeavored to recover the lost positions, but were repulsed with severe losses. A VILLAGE DESTROYED. •Received May 31, 11.45 p.m. Athens, May 31. A pinnace from the French battleship Jean d'Arc, reconnoitring the villages near Castle Lorizo, in Asia Minor, was fired at by. the inhabitants and several of the crew were killed. The .Jean d'Are bombarded and destroyed a number of villages and blew up seve'al benzine depots and seized a cargo of benzine. PANIC AMONGST TURKS. . TRIBUTE TO GENERAL BRIDGES. STORY OF FRENCH LANDING. London, May 30. A Reuter Athens telegram from Dedeagatch describes the exploit of the Ell. While four Turkish transports were embarking troops at the quay* adjoining the Tophanes gun factory the submarine attacked them. It is presumed the current deflected the torpedo, which struck a lighter, blowing it to atoms. The submarine made holes in German steamers at Stamboul, causing them to be beached. Tift raid caused a great panic. AH shops were closed, and' the troops disembarked. It is estimated that the Turkish losses at the Dardanelles are 00,000. The Turkish force holding the peninsula now is 80,000 strong. The Turks are concentrating their efforts on the Dardanelles. Reinforcements hastily brought from Syria are arriving on the Sea of Marmora coast famished after lons ; marches. " : Athens, May 30. The Turks, strongly reinforced, attempted to regain the positions at Gaba

; Tope, but were repulsed. Sydney, May 31. Captain Bean cables that General , Bridges was wounded en route to the i firing line. He was usually careless of his personal safety to the point of recklessness., He would stand in full view of the enemy's position, and was pften i chaffed and told to be more careful by members of his. staff. On the first day a man standing alongside him was shot dead. Latterly he was more careful, and consented, to take cover when shrapnel was breaking right over him. On the morning of his death it was noticed that he was' especially cautious in approaching the positioii lie would inspect. . Acting on advice, he ran /.cross the exposed positions. He was making one of these runs with his staff when he was hit by a bullet which cut two arteries in his leg. Help was instantly at band, and he was brought to cover. But for th" presence of a doctor, he would have died in a few seconds, scr great was the loss' of blood. The General's first words were: "Don't carry me down. I do not want any of you fellows to run into danger." His opposition was, however, overcome. While the party was returning the Turks, perhaps realising it was a wounded man, did not fire. Captain Beau adds: "I notice that, while not always a scrupulous or humane fighter, the Turk sometimes acts very fairly and humanely." General Ridges' last; words before he was placed on board ship were: "Anyhow, I have commanded the Australian Division for nine months." Captain Bean pays a tribute to General Bridges as an able and strong commander, wholly without fear. BrigadierGeneral W r alkor, originally chief of General Birdwood's staff, has succeeded to the command of the Division. Paris, May 30. The official report on the Dardanelles states that the Allies' plan was to land a large force on a coast without natural cover, having as possible landing places only a few small beaches dominated by heights in their immediate rear. According to an army order found on a ■ Turkish officer, the Turks were convinced that the landing under fire of the trenches and redoubts on the rising shore was out of the question. The British undertook the principal action against the peninsula, the French carrying out a demonstration of the Asiatic coast until the British disembarkation was effected. Details are given of the landing of the French marine and Senegalese forces on a ledge a few square yards under the overhanging black mass of Kum Kale, which was bristling with rifles and machine-guns. Windmills in the vicinity were crowded with mitrailleuses, while the batteries in Tepc commanded the coast. A shell put out of action the occupants of the first boats, but the captain jumped into the sea, and waded ashore, with the Senegalese from Unstring of boats following, and the ledye was instantly occupied. Meanwhile the warships' guns d ■?- tr*;yed the windmills and mitrailleuses, and the enemy were driven out of the forts. Furious counter-attacks daily ensued, in which hundreds of the enemy were killed. They were so demoralised that they did not attempt to interfere with the, withdrawal of the. French when the brilliant demonstration terminated I