The Dardanelles.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1915, Page 5

The Dardanelles.

MAGNIFICENT CHARGES. BRILLIANT BRITISH ACTIONS. SUCCESSFUL ATTACK DESCRIBED. WEARING THK TURKS DOWN. Received July U, 11.3) p.m. London, July 9. Mr. Ashmead Bartlett, describing tit* fighting on the 28th, tlic tattle of ilit! guJly ravine was 'the most successful engagement yet fought on the peninsula. We made a good triangular wedge, 011 the left wing" of which*each aide extends a mile, ami our losses were comparatively small. Our success was mainly due to the tactics adapted, and there was an enormous improvement in ' the support which the artillery afforded enabled a general advance. General Sir lan Hamilton selected a section on which every available gun was concentrated, and the works chosen for the assault were buttered to pieces by high explosives, while in twenty 'minutes the shrapnel cut, the wire entanglements to pieces. The success had a most inspiring effect on the whole army, and opens tlie brightest prospects if the gunners are kept supplied with unlimited ammunition. The French lent some trench mortars, which are deadly weapons, dropping bombs with thirty or seventy pounds of melinite vertically into the enemy's trenches i.t short range with terrible effect. The brunt of the fighting was borne by the, 2!) th "Division, whose deeds at Gallipoli assure them a place in history equal to Wellington's Peninsula Veterans. Some battalions landed without a single officer on the April SJS, but thay were brought up to strength by drafts from depots und many young officers. Nevertheless the division attacked with unsurpassed dash and vigor. The hundred and Fifty-sixth Lowland Brigade also came out of their first battle with flying colors. The First Borderers at 10.45 captured Bomerang Fort almost without opposition, the survivors being dazed by the bombardment. The artillery then lengthened the range to prevent the 'Turks from rushing up reinforcements and simultaneously the Scottish Borderers, the limiskilling Fusiliers, and the South Wales Borderers of the 87th Brigade rushed the first two lines of trenches between the gully ravine and the sea. The Turks made an elfort to check the advance, j but the eighty-seventh swept irresistibly forward. Meanwhile on the right of the gully ravine the Fourth and Seventh Royal Scots, by spirited attacks, cap- | tured two lines of Turkish trenches, ! though two'other battalions of the Lov- | land Division met with heavy opposition and suffered severe losses, failing to : make their objective good, f At 11.30 the Stitli Brigade, led by the Second Royal Fusiliers, passed through the trenches captured by the 87th and swept forward upon two mora lines of trenches. It was a magnificent spue-: tacle, the men never wavering or losing : formation under heavy artillery and rifle fire. Meanwhile the Indian Brigade on the extreme left moved along the cliff* and reached a green knoll, which was our extreme objective. Sveral companies of the Lancashire Fusiliers advanced to a nullah which runs by the gully ratine from the north, and dug themselvw Ib, thus connecting up the advanced positions with the Btßh Brigade.

This closed the morning's work. All the positions on the extreme right were captured under an hour and a half, and the Turks showed no disposition to counter-attack. Their artillery was extremely sparing with ammunition. The British artillery throughout the afternoon put a screen behind the Turkish firing lilies to prevent reserves coming up. We made a further attempt at 5.30 to capture the trenches on the right facing Krithia village, but it wus unsuccessful. The gTi'iit difficulty at Gallipoli is to hold captured positions against night attacks. The ground is so broken that it provides so much natural cover that an enemy who knows every detail of the configuration is able to creep up.

The Turks reverted to these tactifs on the night of the 2Hth, but without success. There was no fighting 011 tlio 29th, the enemy being exhausted. Our men were enabled to make good their positions and run connecting saps to the positions on the right, thus forming a diagonal line facing the enemy. The Turks 011 the night of the 30th attacked the green knoll 011 the ceast, but the columns were dispersed by destroyers. Tun battalions of Turks further <0 the right also met with 110 miccess, though some, sk ilfullv using cover, reached to within thirty yards of our trendies, but they were annihilated. Mr. Hartlett opines that the enemy's power of resistance lias appreciably weakened recently, and they are losing faith in the t'.erniau star. The infantry is dissatisfied with the artillery support, and is afraid to move in the day time.

FLEET AGAIN ACTIVE. COLONIALS CAIN M<>KK (IllOl'Nl). KIUTUIA ALMOST SL'HHuI'XDKI). Received July 10, l.la a.m. London, July i). Mityleiie reported that Turkish soldiers wounded I ienera 1 von Sanders at (iallipoli. An Kntentc bombardment of tiie Dardanelles was in from midnight 011 Sunday until seven o'clock oil 'iie'v dav mornine'. 'and was audible lor fitly miles. It gives the lie to the printed statement thrown broadcast in the Australian lilies that the fleet had abandoned them. The Anglo-French forces have almost, surrounded Krithia, and the Allies line is so advanced that the enemy's artillery on this side of tin; Straits is unable to" drop shells on our encampments, thought we are still subjected to shelling from the Asiatic side. A few davs ago Knver Pasha renewed the attempt to expel the Australians, and not only were the Turks repulse,!, but the. Australians pushed their liir's further inland and southwards, and now embrace tape tlaha f l epe. Turkish desertions are increasing daily.