RED-HOT GUNS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1915, Page 11 (Supplement)

RED-HOT GUNS.

TWO TURKISH ATTACKS. Writing from <Gallipoli Peninsula, Lieutenant K. Wic'kcns has sonic interesting things to say concerning the work of the' New Zealand artillery, with which he is serving. The first letter is dated May 24. " During last week we had two 'big attacks, and the enemy had threatened to drive us into the sea, but we are still here, and they are a wiser and sadder crowd after the attempt. It was simply murder at times the way we mowed them down. The liglij, lasted two days, and during that time wo were tiring practically the whole time, just a spell of an hour or two now and again to let the guns cool off a bit. At times the guns were almost red hot, and the oil on tho weapons was catching fire. It was solid going while it lasted, especially as we were being heavily shelled nil the time.

" We have (been very lucky in having only few casualties. One of our sergeants, a Christchurch boy, from the E Battery, was shot right alongside mc the other day. lie died instantaneously. We are making a great name for our shooting, and we have been complimented by several otf the generals on our good work,

" Same old place, (May 30:— " We are having another scrap to-day, and I am scraping these lines Setwcen the bursts of firing. Things are very much the same in this place, and we arc not trying to make much headway until a force which is some ten miles away gets a 'bit closer to us. It would take pages to explain the situation, which I inn not allowed to do, but you may rest assured that -we arc going on all right, and more than holding our own by a long way. Of course, the Turks have a huge army here, as they realise that they are fighting for their lives, and we have to move very cautiously. It sets very monotonous sticking in ona place for weeks (we have been here over a month now), hardly daring to stand upright for five minutes on end. We get a great lot of fun watching aeroplanes sailing over here. There are quite a num'ber in this part, and it is interesting to watch the Turks letting off even-thing they have got in the way of firearms at the flying machinas. Several times a day these aeroplanes come over and usually drop boni!bs on the. Turks' lines. The' crash they make is awful, and they must do a" lot of damage. I have had only a few hours' sleep for the last, three nights, and am feeling very tired, but there is some talk of giving us three days' spell on an island close, by, and I hope it comes off, as we could do with a change from shot and shells. Everyone is keeping fit in this glorious climate, and we arc all j ns brown as niggers, and a real hardlooking lot." ;