THE DARDANELLES

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1915, Page 5

THE DARDANELLES

THE COLONIAL ADVANCE. BLOODY ENCOUNTERS. MAGNIFICENT WORK BY NEW ZEALANDERS. MAORIS' BLOOD-CURDLING WAR CRIES PUT FEAR INTO THE TURKS. Received August 25, 8.50 p.m. London, August 24. Mr. Ashmead-Bartlctt, correspondent, says that while the new landing was being carried out at Anaforta Bay the Australian and New Zealand forces at Anzac were reinforced, and engaged in a desperate struggle to obtain possession of the main ridge running north-east from tiie Anzac position. No troops were ever called upon to advance in more difficult and more broken country, which gradually rises in a series of hills and ridges to Kojachjen. It is broken with deep nullahs, and the donzas covered with thick scrub made excellent cover for the snipers, and suited the irregulur warfare wherein the Turks are so skilful. TIIE FLEET ASSISTS. Before the advance could be made, to\varas!"'t!]6»Hltiin'-' ncighti' 1 successive Turkish line:-, to the north-cast of the coolnials had to be taken by assault, in order to allow tiiein to debouch and rcacli the further hills, rising like giant steps to Kojachjen, which sinister height is split into two portions by a fearful ravine, completely cutting the mountain in. halves. Our field guns and howitzers, assisted by destroyers, cruisers, and monitors, furiously bombarded the Turkish positions north-cast of Anzac throughout August 7th, and whole sections of trenches disappeared in clouds of smoke. BY BAYONET ALONE. The Australians and New Zealanders braced themselves for a desperate night attack, and were long waiting for this hour. At tlie end of a monotonous day's sitting in tlie trendies they were confident that they would carry the enemy's works on the immediate front. By strict orders not a shot was fired, and they were to rely on the bayonet alone. A FURIOUS ATTACK. Exactly at 10 o'clock on the night of August 7th a brigade of New Zealanders clambered out or the trenches and furiously charged the Turkish lines with loud cheers, bayoneting all within reach. The Turks were apparently taken unawares, and fired wildly, being unable to check the advance. In a few minutes all the enemy's position? nearest the sea were in our hands, and the way was thus cleaned for the main advance. The New Zealanders only stopped (o take breath, and then pursued their victorious career. They rushed successively the old No. 3 outpost. Bauchop's Hill, and other Turkish positions. MAORIS TAKE A HAND. The Maoris entered, and charged with great dash, making the darkness hideous with their wild war cries, striking terror into the Turks. With awful vigor with their bayonets and rifle-butts the Maoris forged another link in the chain of Empire. The darkness of the night, tlie broken nature of the ground, and the skill wherewith the enemy smothered every available bit of ground with deadly snipers, delayed the main advance. After these preliminary positions had been successfully rushed, every hill and spur had to 1 iikkctted to keep down the fire of enemy marksmen remaining in the rear of our advancing columns. SILENT BLOODY ENCOUNTERS. Fighting was continuous throughout the night in the gloomy ravines, the Turks resisting courageously and despairingly. Many bloody encounters, details of which will never be known, filled the dark hours preceding tile most eventful dawn.

_ Throughout the StU the struggle continued without intermission, the New Zeahimlers gaining ground, but they were finally held up by machine-gun anil rifle fire. Our men began to advance at dawn on the Mil up the steep slopes. The Turks gallantly charged from both ends, and many Turks fell. The survivors closed with the intrepid colonials with bayonets and rifle-butts. THE GAME FOR NEW ZEALAND. This was just the form of fighting the colonials like. Their magnificent physique was invaluable, and although numerically few they closed with the Turks, furiously using their rifles as clubs, swinging them round their heads and laying out several Turks at each sweep. The Turks could not stand this rough treatment, and those not killed or wounded fled. 'The Xew Zealandcrs began hastily to dig themselves in. So far this few were fighting at the highest point that any troops had gained oil the peninsula. ' The Turks fought with the utmost bravery, but their efforts were in vain, and soon not a single Turk remained. Our artillery, assisted by cruisers and monitors, checked counter-attack', inflicting losses.

OX THE LKIT. Upon Hie loft nf the Xew Zealand udvanee, the Australians, ossiled hv Indian units, fought ."plcndidK. Considerable successes attended the Xew Zealand advance, the troops capturing a Nordenfeldt, two machine-guns, many treneli mortar?, and six hundred 'prisoners I three hundred of a single battalion). Till; ADVANCE FROM AXAFORTA. The advance of the troops who landed at Anaforta was entirely successful. On the evening of August Bth the division pushed along the high ground on the left, known as Kara Ko'dagh, overlooking the Gulf of Saros. Another division swept round the north end of Suit I/.ike, wheeling southward and forming a <"-n----tinuoiis line fronting Annforla ln.ght. By a brilliant attack iTilkliiiibunia, eastward of the lake, was occupied, giving a commanding position whereon our right wing could rest during the night. Our left wing rested for the night on the cliffs overlooking the Gulf of Saros, and our centre rested on the low ground in front of Anaforta. VYc thus secured a wide front upon the shore on the farther side of Salt Lake, hut the enemy's position on Anaforta ridge was untouched, Our troops, except those on the extreme

left, were lying in a wide open cup, covered by three hedges of a farm, and it was impossible to see ahead. SNIPERS AT WORK. Turkish snipers were taking advantage of the excellent cover, and Turkish artillery shelled the roads round the lake. The Turks held the trenches weakly, preferring to send the majority of their troop 3 forward as tirilleurs into the broken ground. Knowing every inch, and carrying only rifles and a plentiful supply of cartridges, they were sniping at all angles, and passed northward of the lake, giving the impression, by their rapid movements, that the enemy was in greater strength. FIRE TAKES A HAND.

At mid-day on August oth the scrub caught fire in several places, either by accident or Turkish design, through bursting shells, and spread with amazing rapidity. This forced our infantry to abandon tlitf adavneed positions, and it wa.s a weird sight to see Turkish snipers and British infantry crawling out of the scrub and hedges, turning their baeks to one another and running from the flames. A neutral zone was thus formed, and renamed "Burnt Hill." It stopped the advance, but fighting and sniping had not ceased at nightfall. The flames continued, lighting up tlie darkness, anil they wero hacked by clouds of white smoke, tlie incessant rattle of machine-guns and artillery and bombing. r fUBF4»':EINFORCED. Southward, shells were seen bursting on the tops of the hills, where the Anzac corps were gradually fighting from ridge to ridge, with a view of joining with the Anaforta troops. A prisoner on Augibt 10|.h., reported whole Yemen division, and the trenches were most densely manned. More tiralleurs, probably some odd battalions, arrived during the night. There was desultory fighting, recalling the Boer war, throughout the 10th. From the top of Yilghin Burnu, now known as Chocolate Hill, we could watch both sides. It was tantalising to observe the Turks creeping up in twos and threes, Fresh fires 'caused both sides to change positions on the 10th. ° A division was meanwhile engaged in a desperate struggle, and pushed forward to the heights of Karakeldagh. By the evening of the 10th a strong trenchline had been dug right across flat country, connecting all our positions, and our right was in touch with Anzac.

THE AUSTRALIANS' SHARE. Received August 25, 11.30 p.m. London, August 25. In order to divert attention from our movements against Anaforta, the offensive from Anzac was commenced on the afternoon of the fith. The Australians and a British division, with Indian units, co-operated. After an hour's intense bombardment from the sea and land, the Australians, assisted by another brigade, attacked Lonesome Pine, a plateau risin« four hundred feet south-east of Anzact The first colonial rush was checked by shrapnel, but the second and third line's were unwavering. The second charged furiously, capturing four trcneli lines, which they held, despite a furious bombardment that was smashing parapets, which were constantly rebuilt. The same evening they made n sortie from Walker's Ridge, northward of Ansae, resulting in the capture of portion of the plateau" RIDGE BY RIDGE. While this fighting was progressing a brigade of Australians marched silently towards the north, followed by Indians along the-lower spurs of the high hills held by the Turks. Two battalions protected the flank of the Australians, whoso rifles were not loaded, and who had been instructed to fight until dawn with the bayonet only. The Australians marched two miles and met the first opposition on unexplored ridges covered with thick bramble. The Turks were holding every ridge, and there was nothing for it but to rush each ridge in succession with the bayonet. It was decided at daybreak to deploy on the ridges flanking Madere, where they succeeded in digging in under artillery and rifle fire. During this running fight an emplacement of heavy guns was discovered. The guns have been removed and a large store of ammunition captured. LINKING UP THE LINE. The New Zealanders, who came in on the right, captured two machine-guns. The whole of August' 7 was spent in consolidating the troops, who advanced across the low plain from Kilghin Burnu, and linked up with the Australians on August 11, establishing a complete line from Anzac to Anaforta. The manner in which the colonials, Indians, and English fought is beyond all praise, and earned the unstinted admiration of their commanders.

GETTING THERE. APPROACHING CONSTANTINOPLE. Received August 25, 0.15 p.m. Sofia, August 25. Constantinople advises that there has been violent fighting on Gallipoli for the past week. Thousands of wounded are daily arriving, and thousands of fresh troops are daily being sent to the Dardanelles, A personage at the Gerniun Embassy has declared that if things continue tin's way the Allies will soon be at Constantinople.