THE ORIENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 September 1915, Page 5

THE ORIENT.

ON GALLIPOLI. EXTENSION AT ANZAC. RECAPTURE OF KNOLL 60. Received Sept. 20, 0.0 p.m. London, Sept. 10. Keuter's correspondent with the headquarters Staff at Gallipoli, writing on 4th September, gives a vivid description of the situation at Anzac. During the last week of August the gallant Australians and New Zealanders were called on for yet another effort, and responded with their usual courage and devotion. As a result Knoll GO passed finally into our hands, and four hundred acres of ground were added to Anzac. The knoll is the last crest of the last ridge separating Anzac from the northward plain. The Turks clung to the knoll with the utmost determination, and when flung out of their trenches by an irresistible rush of Australians and New Zealanders the enemy would bomb their way back again, accepting terrible loss unflinchingly. When the trenches were finally captured they were full of the enemy's dead,

TURKS LOSE HEAVILY. It took three days' hard fighting to turn out the Turks. The ground over which we charged is still thickly strewn with the bodies of *the enemy and our own slain. It is computed that the Turks lost five thousand. The Indians and Connaught Rangers shared in the fighting. The Australians and New Zealanders have since <been expecting a Turkish general attack, but this has not materialised.

ENEMY REMEMBER LONE PINE. The Turks have not forgotten the Lone Pine trenches and the result of their descent from the towering ridge of Chunulc Bair on August 10, when the New Zealanders did all they were asked to do when a British battalion was later swept off the ridge by twelve Turkish battalions. The enemy charged into the tremendous ravine ibelow, and coming down the steep side, came under the fire of ten machine-guns under Captain Wallingford. The machine-gunners claim five thousand killed. A New Zealand staff officer, deacrihin ■ the fight, said the Turks came down in thousands and went back in hundreds.

COWNIALS THE SALT OF THE EARTH, : Renter continues: In any case the Turks must have realised they were courting death in a general attack on the Anzac defences, The/'men behind them are the salt of tha earth, are of equal courage to any troops, and are superior in physique to Any 'hut lite picked men of other countries, while in intelligence, self-reliance, and endurance they are the best soldiers in the world. Danger at Anzae can only come through physical over-strain and bodily weariness of the troops.

THE ANZAC ANT-HILL. The world realises now how the Australians and New Zealanders have fought, but it is not known how they dug in, heaved and carried when not fighting. Innumerable saps, communication trenches, and covered trenches have been dug on the luwer levels, and the mule transport can be used; but higher up every cartridge, biscuit, and mouthful of water must be humped on the men's backs. Approach' to the valleys can now be made in perfect safety through the saps. The army lives in dug-outs along the sides of the gullies, ascending to the upper ridges. A month ago one seemed to be watching some vast ant-hill. Ants issued from tlie months of innumerable dug-outs and scurried along evei'y path of the gully. Now the population of the ant-hill seems to have diminished two-thirds, and half the dug-outs are now empty. Visitors can have the choice of a whole terrace of commodious shelters.

WHEN THE RAINS COME. It is difficult to say how Anzac will fare in the winter-time, when the great rains come and vast quantities of water will stream down the hillsides. The deep gullies will be converted into torrent beds, with water washing two and three feet deep over the present ground. The angles of the ground, however, are <0 steep that engineers Bhould be 'able to devise a practical drainage system, but the trenches arid dug-outs will necessarily be soaking wet. Herein lies the danger to the health of the troops, and this can only be averted by flooring, roofing, and rivetting the sides of the trenches. A great quantity of material will Ixs necessary, which cannot be supplied on the spot, but commanders with experience in the Flanders trenches will leave nothing undone to spare Anzac avoidable suffering from the rigor 3 of winter.

VERY LIKELY. HOW THE IGNORANT WERE iIISLED. Received Sept. 20, 9 p.ui. Amsterdam, Sept. 20. German deserters state that they were ordered to prepare for a campaign in Turkey. Officers told them they were going on a new crusade, and when the Germans reached Cairo the war would end.

WINTER CAMPAIGN POSSIBLE. Sydney, Sept. 20. Captain Bean, writing on September 3, says the Turks are improving their trendies, anil we may anticipate a winter campaign. He had not the least idea if such a campaign would be necessary, but it so, he hoped the people of Australia would see that the troops do not go short of whatever is necessary. The Gallipoli winter is very, hard.

BNVER'S FLIGHT OF FANCY. Geneva, Sept. 19. The Berliner Tageblatt publishes ail interview with Envcr Pasha, who said: "We are ready for a Russian attack on Constantinople. The Russians can move when they like. The Turks have over two million men, apart from unarmed Armenians and Greeks." SUGGESTED NEW CAMPAIGN. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) Received Sept. 30, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 10. Amsterdam reports that German deserters state that they were recently ordered to prepare for a Turkish campaign, officers telling them that Germany was about to undertake a new crusade, with Egypt 03 the objective.

ANCIENT HISTORY.

SIR lAN' HAMILTON'S DISPATCH', Received Sept. 2|l, 12.20 ajn. London, Sept. 20. General Sir lan Hamilton's dispatch is a continuanco of his previous one, cabled on July tlth. He says: "I determined on May sth to continue the advance. The many urgent calls for reinforcements during the previous critical fighting forced me to disorganise and mix together several formations in tliii southern group, to the extent even of the French. 011 our right, saving «na British battalions who were banded on their most extreme right. It became necessary to form a temporarily-com-posed brigade consisting of the Second Australian and New Zealanders brigades, who were withdrawn for the purpose f:oiu the northern section, and a naval brigade; During the three days, from 6th to Bth May, our troops were destined to be severely tried. They were about it> attack a scries of positions that were scientifically selected in advance, which although not yet joined into one line of entrenchment, were already strengthened by works on more important tactical features. Strong attacks by the Anglo-French on May 6th and 7th had gained two hundred or three hundred yards, and wo occupied or passed -.over the first line of Turkish trenches, but the new lines needed consolidating. It was certain that fresh reinforcements were reaching the Turks, and I decided to call the men to make one more push before the new enemy forces could get into touch with their surroundings. My plan for the fresh attack was for the New ZeaTand Brigade to advance through the line we had held during the night of the seventti, and press on towards Krithia. Simultaneously the 87th Brigade would threaten work in the west ravine and steal patches of ground from areas dominated 'by the German machine guns. On the Bth, after heavy fire from the ships' batteries along the whole front, the New Zealand Brigade began to move at 10.30 in the morning, meeting with strenuous opposition from the reinforced enemy. The New Zealanders pushed forward on the right, and advanced to the centre, gaining about 200 yards, but make little further progress. At 5.30 in the afternoon I ordered the line to he reinforced by the Australian Brigade.

The advance was made after heavy artillery bombardment, Some companies of the New Zealandors had not received orders at this time, but, acting on their own initiative, they pushed on, making the whole advance, Simultaneously the British were ready, and the advance could be followed by the sparkle of bayonets till the long lines were entirely hidden in clouds of smoke.

NEW TURKISH ARMY. FOR PROBABLE ATTACK ON BG-YPT, ..." Atll ens, Sept. 19. A Turkish division is toeing formed at Adada, which, it is believed, is either for a new Egyptian campaign or to be employed in protecting the shores ot Syria. The authorities have requisitioned all workmen skilled in well-sink-ing and drilling artesian wells.

CO-OPERATION OF THE NAVY. ITS WORK FOR THE LAND FORGES. Received Sept. 20, 9 p.m. Loudon, Sept. ID. Mr. Ashmead Bartlett describes the co-operation of the army and navy as removing all jealousies and creating a complete understanding. Apart from the battleships there is an immense number of trawlers and drifters carrying supplies and working sixteen out of the t\Venty-four hours a day in all weathers. The army will have to rely on them during the winter, when the peaceful Mediterranean will lie turned into a raging wilderness of short choppy seas. Steam pinnaces haunt every beach at Gallipoli and all the islands in the vicinity, tugging lighters full of stores, horses, and ammunition. The enemy never cease shelling the landings at Anzac, Helles, and Suvla.

TURKISH CASUALTIES. Paris, Sept. 19. A traveller from Constantinople says that at least 200,000 Turps have been put out of action in the campaign. There are 125,000 wounded at Constantinople alone.