AT SUVLA BAY.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1915, Page 2

AT SUVLA BAY.

HOW THE ADVANCE WAS CHECKED.

The following account of the landing at Suvla Bay and the hard fighting that followed it is from an officer who took part in that grand epic of the war, and is well worth reading even now: "We arrived at Suvla Bay, a motley but workmanlike fleet of cruisers, monitors, destroyers, transports and trawlers, just before midnight on August (i. The night was dark, the sea cairn, and tile air tropical in its sultriness. The landing of troops took place almost immediately after the ships 'had anchored and continued without cessation throughout the night. As soon as it was light enough to obtain an accurate range the fire of the cruisers, monitors and destroyers in the iiay waa brought to bear on the Turh'sli batteries, and one was soon completely knoefced out by shells from a cruiser. Throughout the morning, despite the suffona ring heat and a total lack of water, our troops continued to advance in the most gallant fashion. Our left tore over the sand and scrub in the direction uf Kizlar Dagh, driving all before, them by rifle fire and the occasional use of sold stel. Chocolate Hill was in our possession by two o'clock in tht afternoon. Contact had been established with the Australians and nowhere was our force en l'air. The general advmce was in progress; our prospects lotked very rosy indeed, deed, and we a'rtainly thought that this time we viae, going to get right across. Suddenly there came a halt. It was evident that the enemy had Brought fresh, artillery and fresh infantry into actim. The fire of the Turkish batteries redoubled in intensity and volume, and we were soon mada painfully aware of the existence of a far greater number of machine guns than had hitheito been brought into play. It was afterwards reported that the Turkish forcta had been largely reinforced by troops which at the time of our landing ifere proceeding along the main line of communication behind Anafarta to Achi Baba. These were stopped by their fcrnran officers and immediately'brought into action against our front. Thujt the movement from which so much had been expected appeared thus early in the operations to have been broughl to a standstill. The terrain—consisting of sand, scrub and stunted oaks, aid which, as we approached Anafarta, partook of a forest character, iutersccted by deep gulliesgave every advantage to the enemy. Anafarta itself is situated on the highest ridge in the vicinity, and from the village and surrounding hills the. enemy kept up a heavy cannon, machine-gun and rifle fire on our men who were exposed on the plain bplow. Here we suffered very heavy losses, and trenching was vigorously proceeded , with, j Meanwhile, severe fighting was also taking place on our left, where we sue-1 eeeded in driving the enemy out of all his positions on Klzlar Dagh, except at one point at the extreme end of the ridge. Had we been able to secure this particular point we should have been in a much better position to deal with the enemy trenches about Turchen Keui. The Turks could then have been enfiladed by our guns. We entrenched ourselves so strongly at Kizlar Dagh and generally along our front, that prisoners and deserters have told us that both the German and Turkish officers consider our positions practical,? impregnable. During otir rapid advance wt> had unfortunately left any snipers behind us, most of them concealed in the trees (dwarf oaks) and Si-rub. They occasioned considerable losses to (he advancing troops, and it became necessary to dispose; of them. For this purpose plefceil Australian marksmen were brought up from Anzac to help us. All through the, day of the 7th large bodies of supports were being landed in the way, but further advance was practically Impossible, and we felt somehow when the sun went down that what piomised at the outset to be a glorious and triumphant advance had met with a definite check. On the Bth we attacked at various points, gaining a little more ground. The enemy, though neve" seen in large numbers, showed light in the open from time to time, but were easily put to flight when threatened with the 'bayonet. Meanwhile, our own losses continued to be very heavy. "Our sufferings were by no means caused entirely by the action of the foe. Hundreds and hundreds of men, fighting under a tropical heat, dropped out of the ranks after atrocious suffering caused, by the lack of water. Apart from any question of the command, two causes contributed mainly to the lack of success which attended the expedition. The scene of combat presented extraordinary difficulties to the advance of the attacking force.« On the other hand, a body of perfectly green troops, who had never been in action before, was called upon to undertake a task under nerve-trying conditions, which could only have been successfully achieved by men inured to the conditions existing in connection with the most recent and bloodiest of wars. But such is the amazing quality and warlike spirit of the British soldier and seaman, that when I left a fortnight ago they were all longing to have another go at the enemy."