PASSAGE AMONST PITFALLS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 January 1916, Page 5

PASSAGE AMONST PITFALLS.

•Johnston's column, led by the Olngo Battalion, hud to pick their way amongst pitfalls, but they forced a passage through fl„. scrub of Chalalc "ere. .['hey met with fierce opposition, and it was the sixth morning before lie lm.k of the column joined the Canterbury Battalion on the lower slopes o: llhododendrnn Spur. Eventually they entrenched 0:1 the lop of Ihe spur, within a quarter of a miic of Chiimik Bail', which would 1,i.-,. b.'Oii -,ictorv. Soon after the Fourth Austrian 'Brigade, asisled by the Eourtoenth Sikhs, was

ordered io Hill !l<).">. The enemy's resoiv:-- v.tiv now moving up from Battleship Mill, and (he attack of the right .Tisau!ti::» column on Clinnuk Hair was checked. The only posibilily was to hold fast on Asnii'.k IX-rc- watershed whilst a fresh assault was launched. Our aims at Chunuk Bair were not fully attained. In the afternoon I hoped for help from .Suv'a. It was not forthcoming, but I fully endorse General Birdwood's words that the troops performed a feat without parallel. Great kudos is duo to Major-Generals Godley and Shaw, and Generals Russell, dohixton. Co:,', and Tracers, but most of all to the rank and file.

During the afternoon of August 7 reconnaissances were carried o'ut by the Sari Bair troops, who prepared for fresh advances in three columns. Early in the morning, at the first faint glimmer of dawn, an observer 'saw figures moving on the skyline of Clumu'k Bair. Wore they our men or Turks? Telescopes were anxiously adjusted and as the light grew stronger men were seen climbing up from our side of the ridge. They were our own fellows. The topmost summit was ours. Johnston's column on the right, headed by the Wellington Battalion, and supported by the Auckland Mounted Kiiles, the .Maoris, and the Seventh Clouce-dors, led most gallantly by Lieut.-Colonel Malone, raced each other up the steep. JJofhin," could check them. "11 they went until with 11 last determined rush they >;» d fixed themselves firmly on tsV crest of the knoll. Malone was mortally wounded as he was making out the line to be held. The Sevenths Gloucester* terrible losses, the fire was so hot and their trenches were only six inches deep. Every officer, sergeant-major, and quart-er-master sergeant was killed or wounded. Yet this battalion of the new army fought from midday till sunset without any officers.

AN AUSTRALIAN ADVANCE. The Fourth Australian Brigade advanced from Asmak I)orc on the left and was meanwhile held up by cunningly placed machine-guns. 'When heavy columns of Turkish reinforcements approached the Australians were virtually surrounded and were withdrawn to their original position after losing over n thousand. There tliey stood, though half dead with thirst and fatigue, and bloodily replu;cd attack after attack. So matters stood ftl noon on August fj. The expected support from Suvla hung fire, but the capture of Chunuk Bair presaged victory, and tlio troops were full of fight, so I decided essaying another grand attack with Johnston's, Cox's, and Bald inn's columns, on Chunuk Bail- ridge. Hill !) was heavily shelled at dawn on August fl until the whole ridge was a mass of flames and smoke, whence huge clouds of dust lifted slowly in strange patterns skywards. Baldwin wan commanding the 38ih Brigade of .he new army and these were massed behind (lie trenches of the New Zealand Brigade. Baldwin lost bis way through no fault of his own. When the Ohnrknn attacked Sari Hair, Baldwin's column was u long way off and instead of Baldwin's support the Turks counter-charged the Ghurkas and l.ancashires, who saw the promised laud, but wore forced to fall back over the crest.

Other battalions of tho new army attacked with fine audacity, hut the Turks were now lining the whole cre.it in overwhelming numbers. Tho enemy, much encouraged, turned its attention lo i lie New Zealand troops and tho other battalions holding tho south-west of Cliumik Buir. Constant attacks, urged with fanatical persistence, met with sterner resolution, and although (iiir troops were greatly exhausted at the end of the day they still kept, a footing on the summit, which covered tho Narrows themselves and the roads leading to Rulair and Constantinople. Eight hundred men held the crest of Chnnuk Bair in the slight trendies dug, but the fatigue of the New Zeahmders and. the tire of the enemy prevented solid work. The trenches were only a few inches deep and gave no protection from fire. The. First Australian Brigade was now reduced from aftOO to 1000 and the total casualties on the evening of August II were 8500. Tho troops were still in extraordinary good heart and nothing could damp 'the keenness of the. New Zealandors. They were relieved at night when half dead with fatigue and Cliumik Hair, which they had so magnificently held, was handed over to the Sixth North and the Fifty Wiltshircs.

BIG ASSAULT BY TURKS The Turks delivered a grand assault at daybreak on August 10. The North Lancashires were simply overwhelmed in their shallow trenches by sheer weight of numbers, whilst the .Wiltshires, who were caught in the open, were literally almost annihilated. The assaulting column consisted of a full division, plus three battalions, and swept over the crest in swarms. Baldwin's column was only extricated with the heaviest losses.

It wns now our turn. The warships ami the New Zealand and Australian Artilery got tho chance of a lifetime. Iron rain fell on the solid lines of the Turks and ten machine-guns of the New Zealand Infantry played on tlieir serried ranks at close 'range until the barrels were red hot. Only a handful straggled hack on tlieir own side of Chuuuk Bair.

By the evening of August 10 Birdwood's casualties were 12,000, including the largest proportion of officers. The grand coup had failed to corao off. The Narrows were beyond field gun range. It was not Bh'dwood's fault, nor that of any officers or men of hia command. Bird wood had done all that mortal man could. He handled, his two divisions with conspicuous ability and the troops faced death with joyous alacrity as if it were some form of exciting recreation, which even astonished an old campaigner like myself, Tho operations at Suvla Bay were entrusted to Lieut-General Stopford. It was believed tho Turks' defence force was under 4000. The Eleventh Division was ferried from Imbros. disembarking lialf-nn-hour after the attack on the northern flank of Annac. I hoped tho Chocolate Hills would bo captured by daybreak. The surprise of the Turks was complete. Tho weather was very hot and tho new troops suffered much from lack of water. Tartly owing to the enemy's lire, and partly owing to want of that onus which is the second nature of an old campaigner, the advance hung fire. Stopford, recollecting Hie vast issues hanging upon success in 1 forestalling the enemy, urged Ilia divi-

sional commanders to push on. TJwjt believed themselves unable to move owing to their men being exhausted by fighting on August 7. The Suvla com' mandors overlooked the fact that tha half-defeated Turks were equally* exhausted. Advance was tlio simplest and safest method of solving the water trouble and other difficulties. The dlvi. sional commanders' objections overbore Stopford's resolution. lie told them ho did not wish them in make frontal attacks upon entrenched positions. Ho desired them to turn any'trenches potSihie. This instruction «a s a t the root, of our failure. To make use <rf the priceless daylight hours on August S driving power was required, even ' pertain to brush aside picas' For resp.tc by tired troops. One fatal error was the inertia winch prevailed I went to Suvla, when T found the battle going wrong and ordei'ci my general reserve to Suvla, hoping to enable Stopford to sci'tire commanding ground, finally I appointed .Major-General dc LW« in Stopford's place. THEMCK CEMEX. When the lighting ended Rirdwook was commanding 'J."i,oi:a r.fle-., and Dav:es, at Capo !MU. U3.0-.in. In 'addition there were 17,11uV Ei,. m -h. The Turks had lld.oXl. with all the advantages or {.round. I thevofoi,. «Nt vour Lordship a long cable asking for 50,000 fre.-h villes. British division-. al*o 4j,000 under establishment. If rrlntorcements were sent immediately it seemed certain, humanly speaking, tha* we could still clear a passage for the fleet to Constantinople. It may be judged how deep was my disappointment when i learnt that tin essential reinforcements and munitions could not be sent the, reason given preventing further insi»t« ence.

Your Lordship cabled mo on Oetdbe* 11 asking for :m estimate of the losses Involved iii the evacuation Df the peninsula. I replied on October 12 that such a stop seemed to nic unthinkable, I re. reived a cable on October 18 recalling ma to London, as the fiovcrnment desiroLa fresh unbiased opinion on the question of an early eyiieuation, so 1 bade farewell with a special Ood-speod to tlic campaignori who had served m c right through from tlic terrible yet most glorious early days, the incomparable Sflth Division, the young veterans, tlic Naval Division, the ever-vicl.oi'ious Australians and New Zealanders, the stout East lani.isliires, brave fellows and eountrymeij from the Lowlands of Scotland.

COMMENT BY THE TIMES A PERTINENT QUESTION., Received Jan; 8, 1.15 a.m. London, Jan, ?. The Times comments on tho paralysis which overtook the Government Mter £he refusal of General H«mi!t6n's iequest for more men. The actual abjtn(lonment was delayed for four months, giving point to Sir K. Carson's declaration that the tiovmimient coilld not make up their minds. The Suvla land« ing was in ma.'ij' respects deplorable but when everybody eke has boon, amply and deservedly blamed, the final question will be: Why, if General Rawiltjm, who was on the spot, knew the "right eoi"'"-' to follow, did he meekly etlaoa 'f at the critical moment. THE SL'VLA LANDING. SITUATION IN GREECE.'. .ceeived Jan. 7, 8.33 pjn. , London, Jan. #. Mr. Tennant stated in tlio House of Commons that the circumstances of tha landing at Suvla had been carefully considered, but that there had not been any formal inquiry. Speaking in the House of Cdmmons, Sir li. Urey announced that lie did not regard tlie diplomatic situation in Greece as other than satisfactory. .