THE DARDANELLES

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1916, Page 5

THE DARDANELLES

THE EVACUATION OF HELLES. BRILLIAXT GENERALSHIP, ' AX IXTERESTLXG STORY.' (Special from the Xew Zealand War Correspondent). By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Yesterday. Following is from air. Malcolm Ross, under date Cairo, January 22: After the Aiizac and Suvla evacuations the Turks were more keenly on the alert, and the operation was regarded as more difficult. Once again, however,- brilliant • British generalsnip completely outwitted the enemy. . The operations lasted from December 20 to January S, and, though hampered by bad weather; were a remarkable success. Unlike Auzac, there was no moon, and the work -was carried out in complete darkness. After Suvla and Anzzae had been left, the Turkish gun-fire on Belles greatly increased in intensity, and the bombardment of our trenches waa the heaviest of the whole campaign. DUELS IX THE AIR. Turkish aeroplanes were also enterprising and took unusual risks. They «ame" over in twos and three, and several duels occurred in the air. The enemy guns from Asia maintained a desultory bombardment. Had the gunners known what was taking place under ooter of the darkness they could have doup great damage, but missed their opportunity. The French -were taken away on January 1. During the last week no French remained ashore except the gunners and the French beach THE LAST XIGHT. ' On the last night the British had still 7000 men asiiore and about 50; guns. General Birdwood came over ir ] ttie morning and had a look aroundV The same stratagems were adopted as at Anzai;, the men leaving the trenches in batches, so that in the early morning the front line was very thin and was held by men who moved up a nd down firing from the vacated loopholes. The final. shots were fired by mechanical guns. Rifles were fixed in the embrasures, and an apparatus with water dropping from one jam- tin into another was fixed on the trigger, so that when a certain weight had accumulated the gun went off,. Detonators were fired by burning raililles arid Verrey pistols also fired by'wate*-. The dodge added to the illusion that our trenches were still strongly 1 held, though not one man remained in them. The Verrey pißtols fired colored rockets, which made the Turks think we were about to attack. THE TURKS FOOLED. The final .scenes were thrilling and picturesque. Great fires of petrolsoaked store* suddenly burst forth on the three beaches, and at the Lancashire Landing .magazines containing ten tons of explosive. broke the stillness with a tremendous roar, making a scene of appalling grandeur as they hurled flame and a. great mass of material high Into the darkness. This showed the Turks that the. evacuation was proceeding, and immediately ships In the Aegean saw a row of red lights spring up all along the Turkish trenches, this being their signal that the British were. leaving. The enemy made the same mistake as at Suvla and Anzac in thinking'that only half the lines were evacuated, and' violently shelled our sec-' ond line and beaches. But by this time every one had departed, and the guns and horses not evacuated had been destroyed or' killed. The fires burned 24 hours. END OF THE CHAPTER. On t:ie followins day -picket boats with dropping gear went in and torpedoed the River Clyde, of immortal memory, arid the old French battleship Massena, sunk by our Allies as a breakwater. Thus ended one of the most memorable pages of British history. ■a ii * ~