GALLIPOLI.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 November 1918, Page 5

GALLIPOLI.

THE CAMPAIGN DISCUSSED.

BY GERMAN GENERAL.

BRmSEL JUST MISS SUCCESS.

London, Nov. 26. Mr. Wand Price writes from Constantinople: I interviewed General LinTan von Sanders, who said he had found the British a brave and chivalrous enemy, both at the Dardanelles and in Palestine. He telegraplhed Ludendori? in August that unless he received reinforcements there was nothing to prevent a debacle. He Turkish weakness was due to tl tir sending their available reserves to Azerbaijan, Persia, for the conquest of the Caucasus, despite German protests. Discussing British strategy at the Dardanelles, General von Sanders said that the naval attack on the Straits could not have succeeded owing to the mines. "I proposed to flood the Straits broadcast with mines. The function of ■Hie forts was simply to protect the minefields from interference. If I fcad been attacking the Dardanelles I would not have landed at Cape Helles or Anzac Cove. I would have made the principal landing on the coast of Asia Minor, off Tenedos. Such a landing would have given a convenient base dose at hand, while two days' march would have brought the Allies in the rear of the Dardanelles forts, which could only fire seaward. At the same time I should! have landed at the neck of Galljpoli, j close to Bulair.

"So etromgly did I expect you to choose these places that when I took command, months before the landing, I posted two of my six divisions opposite Tenedos, two on the Peninsula, and two at Bulair"

In regard to the Suvla landing, he would have preferred to land between Anzae and Helles, where the Peninsula was narrower and the Turks could be attacked from the reax.

The landing at Suvla might "have succeeded if hard pressed. There were only two battalions of Turkish gendarmes, two squadrons of cavalry, and two batteries of old guns to oppose it during the first 24 hours. If the British troops had pushed inland witlhi several columns some would have made good the position on the heights. General Liman von Sanders hurried lip a division by a forced mmrii.

Another critical moment was when the pnufti was made for Ohunuk Bair. General Liman von Sanders rushed a division from the Asiatio side, which would have been blown to pieces by the British guns if it had arrived half .an hour later. Only three battalions were left on t/he Asiatic aide, where there was great anxiety lest a fresh British landing should be made. It was also touch and go at Kirechkeuy, on the north side of Suvla Bay, where the Allies attacked three days after the landing. I General Liman von Sanders expected the withdrawal after Lord Kitchener's visit, and he entirely agreed with the wisdom of the decision. The Turks were constantly being reinforced, and at the lend be had 21 divisions.

The withdrawal waa extremely well carried oat and the concealment devices at Suvla were most effective. Patrols on the last night sighted red flaxes on the teach, and thought for a while tJhat fresh troops were being landed.

When the newa was received that the British positions were empty, General Liman von Sanders galloped from tad. quarters to organise the pursuit, but the Turkish telephones were so bad that it was not successful The Turks, advancing in a fog, stumbled on the British land mines, and there were heavy losses. Ninety mines were found in front of a single division. General Liman von Sanders saw tflie preparations for the evacuation of Helles, but was enable to guess the [date.