THE DARDANELLES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8273, 19 October 1915, Page 5

THE DARDANELLES.

THE SUBMARINE MENACE. CAUSES REMOVAL OF QUEEN ELIZABETH. QUEER CRAFT REPLACE BATTLESHIPS. TURKS' EXULTATION SHORTLIVED. (Received October 19; 8.50 a.m.) LONDON, October 18. Mr Ashmead Bartlett, in the " Daily Telegraph," describing the Navy's work at the Dardanelles, says that when the risk of losing valuable warships became too great, it was obvioais that unless we carried the straits by a coup de main our fleet would be unable to remain indefinitely off the coast, because hostile submarines were certain to come. For three weeks after tho first landand the fleet was left in peace. Then tho trouble began. Rumours rippled down the Mediterranean from Gibraltar, Malta, Matapan, and Smyrna, an-d tho mighty Queen Elizabeth left for the North Sea. Then, after the Triumph and Majestic Mere sunk, the fleet retired to sheltered harbours protected from bombs and nets. The Turks exulted, and issued the famous manifesto to the Allied troops, declaring that the fleet had deserted them and offering them a welcome at Constantinople.. But they forgot the old maxim that tho Anglo-Saxon race is always .surprised but never beaten. We arc never ready, but have a marvellous talent for improvisation. Tho brains at Home worked out a scheme to recover the command of the Mediterranean, and designed craft canning guns of battleships without their vulnerability to submarine attacks. More rumours rippled downtho Mediterranean of strango craft sighted making for the Levant, and' the first arrived in July, almost flush with the water, and carrying a 9.2 gun in her bows and a 6-incher astern.

Another smaller one followed carrying two brand-new 6-inch guns, the .same as those on the "Lizzie." The lurks were probably amused after comparing these era ft with the Queen Elizabeth, but they sang a different tune when they found this baby threw 100!b explosives 12 miles. .. ■ "The next arrival caused a sensation, both to the enemy and the Allies. An amazing-looking object wobbled into Kephalos Harbour'; it was apparently round-shaped, with a huge tripod across the centre- deck. With great difficulty, and steering vilely, it enloied the crowded harbour like nothing ever seen before; then the crew bttgan to bathe, in fact, they seemed to^-ni-r-foss tlifi power to walk on the waU.-r. We set off in boats to investigate, and found that below the surface the sides of the vessel bulged out 10 ff-et and then curved under., forming a platform to wash in. The bulge is a prevision to defeat a submarine; if a torpedo strikes it, it will explode amid a variotv of substances which I mustn't mention, and the hull escapes. Thosn huge monitors carry two 14----inch and' anti-aircraft guns. Their speed is. slow, but their development is only in its infancy. '"The monitors soon settled down to work, and the Turks and Huns realised we were regain in <x the command of tho .sea. Later, the .F.ndymion and the Thr-cous arrived. Fearing no submarines, they we-rp protected by waistbelts hv.nf. upon their sides by stanchions and wirf. roper.. The big monitors were a grot-.t success, and the new floret played an important part in the ?ir,v!a l'-mtTing. covering the advance n*-. <\->::ne, Suvla. and .Helios. The rapidity of the fleet's transformation '••■p'.s rp/'irvollo'U'-. giving an insisht into tho fxtent of the" British maritime reand the navy's ability to meet a?.>v new and sudden situation."