DEFENDERS FORCED TO ABANDON ENTRANCE FORTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 51, 1 March 1915, Page 5

DEFENDERS FORCED TO ABANDON ENTRANCE FORTS.

SUCCESS OF BRITISH LANDING PARTY.

LONDON, February 28. The Admiralty report that the enemy being shelled from inside the Straits, abandoned the forts at the entrance. The Vengeance and Irresistible landed parties, which demolished the three first forts completely, and Kum Kalossi partially. Two new 4in guns were concealed at tombachilles.'.''Four Nordenfeidts covering the entrance were destroyed. A message from Paris states that the allied fleet advanced into* the Dardanelles as far as Sortari, within reach of Fort Intcpc, which was destroyed. The warships also bombarded Turkish encampment's. Six' hundred Turkish wounded Were taken to Constantinople. Three hydroplanes dropped many bombs on the forts in the Dardanelles. An official communique from Paris states:—The French battleships Suffren, Gaulois, and Charlemagne played an active part on Thursday in the destruction of the Dardanelles forts. While three British battleships opened a slow and methodical fire on the fort on Cape Helles and at Seddul Bahr and Orkhanich, the Gaulois engaged the large fort Kum Kalcm, on the Asiatic side. The ship's fire was remarkably accurate. The Suffren and Charlemagne fired at short range, l and completed the destruction of the enemy's batteries, which only fired a few shots before they were silenced. The French ships were undamaged. t