CLEARING A WAY THROUGH THE DARDANELLES

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 68, 20 March 1915, Page 5

CLEARING A WAY THROUGH THE DARDANELLES

: i PART NOW IN -HAND. — WITHIN RANGE OF LAiTO BATTERIES AND TORPEDO TUBES. .-"*' LONDON, March 19The 'Daily Mail's" correspondent says that the most dangerous stage of the work of forcing the Dardanelles is commencing. The Allied fleet must now come ■within range of the shore batteries, and, possibly, of concealed guns and .torpedo - tubes, which might be used when the vessels get within the narrow passage. A report from Berlin states that 80,000 Turks are concentrated at Smyrna and in the neighbourhood. There is a lull in the operations at Smyrna, and the. Turks, are repairing their forts ana batteries. ■ r There are 40,000 Turks at Gallipoli Peninsula, 30,000 in Turkey in Europe, and 110,000 south of the Dardanelles. The task now before the Allies is to reduce ttie forts at the narrowest portion of the Dardanelles. It is not possible to-locate the newerworks, for since October the Germans have been building new forts and altering-the old ones, so that Admiral Limpus and the officers of the Britielr Naval Mission should-not know the exact state of the defences. "- When the group of works at Kilid Bahr and Chanak are reduced, no obstacle worth considering will lie between the attacker and the-capital. Tbe Turkish - fleet is negligible in face of the force under Admiral Garden. Having previously cleared the straits up to Cape Kephez, the next proceeding was to attack the two great groups of forts at the gut of the Narrows, one mile wide here, between Kilid Bahr (Europe) and Chanak Kaleh (Sultanieh), on the - Asiatic side. On the European side the first fort is that of Namazieh, a comparatively new fort built on higher ground at the. back of and above the old Kilid Bahr fort, which lies at the foot of a steep hill. Fort Namazieb. is powerful and very important, both from its position and its armament—24 large Krupps. This fort is supported by.three batteries, each armed with four guns. The turn here is so sharp as to compel vessels to slacken speed, and enables the works to rake both before and after the tarn. Thencomethe worke-at -Derma Burnu (new) and Kham Kalessi, with new earthworks in support. Then come the forts at Maitos and Bokhali, the last being opposite, to Cape Nagara, and the fort of that name, a little below which is a'powerfuf battery arid large barracks. There is alsc-.among the group on the Asian side the Mejidieh fort, Fort Keqseh, an old stone work; the old stone fort at Nagara, rearmed, with new earthworks xn support, which have new Krupps, and at the back of.the whole " ; are two new redoubts, with eight guns each, which command the.v. 3 -ryoup of - works here: These works also command the Nagara anchorage, or Bay ol°Abydos. The works on either side are connected by a good military road, also by telegraph and telephone line's. " - -; The forts on the European side are exposed to an attack from the rear and ! that is why a mixed force is to be landed fromr.the Gjilf.offSarosito , attempt to take them in reverse:- The three best landing places from the Gulf of Saros are those close to the Bulair lines (Yenikli Lirnan), at Suvla: Bay,..which, is at the rear of the European side of the Narrows, at Ejelmar Bay, a little further north, or at any point,o'f the peninsula in our control. General d'Amade, who commands the field force, Anglophile, and speaks English Tery in Morocco after the Casablanca inci-'" ; dent, and won golden opinions for his tact and military ability. . Aβ a reward he was given the Sixth Army.Corps, with headquarters at Chalons, the Aldershot of •f x * n^- , . Dur 'ng the retreat from Mpns General d'Amade appeared on the British left (taking the order as our troops faced the pursuing enemy) with a strong French Territorial.divisions between Amienslnd Arras, and.brought weight to bear on the .enemy to allow-time-fertheßritisTi-ExpeditionSrv^ a - ;get * SUffiCientWSt t0 T™ 6 f ***** enem ? AXJJED CIVILIANS IK SMYRNA PUT VX FRONTOF^THJS'-GTOS"? • .;-';..■:;■:■•■ v.. --■■;.:■-■•' (Received lOilb ajn.)'-' *■■''.■&■/•& ■>■.— r.~ ?~. r -:.r.; : k^ _._-. - TOOTOI^TJIwciriF. The Amsterdam "Telegriifs"" Berlin correspondejit states ihat when-tha bombardment of Smyrna .began the Vali (Governor) arriefea '■ 2Jm~Wi&fch i and British subjects, and threatened to place them in front of the Allies' guns if the ships did not'cease firing. .. '' v ■'' ■■"." '■•*