THE DISASTER IN THE DARDANELLES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 69, 22 March 1915, Page 5

THE DISASTER IN THE DARDANELLES.

MINES DRIFT DOWN WITH THE CURRENT. NO SLACKENING IN ATTACK ON THE FORTS. NEW BATTLESHIPS REPLACE THE SUNKEN. LONDON, March 20. The Admiralty in announcing that the British battleships Irresistible and Ocean and the French battleship Bouvet were sunk by mines in the Darnanelles states that the ships sank in deep water. There were comparatively few British casualties, the majority of the men lost being Frenchmen. The British battle-cruiser Inflexible and the French battleship Gaulois were damaged. Mine sweeping has proceeded during the last ten days inside the Straits, and a general attack was delivered by tlie British and French fleets on Wednesday upon the fortresses in the Narrows of the Dardanelles. At 10.55 ajn. the Queen Elizabeth. Inflexible, -Agamemnon, and Lord Kelson started bombarding the forts .f. L, :.:. v and V. while the Triumph and Prince George fired at the batteries at forts F. E and H. Heavy lire was opened on the ships from howitzers and field guns. At 12.20 pjn. the French squadron, consisting of the Suffren, Gaulois, Charlemagne, and Bouvet, advanced into the Dardanelles, engaging the forts at closer range. Forts J, 12. F and E replied strongly, but their fire was silenced. There were now ten battleships inside the Straits, and all the ships were hit several times during this part of the action. SHIPS STRIKE " DRIFTERS " IN THE NARROW'S. At 1.25 pjn. all the forts ceased firing. The Vengeance, Irresistible, Albion, Ocean, Swiftsure, and Majestic advanced and relieved six old battleships inside the Straits. As the French squadron, which had engaged the forts in most brilliant fashion, passed out, the Bouvet was blown up by a drifting mine, sinking a few fathoms north of Ereiikeui in less than three minutes. At 2.36 p.m. the newly-arrived battleships renewed the attack on the forts, which again opened fire, and the attack was maintained, while the operations of the mine-sweepers were continued. At 4.9 p.m. the Irresistible quitted the line, listing heavily, and she sank at 5.50 p.m. It is probable that she struck a drifting mine. At 6.5 p.m. tbe Ocean also struck a mine. Both vessels sank in deep water. Practically the whole of the crews were removed safely under a hot fire. INFLEXIBLE AND GAULOIS HIT BY SHELLS. The French battleship Gaulois was damaged by gunfire. On the Inflexible the forward control position was hit by a heavy shell, and repairs were accessary. The bombardment of the forts and tbe mine-sweeping operations terminated with the fall of darkness. The damage to the forts, effected by the prolonged and direct fire of the lery powerful forces employed, is not yet estimated. The losses of ships were caused by mines drifting with the current, and encountered in areas hitherto swept clear. Frovisicn is being made to meet this special danger. The British casualties are not heavy, considering the scale of the operations, but almost the whole of the crew of the Bouvet was lost with the ship. An internal explosion apparently supervened on the one caused by the mine. LOSSES IMMEDIATELY MADE GOOD. The Queen and the Implacable some time ago were dispatched from England to replace losses of ships, in anticipation of this operation, and they are due to arrive immediately, thus bringing the British fleet up to its original strength. The operations will be continued, and there are ample naval and military lie-w.s available on the spot. On Tuesday, March 16, Ylce-Admiral Carden was incapacitated by illness, *■_ —ta succeeded in the chief command •>}* Rear-Admiral De Robeck, with k 4ha_.acQes B»t oi Td«e**dmiral, .

FORTY MEN __XaL_.D OR THE IR*'l____B_>E. It is officially announced that there were 64 saved from the Bouvet. The casualties on the other ships were slight. The vigour with which the French division performed an honourable task won the high appreciation of the British sailors. A report from Athens says that the repairs required by the Gaulois will take only a few days to complete. She is now anchored at Tenedos. The Inflexible was struck by a shell on the bow and left the Straita convoyed by two cruisers.. A shell also exploded on the' deck of the Inflexible, killing 40 and wounding many. The French battleship Henri IV. will replace the Bouvet immediately. Though the losses are painful, they will not arrest the progress of operations.