GREAT GALLANTRY.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 6379, 8 May 1915, Page 5

GREAT GALLANTRY.

bhown By Australasians.

When the sun had fully risen we could see that the Australians had actually established themselves on a ridge and were trying to work their way northward along ic. The lighting was so confused and occurred ou such brokeu grouud that it was difficult to follow exactly what • happened on the 25th, but the covering forces' task was eo splendidly carded out thatifc allowed the disembarkation of the remainder of the troops to proceed uninterruptedly, except for tie never ceasing sniping. The Australians, whose blood was up, instead of entrenching rushed northwards and eastwards searching jor fresh enemies to bayonet. It was difficult country in which to entrench and they therefore preferred to advance. The Turks only had a weak force actually holding the beach and relied on the difficult ground and the aiipers to delay the advance, until reinforcements came.

So_n<* ot the Aus ralasians who pushed iahn 1 wore counterattacked j and almost out fl inked by the o looming reserves an 1h 11 to fall back after -nfferi-og h-avy looses. Counter Attack by Turks. The Turks continued tho c mater att .ck the whole afternoon, but the Australians did not yield a ion on the main ridge. Deadly Shrapnel Fire. Kei jforcaments poured in f«-o n the beach, bat the lurks 'enfiladed the beach with two field guns fron^ Gabatepe. This shrapnel fire was incessant and deadly and the warships vainly trted for some hours to silenca the ti^ld guas. The majority of the heavy casuiltes during the day were from shrapnel, which swept the beach au 1 ridge where tho AustraU-ians weie established. Gabatepe Shelled. Later in the day the guns were silenced <y forced to withdraw anl a cruiser moving close iashoro pl.s.ered Gabatepe with a hail of shells. Heavy Pressure on Colonials. Towards dusk the attacks became more vigorous the enemy being supported by powerful artillery inlaud, which the ships' guns were powerl ss to deal with. The pressure on the Australians became heavier and th-_ir line had to be contracted. Th. staff of General Bird wood (commauder of the Australasians) landel in the afternoon an 1 devote i their energies to securiag a ; o as to hold firm until next morning when it was hoped to get field guns into position. Relentless Shrapnel Fire. Some idei of the difficulty may be gathered when it is ram-tubered that every round of ammunitioa and all the water and stores had to be lauded on a narrow beach and carried up pathless bills to a valley several hundred f=et high to tbe firing line. The whole mass of troops were concentrated iu a very sen ill exposed area and were uuable to reply to tho relentless aud ioeessant shrapnel lira wlrch swept every £ard of ths ground Fortunately much of the shrapnel was badly aimed and burst too high.

A serious problem was the getting of the wounded from the shore and all those unable to hobble had to le car ried from the hills on stretchers. The wounds were hastily drepscd and the men then carried to the boats. The boat parties worked unceasiog;y during the entire day an<£ night.