DESPATCH FROM GENERAL HAMILTON.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 6494, 22 September 1915, Page 4

DESPATCH FROM GENERAL HAMILTON.

Facing Enemy's Artillery.

Kee Sept 21, 12.20 a.m. London, Sept 20. General lan Hamilton's despatch continues: — The Senegalesa and TiraiHturs forced the heaviest Turkish artillery and were compelled to retire. They rallied for another rush forward, but another repulfie followed. Then a small . supporting column charged along the crest of Kerevesdere and then darkness came. Determined Valour of Colonials. Next morning we learned that the New Zealanderj in the firing line marched over the enemy's cleverlyconcealed machine guns without seeing them.-' The machins guns re-opened fire over the supports as they came up, end caused heavy loss, but the first line pressed on and airived within a few yards of iha Turkish trenches, which had?been holding up our advance. Then the New Zealairers dug themselves in * Ths Australian Brigade had advanced, despite heavy losses from shrapnel, machine gun and rifle fire, and progressed for three or four hundred yards. The determined valour Bhown by the New Zealand and Australian Brigades under Briaadier-G< nerals Johnston and McCoy, respectively, is worthy of particular praise. Their losses w.ere correspondingly heavy, but daspite fierce counter-attacks and numsrous fresh troups they stuck to what they had won-with admirable tenacity. Ihe net result of Thursday's lighting was a gain of six hundred yards on the British right and four hundred yards on the left and centre. An Obstinate Fight. The French had captured alt the ground on the front of a farm at Zjimmermnn and also a redoubt, for which there was obstinate fighting for the whole cf three days. This may not seem muc'i, but actually is more than first meeta the eye. The Germans leading the Turks were quick to realise this fact. Hand to Hand Conflict. From nightfall to dawn on the 10th efforts were made everywhere to push us back. A specially heavy attack was made by the Germans, culminating in a violent hand ,to hand conflict, and everwhere the assailants were repulsed. We had planted a fnirly firm foothold on the point of Galfipoli Peninsula. Meanwhile in the northern zone tho Australian and New Zaaland Army Corps strengthened the grip on Turkish soil they had been defending and were digging themselves in more and more firmly on those cliffs on which at first it seemed their foothold was so precarious. Their rule at this stage of trie operations was, first, to keep open the door leading to the vitals of the Turkish position; second, to hold up as large a body as passible in front of them, so as to lessen the strain at Cape Helles; in fact Anzac waa cast to play second fiddle to Cape Helles, a part which was out of harmony with .the spirit animating the warriors from the south and it so came about that the Australians New Zealauders 1 defensive always.tended to take on the character of attack. | Their line, at this period, formed a rough semi-circle inland from ihe fcoa'ch to Anzac, covering a diameter of about eleven hundred yards. The firing line everywhere was close to the enemy's trenches. In all sections there was sapping and counter-sapping and bomb attacks were Incessant. As many as fourteen hundred shells per hour would fall on Anzac from all calibres, from eleven inchers to field shrapnel. Around Quinn'a Post the contest above and below ground was particularly severe. Enemy Trenches Carried, * We carried on May 9th some of the, enemy's trenches with the bayonet and established the troops therein. We sent up reinforcements but a strong counter-attack at dawn forced us to evacuate the trenches. In opposing this counter-attack our guns were responsible for great execution. We discovered later from a Turkish officers' diary that six hundred men were killed and two thousand wounded. A sortie on the night of the 14th, with the object of filling in the Turkish trenches tailed. Death of General Bridges. I deeply regret to say that on the luth General Bridge's wounds proved fatal. He was sincere in his singleminded devotion to Australia and his loss stands out in the midst of hundreds of other brave officers who have gone. Furious Cannonade. On the 18th, Anzac was subjected to heavy bombardment and at midnight the most violent machine gun and rifle fire yet • experienced broke out. Heavy Turkish columns assaulted our left on No. 2 section, but were beaten off with loss. Another attack was'made before daylight on the centre of this section and was repeateJ four times, but was always repulsed, with heavy loss. At five o'clock the battle was fairly going, the enemy's guns, including twelve inchers and nine inchers. making a furious cannonade, At O.iJO the Turks pressed against the left of Courtney's Post and Ihe right of Quinn's Post In this attack Ihey were unable to faco our fire from the right and swung round to the )eft, where they suffered severely from thi^ trenches beyond Quinn's Post, giving way under the beavy losses. According to prisoners' reports thirty thousand men, including live fresh regiments, were used, Genera) yon Zander himself commanding. Three Thousand Turks Killed, Over three thousand of the enemy were lying in open view of our tren cl?e?, a large proportion of the casualties were due to our artillery fire, Our casualties were about a hundred Killed and five hundred wounded. (Continued on Pago 1)