THE DARDANELLES.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15219, 5 March 1915, Page 7

THE DARDANELLES.

BOMBARDMENT •RESUMED.

MINE-SWEEPERS CLEAR

STRAITS OF MINES.

The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, March 4 (2.20 a.m.).

The Admiralty announce that operations in the Dardanelles were resumed on 3londay morning. The battleships Triumph, Ocean, and Albion entered tho Straits and attacked Fort , 8 and the batteries on White ClifF. Tho fire was returned by the forts, and also by field guns and howitzers.

Airmen in seaplanes reported that new gun positions had been prepared, but guns had not been erected. A lino of surface mines was located.

On Monday night mino-sweopere, covered by destroyers, swept within a mile and a half of Cape Kephez.

The casualties during tho day were six wounded. Four French battleships off Bulair (on tho neck, of the peninsula) bombarded batteries and communications. The operations already reported destroyed thirty-four gun s and two magazines. A further report states that on Tuesday the battleships Canopus, Swiftsure and Cornwallis engaged Fort 8. and a heavy firo was opened on them by Fort 9. which was damaged, and ceased firing m the afternoon. • ■

Tho battleships withdrew in the evening. Although all three were hit, tho only casualty wag one man slightly Tvounded. -

The attack is in progress. A Russian cruiser has joined the Allies' Fleet at the Dardanelles. A Press Association message has been received covering the above' announcement. It also states that the minesweepers worked under fire, and that the operations at the entrance to tho iStraits have destroyed nineteen guns ranging from six inches to eleven inches, and eleven smaller guns. Sweeping operations were continued on Tuesday night. Tho Russian cruiser that has joined tho'.Allies' is the OskoW..