STEADY PROGRESS.

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

STEADY PROGRESS.

WARSHIPS AGAINST FORTS

AN INTERESTING SITUATION

(SFKCIAI.LT WRITTEN FOII "THE PRESS.")

The situation in the Dardanelles grows more and more interesting, and the operations of the Allied fleet in forcing the naesage by destroying the numerous land fortresses present a novel problem. Here we have an enormously powerful fleet of ships—infinitely greater in gun power than any known in history—engaged in the task of smashing its way through a narrow channel, 47 miles in length and in no part greater than four miles in width. This channel is protected on both sides by numerous forts, more or less efficient, and also by mine-fields. It Is the gate to the Sea of Marmora, on the far side of which lies Constantinople, the capital city of the Ottoman Emnire. SHIPS FIGHTING FORTS. It has been laid down by writers on naval strategy that coast fortresses are in greater danger of capture by land attacks than "U.v those from the sea. The late Admiral Mahan, in his great booU. "Naval Strategy," says:—"The reason is obvious; no vessel, no construction resting upon the water, can boar the same weight of ordnance and the same armour as a land work can. To this inferiority modern warfare has added the additional danger to ships of the submarine mine, the effects of which upon the movements possible to vessels were so often and so strikingly illustrated in the war between Russia and Japan. ... In brief, ships are unequally matched against forts, in the particular sphero of forts A ship can no more stand up against si fort costing the same money, than the fort could run a race with the ship." Defence on the sea side, against direct naval attack, is held to he" comparatively easy, because on that side siege works connot be constructed, and ships, the remaining means of attack, are a recognised disadvantage contending against forts. Somo dispute this, and the operations in the Dardanelles may be cited by thorn as disproving the contention. But the Japanese will not bo accused of lack of daring, and they did not long expose their sbiDS to the Russian forts at Port Arthur. During the bombardment, they increased . the'range, an element of safety, Anit even so. one of their ships had a narrow escapo Xrom serious injury. It will have been noticed that, although the fleet employed by the Allies at the Dardiuiclle* is a far more powerful force than the tt'holo Japanese fleet of 190-1-05, and the Turkish forts aro 'considerably inferior to the Russian defence* at Port Arthur. Vice-Admiral Carden has adopted the same precaution as did the Japanese, namely, long-range bombardment, his ships being placed in most cases beyond tho. range of the Turkish guns. Even so.'it , is apparent that in spito of their deficiencies, tho Dardanelles forts make the operations risky for the ships. Several of the -ships, when closing in to complete tho work of destruction, haro been struck by shells. The damage done to tho ships has been insignificant, and their casualties very light, but there is always the danger of serious damage from a chance shell. Tho danger of floating mines is also, a very real one, but this is being met by tho operations of mino-sweepers, assisted to some extent by' seaplane reconnaissance. TURKISH DEFICIENCIES. The case of the Dardanelles' is, however, a somewhat unusual one. It cannot be said that the forts themselvos aro modern works, though it may bo ti no .that they have been armed with new German guns. Strategically, coast fortresses are not for defence, but for offence, by sheltering nnd sustaining that force which against an invader is the offensive arm ; that is, tho navy. Rut the Turkish navy, as at present constituted, is not an effective weapon. If past reports arc reliable, a number of jts ships, including the Gooben and Breslau, have been badly hammered by the Russian Hlack »Sea Fleet. The 'Turkish ships are. therefore not likely to cause tho invading fleet much trouble. The Allies' ships aro-in overwhelming force—an Athens report mentions f>2 vessels —and we know that at loa.st sixteen battleships are present. The bombardment of the forts, some of which are in difficult positions for direct shell fire, is being assisted by the observations of aeroplanes and seaplanes, whirh. in addition to general reconnaissance are able to corrections in range to the bombarding shins. There is no doubt that in planning the expedition, the Admiralty have left little or nothing to chance, and as was mentioned the other day. the knowledge gained by the lato naval mission to Turkey, has been fully availed of. PROGRESS OF OPERATIONS. In their latest report, the Admiralty indicate that steady progress is being made. The IjonilMirdment was roncwr ed on Monday lnortiiug, firo lieing diiucted principally against the forts on Capo kephea, which is on the Asiatic shore, about twelve miles from the ontrnnco to the Dardanelles. .Minesweeping operations (yi Monday nigiit -cleared tho channel to within a mile and a half of this point. Three or four tniles further up are the forts commanding the narrow Kiiid Bahr-Cha-nak Strait, which were bombarded last week. Tho statement that warships worn bombarding the coast of the Ray of Saros is confirmed to-day by the Admiralty reixirt which states that four French battleships are shelling Bulair an ( ] the Turkish communications. This is important, as Bulair is on tlio only road connecting the Peninsula of Gallipoli with the "mainland. It is a small town situated on the narrowest part of the peninsula, which is here only four miles wide, between tho Gulf of Saros and the Sea of .Marmora. Bulair is a!>out ten miles north-east of Gallipoli which commands the Dardanelles j where it joins tho Sea of Marmora. An i unofficial message from Athens states | that there are 100,000 Turkish troops I on the peninsula, and ivhile this may bo an over-estimate. it is * doubtless true that they are in considerable strength. We are also told that the fin=t detachment of Allied troops, including '"Canadians and Senegalese," has ar-

rived at the Dardanelles, under the command of General JTAmade. a wellknown French general. It will be well to await official news before accepting reports as to tho presence of troops, but it is probable that land operations are contemplated. If troops are to be employed, they will be in considerable numbers.

STILL MORE SHIPS. Meanwhile it is interesting to note that several other battleship* are mentioned as taking part in the bombardment. We have already been told of the presence of the Queen Elizabeth (battleship). Inflexible (battlecruiser), Agamemnon. C-ornwallis, vengeance. Triumph, Irresistible.. Majestic. Albion, Suffren. Gaulois, Bouvot. r.nd Charlemagne, tho last four being French battleships. To-day's reports mention the Caiiopus, Ocean, and Swiftsure. so that sixteen line-of-bat-tle ships are now known to be taking part, 'n addition to the bic ships, the fleet doubtless includes a large number of cruisers, destroyers, torpedoboats, and mine-sweepers, and probably submarines. For tho first time in history n Russian warship is operating in the Eastern Mediterranean, outside the Dardanelles. This is tfie cruiser Askold. a≤ haying no fewer than; five funnc'.s. She is a protected cruiser of -590.5 tons displacement, and 235 knots speed, and curiously enough is a German-built ship, having been constructed at Kiel in 1900-01. 'She is armed with twelve 6in, twelve 3in, and fourteen quickfiring guns, and six torpedo tubes. Hofon} "the war, she was based on Vladivo*tork\ and it will be remembered that she was incorrectly reported to have engaged the Emden early in August Tho Canopus is a battleship of 12.9.50 tons displacement, armed with four 12in and twelve Gin guns. She was tho shin sent out to reinforce RearAdmirnl Cradock's ill-fated 6quadron off the coast of Chili, but did not arrive in time. She was at the Falkland Islands with the Inflexible, which is now working with her at the Dardanelles. It is a far call from Cape Horn to the Golden Horn, but both .ships will doubtless accompany the Allied Fleet to Constantinople. ' The Ocean is a sister ship to the Canopus, and similar to her in all respects. When heard of previously the' Ocean was operating against the Turks at (he -nouth of tht- Shatt-01-Arab, at the head of tho Persian Gulf. The Swiftsure, a battleship of 11.800 tons, armed with four lOin. fourteen 7.5 in, and twenty quick-firing guns, is a. sifter ship to the Triumph, and is the flag?hi;> of the- Commander-in-Chief of tho East Indies Station. Truly, it may be said that the great fleet operating in tho Dardanelles 1 a.s been called up from the uttermost pnrts of the sea. It is strange, too. that the fleet" now hammarin™ at tho •outer gate of Constantinople, i- drawn from the same navies whir-h !«s than half a century sico pas*»'l unobstructed through tin Dardanelles to proi.ee fc Turkey .from .tho arnu'os m<v>.r.rinjs her capital To-day British. French, and Russians are- united ncraimt Turkey, who has been dragpro 1 into tl.o war by Gern>anv.