THE NIGHT ATTACK ON SARI BAIR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2552, 28 August 1915, Page 5

THE NIGHT ATTACK ON SARI BAIR

TOLD BY A WOUNDED OFFICER AUSTRO-GERMAN MENACE ON BULGARIA By Telegraph—Presß Association—Copyright i ,i_ ; : ■ London, August 26. Renter's agent at Alexandria states that again have_ the Australians and New Zealanders covered themselves with glory in a magi\ificent attack on Sari Bair. & wounded Australian officer says:—"lf only the night.had been: two hours longer \ve shcmld'have shifted all,the Turks off that hill. When we were six/hundred' yards up, the enemy rained down a merciless lire, forcing us to entrench;" " ■ ■~ ' The wounded cars nothing for their wounds, and are only eager to see the objective reached. Prisoners declare that German officers told the Turks before April that, the Australians mid New Zoalanders wero probably coming, and warned them' that tliey; were not ordinary men, but very devils for fighting. The lauding in April confirmed the warning. It will be a lasting regret that there were insufficient troops to follow up the great initial success at Gaba Tepo. i ■ , ',-.■ Churkas and New In the Van. V ■ Our definite action commenced on August 5 at nightfall. The Ghurkas and New.-. Zealanders .led the,way, the following. -There were tense• mpriieiits,' inarching in the dead of nighty hugging .the coast and speculating on their fate. The men were cheery'enough, although they knew tlie odds were against many seeing the sunrise. A sudden limelight would liavo disclosed an extraordinary, sight—thousands of men: from ,'Anzao to 'Suvla.. Bay creeping through , the' scrub and gullies,"knives 'alid: bayonets ■ ready' to .dispatch, stray Turks. «> ... . .■■■■-'-■■ "Everything'depended, on surprising[ the -'enemy and effecting the greatest execution while the night lasted. _ Occasionally would bo heard a strange gurgling sound—a Ghurka effectively using his kukri. Not a shot was fired; all was silent bayonet and knife work. The Turks were everywhere surprised. Some were too astonished to resist, and wero captured ■' A German officer* was asleep ■under a tree; lie, did not expect an attack from tins direction. > The Scene at Sunrise. "Suhrise revealed the situation. The enemy was surprised at our nearness, but were soon pouring in a deadly fire. We bad 110 option but to entrench, and patiently' await tlie liiglit. The Otago troops wero. astonished when, rushing a difficult ascent, the Turks leaned over and helped them up, kissed their, hands,, and surrendered- in a. body. . -v., "One.brigade, which left Anzac on the morning of August 6, was. continuously marching for twenty hours, and was then ordered to. charge. Although fatigued they stormed a hill in a wonderful manner. Within two hundred yards of the summit an officer was bayoneted in-the leg. He closed with his assailant, and gripped him by the neck.; The Turk fixed his teeth in the officer's hand. . The officer pulled his knife from his pocket and stabbed the Turk to the heart. ■ , - ■ _ _ • "A dying Turkish officer, when given a drink, offered a New Zealander his' gold watch and'_ eight pounds in Turkish money. The Turks fought fairly, not showing any ; .a'nimosity against the British, and carefully, avoiding shelling the hospitals." . ' ... OUR CASUALTIES IN EIGHT DAYS' FIGHTING; • ' (Rec. August 27, 10;50 p.m.) London, AugUst 27. . ,-Tlio British casualties in Galhpoli during the past eight days include . 780 officers—2os Australians and 109 New Zealanders, . One hundred and sixty-six are dead. . . • ' • .-, ' ' : "UNSURPASSED IN HISTORY." (Rec. August 27, 10;50 p.nij . , Sydney, August 27. Captain Bean (official correspondent with the Australians at Gallipoli), in a cablegram describing the recent desperate fighting (the facts of which were covered bj Mr. Bartlett's.message), says that the work of the forward trenches was a, series of desperate and often wildly adventurous combats'. Their : feats were as fine as any accomplished in this war. Regarding, the First and Third Australian Light Horse Brigades' attempt to capture the trenches opposite tliem, ho says: "For sheer self-sacrifice and heroism this charge is unsurpassed ■ in history.."TURKISH REINFORCEMENTS FOR,GALLIPOLI;- . ' ("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) : (Rec. August 27, 7.40 p.m.) .• .London, August 26. • [A! report from.Athens states forty thousand Turks are being lrurriedly sent to the Dardanelles from Constantinople. Many of the ships in the harbour and the principal Government buildings have been transformed into hospitals. . MORE "SEPARATE PEACE" RUMOURS. * ' ... . . ' Athens, August 26. It is rumoured that Turkey is likely to sue for a. separate peace with the' Allies unless Germany declares war against Italy, SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF RIFLES IN TURKEY. ' ' . , Rome, August 26. The lack of rifles is more serious 111 Turkey than munitions. Turkey expected three hundred thousand Mausers, but they did not ..arrive, owing to Rumania's opposition to their transit, .['ho Turks are unable to arm their new troops, especially tlioso, selected to fight against tlie Italians. All the arsenals of the Empire have been emptied'; The soldiers are armed with old rifles, lances, scimitars, and knives. The Turks are also short of thousands of mines, which the Allies have swept up. _ . The relations between .Field-Marshal-von der . Goltz and Euver Pasha aro cool. ' . . . . ' . . : TURKS DIGGING TRENCHES IN THE HOLY LAND. ("Times" and Sydnoy "Sun" Services.)' London, August 26. Paris reports that the Turks are actively digging .trenches in tho Holy Land and flooding the trenches with water from the Jordan, presumably for defensive purposes. They, are razing all high buildings in Palestine. TTie tower on tlie Terra Santa_ Convent near Tiberius has been demolished and the - inscription on the ancient walls effaced. THE NEW AUSTRO-GERMAN MENACE ' • /"TO TURKEY- VIA' BULGARIA., v . Bucharest, August 26. It. is, reported that tlie new offensive against Servia will avoid Western Servia, and ivill bo concentrated in the north-eastern districts, with a-viow of eventually advancing through Bulgaria via Widen, Belgradchik, and Sofia. ■•-Tlicre'is reason to believe that Bulgaria has been informed of this intended aggression, IF she resists she biiS been threatened that she will suffor Belgium's fate; if blie acauiescos.she .ivill bs civ.en carte blanche against Servia,

. MILITARY; ACTIVITY) ALONG, THE DANUBE* ("Times" and Sydney "Sun'k Services.); (Rec. August 27, 7.J&) p.m.) London, August 26. "The Times" correspondent at Bucharest '(Rumania) states that reports aro arriving from many quarters of a concentration of Austro-GeTman. troops along the north bank of the Danube. Goods traffic between Rumania and Austria has been completely'suspended at all points of the frontier, and passenger traffic is limited to 0110 train a day each way., This restriction is undoubtedly, due to the passage of troops southwards fromrGalicia.