(Press Association.) THE DARDANELLES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 56, 8 March 1915, Page 7

(Press Association.) THE DARDANELLES

QUEEN ELIZABETH'S BIG GUNS EXCELLENT WORK (Received March 8, lCka.m.) , LONDON, 7th March. Reuter's Athens_ correspondent states that the battleship Queen Elizabeth, on the sth, operated in the Gulf of Saros. Her first shots silenced a- battery on the heights. The armaments of Fort L include 14-inch guns. , ADMIRALTY REPORT LONDON. 7th March. The Admiralty has issued Vice-Admiral Sackville H. Garden's further report on the Dardanelles. He says: — "Action was impossible until the afternoon of the 3rd, when the Irresistible, Albion, Triumph, and Prince George resumed the attack on Fort Dardanos and concealed guns in its neighbourhood. The weather was fine on the 4th, when mine-sweeping and bombarding within the straits were continued steadily. Demolition parties, covered by marines, landed at Kum Kale and Sedd-el-Bahr, and continued the clearance of the ground at the entrance to the straits. Skirmishes occurred, the enemy holding the villages in force. " Our casualties on the 4th totalled nineteen killed and twenty-five wounded, as well as three missing. IN THE NARROWS " The Queen Elizabeth on tho sth commenced an attack by indirect fire ' upon the defences at the Narrows, supported by howitzers from the Inflexible and Prince George. _ The latter's fire was confined to Forts Eumilieh, Medjidieh, Tobia, Hamidieh, Tabia, and Namazeh. The Queen Elizabeth fired twenty-nine rounds with satisfactory results. Tlip magazine was blown up at Medjidieh, which is an important fort, with the best and heaviest gnns. Others of the forts' we're damaged ; and though much fived upon by concealed guns, the ships were not hit. " The Sapphire again fired upon the troops at Adramyti, destroying the military station at Tuzburna. CRUISERS OFF SMYRNA "The Commander-in-Chief of the East India station, Vice-Admiral Pierse, has arrived with a squadron of battleships and cruisers off Smyrna. A methodical bombardment of Fort Yenickoli was carried out for two hours. Thirty-two hits were, recorded, causing considerable damage. There were two, heav.y explosions, apparently -from the magazines:*'- The 'flre^ was not : returned". ' Bombardment at closer range has now , begun. The reduction of the Smyrna defences is a necessary incident in the main operations." ADDITIONAL DETAILS The Prime Minister has received a message from the High Commissioner which confirms the foregoing, and makes the following additions :—: — On sth March an attack was begun by indirect fire by the Queen Elizabeth upon the defences of the Narrosvs. The 'attack was supported with howitzers by the Indexible and Prince George. Firs was continued at Forts RumiJieh, Medjidieh, Tabia, Hamidieh 2, Tabia, and Namazieh {marked on the Admiralty map J, J, and M) armed with 5 to 14-inch guns. The Euryalus, the flagship of the Vice-Admiral, shot with remarkable accuracy from her ai'ter 9.2 guns. The fire was not returned. FORTS ON SMYRNA HEIGHTS SILENCED (Pieceived March 8, 9 a.m.) 1 LONDON, 7th March." Reuter's Athens correspondent states that Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Peii'Se has silenced the forts on the Smyrna heights, and is now bombarding the forts at the entrance to the gulf. The Euryalus is Admiral Peirse's flagship GERMANS IN CONSTANTINOPLE ARE ALARMED (Received March 8, 10.5 a.m.) BUCHAREST, 7th March. There is increasing alarm in the German colony at Constantinople. German officers are sending away their families. Many women, including General yon Sander's wife, have arrived here. GERMAN OFFICERS LEAVE FOR CONSTANTINOPLE AMSTERDAM, 7th March. A number of German officers have left the front in France for Constantinople, presumably to take command, of the troops concentrating at Gallipoli. TURKS AND GERMANS REALISE THEIR POWERLESSNESS AMSTERDAM, 7th March. • A Bucharest message states that the Turks and Germans, realising that they are powerless to prevent the Allies' Fleet penetrating the Dardanelles, are hastily disarming some of the forts and transporting the guns to the islands in the Sea of Marmora. The civil population is insufficiently fed, and is murmuring against the Germans. Fifty German officers have passed Bucharest en route for Berlin. MINE-SWEEPING 1 ■ ATHENS, 7th March. Mine-s-weeping has been completed as far as Chanak. The British resumed the bombardment of the forts at -Smyrna, vigorously shelling the batteries on Two Brothers Hill. DEFENCE OF THE CAPITAL CONSTANTINOPLE, 6th March. In view of the threatened occupation by the Allies, it is reported here that the Turks propose to defend the capital vigorously. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) LONDON, 6th March. lhe Berliner Tageblatt declares that England is hastening to occupy Constantinople in order to prevent Russia getting there. (Press Association.) SMALL COMFORT FROM AUSTRIA LONDON, 6th March. Bucharest reports state that Turkey has received small comfort from an interchange of telegrams with Berlin and Vienna. Austria, replying to a request for immediate naval help, admonished Turkey against despairing of final victory, and advised Turkey to tranbfer her capital to somewhere in Asia. It is reported that the Turks operating at Sinai 'have been hurriedly recalled to .Constantinople, entirely freeing Egypt. There is an unconfirmed rumour that the Sultan has left Constantinople.