PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 68, 22 March 1915, Page 8

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

LOSSES IN THE DARDANELLES THE THREE WARSHIPS. ' .VICTIMS OF BLIND CHANCE. All eyes are upon Turkey's frontdoor the Dardanelles. On Wednesday, with dramatic suddenness, the Allies lost three large battleships, which had been Operating seven or eight miles from the forts of the famous Narrows, the dangerouslyarmed constriction of the strait. But they were not sunk by guns or by torpedoes, or any other active agency. '.The most passive and uncontrollable of all weapons — drifting mines — were responsible. The Turks are reported to have some very heavy guns at the Dardanelles. They have hit the Allies' nhips many times, and have slain many gallant sailors; but they have not yet sunk a ship or put one permanently out , of action. The work of the fleets has been co extraordinary that what the enemy could not do by strength and skill they attempted by calling in blind chance; and to an extent which will certainly gratify them, blind chance favoured them. That the Admiralty expected and was prepared for such losses is obvious, not only from the real need for such an anticipation, but from the facts; for already reinforcements in the shape of two ships, sisters of the Irresistible, are on the way to the Dardanelles. In fact, if the straits are forced at even considerably greater cost, the expense in ships and men will bardly be surprising ; yet the victory will be worth the expense. LOST VESSELS ARE OLD. The vessels which were lost, while still useful "and powerful ships for certain classes of work, such as they were doing, for instance, were of the class which is mo3t easily spared. They are neither powerful enough to fight effectively in a modern fleet action of an important nature, nor fast enough or otherwise suited for the duties of cruisers. The Admiralty has adopted the plain and simple course of taking the oldest vessels suitable for the work, and so proportioning'the, risk that th y e least valuable ships are the most exposed. The Navy has already lost thg Bulwark (by accidental explosion at Sheerness} and the Formidable (torpedoed in the Channel). These two ships, though usually put in separate classes, were virtually sister ships; and the .late Irresistible, completed in 1902, was one of the Formidables. Her tonnage was 15,000; she carried four 12-inch, twelve 6-inch, and twenty-four smaller guns, and was well, though, not heavily, armoured. Her best speed was about 18 knots. H.M.S. Ocean was completed ia 1900, and was inferior to the Formidables. She belongs to the Canopus class, in which the tonnage ia 12,950, and the speed about 18 knots. Her armament consisted of four 12-inch, twelve 6-inch, and eighteen smaller guns ; but her big guns were of an earlier pattern, and' less powerful than those of the Irresistible. She had much thinner armour than the Irresistible. Of the relief ships, the Implacable is a sister of the Irresistible; and the Queen ia virtually an improvement on the typt, having similar armament. She was completed in 1904. The French lost ship Bouvet was laid down in 1893, and completed five years later. She was 'a ship of rather extraordinary appearance (many old French warships are), due largely to the marked "tumble-home" of her sides.. She carried two 12-inch, two 10.8-inch, eight s^inch, eight 4-inch, and thirty small guns. She had a great thickness — ten to sixteen inches— of steel armour, but it was of old type and inefficient. The Henri IV., replacing, the Bouvet, is newer (1903), but less powerful. Her tonnage is 8948, against the Bouvet's 12,200, and her biggest guns are two 10.8-inch. She has also Beven s^-inch and fourteen small guns. Her armour is moderately good. PROSPECTS OF SUCCESS. Although some of the older ships engaged were actually sunk, the later types have not escaped injury. H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth) with her 15-inch guns, stands far off out of range and carries out target practice. But other ships, including the battle-cruiser Inflexible, have been knocked about. This vessel was severely damaged, and had to be taken away for repairs. There is no reason to doubt that the formidable task of piercing the Dardanelles will be accomplished. Against the tactics adopted by the fleet, and the superior gunnery of the ships, the shore defences have proved .ineffective so far; and the t mine-fields have failed completely. The countering of attacks by floating mines, as distinct from anchored ones, will, as the Admiralty reports, requ'ip» special' operations; but it can probably be done. What the Turks sigh ' for, no doubt, is a good submarine flotilla. That would have increased greatly the difficulties of the fleet. Fortunately she has not one auch vessel, and has tried in vain to secure one. CAPTURE OF MEMEL. t The sudden development of the ■ Russian campaign in the extreme north of the fighting line was unexpected. The Russians north of the Niemen have exerted a heavy pressure towards the frontier, and at Tauroggen, north of Tilsit, have driven the enemy into their own country. Further north, in the extremity of Prussia, they, swung in across tha narrow tongue of, German territory and captured Memel, the most northerly town in Germany. The civilians aided a small force of German reservists to defend the town, which, for this breach of the rules — so heartily condemned by the Germans elsewhere^ — the Russians shelled into submission. The garrison then evacuated Memel, and the Russions for the first time in the war occupied a German town. Memel is n6t a large place; its population is about 22,000. But it is an important seaport, with a large trade in timber and grain. Moveover, its fortifications on the sea side (which have not been referred to in the messages, but which were probably abandoned by the Germans) command a narrow 'channel between the Baltic Sea |and the great Kurische Haff, an enormous "lagoon" extending fifty miles to the south, where its extremity is about 15 miles north of Konigsberg. The Russians, by driving in an army near Tilsit, should easily be able to hold the narrow piece 1 of German territory thus cut off ; and this would give them control of about 100 miles of German coast line, at least to the extent of making ifc useless to Germany. It may even be possible for Russia to land an army to the north of Konigsberg to , co-operate with those advancing from the east. OTHER RUSSIAN EVENTS. 'An important advance appears to have been made in the Prasnyz region. , At MyshJnetz (or Mysyniec. which has the same' pronunciation) 30 miles north-east of Prasnysz, and about the same distance north-west of Lomza, the enemy were severely repulsed, with heavy losses. Przemysl still exhibits much vitality, and the garrison has made a heavy sortie, which resulted in very severe losses in killed, wounded, and prisonern. A capture of part of the Stryj-Munkacs railway has been made by the Russians without opposition. THE BLOCKADE. Tha British Navy h*s laid hands upon tome thipfr laden- vdjUi ourgotb ftuiptcted

to have German destinations, and has taken the vesecla to port. On the other hand, German warships have captured at least one Dutch steamer loaned with cargo for England, and taken her to Zeebruggo. She i» thus exercising her powers under such declaration of blockade as was made in connection with the ' famous submarine campaign. Holland may be inclined to protest ; but it is probably less distasteful to have a ship taken to port than to hear of its being sunk with all on board. Some more exploits by submarines are reported. SOME AIR RAIDS. Paris has suffered a visitation from three Zeppelins, at 1 in the morning; but though many incendiary bombs were dropped, comparatively little harm was done. Paris has been free from the warlike insults of aircraft for a long time, and the raid was a very unpleasant reminder of the necessity for unremitting vigilance and vigorous defence. In England, too, some aeroplanes made an attack on Deal; but' when one had been given a very warm reception from guns and aeroplanes, it left, and the others did not attempt to carry out their work.