BOMBARDING THE TURKS.

Evening Star, Issue 14689, 5 October 1911, Page 1

BOMBARDING THE TURKS.

The most famous bombardment in the Levant was in Napoleon's siege of Acre, in which Sir Sydney Smith led the defence. But, that story is in all the history books. After Napoleon returned to France the British undertook to clear his army out of Egypt, and there was a kind of a bombardment to cover the landing of our forces. The Sultan sent .1 force of Albanians to assist us. The second in command was Mohammed Ali. After our success and withdrawal he stayed with the garrison. The Mamluks rose in rebellion against the Pasha, and Mohammed Ali played his part so well that he deposed the Pasha and sst up himself, and was recognised by the Sultan as ruler of Egypt in 1806. * We then sent 5.0C0 men to help the National party against him and the Sultan. He beat us badly in a most ingenious campaign, and we had to ransom our prisoners. He then invited all the Mamluk lievs—4Bo of them —to a feast, shot thein, and killed 5.000 others throughout the country. Hn then • conquered the Soudan, and founded Khartoum. In 1324 the Sultan employed him to put down the Greeks in their war of independence. For this purpose the Turkish and Egyptian fleets were gathered at Navarino. They were under Ibrahim Pasha, the famous adopted son of Mohammed Ali. The fleet consisted of 65 sail, carrying 2.240 guns. They were anchored in the bay in a crescent, and the country behind tbem was smoking with ruins. Here Sir Ed-v.-ard Codriug-ton fell upon them with an allied fleet of British, French, and Russian ships, carrying 1,324 guns. The Turks awaited him with guns loaded to the muzzle ,vith shot, broken bars. rusty iron, and what not. ' But it availed little ; they were almost totally destroyed before the night fell, and they set fire* to the least damaged ships, lest "they should be taken. The allies had 177 killed and 459 wounded. The Turkish loss was over 4.000. After this disaster Mohammed Ali suspected the Sultan of treachery against him, and therefore declared his "independence, and annexed _ .Syria. The Sultan was no match for him. and made peace. In 1839 the Sultan tried again, but was badly defeated, whereupon the Lord High Admiral deserted with the whole Turkish fleet to the Egyptians. This act of treason is without parallel. Mohammed would now have, made himself Sultan if the Powers had not interfered. Russia did not want so able a man at Constantinople. and England consistently supported Turkey. Again a great fleet—English. Russian, and Austrian—appeared on the scene. The Powers sent troops to Syria, the fleets bombarded Acre once more, and the Egyptians were driven back to the Nile. Mohammed Ali was obstinate, however, and the British fleet had to prepare to bombard Alexandria before he would sign the terms of peace. We turn back to 1816. The Algerians, during all the. titanic battles with Napoleon, bad been allowed to prey insolently upon the commerce of all nations. Now-, however, the day of doom had come for that nation of pirates. The little port was very strongly fortified, mounting in its forts about. 1.000 guns, heavy for those days. There were also about 400 guns afloat in the Algerian vessels of war or piracy in the port. "" Into this hornet's nest Lord Exmouth. with a squadron of British and Dutch ships, sailed one afternoon. They blazed away till midnight, using 118 tons of powder and 300 tons of shot. By this time the. batteries were in ruins and the s'ti~-- : " f .'•"• 4 "t'vr.houses in flame-. By the light of these the police fleet slipped out. Piracy was at an end, but it had not died easily. The Algerians had brought 20.000 men into the town. One of the English ships had 253 large shot in her hull. The total loss was 141 killed and 742 wounded. The piratical city lost 6.000 or 8.000. on account of having so many men in the works. In 1835 the Turkish authority had been in abeyance for a century, but in that year the Sultan sent a fleet which bombarded and took the place, again, and set up a Turkish Pasha instead of the hereditary Dev.

We pass to 1853. The Tnrks and Russians were disputing over the " Holy Places." In Sinope. a Turkish port on the Black Sea, lay a Turkish fleet, ronniiiing of seven frigates, a sloop, end a. jste.amer. From Sebastapo] came six Russian ships of the line and some steamers. The Turks fought desperately, but the odds were great, rind they wfif utterly destroyed. It is said they lost 4.G00 killed, and that there were only 4CO survivois. all of whom were wounded. It was call"?."I

"the massacre of Sinope." This ever.:, brought Lord Palmerston back into the British Cabinet, froin which he hnd just resigned. He was for fighting, and tne Crimean War bejjan with the declaration tiiat there were to be no more Sinope affairs, and ended with forbidding i'usr.ia. to build a fleet in the Black Sou. There was much bombarding at Seba : - tapol when (he British ships, with 1.200 fiuiis. steamed round in a ring all day and blazed at the town as they came to bt-ar. But tliev had very little effect. Wc are now at'lßß2. Arahi Pasha, but recently dead, led the National parly in Egypt, and was bent on driving out foreigners; for sine" the Khedive had borrowed £98.000.000. end had not where-

with to pay, these foreigners were giving unpleasant advi<"". Before Arabi trio i Khedive was helpless:. Tlw Powers billed upon the Hultan to suppress Arabi and i restore the authority of the Khedive. The : .Suitan sent Arabi a decoration, so Britain ; and France sent ileets to Alexandria. When ail was ready, and Arahi was seen '■ t'.irtifyin;: the I own, the French were called | off; so the British opened lire alone, and | soon spoiled the io>i.ificaiioiu?. Here the ! Inflexible tried her 81-ton jzuns with 17cv;t | ."hell.-;. Here the gunboat Condor, commanded by Lord Charles Beresurd, ran in ! under the guns of the fort and fired away in safety, eliciting from the Admiral the I signal '" Well done. Condor !"' The fleet ! destroyed the fortiiieations, and the >.lo- ! hammedan rabble burnt the Christian pail I of the city during three days of fury and ! slaughter. A holy war was proclaimed, 1 and Lord Wolpcley had to go and settle it ; at Tel-el-Kcbir.