THE DARDANELLES.

Evening Star, Issue 15914, 21 September 1915, Page 3

THE DARDANELLES.

NORTHERN ZONE EXTENDED. AUSTRALASIAN SOLDIERS 14 BEST IN THE WORLG.” WINTER PROBLEMS. , Ptms Association— By Telegraph—Copyright. . •, LONDON', September 19. Reuter’s correspondent with Headquarters on Gallipoli, writing on September 4 , gives a vivid description of the- situation ‘ at Anzac, During the last'week in August tne gallant Australians and New Zealanders were called on for yet another effort. i hey responded with, tiieir usual courage and devotion. As a result Knoll 60 passed finally out of the enemy’s hands and -400 acres of ground were added to Anzac Knoll, the j last crest of the last ridge separating Anzac from the northward plain. The Turks clung to the knoll with the utmost determination, and when flung out of the trenches by an irresistible rusii of Australians and New Zealanders the enemy would come back again, accepting terrible lossunflinchingly. When the trenches were finally captured they were full of the enemy’s dead. It took three days’ hard fighting to turn out the Turks. The ground over which I'"® charged was still thickly strewn with .bodies, both of the enemy and our slain. It is. computed that the Turks lost 5,000 tnen. : The • Indians' and the Connaught Rangers shared the fighting. The Australians and New Zealanders have since been expecting a Turkish general attack, but it has not materialised. The Turks have not forgotten Lone Pine trenches, and the result of their 5 descent from the towering ridge of Chiinuk Bair on August 10, when the New Zealanders did all they were asked to do. When a British battalion later was swept off the ridge by 12 Turkish battalions, the enemy charged into a- tremendous ravine below, and coming down the steep side they came under the fire of 10 machine guns under Captain Wallingford. The machine gunners claim that 5,000 Turks were killed. A New Zealand Staff officer, describing the fight, said: “ The Turks came down in thousands, but went back in hundreds.” In any case, the Turks must have realised that it would be courting death if a general attack were made on the Anzac defences. The men behind them are the salt of the earth, equal in courage to anv troops, and superior in physique to any hut the picked men of other countries, and in intelligence,, self-reliance, and endurance the best soldiers in the world. Danger at Anzac can only come through the physical overstrain or the bodily weariness of the troops. The world realises now how the Aus-

tralians and New Zealanders fought, but i , it as not known how they dug in, heaved, .and carried when not fighting. Innumerable saps, communication trencher,, and covered trenches had been dug. On the lower levels nude transport can bo used, but higher ‘ up every cartridge, every biscuit, every mouthful of water must be .humped up on men’s backs. The approach to the valleys can now be made in perfect safety through saps. The army lives in dugouts along the sides of the gullies ascending the upper ridges. A month ago one seemed to be watching some vastanthill, where ants issued from the mouths of innumerable dugonts and scurried along every path in the gully.- Now the population on the anthill seems to be diminished by two-thirds. _ Half the dugonts are now empty, and visitors can have the choice of . a whole terrace of commodious shelters. It is'diffieulfc to say how Anzac will fare m the winter time, when great rains come, and vast quantities of water will stream down the hillsides, and the deep gullies be converted,into torrent beds. Water : ‘ is washing, two or three feet deep over the ground at present The angles in the ground are, however, so steep that our engineers should be able to devise a practical drainage system. The trenches and dugonts will necessarily bo soaking wet, and herein lies a danger to the health of tho troops. It can only be averted by flooring, roofing, and riveting the rides of the trenches. ' Great quantities of material will be necessary, which cannot be supplied on the spot, but commanders with experience of the Flanders trenches will leave nothing undone to spare the Anzac soldiers avoidable sufferim*- from the rigors of winter. SOUTHERN ZONE. OFFICIAL DESPATCH. THE MAY CHANGES. LONDON, September 20. Sir lan Hamilton’s despatch, which is a continuance of that cabled on July 6, says: I determined on May sto continue the advance. The many urgent calls for reinforcements during the previous critical fighting forced me to disorganise and mix r together several formations in the southern group, to the extent even of placing the French on our right, thus saving .a British battalion. The French most extreme right became our right. It was necessary to form a temporarily-composed brigade consisting of tho 2nd Australian and New Zealand Brigades, who were withdrawn for the purpose from the northern section, and a naval brigade. During three days from May 6 to 8 (inclusive) our troops were destined to be severely tried. They were about to attack •a series of positions scientificallv selected in advance, which, although they were not yet joined into one line of entrenchment, were already strengthened by works of more important tactful features. Strong attacks by the Anglo-French* on May 6 and 7 had gained from 200 to 300 yards, and. had occupied or passed, over the first line of Turkish trenches, but the new lines needed consolidating. It was certain that fresh reinforcements were reaching the Turks, mid I decided to call upon the men for one more push ■ . before the new. enemy forces could get in -couch with their 'surroundings. My° plan for the fresh attack was that the New Zealand Brigade should advance through the lino we held during the night of May 7, and press on towards Ivrithia, while - simultaneously the 87th Brigade should threaten the work on the west ravine, and Heal patches of ground from the area dominated by German niacliine guns. On May 8, after a heavy fire from the ships’ batteries, the whole front of the New Zealand Brigade began to move at 2.30 a.m., meeting - with strenuous opposition from the reinforced enemy. The New Zealanders pushed forward "on the right, and advanced in the centre,, gaining about .200 yards, but could make little further progress. At 5.30 in the afternoon I ordered the Tine to; be reinforced by the Australian Brigade, ■ who, ■ advanced after a heavy artillery bombardment. Some of the companies of New Zealanders did not receive their qrders in time, but, acting on their own initiative, pushed on, making the whole advance simultaneously. The British .were ready, and the advance could be followed' by the sparkle of bayonets fill the long lines were entirely hidden Li smoko .clouds. SUPPLY ORGANISATION. THE NAVY’S WORK. LONDON, September 19. /■. . Mr Ashmead-Bartlett, in a letter to the Tress, describes the co-operation of the Army and Navy as removing all jealous..and creating a complete understanding. ( Apart from the battleships, there is aa immense number of trawlers and drifters, carrying supplies and working 16 out of the 24 hours of the day in all weathers.. The Army will .have to refiv <m them dm-.

ing the winter,, when ..the peaceful Mediterranean will be turned 'into a raging wilderness of short, choppy seas. Steam pinnaces haunt every beach at Gallipoli ond all the islands connecting with the sea shores, tugging lighters fuJl of stores, tiorsc-3,; and , ammunition. The enemy never cease shelling the landings at Ansae, Capo Helles, and Suvla. DESERTERS’ TALES. AMSTERDAM, September 19, German deserters from the Franco-Bel-gian fix nfc. sfcato *that ths troops have been ordered to prepare for a campaign in 1 urkey. Officers told them that they were going on a new crusade, and when the Gormans reached Cairo the war would end. BULGARIA’S INDECISION. HAS GERMANY FAILED? SOFIA, September 19. The leaders of the five political parties representing the Opposition had a two and a-half hours’ audience with the King, Crown Prince, and M. Dobrovitch, the King’s Chief Counsellor. 'The deputation urged that it would be fatal to adopt a neutral attitude, and recommended the formation of a coalition Cabinet and the immediate summoning of the Sobranje in order.to safeguard the country against a policy which would be contrary to the interests and sentiments of the nation.

The reception of the deputation lias relieved public feeling. LONDON, Sept. 20 (4.10 a.m.). The High Commissioner reports; The ‘ Morning Post’s ’ Athens correspondent says the conference of the Bulgarian party leaders converted the King. All pronounced against a policy favorable to the Central Powers, and advised a formation of a coalition Cabinet. The King subsequently summoned t% Premier.