BOMBARDING.

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 2575, 5 March 1915, Page 3

BOMBARDING.

FORCING THE DARDANELLES. ILLIES ADVANCE TWO MILES

FIFTY-TWO VESSELS TAKE PART. London, March 4. Router's Athens correspondent says that nine of the Allies' ships on Tuesday silenced the forts on the Dardanelles at Hamidieh and Thimenlik, and advanced two miles. Fifty vessels participated. The Admiralty reports that tho Triumph, Ocean, and Albiou on Monday entered the Dardanelles and attacked Fort 8 aud the batteries on Whitcliff. The fort returned the fire, as also did field guns and howitzers. In the evening seaplanes reported that several new gun positions had been prepared, but there were no

guns. A force of miuc-sweepers on Monday, covered by destroyers, swept within a mile and a half of Cape Kcplcy. Though under fire there were only six wounded. Meanwhile four French battleships operated at Bulair and bombarded batteries and communications.'

The operations at the entrance to the Straits have already resulted in the destruction of 19 guns ranging from G to 11 inches, also 11 smaller

guns. The Canopus, Swiftsure, and CornMall on Tuesday engaged Forts 8 and f>, and the latter was silenced. All three battleships were hit, but the only casualty was a man slightly iroinifled.

Sweeping operations were continued at "night, and the attack progresses. Tho Russian cruiser Askold has ioiiied the Allies.

The Times naval correspondent, commenting on the Dardanelles bombardment, says it is impossible that, any of the Allies' ships have passed the narrows. The most difficult part of the business is yet ahead —the destruction of the forts at the Narrows, where there are earthworks in addition to batteries. Probably altogether a score of defensive positions still have to be reduced. The position of some of the inner forts is such that they possibly cannot be engaged ships at long ranges. Hitherto it had been considered that warships were not built to attack shore defences. The advent of long range guns and the scientific methods ensuring accuracy throws a new light on the problem. Venice reports that .the Austrian journal Neve Freie Presse says that the bombardment of the Dardanelles is the first step towards the destruction of the Ottoman Empire, and the displacement of the relationship of the Great Powers in the Mediterranean will be so overpowering that it must be reckoned one of the most serious conseqiiences of the war. Athens, March 4. The first detachment of the military expedition, under General Damade, including Canadians and Sengalese, arrived off the Dardanelles. Essad Pasha is commanding 100,000 Turks on the isthmus of Gallipoli.