SPLENDID GUNNERY.

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 2732, 1 June 1915, Page 4

SPLENDID GUNNERY.

WOE'k AT DARDANELLES

Excellent'illustrations of tlie exactitude and precision of the gunners engaged on our ships of war in the Dardanelles are afforded in the following letter from a naval officer :—

We went right inside the minesweepers, who had been busy all the previous night clearing a passage, and landed demolition parties to blow up the forts. Very line explosions they made, too, especially Sedd-el-Bahr on the European side, the magazine of which made a splendid pyrotechnic display. On the Asiatic side the land at the point is low, but rises rapidly to a fine bold cliff, on top of which stands a remarkable series of nine windmills, all close together, with a large village behind called YeniSliehr. We were lying about a mile off this village, and just astern of us was one of those first-class light cruisers of ours.

A seaplane had gone inland to reconnoitre, and was returning, over Yeni-Shchr at a height of about 2000 i'ect, when, just as it passed' over the windmills, some hundred or so, or possibly more, Turkish soldiers, fired ' a volley at it. Before you had time to say "By Jove!" there was a deafening crash, and when the smoke had cleared away those windmills—had been removed!

It was an extraordinary sight. That little cruiser had sighted and hit and had completely wiped out those Turks til most before they had had time to -see the results of their shots at the seaplane. Next day ono of battleships landed a demolition party, 100 strong, to find, and destroy, if possible, a howitzer battery reported up behind the town of Sedd-el-Bahr (quite a large town).

This they did, and found six. oin howitzers quite undamaged, which they blew up" and then started to retreat to the shore. The Turks came swarinirig down upon them, so they fired a rocket to show their exjirfc position, and their sliip opened fire on the advancing Turks.* who were plainly visible on the Hillside. Then the party made a signal: "Please shell the town; it is full of soldiere," and- for a quarter of an hour the town vanished under a pall of smoke, red, yellow, and grey. When that, at length blew out-to sea, red tongues of flame could be seen, and soon the place,, fanned by a strong wind, was ablaze from end to end