COVERING THE LANDING.

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 July 1915, Page 7

COVERING THE LANDING.

TERRIFIC BOMBARDMENT MANY WARSHIPS AT WORK. FLAME-RACKED FORTS. A graphic account of the operations of the allied warships which covered the landing of the troops at the Dardanelles is given by Mr. C. Renwick, special correspondent of the London Dailv Chronicle. Writing from Rabbit Island, off the Dardanelles, on the night 'of Monday, April 26th, he says : ( The final assault upon the oute* gates of the East has begun. Yesterday morning at dawn the most powerful fleet ever engaged in warlike operations assembled at the entrance to the straight, and began the work of hammering down the Hellespont defences. All day firing continued, and night brought no cessation of the bombardment. The darkness was lit up by the alternative flashing of the searchlights and the big guns, while the roar sounded thunderously across the waters. The noise of the bombardment was heard even in the villages on the north coast of the island oi Mitylene, 45 miles away. I left the town of Mitylene at midday yesterday in a powerful motorlaunch, and naving passed the night at Molyvos (on the north coast of Mitylene) was off the Dardanelles early in , the forenoon of to-day. As we sailed 1 up the strait between Tenedoes and the mainland I had my first view of the bombardment. This was about midday, and by this time the noise had become terrific. Overhead the skv was perfectly clear save for a heavy cloud that rested high i above the entrance to the Strait. Beneath it hung a curtain of dull grey smoke. This heavy nail of smoke was a curious sight. Ere long the shins came fully into my view. The tall ma«ts and smoking funnels could be seen distinctly, and smoke was belching forth. The scene looked like nothing so much as n corner of Sheffield at its smokiest After middav the firing grew heavier, and about hnlf-nast one o'clor-k a tremendous column of smoke began to nour iin from Kum Tfnle. A f«w minuses late- Hio wH.lprrp of Yem c-lrnVr near bv wp<? nnnv.'-nn. fV r fl, cmnV,. jinrl flanm. At balf-past n"(i o'clock T was opviooite'th" entrance to the Dardanelles, and r-onlfl cpp four i-trne shins which \vwi I'nflvilv encaged. F-1V Iv-i'or.''!. wTiovr. i '-" v "vi'nWS bIV in a garb of grey, tall columns oi smoke could plainly be observed rising into the air and indicating that the work of our gunners was proving effective. A quarter of an hour later a big fire burst out on the heights above Seddel-Bahr and for a considerable time smoke ascended in thick, dense masses from the spot. A FASCINATING SPECTACLE. About two o'clock I landed on this island in the Rabbit Group, and from its cliffs nearest to the Dardanelles and' the entrance to the Strait six miles away I watched the fascinating spectacle' of the bombardment until nightfall. From this point of vantage I could see right up the straight to the Narrows. Away in the" distance several small ships could just be made uiit. They were evidently directing the fire of the big units on the Kilid Bahr and Chanak -forts guarding the Narrows. • Across the low Kum Kale ridge I could see a couple of large ships lying in Erenkeui Bay'and'firing'heavily on Kilid Bahr and the mountains beyond. CONTINUOUS THUNDER. The largest warships stood at the entrance by the European side. The loud thunder of their firing up the Strait on Chanak rent the air at rapid intervals. Often the discharges followed one another at the rate of 20 in the space'oi a minute. Away to the left outside.the entrance stretched a line of transports. 'About half past two o'clock the bombardment became still more intense. The great warships sent forth shattering salvoes of sound. New fires could be seen at several points along the Asiatic shore. The pall of smoke grew thicker, and for a time obscured my vision up the Strait. An English warship, evidently one oi the Lord Nelson type, and the Jeanne d'Arc, kept up a continuous cannonade: Bright flashes of flame spurted from flic mouths of the guns. The roars which, followed were almost deafening at times, r < >; ~,.■ r ~ .Several sholis from the French warship seemed do < be dirrtifeid; against-the batteries in and near Kum Kale and one shell T saw foek n huge mass of masonry and rock onUpf the cliff-side there. • / ./:■ \-

WARSHIPS' DEADLY FIRE. For some time the bombardment of ] this particular spot right opposite to i where I stood continued. Shells were < hurled at it at the rate of about 20 .a j minutes. When the smoke cleared it was ' evident that all resistance was ended « there; for the ships moved from their places and directed their fire higher \ up the Strait. ; This movement of the warships en- . abled me to get an excellent view .of : the Sedd-el-Bahr fort, which appeared to be utterly knocked to pieces. Then the two French warships took up thegame, and distant streaks of smoke 'told me that Kephez Point and Chanak were feeling the effects of their deadly lire. " About three o'clock the atmosphere became clearer, and enabled me to see a number of ships at work not far from Kephez Point. A little later I could distinguish two battleships still farther THE TURKISH RETORT. This I regard as showing that all serious opposition on the shores up to the Narrows had been deliberately battered down. Towards four o'clock the firing reached its maximum of intensity. The big battleships lying in Erenkeiu Bay were now particularly active. Up to this time I had seen no indications of a Turkish reply to the fire of the warships, and it was not untiJ ten minutes past four o'clock that 1 first observed a great splash of water in the middle of the Strait. It was followed by three others, while small clouds of shrapnel smoke dotted the sky above the entrance. Between 4.30 and 5.30 p.m. the warships at the entrance were particularly active. The Jeanne d'Arc, cruising far up the waterway, made a splendid picture firing briskly as she went. AN INCIDENT. Shortly after 6 o'clock the Turks provided a diversion. Early in the morning—so I learn late to-night —a hostile battery was driven back from near Sedd-el-Bahr by artillery that had been landed at Cape Helles by the Allies. It was this battery which I saw returning down the road towards Sedd-el-Bahr, obviously from Krithia. Before it could open fire it had been observed by one of our warships, which found the range with its first shot. A great cloud ef smoke and earth shot upwards. Another shell quickly followed playing right into, the midst of the Turkish gunners, who, however, stood bravely by their guns, and managed to fire three shots in reply —ineffectively, as far as I could see. Then the warships poured seven shots on the spot, and a long belt of grey smoke obscured the battery, which did not again give any sign of life. - ALLIED TROOPS LANDED. Meanwhile, allied troops had been landed on the coasts opposite and the Peninsula. Between 5.45 and 7 p.m. a very' fierce artillery duel took place between the guns of the forces landed and the Turkish artillery posted on the heights bevond Eski Hi'ssarlik. A great British battleship, standing well out from the shore, joined in the duel, which ended in the silencing of the Turkish batteries. The result of the operations up to this evening appears to be that the Allies are now in complete possession ot the extreme tongue of the Gallipoli Peninsula, and of the flat shores ot Suyla Bay—less than ten miles from the Narrows across the peninsula. Meanwhile, good progress has been made by the fire of the warships towards the reduction of the Narrows forts.