SARI BAIR.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 4 September 1915, Page 5

SARI BAIR.

A SOLDIERS', BATTLE

MOST FEROCIOUS SINCE INKERMAN.

FOUR DA¥S AND NIGHTS OF

TERRIBLE COMBAT.

LONDON, Sept. 3

la his despatch concerning the fighting in. August, Mr Ashmead Bartlett, referring to the work; of a division of the new English army, continues:

Unaccustomed to the novel conditions of mountain warfare, unaccustomed to marching, fighting and climbing in heat :for hours, without water, they nobly supported the colonials, and suffered heavy losses unflinching-

The Maoris skilfully crept forward ■over broken .^ground, wire-cutting and preparing the" way for the advance of the forces 'detailed for the main movement, -which :had for its ultimate object the occupation of Sari Bair from Chunuk Hair rbo Kjachemene. It was

xieeessary -to attract the enemy's attention towards the south, and force him to keep troops in front of our lines, while our main forces debouched from Jjnzac.

This was tho reason for the Australian advance on August 6, a desperate attack on Lone Hill plateau, four hundred 'feet high, and of great strategic importance, opening up the main line of communication between Anzac *and the Kilid Bahr plateau further south. The Turks had fortified it carefully, and it, was a veritable fortress of trenches, roofed with huge logs, railway sleepers, and immense teak planks, covered with earth, making the trenches impervious to shells, except those of heavy howitzers.

The assault on August 6 was preceded by fifteen -minutes' furious bombardment, which had, however, little effect, as the Turks were safely dug in. Therefore forcing the position devolved' ■on the infantry.

The Australians rushed forward to tie assault with the fury of fanatics, little heeding the tremendous shrapnel fire and enfilading rifle fire. The great difficulty was to force a way into the trenches. It was a

•MIGHTY PHYSICAL EFFORT to remove the obstructions. Groups effected an. entrance at various points and jumped in. The Turks were caught in a trap. Some surrendered, but the -majority choose to die fighting. There-' -was a desperate hand-to-hand fight in every trench and dug-out. Four trench lines were captured in succession, •additional infantry pouring in as advancing lines, were thinned by casualties. Bombs played an important role and the Australians were only able to lufla -the position through an unceasing supply.

The Turks massed their forces, and counter-attacked desperately for three days and nights. They frequently retook sections, only to be again driven out. It was an extraordinary struggle, being almost entirely underground. Both sides showed an

UTTER DISREGARD OF LIFE. Wounded and dead choked the trenches ' almost to the top, and the survivors carried on the fight over heaps of corpses. Despite the most determined courage of the reinforced Turk«, the- Australians held their ground, and finally the Turks wearied of the struggle.

The trenches were now merely battered shambles. The removal of the dead, and wounded occupied days. The Jbodies of thousands of Turks and colonials were removed from the trenches, and there were hundreds more outside.

The Turkish losses in their section alone are estimated at five thousand, ■chiefly incurred in the counter-attacks. The Australians' most advanced outpost was beyond Fisherman's Hut, in an intervening gap in flat ground, connected by a wide gap that it was impossible to cross, except by daylight. Millions of rounds of ammunition and «hells were carried .to rthe advanced

posts along the jgqp -Sjy <daytime, or along the beach at night-time. This operation, together with the arrival of strong Australian Teinforcements, was kept a profound secret. Before the Australians could .deploy over the wide front of 6pura and ravines -giving access to Sari Bain, lit vwa« to take a number of xmtjying posts. This involved

A PRELIMINARY MOVE due north, over broken ground, in total darkness, and ihen a 'wheel due ea6t for the purpose adf the main ridge.

As on the previous nights, the warships showed their searchlights and bombarded the Turkish positions. The Turks had not suspected an infantry attack, and when 'i he searchlights were playing in another direction, the Australians dashea :forward, capturing in succession the otftposts. At daybreak the whole force was slowly moving towards the mam Sari Bair position in the face of great difficulties, being harassed by snipers, checked by difficulties of ground, and a scarcity of

water.

At dawn on the 7th the left of our line reached the Asmadere position. The Indians had advanced, a long way towards Chunuk TBair and had reached a farm, whilst the Zealanders were on Rhododendron Spur Ridge. Then it was decided to postpone a further advance until nightfall. Turkish snipers everywhere harassed our lines throughout the day. The

, ADVANCE WAS RESUMED at four o'clock in the morning'of August 8.. The Australians on the left advanced from Asmadere to Abdelrahma Bair, whence it was hoped they could wheel to thjß right to attack Kojachemen. Little or no progress was possible in this attack. The Turks, in great strength, at one time threatened to surround-the force, which had withdrawn to its original position on Asmadere, where .they held out all day long against determined attacks.

Throughout ihe (day .and night the New Zealanders, although thoroughly exhausted, maintained their hold at Chunuk Bair. Two other regiments relieved them during ,the night. The Turks, strongly reinforced, desperately attacked .at dawn on the 10th from Chunuk Bair hill, hurling themselves regardless of their lives against the two regiments, who desperately resisted, but wiere .driven by artillery fire and sheer weight of numbers further down the elope.

The Turks, following up .this success, charged right over the .crest towards the gully southwards of Rhododendron Ridge, with a view of penetrating between their own line and the Anzac position, but they reckoned without our artillery and ships' guns. The New Zealanders' -determinedly assaulted Rhododendron crest, and gained the south-western slope «jf Chunuk Bair. The Indians were advancing on their left, but exhaustion, scarcity of water, and their numerous wounded, compelled a cessation until nightfall.

It was then plamned rtihafc ri&rw columns, the New Zealanders, Indians and another brigade, should finally assault Chunuk Bair at daybreak on the 9th, preceded by a naval and land bombardment. The advance of the third column was delayed by broken ground and the enemy's resistance. Meanwhile the Ghurkas gallantly scanned the slopes, and had a vision of the other side. Unfortunately they were unable to retain ihe position in the face of violent counter-attacks and shell-fire. Meanwhile a great Turkish force counter-attacked, and compelled th© other brigade upon the left to withdraw to the lower slopes. Although the capture of Lonesome Pine was the most desperate hand-to-hand fight there has' yet been on the Peninsula, it was merely a diversion and a preliminary to THE MAttJ MOVEMENT northwards, which commenced the same evening under cover of darkness. There has been no finer feat in the whole war than the manner in which the troops destined for the main movement against Sari Bair deployed for the attack. A direct attack was not attempted, as it would have entailed immense losses, and probably been a failure, because the Turks pasted en the hills surrounding Anzae heW the

: . « *'. i msar position ia %yxos.-,JT!^refc^4lia'J and sorties from' Quinn'e Post, Rujs-1 sell* Top, and .Pope's? Post, northward, of Anzac, in order to Hold th© enemy in the v trencheftV ' 7%.1---\The warships and land - batteries I plainly observed * ' ' , '

THE TURKS' GREAT. CHARGE. Four successive lines of infantry, in close'formation, were caught'in a trap, and the momentum downhill prevented a recoil. The Turks were swept away by hundreds by a terrific storm of high explosive, shrapnel and common shells from the ships' guns, howitzers and field pieces. Never since the commencement of the campaign has such a target delighted the hearts of our gunnew. Huge shells from the warships threw huge chunks of soil skyward, mingled with human bodies, which fell into deep ravines. Even this concentration of artillery might npt have checked them, b»t ten machine gund rattled iat 'short range until the guns smoked with heat/ '

Hardly a Turk reached the hills again. Their lines got mixed up, and those seeking to retire dashed with the others pressing forward. Some fled back over the crest towards the safety of the trenches, and (others dashed downwards to the ravines, where shrapnel searched them out. The entire division was broken up in'a few minutes, and the Turks thus paid a terrible price for their success in regaining the crest. Portions of\ toe line at Rhododendron Itidge,w.tae. oompelled to give grownup the Turbtfifighting most desperately, realising the precariousnes® of their position The MAGNIFICENT CONDUCT OF OUR OFFICERS saved the day. Generals and colonels fought with bayonets alongside privates. Nobody knew how a comrade was faring amongst the scrub, and many commanding officers were killed.

Gradually our lost ground* was regained, and #t nightfall on the 10th fighting had dwindled down from the sheer exhaustion of both armies, and the impossibility of' further physical effort.

Thus endefi tEhe 'most ferociously sustained soldiers' battle since Inkerman, that lasted a few hours, but Englishmen, Australians, New Zealanders, Maoris, Gtoufkas and Sikhs were engaged in this terrible combat on the bloodstained hills for four days and four nights, at a height of nine hundred feet, twliither supplies had to be carried along -paths that did not exist except on I;he map.

The operations resulted in an EXTENSION OF THE ANZAC POSITION, and there is no longer a stifled feeling that the troops are crowded in a restricted area. The line now runs northward until it links up with the corps before Anafarta. We hold the foothills and are established beneath the crest of Chunuk Bair, and are securely dug in on the summit of Rhododendron "Ridge, awaiting events complacently. %

It is characteristic of the colonial Britisher <that he is not downhearted, and is

WILLING TOR ANOTHER TRY. The incompleteness of our success was not the fault, of these troops advancing from Anzac. Lttle less than dead weight of numbers would have enabled the Anzacs to consolidate the short desperate grip they had at Chunuk Bair. It is a scene of desolation between the lines, Masses of- Turks lie where they fell, and many bodies have been thrown out of the trenches to make room for the living. On one point bodies of an Australian, Englishman, Maori and Gurkha are lying side by side, marking the highest point that the Imperial forces have attained on the Peninsula.