THE DARDANELLES

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16992, 20 October 1915, Page 7

THE DARDANELLES

CHANCE OF COMMANDERS. SIR BAN HAMILTON RETIRES. GENERAL MON*?O TO TAKE CHARGEBy Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright. (Received October 19, 9. p.m.) LONDON. October 19. The War Office has notified the appointment of General Charles Monro

to oommand the forces on Gallipoli, and that General Sir lan Hamilton is returning to England to report. General W, R. Birdwood commands the troops on Gallipoli pending General Monro’s arrival(General Charles Carmichael Monro, C. 8., who is fifty-live years of age, was lately Commandant or the School of Musketry at Hythe, and commanded a division of the Territorial Force from 1912 to 1914, Ho entered the British Army in 1879, and saw service on the north-western frontier of India in his lirst year in the Army. Ho served in the South African war from 1899 to 1901, and from 1907 to 1912 was in command of the 13th Infantry Brigade at Dublin.) THE NAVY’S WORK. COPING WITH SUBMARINES WHEN THE MONITORS GAME. LONDON, October IS. Mr Ashmead Bartlett, writing in the “ Daily, Telegraph,” describes the Navy’s efficient transformation of the Dardanelles fleet when the risk of losing valuable warships became too great. “ It was obvious that, unless we carried the straits by a coup de main, our fleet would bo unable to remain indeunitely off the coast, because hostile submarines were certain to come. bor threio weeks after the first landing the fleet was loft in peace; then trouble began. Rumours rippled down the Alud'.terranean from Gioraltar, Malta, Matapan and Smyrna, and the mighty Queen Elizabeth left for the North oea. “Then afte• the Triumph and Majestic had been sunk, the lleot retired to sheltered harbours, protected by bombs and nets. The Turks exulted, and issued their famous manifesto to the Allied troops declaring that the fleet had deserted them, and offering •'’am a welcome in Constantinople, but uiey forgot the old maxim, ‘The AngloSaxon race is always surprised, but never beaten.’ Me were never ready, but the marvellous talent and improvisations of brains at Home worked out a scheme to recover the command of the Mediterranean, designing a craft carrying the guns of battleships without their vulnerability to submarine attack.

'' More rumours rippled down the Mediterranean of strange craft sighted making for the Levant. The first arrived in July, almost flush with the water, carrying a 9.2 in at her bows and p six-incher :• stern. Another smaller craft followed, carrying two brand, new six-inchers, Uie sume as the 'Lizzie's.' The Turks were probably amused after comparing her with the Queen Elizabeth, but they sang a different tune when they found that this baby threw one hundred pounds of high explosives twelve miles. The next arrival caused sensation both among tho enemy and the Allies. An amazing looking object wobbled into Kephalos harbour, apparently round-shaped, with a huge tripod across tho centre of the deck. With great difficulty, steering vilely, she entered the crowded harbour. Her like had not been seen before. Then her crew began to bathe, in fact, they seemed to possess the power to walk on the water.

“We set off in boats to investigate, and found below the surface that the vessel’s sides bulged out ten feet, and then curved under, forming a platform awash. In the bulge is provision to defeat the submarine. If a torpedo strikes it will explode amid a variety of substances, which I must not mention, and the hull escanes. These huge monitors carry two 14-inch and antiaircraft guns. Their speed is slow, but their development is only in its infancy. ‘‘ The monitors soon settled down to work. The Turks and Huns 'ealised that we were regaining the command of the sea. Later the Endymion and Theseus arrived, fearing no submarines, and protected by waistbelts hung on their sides by stanchions nnd wire ropes. The last big monitors were a great success, and the new fleet played an important part in the Suvla landing, covering the advance at Anzae, Suv’a and Hellos. The rap ; dity of the beet’s transformation was marvellous, giving an insight into the extent of Urit : sh maritime resources and the Navy’s ability to meet a new and sudden situation.” MR ABHMEAD BARTLETT. HIS RECENT STATEMENTS. COMMENT BY MR MASSEY. WELLINGTON, October 19. The subject of Mr Aslnnead Bartlett’s statements and the “ Daily Mail’s ” remarks on the Gallipoli situation was referred to the Prime Minister to-day. Mr Massey expressed regret that the words of a war corespondent and the “Daily Mail” were in a- form to disturb the public mind. He had nothing official at present to communicate to tlio people, and in the a.b;once of definite information from official source.'-, they should not give, credence to every sweeping general assertion about the results of tho operations against Turkey. “PURELY FANTASTIC.” NO SLACKENING AT GALLIPOLI. MILITARY AUTHORITY’S STATEMENT. (Received October 19, 11.30 p.m.) LONDON, Octobor 19. Tho “ Daily Mail’s ” correspondent at Athens states that a high military authority characterises tho reports of the depletion of the Dardanelles forces or the slackening of operations in order to assist tho Serbians as purely fantastic. The Allies on Gallipoli are being reinforced, and are holding their positions stubbornly. The pressure is such that not a Turk can be released to assist Bulgaria. GALES AT GALLIPOLI. AN ENEMY PREDICTION. “ Times ” and Sydney “ Sun ” Services. AMSTERDAM, October 18. A Gorman wireless message from Constantinople reports that the autumn cquinoxial gales begin with the utmost violence on Gallipoli, and if they continue the, landing of troops will be impossible. IN CONSTANTINOPLE. PEOPLE MORE CONFIDENT. AMSTERDAM, Cetober 18. A correspondent reports that the morale of the- population of Constantinople is greatly improved. All kinds of food are arriving from Bulgaria. The Turkish Press is preaching the conquest of Egypt and the reawakening of the Mussulmans of India.