GENERAL MONRO'S DESPATCH.

Marlborough Express, Volume L, Issue 86, 11 April 1916, Page 5

GENERAL MONRO'S DESPATCH.

CAUSTIC CRITICISM

EVERY POSSIBLE MILITAIIY DEFECT.

BATTLESHIP'S NARROW

ESCAPE

(Received April 11, 0.40 a.m.! .LONDON, April 10. Tke following is General Monro's despatch dealing with the evacuation of Gallipoli:— General M'onro was. instructed on October -20th _to report upon the military situation and advise whether to evacuate or persevere; also the number of troops required to carry the peninsula and take Constantinople. General Monrb found that the position of the troops was unique in history, possessing every possible military defect and completely suojected to Turkish artillery fire. The position was without depth of communication and insecure, depending on the weather. There were no means of concealing the deploying at fresh troops for an offensive. Further, the Turks possessed full powers of observation, and supplemented the natural advantages of their position by all the devices of field engineering • General Monro found that the troops were suffering from various* causes—strain and continuous exposure'to sheli-nro, from which it was impossible to withdraw them because every corner of the peninsula was ox nosed to hostile firo; also, they Wre much enervated by an epidemic of summer diseases and gravely under-officered owing to losses in the earlier battles. The- makeshift mingling of foot and mounted men, necessary for holding the front, did not tend to efficiency. Other irrefn'trible- arguments convinced him that complete c% racuation was the only cynrse—namely, the Turks were able to Itold Gallipoli with a small force and prosecute their designs against Egypt and Bagdad. A British advance from their present, positions wa.-s improbable. An advance on 'Gsvr.stantinopl^ was. quite /put of 'the question. The troops could be more use-hilly employed elsewhere. , General, Monro, "assumed:, the supreme command of the Mediterranean armies, appointing Genera; Pirt'hvood in command n't. the Dardanelles. He ordered the evacuation on December Bth. General Birdwood proceeded with the skill and promptitude which was characteristic of all he undertook. Tt'had been previously decided that a feint attack, which the. text books regarded as essential to cover an evacuation, would l>e worse than useless, and would (certainly arouse Turkish suspicions. General Monro decided that normal life on land and sea. should .proceed as long as possible. The despatch deals briefly with the Anssac and Suvla operations, and mentions several fresh facts regarding He.lles. Tt mentions that the evacuation was retarded by. the loss of a large horse ship, which was accidentally sunk "by,a French battleship. Everything depended on. the weather. v When" all was ready on the night of January Bth a 'storm un.exprietedly worked up, /washing away the piers' A submarine was reported in the, evening quitting the straits. Thp. battleship Prince George, with 2000 men. was sailing towards Mudros when it w ras toriied!c)e/l at midnight. The.torpedo did, not explode. The -expedition left 5(>U, animals at Helles. Most of them were destroyed at the last moment.. v

General Monro recognised that- the quantities of stores destroyed or abandoned were ebn;-. / idera.bU>, but his great aim w. ri,s io wive the men., guns, imd aminun.itioti. He. could not take lisks. Tints, iv the evacuation were to be completed, it demanded good luck and skilled organisation. These were foi-t-hcomirg to a marked degree in the hour of' need. General Birdwood's and tb* corps commanders' arrangements could riot have been surpassed for skit], competence, and courage. The report mentions that as a result of v -rain blizzard on November 21st, 200 deaths ■ occurred from exposure. Ten thousand sick w-er© avacitated; r»i> Siivlii'.! V.,: " Geiireai: Monro; %vi|r a' dii>tinghislxed: coJidiiefe 'Hat'. ■ ■ •", , ; : The:, d&sps»tdt ■c«.V€a;H>itJ|^S.'-,1S: e:i:.bi.'i'rit •expwlition- ,-■ to the w>thdrav.-at to feilqnika, .It''shows- that! the Tenth Division 'front; Suvia- was >«nt ro support the French. When the Fj-ench effort to link up wilh t-lic- Serbians failed a withdrawal was ordeied in accordances with previous arrangements with the Allied' Goternments.