ENEMY ALARMED.
At 4.50 the enemy showed alarm. A light flashed for ten minutes and then disappeared. The boats appeared almost on the beach. Seven destroyers glided noiselessly inshore. At 4.53 came a sharp burst of rifle fire from the beach. The sound relieved the prolonged suspense, which had become almost intolerable. The fire lasted for a few minutes. Then a faint British cheer came over the waters, telling of the FIRST POSITION WON. At 5.3 the fire intensified and by. the sound we could tell that our men were firing. It lasted for twenty-five, minutes and then died down somewhat. The boats returned and a pinna'?': came alongside with two recumbent figures on the deck and a small midshipman cheerfully waving his hand and with a shot through his stomach. Three aboard were wounded in the first burst of musketry. The boats had almost reached the beach when a party of Turks entrenched ashore opened a terrible fusillade with rifles and a Maxim gun. Fortunately most of the bullets went high. The Australasians did not wait for orders nor for the boats to reach ths beach. They sprang into the sea, formed n sort of rough line,' and rushed the enemy's trenches. Their magazines were not charged, so they just went in with cold steel. It was all over iv a minute. The Turks ia the first trench were either bayonetted. or they ran away, and their Maxim was captuerd. The Australasians found themselves facing an almost perpendicular cliff. Hali'-wro-up the enemy had a second trench strongly held from which they poured a terrible fire on the troops who were below and coming to their attackers' a!d.
Putting back to the destroyers for a second landing party was a tough proposition to tackle in the darkness but the Colonials stopped only a few mlnute3 to gather themselves together and get rid of packs of charged magazines. They then proceeded to scale the cliff without responding to the enemy's fire. They lost somemen but they didn't worry. In less than a quarter of an hour the Turks
were out of their second position either bayonetted or fleeing.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NA19150508.2.29.12
Bibliographic details
Northern Advocate, 8 May 1915, Page 5
Word Count
357ENEMY ALARMED. Northern Advocate, 8 May 1915, Page 5
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