THE DARDANELLES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 7 May 1915, Page 5

THE DARDANELLES

. OPENING .OPERATIONS ON UNO > fleet Assists thf. troops. / ' ' - CAPTURE OF KRITHIA. ■I>DNaboN, May 5. • 'Tie Daily Chronicle" publishes the following iwlegrair, dated Thursday, from Motor Launch Bay, under Gaba Tepe —. Monday night -witnessed a land battle in which a portion of the fleet assisted. • Search lights picked, out the targets - for the great guns of : the opposing-.artillery, working across a valley "running inland from-the hay»^-- TPhe.fire -was-so-continu- j ! oua that of . the ; valley, across which the two land forces were also -contending. Often the •whole;valley a e HveE'of. flame. • / The Turkish. position; on -Monday was xoughly from CTest alsout' Maidos toKokale, the British holding the seashore j atthe mouth* of the valley and Hazmak j -Valley. . , - i " During Monday the British left was. thrown.. along the* northern, -and command - - ing'ridge towaids"Tk>kali. "The Turkish left during.'the night advanced westward along .the southern ridge, tindeavonf tag • to cut offVqur forces. The - including the Queen Elizabeth, s'replied 5 'replied with- shrapnel, >yhile the -land forces . on/the northern ridge Tained a hail of deadly shells". , The-fire'was kept up dunng the night, and the -British extended their position, making the -soutiem ridge extremely darigerousVv ■ , The Turks late/on Tuesdav afternoon made another, attack, assisted by thick jnjst and a rainstorm, intending- to make sfc impossible for the British transports to land-supplies over jaight v i ; Meanwhile the ships at the entrance ±o the Dardanelles bombarded thQ NarFrench landed at Morto Bay, astride the roads leading to Krithia, on Wednesday. - The Turkish guns replied from _ positions- a mile" behind "Krithia, which the fleet- set on fire. - - _ The" height. of Achibab, 730 feet,. dominates this region,- and was" the chief obstacle to the; , By one o'clock on Wednesday the AIEes were across. the peninsula a mile south of Krithia,* and shrapnel was "bursting on Achibab, which the . vrarsHips at Cape Helles and Erenkeui Ba> -were .ilgo snelling.- -■< - , v - Kritbia was practically captured bv uiffitfall, the Turkish artillery making a t reply. except when- two cruisers - ranciose inshore. The latter replied, silencing.the Turks m a few mmntes- ; - - ihiring "Wednesday the Allies - T in the "nortihern position continued with - a. - view-of tfirowing a. peninsula, the fleet's guns shelling the Turkish -reinforcements *and_ keeping the aiorthfern forec iree from attack. ?.-* ,_ _ *>tnv -