THE DARDANELLES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 13 July 1915, Page 5

THE DARDANELLES

ANOTHER JSEVERE BATTLE . 4DVA3FCE OF ALLIES' RIGHT WING. (Rec. Julv 13. 9.10 a.m.} MITYLENE, July-12. After another severe 'battle, the Allies' right -wing advanced. 200 yards. BRITISH CASUALTY LISTS. - : LONDON. July 12. Tlie 'w-eek-endl casualty list totals 156 officer.? and 2220 men. The- Seventh and Eighth Cameron Highlanders at the Dardanelles lost heavily in officers. GENERAL GOURAND DECORATED'. *" PARIS, July 12. ■General Gourand, 'the late French Commander-in-Chief at the Dardanelles, has been awarded the Military Medal. - / MUNITIONS FOR- THE TURKS. ZURICH, July 12. Qlilmi Pasha states that the Turks are making huge- quantities of ammunition . by home labour. APPROACH TO THE NARROWS.

Some, interesting specula'iion as to the course of events at the TJardaoielles was recently indulged in by Mr Uilaire Belloc, who. writing- on the oi local knowledge that had been placed- at his disposal, gives some idea, of what Js before "the Allies after the Aehi Baba -line is carried'. - Aehi Baba, the mil 'which the' Turks are now is 730 ft. high. *lt is the peak of a rmge wliich runs directly across the .peninsula. at this point. After the Aehi Baba line 'is forced. Mr Belloc says, there remains the position of 'the Soghan Dere, wnicn may also be called from the big _ hill ■Toirn-d which it is grouped', the position of the Pasha Dagh. The Pasha Dagh is a plateau about midway between) Acni Baha and Maidos, with very steep escarpments, which overlooks tthe valley oi the stream Sogham Dere, The escarpments on' the southern .face. of the plateau run to about 600 ft in. height at i least -their chief summits are oi that elevation-; so the posi'tion is certainly » ! i formidable one. The plateau is ] ust west of the Narrows, and a defensive line upon it, on the south and west, would mem that fhe Turks womd have a kind of boomerang-shaped front about two and a-half. .miles .from the forts at the Narrows—-Kalid Bahr and the rest. Thev would have, to be driven, from such a front before the allied in the south could reach Kilid Bahr. The northern end of the Pasha Dagh plateau, however, does riot extend- so far to the north as to come between the position now occupied) by the New Zealanders and- Australians at Gaba Tepe and the Narrows; and this leads Mr Belloc to say Meanwhile there is a possibility, oi a Turkish line ore the Pasha Dagh beang turned. For this to occur it will be necessary- for a separate force of the Allies to advance successfully..towards. Maidos. The British have already landed' ta force at Gaba- Tene "(tho Australasians), which is occupying an entrenched- position near the shore, and will be ready to co-oper-ate against the northern or right flank) of -the entrenched Turkish position on the Pasha Bagh when the occasion serves. But this force cannot, of course, move until the pressure upon the enemy from the south becomes very serious. For the forces are too evenly matchedto permit of a> compara't/ivelv small and' isolated detachment, risking itself untiL the enemy is engaged- heavily as a whole. When that engagement takes place, r.owover it seems certain that the Australasians will undertake an advance from Gaba Teipe towards Maidos. The country between the two is easy, and -the advance can. he supported by fire from the sea the whole distance across tne peninsula from the open sea. to Maidos bein<r not much mo-re \ka,n 8000 yards ranee airid- -the road between the open seat and the Straits rising not much more than 100 feet.