LANDING ON GALLIPOLI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15964, 8 July 1915, Page 7

LANDING ON GALLIPOLI.

SIR I. HAMILTON'S STORY. HOW A FOOTING WAS WON. GREAT RESISTANCE OVERCOME. SUCCESS OF AUSTRALASIANS. TRIBUTE TO THE NAVY. j London, July 6. The following is a continuation of j General Sir lan Hamilton's official! despatch to the Government describing the operations on tb" Galli- j poli Per insula up to the first week \ in May. The general continues his account of the operations of the Australasians following upon their landing :— " We made a bold effort on the night of May 2 to seize a commanding knoll in front of our centre line, but the enemy's enfilading machineguns were too scientifically posted, and 900 men were lost without advantage, beyond the infliction of a corresponding loss to the enemy. i: An attempt on the 4th to seize Gaba Tepe was also unsuccessful, the barbed wire being something beyond belief, but a number of minor operations* were carried out, ; such as taking the Turkish observation station, strengthening the entrenchments, reorganising* the units, and perfecting communication with the landing places. A constant strain was placed on some of the best enemy's troops, numbering 24,000, who were constantly kept fighting, numbers being killed and wounded, as the Turkish sniper is no match for the kangaroo shooter, even at his own game. The assistance of the navy, here as elsewhere, was invaluable, and Admiral Thirsby proved a trusty and powerful friend to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. Solution of Water Problem. " Meanwhile a French regiment disembarked at Kum Kale and captured 500 Turks, and the main French force disembarked at Sedd-el-Bahr on the evening of the 26th. " I ordered a general advance on the 27th to the line from Hill 235 to the mouth of a stream two miles north of Teke Burnu. This was completed without opposition and relieved the growing congestion on the beaches, giving us several new wells, according a temporary solution of the water problem, which was causing much anxiety.

"It was decided to further ad-' vance on the 2Sth, in order to make ! what headway was possible before the enemy recovered and was reinforced." " ; »...,: Lack of Guns Hinders Advance. Sir lan Hamilton records the courageous behaviour of the S6th, 87th, and SSth Brigades, und proceeds —" The few guns landed did not give adequate artillery support, and the small amount of transport did not suffice to maintain the supplies of cartridges. Hopes of get-1 ting a footing on Achi Baba were perforce abandoned for the moment. j Had it been possible to push in re-! inforcements of men, artillery, and munitions. Krithia should „ have fallen on the 28th, and much of the subsequent fighting would have beefti avoided. " This reinforcing would have been feasible two days later, but the enemy had meanwhile received proportionately greater support, so I have no reason to regret that I did! not hesitate or delay, in the attack which was delivered, especially as the line was appreciably advanced. Turks Exhorted to Mighty Effort. "The bulk of the artillery was landed by the 13th, when the line was readjusted, the French increasing their length. The Turks delivered a series of desperate attacks at ten o'clock in the evening, before moonrise, their formation consisting of three solid lines of men, the front being deprived o/ ammunition to make them rely on the bayonet. The officers had pistols firing Bengal lights, red indicating where the Turkish guns were lengthening the range, white that our own front trenches were stormed, green that the main position was carried.

The Turkish method of attack was to crawl on hands and knees until the time for the final rush. General von Lowenstein, in an eloquent exhortation to the Turkish attackers, called on them for one mighty effort to fling back the Britishers into the sea, to attack the enemy with the bayonet and utterly i destroy him. 'We shall not retire a step,' he said. 'Otherwise our | religion, country, and nation will perish. Soldiers, the world is look-1 ing on you, and your only hope of j salvation is to bring the battle to a successful solution or to die glori-1 ously in the attempt.' Territorials Withstand Onslaught. ' •' : The first momentum of this pon-1 derous onslaught fell upon the right I of the S6th Brigade, an unlucky spot, j as all the officers thereabouts were killed or wounded. The Turkish' bayonet charge made an ugly gap in the line, but it was instantly filled ! by the sth Royal Scots, Territorials. I who faced to their flank and, executed a brilliant bayonet charge, i The rest of the British lines held ! their own with comparative ease, and it was not necessary to employ the reserves. " The storm next broke on the French left, where the Senegalese, after several charges and counterattacks, began to give ground. The Worcesters were sent to hold the gap and counter-offensives began at five in the morning. The whole line advanced at 7.30, and the British left gained 500 yds. Our centre x

pushed back the enemy, "inflicting .-->--? heavy losses, but concealed machine- r guns made it necessary to withdraw. }*'$& to the former trenches. '^ Turks Saved by Machine-guns. '% " The net result of the operations '''-' was the repulse of the Turks and the infliction of very heavy losses. At first we had them fairly on the run, and had it not been for those inventions of the devil, machine-guns and barbed wire which suit the Turkish character and tactics perfectly, wo should not have stopped short of the crest of Achi Baba. As it was, all the brigades reported a great number of dead Turks in front of their lines. We did not interfere with the Turks burying the dead under the Red Crescent. " The losses, exclusive of French, to May 5, were 177 officers and 1990 men killed, 412 officers and 7807 men wounded, and 13 officers and 3580 men mis mg." Praise of the French Troops. Sir lan Hamilton pays a high tribute to Admiral de Robeck and the navy, who risked everything to give their soldier comrades a fair run in at the enemy. General D'Amadc, the French commander, gave Sir lan the benefit of his wide experience of war, and afforded most loyal and energetic support. No troops could have acquitted themselves more creditably under trying circumstances and under heavy losses than the French. General Birdwood was responsible for the execution of the difficult and hazardous operation connected with the Australian and New Zealand landing operations, which were crowned with very remarkable success. This fact speaks for itself. General Hunter Westcn was untiring and resourceful, and grew ever more cheerful as the outlook upon occasions grew darker. He possessed special qualifications as a commander of troops in the field. Major-General W. Braithwaite was the best chief of the General Staff J it was ever his (Sir lan Hamilton's) fortune to encounter in war. He had many other names to bring under notice, and th?se would be subject to an early separate report.