THE FIRST DAY'S FIGHTING AT SUVLA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16007, 27 August 1915, Page 8

THE FIRST DAY'S FIGHTING AT SUVLA.

TROOPS WORK AS IF ON PARADE.

ATTACKING FORCE ADVANCES THREE MILES. (Received August 27, 2 a.m.) London, August 26. Continuing his despatch from the Dardanelles, dealing with the British landing at Suvla, Mr. Ashmead Bartlett says that after the landing battalion after battalion moved across the narrow erossway fronting Salt Lake under heavy shell fire. They went on unwaveringly. Our cruisers furiously bombarded the enemy's positions, but were unable to locate them accurately and silence their fire. Our field battery and mountain battery look up a position on Lata Baba, and rendered effective support. One division passed the causeway, wheeled to the right towards the Anafarta ridge, and found themselves in broken and woody ground, where their advance was temporarily checked. Simultaneously a brigade moved southward. At eleven o'clock in the morning a Taube endeavoured to drop bombs on the ships, but missed them all. Late in the afternoon the wind sprang up and a violent downpour of rain threatened to interfere with the landing. The colder atmosphere refreshed the troops and the advance was continued. They swept inland under heavy shell and rifle fire. The long lines were keeping their formation beautifully as on parade. The Turkish gunners vainly tried to check the advance. ' The line swept forward in the midst of clouds of smoke and dust, which was blown up by bursting shells. Finally they joined up with the infantry, who had advanced on the other side of the lake. Before darkness fell the two battalions had captured the advanced position of Yilighin Burnu. This ended the day's fighting and a successful landing. We everywhere penetrated three miles inland.