GALLIPOLI INFERNO

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9092, 10 July 1915, Page 7

GALLIPOLI INFERNO

TURKISH PRISONERS GLAD TO ESCAPE INTENSE FIGHTING CONTINUES ON THE PENINSULA. ' By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. * LONDON, July 8. The “Daily Chronicle’s ’' Mitylene correspondent states that Turkish prisoners who have arrived at Mitylene are well fed. They are jubilant at their rescue from the inferno on Gallipoli Peninsula. They declare that the spirits of the Turks are drooping, necessitating the most frequent changing of the first line troops to maintain the front continuously with fresh troops. Frontal attacks have been discontinued, and the numbers of prisoners taken form an excellent indication of the wearingdown efforts of the Allies. Prisoners relate that anti-German feeling is more intense than it was. Many German officers have been shot in the back in revenge for the revolvcring of hesitant Turks. The quays of Constantinople are almost deserted; the shipping is massed in the Golden Horn, and will not venture seaward. The Anglo-Russian blockade has paralysed trade. Spying is rife, and terrorism is worse than in the Sultan Abdul Hamid’s days. A strong element is ready for revolution and the overthrowing of the military party and the German overlords. There have been many anti-conscription riots. Intense fighting continues on tho Gallipoli Peninsula. The trying heat has not daunted tho Allies, who are digging towards the important underground fort at Tree Peak, which resembles the Labyrinth in France. THE TURKS INTRODUCE NEW STRATEGY. The Turks introduced new strategy at Krithia. When' tho Allies had by a dashing night attack captured the first two trenches facing the ruined village, the Turks at dawn exploded mines, under the crumbling parapets, thus exposing the defenders, who were raked with machine guns. The Allies instantly jumped up and stormed the Turkish trenches. After ten minutes’ desperate hand-to-hand fighting they ejected the Turks, capturing machine guns. Aeroplanes on both sides have been dropping pamphlets. Some intended for the Allies were carried by the wind and landed in the Turks’ lines. The Turks endorsed them: “Wrong address; try Australian lines,’’ and threw them to the Australians, who threw them hack marked “Returned to sender, as goods! not up to sample of known truth.” The Turks again returned them, and tho Australians tied them to hand-grenades and threw them back, finally silencing tba Turks. It is believed' that Enver Pasha came under a hot New Zealand .fire and narrowly escaped. Surgeons remark on the slightness of the Allies’ wounds; few of the wounded succumb. “ THE BATTLE OF GULLY RAVINE ” (Received July 0, 11.20 p.m.) LONDON, July 9, Mr Ashmead Bartlett, describing tho fighting on June the twenty-eighth called “The Battle of Gully Ravine,” states that it was the most successful engagement yet fought on the peninsula. _ “We made a good triangular wedge on the left wing, whereof each side was a mile. Our losses were comparatively small. Our success was mainly due to the tactics adopted, and tho enormous improvement in the support which the artillery afforded. “Instead of a general advance, Sir lan Hamilton selected a section whereon every available gun could bo concentrated. The works chosen for assault were battered to pieces by high explosives, while in twenty minutes the shrapnel cut tho wire entanglements to pieces. “The success had a most inspiring effect on the whole army, and opens up the brightest prospects, if the gunners are kept supplied with an unlimited amount of ammunition. . “The French lent some trench-mortars, deadly weapons, dropping bombs, with thirty or seventy pounds of melinite, into tho enemy’s trenches at short range, with terrible effect. “The brunt of the fighting was borne by the Twenty-Ninth Division, whose deeds at -Gallipoli will assure them a place in history equal to Wellington’s Peninsula veterans. Some battalions were without a single officer who landed on the twenty-fifth of April, but they were brought up to tho strength by drafts from the depots and t many young officers. Nevertheless, the division attacked with unsurpassed dash and vigour. “The Hrundred and Fifty-sixth Lowland Brigade also came out of their first battle with flying colours. “The first Borderers at 10.45 captured Boomerang Fort almost without opposition. Tho survivors were dazed by tbe bombardment.” A MAGNIFICENT SPECTACLE. “The artillery then lengthened- its range to prevent the Turks rushing up reinforcements, and simultaneously the Scottish Borderers, InmsKuung Fusiliers, and Soutu Wales Borderers of the Eignty-beventn Brigade rusnetl the first two lings of trencues between 'Gully Ravine' and tlie sea. “The Turks made an ellort to check tho advance, but tho uughty-Seventh swept irresistibly forward. Meanwhile, on the right of ‘Gufly Ravine’ the" Fourth and Seventh Royal Scots made spirited attames and captured two lines of Turkish trenches, though two other battalions of tho Rowland division met with heavy opposition and suffered severe losses. They tailed to make their objective good. “At 11. JO the Eighty-Sixth Brigade, led by tho Second Royal Fusiliers, passed through the trencues captured by the Eighty-Seventh and swept forward upon two more linos of trenches. It was a magnificent spectacle, the men never wavering or losing their formation under the heavy artillery and rifle fire. , “Meanwhile the Indian Brigade on the extreme left moved along tho cliffs and reached a green knoll_whicli_was our extreme objective. Several companies of Lancashire Fusiliers advanced to a nullah which runs to ‘Gully Ravine’ from the north and dug themselves in, thus connecting up the advanced positions with the Eighty-Sixth Brigade, ; “This closed the morning’s work. All the positions on the extreme right were captured in under an hour and a half. The Turks had no disposition to counter-attack. Their artillery were extremely sparing of ammunition. “The British artillery throughout me afternoon put a screen behind the Turkish firing lines to prevent tho reserves coming up. We made a further attempt at 5.30 to capture the trenches on the right facing Krithia village, but it was unsuccessful. “Tho groat difficulty at Gallipoli is to hold the captured positions against attacks. The ground is so broken and it provides so much natural cover that the enemy, who knows every detail of the'configuration, is able to creep up. “Tho Turks reverted to those tactics on the night of the twenty-eighth, but without success. There was no fighting on the twenty-ninth. The enemy was exhausted. “Our men were enabled to make good their positions and to run connecting saps to tho positions on the right, thus forming a diagonal line facing the enemy. “Tho Turks on tho night of the thirtieth attacked the Green Knoll coast, but their columns were dispersed by destroyers. “Two battalions of Turks further to the right were also without success, though some of them, skilfullv using cover, reached to thirty yards of our trenches, but were annihilated.” Mr Bartlett opines that tho enemy’s powers of resistance have been appreciably weakened recently. He is losing faith in the German star. The Infantry are dissatisfied with the artillery support and afraid to’move in the daytime. DESPERATE CHARACTER OF THE UNDERTAKING “Times” and Sydney “Sun” Services. (Received July '9, 0.40 p.m.) LONDON, July 9. The “Daily Mail” comments that the desperate character of the undertaking in' the Dardanelles stands out in every line of Sir lan Hamilton’s despatch. The valour of the Australians, who dashed unhesitatingly U--Turkish trenches, equalled that of our heroic regulars. It is a .welcome thought that all of the Dominions shared the laurels of tho battlefield.