IN GALLIPOLI

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16542, 16 November 1915, Page 8

IN GALLIPOLI

| LORD KITCHENER'S STATEMENT. MANY MORE MEN WANTED. (Fhom Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, September 24 Reviewing the military situation in the | House of Lords a few (lays ago, Lord Kitchener made a long reference to events in the Gallipoli Peninsula. lib said: "On the Galiipoli Peninsula operations were carried on during Juno against the Turkish position. Several Turkish trenches were captured, and our own lines wore appreciably advanced and our positions consolidated. Considerable i" - forcements having arrived, a surprise i on a large scale at Suvla Bay was ; - ccssfully accomplished on August 6 without any serious opposition. At the same time an attack was launched tfy the Australian and New Zealand Corps from the Anzac position, and a strong offensive was delivered from Cape Holies in the direction of Krithia. In this latter action the French troops played a prominent part, and showed to high advantage their usual gallantry and fine fighting qualities. " The attack from Anzac, after a series of hotly-contented actions, was carried to the summit Bair and Chunuk Bail - , which are the dominating positions in this area. The arrival of the transports and the disembarkation of the troops in Suvla, Bay were designed to enable the troops to support this attack. Unfortunately, however, the advance from Suvla was not developed quickly enough, and the movement forward was brought to a standstill after an advance of about two miles and a-half. The result was that the troops from Anzao were unable to retain their position on the crest of the hills, and, after being repeatedly counter-attacked, they were ordered to withdraw to positions lower down. "These positions, however, have been effectively consolidated, and now, joining with the line occupied by the Suvla Bay force, form a connected front of more than 12 miles. From the latter position a further attack on the Turkish entrenchments was delivered on August 21, but after several hours of sharp fighting it was not found possible to gain the summit of the hills occupied by the enemy, and, the intervening space bein.g unsuitable for defence, the troops were withdrawn to their original position PRAISE FOR ANZAC CORPS.

" Since then comparative quiet has prevailed, and a -much-needed rest has been given to our troops. In the course of these operations the gallantry and resourcefulness of the Australian and New Zealand troops have frequently formed a subject for eulogy in Sir. lan. Hamilton's reports. General Birdwood and his staff have greatly distinguished themselves. .both in planning and conducting the operations of the Australian and Now Zealand Corps, whose activities have been marked by constant success Their determination to overcome apparently insuperable difficulties has been no less admirable than their courage in hand-to-hand fighting with the enemy. It is not easy to appreciate at their full value the enormous difficulties which have attended the operations in the Dardanelles or the fine temper with which our troops have met, them. There is now abundant evidence of a process of demoralisation having set in among the German-led (or, rather, German-driven) Turks, due no doubt to their extremely heavy losses and to the progressive failure of their resources. It is only fair to acknowledge that, judged from a humane point of view, the methods of warfare pursued by the Turks are vastly superior to those which disgraced their German masters. Throughout the co-operation of the fleet has been intensely valuable, and the concerted action between the sister services has been in every way and in the highest degree satisfactory." OUR NEW ARMIES. Concerning the need for more men. Lord Kitchener said: "As I have informed your lordships, some of the new armies we have prepared and equipped for the war are ■ already in the field, and others will ouickly follow them on service abroad. Tne response of the country to calls for recruits to form these armies has beon little short of marvellous, but it must be borne in mind that the proyis : on of men to maintain tho forces in the field depends in great degree on -a large and continuous supply of recruits. The provision to keep up their strength during 1916 has caused us /anxious thought, which has been accentuated and rendered more pressing by the recent falling off in the numbers coming forward to enlist, although every effort has been made to obtain our requirements under the present system. I am sure we all fully realise that the strength of the armies we are sending out to fight must be fully maintained to the very end. To fulfil purpose .we shall require a largo addition to the numbers of recruits joining, and the problem of how to secure an adequate supply of men, and thus to ensure the field force being kept up to full strength, is engaging our close atten tion, and will, I hope, very- soon receive a practical solution. USE O.F THE REGISTER. "The returns of the Registration Act, which will be shortly available, will no doubt give us a basis on which to calcula r e the resources of the country, and to determine the numbers' that will be available for the army, after providing for the neefs sary services of the country as well as those of our munition works. Whatever decision may be arrived at in the full light of the facts before us must undoubtedly bp founded on the military requirements for tho prosecution of the war and the protection of our shores, and will be the result of an impartial inquiry as to how we can most worthily fulfil our national obligations. Although' there has been a falling off in the number of recruits, I do not draw from this fact any conclusion unfavourable to the resolution and spirit of the country; on the contrary, I think now—as I have always thought—that the manner in which all classes have responded to the call of patriotism is magnificent, and I do not for one instant doubt that whatever sacrifices may prove to be necessary to bring this Hgantic war to a successful conclusion will be cheerfully undertaken by our people."