AT THE DARDANELLES

Otago Witness, Issue 3196, 16 June 1915, Page 53

AT THE DARDANELLES

THE BOMBARDMENT AND LANDING.

IMPEESSIYE SPECTACLES

The special representative of tho Melbourne Age, writing from the Island ot Imbros on April 26, sends a long account of the incidents of the previous 48 hours us scon by him. We make the following extracts :

Spread out before me like a mariner’s chart are the Dardanelles, the coast of Asia Minor, the whole of Gallipoli Peninsula, and the coast as far as Kavala. I have managed to reach Mount Profitilia, a peak on the western shore of the Inland of Imbros, and from it can see from four to 12 miles of every movement by land and sea. I am within the zone, and for two days have not been without the sound of guns. Those cruel guns booming in I'm ears! Their roll is like sustained thunderclaps, and continues day and night. On the night of the 24th tho moon rose just after 7 o’clock, not yet quite at half-full. It was perfectly halm, and the sea was ruffled only by a gentle breeze. At 8 o’clock transports commenced to stream out of tho harbour towards the- Gulf of Saros A small section of troops—l am unable to give the unit, but fancy 7 they were British regiments—had been landed a few days before at Enos. It was evidently the first move of a great attack, the first act of tho great drama of the fall of Constantinople. Ship after ship the whole night long came out of the harbour. There must have been close on 100. All along tho route they passed patrols—French or English cruisers or destroyers, the police of the seas. One section of the fleet bearing tho Ist Australian Army Corps under General Birdwood, consisting of 40 ships, steamed right up to Gallipoli Peninsula, passing the entrance to the Dardanelles to a point opposite Seida. No light horse was included in this army corps, which at once was landed by means of pontoons and barges that had come earlier to the spot drawn by tugs. The shore at this point is in the form of a semi-circle, and the beach is not wide, but is sandy in places. The shore is flat where a valley stretches inland to the left of Seida towards the Gulf of Saros, but from Soidia southwards the cliffs are steep. The country is extremely rugged. Deep ravines cut ridges running right into the heart of the peninsula. There is considerable growth of a bushy nature, affording good cover. Once the enemy got a strong footing it would be extremely difficult to dislodge him. If the Turks had known of the intended landing they could have very effectively checked it.

It was on Sunday morning when I arrived off Tenedos. Then tho bombardment was in full force. Never could one have imagined gunfire so intense and sustained. It commoccd at 4.30 a.m., and during the whole time we were approaching Tenedos tho booming of guns reached us, and the air vibrated strongly. When very heavy guns were fired we guessed they were tho 15-inch guns of the Oueen Elizabeth. There was a distinct shudder through our little craft. Right ' opposite to tho town of Tenedos itself, close into tho mainland, was a French battleship, either the Jeanne d’Arc or one of that class. She had six funnels and two masts, and looked like two complete ships. This floating fort was firing broadsides as well as her bow and stern guns. Small wonder that the villagers of Tenedos had turned out, and were sitting on the hill round the old Turkish cemetery, and at the base of the windmills, with gaunt motionless arms. The battleship seemed to have located tho Turkish troops, and was making it warm for them. One could sec by the clouds of dust tho shells raised that Turkish artillery evidently were retreating inland. At the same time another battleship at the entrance of Bisch-k Bay was throwing shells into the .Turkish lines—l believe over the heads of the French troops which had landed. After an hour’s hard bombardment both ships steamed off. Meantime the French transport La Province, carrying tho general and staff, went in close to the battleships which were firing. Other transports were close to Rabbit Island, one of a small group immediately opposite the entrance to tho strait, and tiro scone of many wrecks. Here the current down the strait, which runs at three or four knots an hour, divides. Tho main arm sweeps to the south, past Tenedos, at on(p or two knots, and the other at tho same pace runs between Tenedos and Lemnos. While we wore waiting in Tenedos harbour the warships at tho entrance were not silent. Tho crash of guns and 'scream of shells high in the air—tho sound growing in intensity as they reached tho highest point of ascent, some 10,000 ft —were terrific. Sheets of flame from the guns, puffs of white steam like smoke, and then 10 or 20 seconds later the report, which one waited for with a kind of catch in the breath. I could see with glasses a forest of masts of cruisers and battleships at the entrance to the strait, and off tho peninsula, close to our vessel, lay a mine-sweeper, which, as wo dropped anchor, dashed off. The main bombardment had begun. The Turks were beginning to throwout their mines. It had not been so much the mines that wore a menace, and had done damage, as the shore torpedo stations on tho water’s edge, which could launch their machines with the greatest accuracy. The strait is lined with such stations, and until thev arc demolished no passage can be made. Hence tho necessity of landing parties and tho presence of an army and transports. When our ship passed the northern shore I saw- an aerodrome, with aeroplanes, their white wings shining in the sun. In shore were some submarines, with their crews walking on the narrow decks. The whole northern horizon showed a maze of shipping. and in tho middle distance .were torpedo boats, tugs, and cruisers. The Sicilia hospital ship was moving up towards the strait.. Some cruisers were travelling at a terrific rate, casting up foam at the bows and stern. Tho groat disturbance was

puzzling till one learned that their mine nets wore down. These nets were swung on Inure derricks on either bow. Tenedos was much inside the zone, so wo were not permitted to land or remain in it. As we left the guns were thundering behind. They were pounding at the forts all day and night. Wo passed a submarine' travelling rapidly up to the strait, the crew breathing fresh air "on the decks, which wore almost awash. As we got to the outer limits of the zone wo passed a French "transport ship being towed by three tugs towards the fleet.

her engines having broken down. She was full of troops wanted for the attack. From the highest point of Imbros I have been watching events as they occurred. As the 'day wore on the atmosphere became clearer, until for the last two hours T could see right up the Narrows at the rear of all the fortifications on the western side of the peninsula. It seemed that the Turks had brought down heavy field pieces on the peninsula and the mainland in the roar of Kum Kalcssi, where Troy stood. The forts of .Sedd-cl-Bahr and Elios Burnu had long since been reduced. In the vicinity of this place wo had landed guns and troops. There wcio 40 transports in the neighbourhood. The French ships directed a terrific fire till noon. Shells were bursting thick on the end of the peninsula, mostly near the edge of the cliffs, for the warships had been brought up to support the landing of the guns. It w 7 as as if a series of steam pipes had burst with a terrific roar as the shells searched for the guns None of the ships were hit, apparently, though some shells fell perilously close to them in the water, raising great columns of spray. There was a warship either side ot the peninsula, on which stands the ruins of Scdd-el-Bahr. The Turks fired shrapnel over these ships, but at 1 p.m. desisted, as the warships moved back half a mile towards the entrance. At 1.10 p.m. there was a magnificent view of the Turkish guns on the peninsula. They commenced: to retreat, and raised a cloud of yellow dust, against which I could see them outlined distinctly. I believe there were eight huge _ pieces mechanically drawn. As they dashed along the road for nearly three-quarters of a mile shells fell amongst them from our battleships. Finally, they took up a position on lire north side ot Scdd-el-Bahr, and remained there a considerable tune. The fire of the Turkish forts died, down. It seemed to me they were firing two shells a minute, and cur guns slightly less. Rapidly the warships in the strait had scattered at various points across the entrance, but mainly under the leo of the land or close to the Gallipoli shore. A huge French warship was lying near F.renkooi. Those ships seemed to bo firing at the forts of the Narrows on the Asia Minor shore behind Kum Kalcssi, and I could see flashes from At noon I had seen the Queen Elizabeth. She was going up outside the peninsula to get into position tor shelling the forts at the Narrows over the land. She wa? accompanied by a destroyer. Her speed was slowed down when she qame to the transports, and she anchored inshore. Just then a monoplane returned from a reconnaissance ovpr the forts, flying well out of gun range, and swooping down in graceful spirals until it touched the surface of the water, and a strange looking thing began to rise from the decks of the- Ark Royal. It had been lying across the bows of this parent ship to the hydroplanes, but now was lifting up from the decks. It was'a dirigible balloon 50ft long, with side cushions at one end coloured the brightest yellow. The sun’s rays glittered on it as it rose above the dark cliffs like a huge finger pointing up to the heavens. A string of signals floated from a car attached. The balloon must have risen at least 3000 ft over the ship which held it captive. At 12.30 p.m. it was anchored, and an hour later it descended, but almost immediately 7 rose again with another observer. Twice during the afternoon it returned, but on the second occasion it broke free from the ship and sailed over the forts. I could see messages being sent back to the Queen Elizabeth by heliograph and reflected m the water. With these to guide her guns, the Queen Elizabeth was firing with "about a minute between each shot. As a shot left the gun, it was as if for a fraction of a second one looked into the mouth of a furnace blood rod in the centre, witlq a tongue stretched out some 9ft, enveloped in a sheet of vcllow fire, and the whole enclosed in a cloud of rolling black smoke. Then a proiecbilc weighing nearly a ton went rumbling away in .the distance, the sound growing bke thunder, louder and louder as it soared into the sky. Then it fell with a dying roar and a muffled explosion as it struck. It "as sometimes 25 seconds after the reports of the guns wore heard before tne shells were hoard to reach their mark. - Vast columns of smoko rose from the ground at the point of impact, rapidly followed by clouds of sand and earth, that obscured large stretches oi country. Sometimes, vvb'-u a house or magazine was struck, a column of black smoko was followed rapidly by white clouds, rising generally m spiral fashion. As the afternoon wore on the peninsula was clouded with battle smoke. The dirigible floated serenely above the forts, unreachable by the Turkish guns and carrying out tho work oi directing the lire of our monster war ship and others lying at the entrance. Up and down between tho fleets were travelling destroyers and tugs. There were cruisers along tho coast, moving up and down. It seemed evident that the iurks had brought m considerable artillery. It was this the Jeanne d’Arc was shelling furiously when we passed Tcncdoe. It was towards this tho ships at tho entrance, with their backs towards Gallipoli peninsula, were firing during tho whole morning. The lire evidently became too terrible for tho Turks to stand any longer. The guns and troops commenced to move round back from Kum Kalcssi, near Kum Koi. Sand raised by the moving showed first toward tho strait, then turned sharp to the cast inland. This movement must have been hidden from tho ships firing over tho headland, but I could sec vising dust and cloud left behind; but almost immediately shells began to drop in front of the retreating column with deadly accuracy. It must have boon a terrible retreat." Four shins were firing, three gnus each at a time, and spouts of white smoko wore thick along tho ridge. The fire followed tho Turkish column until it got back into the bills and cover.