THE ADVANCE ON KEITHIA

Otago Witness, Issue 3205, 18 August 1915, Page 32

THE ADVANCE ON KEITHIA

GROUND GAINED AT HEAVY COST. The special correspondent of the Morning Post, after treating of the attack by British and French troops on Achi Baba for two days, during which some advance was made thus describes the third day’s fighting, when an attack was made on the village of Knthia, in which the New Zealanders and Australians played so gallant a part: On the morning of May 8, at 10 a.m., this battle, which had. now lasted for two days without cessation, was continued with even greater violence, for our tioops, although weary from their great exertions, were determined to obtain a decisive success if it was possible. The ships opened up another tremendous bombardment of the light arm of Achi Baba, off Krithia village, and the ground behind. When this had lasted for half an hour our infantry on the left and loft centre again advanced to the attack, and again commenced one of those furious outbursts of rifle and machine gun fire, which showed that the 'lurks were still holding their trenches with their old determination. Nevertheless, the 8 1 th and 83th Brigades were not to be denied, and continued to gain ground; in fact, on the loft an entire Turkish trench was taken, and our khaki-coloured lines disappeared altogether from view in the thick scrub. Throughout the morning the fight became a series of local combats of intense ferocity for odd ravines, trenches, and hills. Sometimes we were driven back, but gradually the whole fighting line was pushed forward in front of Krithia, at a distance which rendered a final assault on the village possible. Across the whole front successiv c lines of khaki-clad figures pressed on. The enemy’s shrapnel burst over them, but inflicted small damage, owing to the open formations adopted, and when each successive line reached the tire zone it doubled across the open ground, resting in the different vacated trenches, and then passing on to the next. The reserve troops, who were now moving forward to the firing line, were the New Zealand Brigade, which moved up to pass through the 88th Brigade for the final assault, and on their left the Australian Brigade, who passed through the Naval Brigade on tho left of the Krithia road for a like purpose. The 87th Brigade still held the ground at the top of the great donga, while the Indian Brigade and the Lancashire Fusilier Brigade acted as a general reserve. At 1.30 p.m. these final movements were completed, and there came a complete lull all over the battlefield. On the right, hold by the Fiench, there had been no movement throughout the morning, and even ti e artillery fire had hardly been heard. There were various reasons for the delay that now ensued. In the course of the advance in the morning the line had become very broken up, and it had to be straightened out, and the position of the various units accurately ascertained, as it was hard to tell whether certain trenches and positions were in our hands or were' still held by the enemy. All this information had to come from the -front, and was then distributed to the batteries and ships, so that they could ascertain the ranges accurately, and not run the risk of shelling our own men. Exactly at 5.16 p.m. there suddenly opened from every ship afloat and from every battery ashore the most stupendous bombardment it has ever been my lot to see, in fact, those officers who had previously served in France declared they had never seen anything like it there. All the battleships and all the cruisers opened a rapid fire on both arms of Achi Baba, on Krithia, and on every patch of shrub and every ravine which could possibly conceal a Turk or a Hun. The 15-inch shell, charged with lyddite, made the most awful explosions, apparently consuming whole hills in immense clouds of yellow smoke and fumes, tho 12-inch shells of the other battleships, either charged with lyddite or shrapnel, searched every yard of tho slopes leading up to Achi Baba, whilst the 6-meh and smaller guns sprayed the country nearer our trenches; in fact, there were three separate zones of tire, the great guns on Achi Baba and its higher ekqies, the secondary armament lower down, and then just in front of our trenches, the field guns and field howitzers poured a continuous shower of shrapnel over the ground over which our infantry had to advance. From tho extreme loft, at tho head of tho great donga, to the extreme right of the French ' line the whole country appeared as if it had suddenly been set on lire, covered as it was m a few minutes by a solid bank ot yellow', green, and white smoke, out of which great volcanoes seemed suddenly to burst into eruption as the shells exploded on the higuer ridges. It was now 5.bJ, and tao bombardment had lasted exactly a quarter of an hour. Suddenly, as if controlled by a single will, the guns ceased to fire for a few seconds. This was the signal for tho infantry, who had hardly' been visible, so carefully were they lying concealed amidst the shrub and in the trenches. As one man the entire line, from the head of the great donga to the Krithia road," leapt forward and rushed to the assault of Krithia. At the same instant ihc light and dark blue columns 'were seen to burst from the Fiench trenches. They had lain quiet all day, and they also rushed forward up the slopes tow r ards the Maidos road. Line after line of khaki figures emerged from cover and dashed forward, and no sooner were they clear of tho trenches than the bombardment w'as resumed, the ships’ guns again shelling the higher ground, and our own artillery keeping up a white spray of shrapnel only 60 yards ahead of tho firing line. But in spite of all this preliminary preparation, the enemy was waiting ready. No sooner had our men emerged from cover than a perfect storm of rifle and machinegun fire was opened up on them from trenches and shrub,, over which the shells had been, and were still bursting. But our men never hesitated for a moment. The Now Zealanders hurled themselves forward in a solid phalanx, passing through tho 88th Brigade, and many of the gallant men of those regiments, refusing to yield any right of way to them, joined their ranks and rushed forward in this mad charge. The line entered one Turkish trench with . a rush, bayoneted all there, and then passed on into broken ground, shooting and stabbing, men falling amidst the terrible fusillade, but not a soul turning back. No sooner had one line charged than another pressed on after it, and then a third. On the right the New Zealanders end tho Australians at the same moment, but over much more open ground, which provided little or no cover. They ■were met by a tornado of bullets, and

-oro enfliladed by machine guns from the r.ght, and the artillery in vain endeavoured to keep down this lire. The manner in which those dominion troop; went forward will never be forgotten by those who witnessed it. The lines of infantry were enveloped in dust from the patter of countless bullets in the sandy soil and from the hail of shrapnel poured on them, for now the enemy's artillery concentrated furiously on tho whole line. The lines advanced steadily as if on parade, sometimes doubling, sometimes walking, and you saw them melt away under this dreadful fusillade only to be renewed again as the reserves and supports moved forward to replace those who had fallen. In spite of all obstacles a considerable advance towards Krithia was made, but at length a point was readied from which it was impossible to proceed further. Not a man attempted to return to the trenches; they simply lay down where they were and attempted to reply to their concealed neniy, not a man of whom disclosed his position. Only a few hundred yards had been won, it is true, but these Australians and Now Zealanders were determined not to budge, and proceeded to entrench themselves where they lay. But it became obvious at tho end of an hour that the attack had spent its force, and that the hope of taking Krithia by direct assault must be abandoned. On the right much the same scenes were being enacted on the ground over which the French were advancing. A succession of desperate bayonet charges took place all over the slopes of Achi_ Baba’s left arm, and the French at one time made a, most pronounced advance, covered by their 75 s, which kept up an unceasing fire on the Turkish trenches. The French lino of glittering bayonets was within 50 yards of the Turks, when the survivors came boldly out, stood on the top of their trenches, and fired into the advancing line. The French hesitated a moment, as if expecting a surrender, and then rushed forward, and both lines clashed on the top, finally disappearing from view over the crest amidst a cloud of dust and shrapnel. I do not think any of the Turks got away. No sooner had this position been won than the French were driven back again by the fire of another t’ ench and the rapid salvoes ‘of shrapnel, the Turks —or Germans —handling their guns with great skill. But this check w'as only temporary, and a counterattack of a largo number of Senegalese retrieved the position. This confused fighting went on all along the line until, at 7.30, the gradual approach of darkness put an end to this terrible combat. Everywhere the Allies had trained some ground, but the main object of the attack had not yot been achieved. Achi Baba still looks defiantly on tho plain beneath, and it is obvious that positions such as those held by a foe as indomitable as tho Turks can only be won by extreme patience. Our men have done everything mortal man can do.