BRITISHERS' CURIOUS RUSE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13700, 2 June 1915, Page 4

BRITISHERS' CURIOUS RUSE.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 11. According to a special message ■■which has reached San Francisco, the landing of a British force on Turkish soil was effected by a curious msd, judged 'by the following' from the Dardanelles : — * History has duplicated itself on the plains of Troy, for by a ruse as ingenious as the" wooden hoijse winch gave the crafty Greeks entrance into the city of Troy, the British succeeded m getting their first .landing party ashore *ov tlve land operations against the Dardanelles. . .

On the day preceding the landing the Turkish ' patrols noticed a huge collie i\ her decks piled high with coal, drifting m apparent helplessness 'towards t>hs shoals lining the shores liear the plains of Troy. Finally, the big boat struck bottom and m the twilight which was falling the crew were seen to take their boats and row hastily towards the sea, where other ships were evidently cruising. Feeling certain that the stranded vessel would be safe for the night no rttempt was maderby the Turks to boar/i her, but when' the patrols' approached again m the morning they were' met by a sharp fire from 2500 British troops, strongly entrenched and supported by a r battery of field artillery. These troops had landed during the* night from '•' the' apparent derelict, where they had been concealed below the decks. . Then the mist off shore rose and disclosed a long line of transports from which troops were pouting into sma.l boats which, under cover of the landing force, reached the beach with comparatively few casualties. The Turks summoned reinforcements with feverish haste, and for a time two small landing detachment was m deadly peril of extinction^ but their , position was too strong to he taken by assault", and when tho Turkish batteries got into 1 action, enough troops had been safeiv landed to consolidate the position won.