OUR BOYS IN GALLIPOLI.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13718, 23 June 1915, Page 3

OUR BOYS IN GALLIPOLI.

| HOW THEY FIRMLY HELD THE LINE. TREMENDOUS ATTACKS REPULSED TURKISH ABUSE OF RED CROSS FOILED. / (Received June 23, 8.40 a.m.) LONDON, June 22. i A R«uter correspondent at the Dardanelles states that oii May 22nd he visitod the trenches of the Australian and' New Zealand Ai'my Corps which l'epelled the Turkish attack oil the 18th. iihe opposing lines Avere mostly fx-oin 60 to 200 yards apart. The scene can only viewed through ay periscope. Even then one must be prepared tor the instrument to be smashed, tor the snipers fire directly they see it. Turkish dead were to be seen everywhere a few yards from the trenches, and m some places were too thick to be .counted. Fighting was hottest at two partS/.of the trenches called Quiiui's Post and Pope's Head. The latter is a hill 'of 460 ft., forming an island m the line of trenches, separated by a deep gully on each side from' the rest of the line. This. is a paradise for Turkish snipers. ; The attack began at midnight with a bombardment of unprecedented _ vigor. Shells of all calibres were fired/ It was literally impossible to put one's head out of the dugout till the hail of shrapuel had abated, but the damage, was slight. Heavy rifle fire followed, At three m the morning an attack with great force was made along the wholo line. The main objective < was Quinn's Post. • A^t some points the Turks reached the trenches and were shot, down. Many were actually tilled m the trenches. The attacks were repeated at short intervals with the same disastrous results. Xho enemy ftiade a last grand attack* at midday on the 19th. Another^thundering bombardment with every .type of projectile took place. Our casualties wore singularly few. The Turks; again gallantly attacked Quinn's Post, but withered- away before the blast of rifle and Maxim fire. ; prisoners said the Turks had brought up a fresh division for this attack, and apparently half . were sacrificed. ' After the battle a Turkish omcci* with '.stretcher bearers appeared facing the Australian and New Zealand, trenches. 'The Australian divisional commander went out and met them. . They asked for an armistice to remove the dead and wounded. As night -was approaching arid the enemy's trenches were seen to be bristling with double rows of armed mett, the divisional commander said he had no power ■» to arrange an armistice, and suggested that the Turks renew the application m the morning. Meanwhile he. would resume hostilities m ten minutes, whereupon the party withwMb ■ ■ . Apparently the Turks intended to take ' advantage of the suspension of artillery fire and mass their men m the trenches under cover of the humanitarian activity of the doctors m the space between the lines. ' ' v . - . I*at©r masses advanced with fixed bayonets behind a screen of weaponless soldiers, who held up their hands as if m surrender. The Australians detected the ruse, and rifles and guns spoke all alonjr the line. The Turks paid dearly for their attempt to abuse the Red Cross flag/.' ; - >\. ■':;■■ } : .X