BOMBARDMENT OF TRIPOLI.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 98, 8 December 1911, Page 2

BOMBARDMENT OF TRIPOLI.

AN EYE-WITNESS’S ACCOUNT. One of the special correspondents acting for the .London “Daily Telegraph” in the war between Italy and i urkey witnessed the bombardment of Tripoli from one of the Italian warships. The correspondent, who is an Italian, sent a very long and interesting account of the operations. He ■ wrote s On October 2nd Admiral h aravelh and Rear-Admiral 'Union di Revel decide to ask the Turkish authorities to surrender, so that in the event of a negative reply they can invite the foreign colony to withdraw, and then carry out the bombardment of the town. Meanwhile the Government is requested to despatch urgently the first troop transports. Rear-Admiral Thaon di Revel, with Captain Magliano, Admiral FaravelliV Chief of Staff, Lieutenant Bottino, and the Dragoman of the Consulate', dressed in full uni-

form, carry ashore the summons to surrender. The mission is received at the castle by the Deftardar, Bechir Bey, by the Chief Interpreter, the Director of Politcal Affairs, Arif Bey

and Captain Ismail Bey, formerly Ad-jutant-de-Camp to the famous Vali, Ibraham Pasha.

The attitude of the Turks was too Orientally humble mot to arouse suspicion. The Turks are good soldiers, and perhaps better diplomatists, and they are perhaps to be distrusted when they make themselves small. They admitted their military weakness and the impossibility of lighting, and ended by insisting upon a delay under the pretext' of comnlunicating with Constantinople. ’ ’ “.Delay is more to your advantage thpn to ours,” said the Deftardar. They were invited to go on board the Brin. The Deftardar puton his best uniform and embarked, but nobody had foreseen the new complication, namely, that the Turks would suffer atrociously from seasickness. The trip was a disastrous one for the Ottoman envoys. The Deftardar, who is as - stout as any classic pasha, lost one of his cloaks in climbing on board the flagship. The Admiral had recourse to restoratives for the Turkish authorities, who invoked Allah will a pitiful cry of “Amain,” tiiat is to say “Thanks.” Something irresistibly comic became mingled with the dramatic scene. The grave colloquy upon the solemn question, which was to ripen into a bombardment, assumed a tragic tone, which was alleviated 'now and again by the gastric indisposition of the Turks. The latter were prepared to surrender everything, except the town. They tried to temporise, and found 100 different pretexts for adjourning the discussion. But the Admiral firmly cut short all attempts at delay, and gave as the latest time noon on the following day. VVe have now reached October 3rd, and at dawn all the ships receive orders to prepare for the bombardment of the forts. There is great activity around the guns; the mechanism of the great turret of the battleships is tested, sights are adjusted, .and officers and crew- are satisfied that the action can begin.- The dawn ,of the day of the .battle brings with itju, chafing of 'impatience and freshness of hope. Everything is ready. The j-eply of the, foreign, Consuls which the dragoman, has gone, in a torpedo boat to fetch is all that) is, waited- for.- -Ho carries'.a written communication addressed to the dozen of the Consular body, Herr Tielger, on behalf of his colleagues. For the last time before the bombardment the communication carried by the dragoman offered to take the Consular body and everybody belonging, to them, without distinction'of nationality or race, who desired of leave Tripoli ,on board the Italian transports and warships. The reply was a refusal and a declaration of confidence, in ,the Turkish , authorities. ' The T rights tjpf,' neutrals had been sufficiently safeguarded. I witnessed the bombardment from the Garibaldi. At three o’clock (on October 3rd) a shrill signal summons the drew te their posts. The gunners hasten to their pieces, men rush to the magazine, and presently all is in readiness. The flags of battle are unfurled, the hatchways are closed down, and the ammunition lifts begin to carry to the batteries the projectiles, • which are white with red points. Splendid order is maintained. Every ship is a murderous machine, regular and exact, which is about to be set in motion'. On the platform the gunners regard their target through the telescopes, and, while the battleship moves slowly on, all her guns keep their muzzles rigidly directed towards a point on the coast on which an inferno is about to break loose. In profound silence the signal is awaited. The air, in the shadow of the covered batteries, holds a solemn immobility. As the armoured turret turns its two enormous Sin guns, it reminds one of a terrible binocular. From the con-ning-tower a range-finder, like an enormous capital T, looks out with its two great round eyes. At every moment the exact distance is signalled from there, and behind every gunner a sailor at a speaking-tube shouts the figure. Admiral Thaon di Hovel watches all this with an attitude of calm which hides so much firmness. From the information received it is

supposed that the enemy’s guns have a maximum range of something over 9000 yards. We slowly approach the fort. ' On the Hamidieh wo distinguish the large Turkish guns between the high glacis of reddish earth, erected almost on the edge of the sea. The Hamidieh and, behind it, some magnificent palm trees, form a background of dark green. At a quarter past throe a gun booms. The J3rin has fired the first shot at the Red Mole. The shell

passes over the mole, and falls into the deserted fort, raising an immense amount of water, which hides the town and falls again slowly, like a white catarach. The noise of the

explosion of the shell returns to us as a long roar. This first shot was the expected signal. An instant later a thunder of guns, which delies a comparison, booms over the sea, amid clouds of thin yellow smoke, which is dissipated hy the wind. On the lied Mole, on the lighthouse battery, and the sides of the Hamidieh fort, there is a continual bursting of projectiles, which raises immense showers of masonry and earth. It seems like a series of eruptions. Gigantic black clouds of smoko rise, and uecomo so dense that they appear to be solid. A yellowish colouring is spread everywhere, and the distant ships appear pa lid ■ and spectral towards the west. We cannot see their fire in the fog, -but we hear the continual sound of the shots.

The Turks were prepared for the attack, for over the Lighthouse Battery there appears a gleam ol flame and an outburst of white smoke. The Turks are replying. The Hamidieh fort also begins to lire upon ns, and the Gargaresh forts take up the defence. Wo wait for the effect of the enemy’s lire, but the guns are badly aimed, and we see the projectiles fall into the sea, producing regular white geysers, tall columns of water, which rise high into the sky and fall again with the lazy lightness of foam. The Italian ships draw closer, suspending their lire from time to time.

ill order to change the broadside. We (ire by batteries, and each time ten shells are -hurled. The ship throbs with the violence of the shock, and the clatter of broken glass resounds under the deck when the big gnus in the turrets enter into action. (Ardent, impetuous, confusing flames burst forth, and, with the yellow, acrid smoke, a rain of black dust covers ns at every discharge. The scream of the enormous projectiles tear the air; the shells seem to be alive and furious.

After ten rounds have been fired the Hamidieh fort is silent, but the Lighthouse Battery continues its useless defence. Behind the high dominating battery is the town and the roofs of the town, and fearing to send shells into inhabited dwellings, the ships began to lire lower. The aim is quickly adjusted, and the shells arrive full in the fort. The Carlo, Alberto and Emanuele Filliberto join the Brin, which brings into action its gigantic ll.oin guns. The Red Mole and the Lighthouse Battery are wrapped in flames and smoke. When the breeze clears the air we see that the central part of the Red Mole has been demolished, and its sides are battered. The lantern of the lighthouse has disappeared completely, as though by enchantment. The Turkish resistance is over. If the Italian troops were here a landing could bo carried out during the night.