SIXTY-SIX FORLORN HOPES.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 473, 16 August 1915, Page 10

SIXTY-SIX FORLORN HOPES.

NIGHT SURPRISE ON A GALLIPOLI FORT. .

WHAT THE FRENCH TROOPS ARE DOING AT THE DARDANELLES.

The following extract from the French official account of what the French troops and their colonial forces accomplished in the attack on the Dardanelles between May 15 and June 10 shows that they have been getting their full share of the hard work.

The Turks have solidly organised their resistance (says the report). The region is honeycombed with deep entrenchments, flanked by machine guns, and protected by barbed-wire entanglements and other obstacles. Such works cannot be rushed. They have to be approached gradually by working from point to point. In the second fortnight of May our efforts were concentrated around a series of entrenchments dug by the Turks in front of the ravine of Kcreves Dere. An outlying redoubt, called the 'jßouchet Redoubt," after a captain of Colonial Infantry who was killed on the parapet of the work, fell into our hands on May 8. All the efforts of the Turks to recapture it were repulsed with heavy loss. ' -■'■

As soon as our position was consolidated at this point we prepared to occupy a small fort situated on the extreme left of the enemy's line. A colonial regiment was ordered to capture the wofk on the night of May 28. The ground which had to be crossed, however, was quite open, and swept on all sides by rifle and machine gun fire from the Turkish positions. This precluded any attempt at assault by normal methods, as it would have entailed enormous sacrifices. It was necessary to try a coup de main. The following plan was consequently adopted. A detachment of 34 Europeans and 32 Sengealese, all volunteers, under the orders of a subaltern, received orders to leave our first-line trench in Indian file, and creep on their hands and knees to the immediate neighbourhood of the small fort. There they were to assemble and deliver a surprise attack without firing a shot. Shielding the Volunteers.

Two other parties were ordered to leave our trenches in the same manner on the right and left, but they were to stop halfway, and hold themselves in readiness to shield the volunteers iri the event of a repulse or suioport them in the event of success/

The weather was very fine. The moon was at full, but, happily, so low in the horizon that its beams shone in the eyes of the Turks. This favoured the movements of the volunteer section, who began their stealthy advance at 9 o'clock. The two detachments left an hour later. . A quarter of an hour before midnight the band of volunteers had got within 40 yards of the fort. Springing over the parapet, they complete-

ly surprised the Turks, who, after! firing their rifles, fled, some going in the direction of their second line of trenches, others towards the ravine of Kereves Dere. Thanks to the suddenness of our assault we had only three wounded—a sergeant and two men. The former, although badly wounded in the right shoulder, refused to fall out or even allow his wound to be dressed. No sooner was the fort in our possesssion than the work of putting it in order-was begun. A non-com-missioned officer and eight engineers, who were with the attackers, immediately turned round the defences of the fort to make them face the enemy. The latter attempted two counter-attacks, which were easily repulsed, the two supporting parties having meanwhile joined the volunteer section. At daybreak our men had succeeded in throwing up sufficient cover, but a lieutenant was killed by a bullet in the head, and several men were wounded while engaged in the work. The operation therefore achieved complete success, thanks to the skill of the volunteers and supporting sections and to the courage and thorough devotion of which they gave proof. The whole operation is of excellent augury for the attacks on a larger scale which will eventually be undertaken by the Expeditionary Corps.—Reuter.