LANDING OF THE AUSTRALASIANS.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13771, 7 May 1915, Page 5

LANDING OF THE AUSTRALASIANS.

STORIES OF DASH AND

COURAGE,

AN INAUGURAL RUNNING FIGHT.

CASUALTIES VERY HEAVY

LARGE PROPORTION OF WOUNDS

NOT SERIOUS.

TURKS' LOSSES ENORMOUS

AMBULANCE MEN'S DEVOTION

DUM-DUMS USED BY THE ENEMY,

London, May 5. Iteuter's Cairo correspondent reports that the Dardanelles fighting will reveal many stories of dash and courage. The Australians and New Zealanders jumped from the boats, and waded to the shore .neck deep. They then took three ridges, and succeeded in a running fight extending three miles.

One soldier said: "Nothing stopped us. Our big lads lifted the Turks on the ends of their bayonets and hurled them over their heads. The Turks ran, screaming and howling with fear, after the first rush. ■ |

"Others came up and helped us ./to storm the ridges and consolidate the new positions The enemy's fire of machine guns, shrapnel, and rifles was terrific throughout;"but our men never wavered. Our casualties were heavy: but very many of the wounds were, slight, and the- men will re-appear in! the fighting line in a fc^ weeks "

The wounded say that tho Red Cross worked magnificently. Ambulance men were under fire continually, tho Turks making a dead set against them and shooting them down mercilessly.

It hos been established that -the Turks used dum-dum bullets.

The Turks' losses were enormous, the bayonet rushes doing great slaughter.

Two Turkish aeroplanes dropped bombs on warships at Sedd ul Bahr harmlessly. Warships brought down both machines, and made tho German aviators prisoners.