THE FIRST BATTLE.

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

THE FIRST BATTLE.

TROOPS ASSISTED BY THE

FLEET,

CONTINUOUS ARTILLERY FIRE

CAPTURE OF CRITHIA

OPERATIONS OF THE NORTHERN

FORCE,

'Received May 6, 5.5 p.m.)

London, May 5.

The "Daily Chronicle", publishes the following telegram dated Thursday, from Motor Launch Bay, under Gaba, Tepe.— |

Monday night witnessed a lane battlo in which a portion of the fleet assisted. Search lights picked out the targets for the great guns of the opposing artillery, working across a valley run^jng inland from the bay. The fire wais .so continuous that wo could discern the outline of the valley, across which the two land forces were also contending. Often tho whole valley seemed a river of flame. The- Turkish position on Monday wa. roughly from tho crest about Maidos to Bokale. the British holding the seashore at the mouth .of tho valley ano! Hazmak Valley. During Monday the British left was thrown along the northern and commanding ridge towards Bokali. The Turkish left during the night advanced westward along the southern ridge., endeavouring to cut off our forces. The warships, including the Quosn Elizabeth, replied with shrapnel, \va-:a the land forces on tho northern v !ge rained a hail of deadly shells. The fire was kept up during the night, and tho British extended their position, making tho southern ridge extremely dangerous. The Turks late on Tuesday afternoon made another attack, assisted by thi • c mist and a rainstorm, intending to make it impossible for tho Britisn transports to land supplies over night. Meanwhile the s';r:s at tho entrance to the Dardanelles bombarded he Narrows. The French landed afc Morfco Bay, astride the roads loading to Oithia, on Wednesday. Tho Turkish gur.s replied from positions a mile behind Crithia, which tlv. fleet's guns set on firo. ■ The height of .Achibab, 730 feet, dominates this region, ami was the chi-jf obstacle to the Allies''advance.

[Press Association—CopyurGHT.

bursting on Achibab, which' the war ships at Cape Helles and Erenkeui Bay were also shelling.

Crithia was practically captured by nightfall, the Turkish artillery making v feeble reply except when two cruisers '•an close inshore. The latter replied, silencing the Turks in a few minutes.

_ During Wednesday the Allied1 activity m the northern position continued witli a view of throwing a force across the peninsula, the fleet's guns shelling the Turkish reinforcements and keeping the northern force free from attack."