TURKEY AT WAR

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144715, 25 June 1915, Page 3

TURKEY AT WAR

THE DARDANELLES. OUR MEN CHEERED. BY REPULSE OF THE TURKS. TIMES AND SYDNEY SUN SERVICES. (Received Juno 25. S.O a.m.) LONDON, Juno 24, Mr. Ashineacl-BHrtiotfc says: “Tho effect of success has boon great upon tho Australians and Now Zealanders, who havo hitherto been lighting under tho most difficult conditions and against great odds with heavy losses. After the attack General Birdwood took mo round tho front lines, Jt> was evident that the troops were more content than they have been for a long time. The Australians and New Zealanders were resting after their fierce exertions, lying under bomb-proof ‘consuming large quantities of tinned meat, biscuits, tea and jam. of which they are extremely fond. I asked an Australian, ‘How many did you kill?' He replied. ‘1 cannot say. but look here, there are eight acres ut them lying round.’ Another happy warrior remarked, ‘But them up for us; wo will shqqt all you want/ “There arc many signs that tho moral effect of the repulse upon cho Turks is great They aro continually asking for armistices. 5 ’ GENERAL HAMILTON'S REPORT. SUCCESSFUL FRENCH ADVANCE. WELLINGTON, .Turn. 21. Tho Minister of Defence has received tho following cable from Tencdos dated June 23, from General Sir lan Hamilton ; “After twenty-four hours' heavy and continuous fighting a substantial success has been achieved. As already reported, the battle of June 4 and 5 resulted in a good advance of ray centre to which neither my right nor ray left were able to conform, the reason being that tho Turkish positions in front of the flanks are naturally strong and exceedingly well fortified. At 4.30 a.ra. on the 21st- General Gourimd began an attack upon the line of formidable work which runs along Korevesdere. By noon the Second French Division had stormed and captured all tho Turkish first and second line trenches opposite their front, including the famous Haricot Redoubt, and with it the subsidiary maze of entanglements and communication trenches from their right. The First French Division, after fierce fighting, also took the Turkish trenches opposite their front, but were counterattacked so heavily that they . were forced do fall back again. This division attacked again, and again it was driven out.

“Tho bombardment of the Turkish left was resumed, the British guns and howitzers lending their aid fo the French artillery as in the previous attacks. At about 6 p.m. a fine attack was launched. Six hundred yards of tho Turkish first line trenches were taken, and dospito heavy counter-at-tacks during the night, especially at 3.20 a.m., ail the captured positions aro still in our hands. 1 am afraid that the casualties aro considerable, but the details are lacking. The enemy lost very heavily. One Turkish battalion coming up to reinforce was spotted by an aeroplane and was practically wiped out by the ‘seventy-fives’ before they could scatter. The type of fighting did not lend itself to making prisoners, and only some fifty, including an officer, are in our hands. Tho clan and contempt of danger shown by tho yonng French drafts of the last contingent, averaging perhaps 20 years of ago, was much admired by all.

“During the fighting the French battleship St. Louis did excellent service against the Asiatic batteries. The French casualties were approximately 2300, which for the great success gained is not excessive. Tlieenomy casualties wore very heavy, being estimated at not less than 7000. Many were caused by the French “soventy-fives,”’ which during the counter-attack .yesterday morning caught the Turks in douse formation and absolutely mowed them down. The Turks wore most gallant, and when short of ammunition fought the French with stones and fists, and in spite of the heavy artillery fire advanced in rushes.”

SYRIA DEPLETED OF TROOPS. CAIRO, June 24. Travellers from Syria state that only eleven thousand troops aro now In tho province, and the rest have been sent to tho Dardanelles. Many of tho latter are without arms, but the authorities explain that they can use the arms of their dead comrades. Djemal Pasha has continued to rid himself of German officers. It is estimated there are throe thousand to four thousand German officers and non-commissioned _ officers at Constantinople and Gallipoli. Wounded from Gallipoli narrate details of an heroic fight by nineteen men of the Munster Regiment on June 5. Turks surprised them while, unsuspecting, they were watching tho warships’ bombardment. Tho Monsters refused to surrender and fought like demons, using their bayonets whenever the Turks approached. When assistance came seventy dead Turks were found and the number wounded is not known. Eleven Monsters wore killed and four wounded. LONDON. Jnne 24. General Maxwell, in command in Egypt, has forbidden the sale of alcohol between 10 o’clock at night and 5 o’clock in the morning. GERMAN OFFICERS IN COMMAND. WILD TURKISH STORIES. (Received Juno 25, 8.50 a.m.) PARIS, June 24. Official—An account of tho Dardanelles fighting dated Juno 4 says that, according to prisoners, Germany is unceasingly sending trained men to Turkey. German officers are everywhere employed in tho high commands. Among tire fantastic stories told by Ottoman soldiers is one to the effect that Russia offered seven of her provinces to Turkey in order to secure poaco, and that Ronmania had declared .war on the Entente.

IMPORTANT POINT CAPTURED. AT THE HEAD OF A RAVINE. (Received Jnne 25, 9.15 a.tu.) PARIS, Juno 24. An official account of tho fighting at the Dardanelles cabled yesterday says that an important point in tho success i.C that wo captured tho ground commanding tho head of the Kerevescero ravine, which the Turks have been defending desperately for months. THE ROLL OF HONOUR. FURTHER CASUALTY LISTS. PBK PKFSS ASSOCIATION. WELLINGTON, Juno 24. The following casualty list was issued to-night;— WOUNDED. Auckland Battalion. Private G. Brett. Private J. J. Buckley. Private F. A. Cooper. Private J. Henderson. Private H. G. Lovell. Private E. Marshall. Private G. Skellern. Sergeant M. M’Lean. (Arrived Malta, May 17.) Auckland Battalion. Private W. Jameson. Private M. O'Donoghue. Auckland Mounted Regiment. (Arrived Malta, May 23.) Corporal M. E. Johnson. Admitted to First Australian General Hospital, Heliopolis. Private A. H. M'Kcllar (injury to hack). REPORTED WOUNDED. Otago Battalion. R, Johnston. DANGEROUSLY ILL. (Juno 21. Dine Sisters’ Hospital.) Auckland Battalion. Second-Lieutenant Rupert Walter Westmacotl (gunshot wounds). Andrew's Hospital. Private Edwin Neol Lenool (bomb wound in side). Otago Mountods. Trooper Thomas James Darby Bruhns. KILLED IN ACTION. Auckland Battalion. Corporal J. F. Bradley. INVALIDED. (Loft for England, Juno 7.) Private C. V. Kear. Field Ambulance Corps. (Arrived Malta, May 24.) Private L. F. Castlebow. . Canterbury Battalion. Sergeant-Major \V. Edmonds. Trooper C. Wooster. ARRIVED AT MALTA (JUNE 17.) Canterbury Battalion.—Privates Urie Gordon Anderson, James Henry Shand, Frank Brunting, Thomas Bell, William George Booker, William Edwin Cronin, Arthur Bell Cromhie, Francis Carmine, George T. Deakin, Sergeant Frank Sydney Dyer, Private Patrick Fahey, Sergeant George M'Laughlin Hogben, Lance-Corporal Stanley George Howie, Privates David Hewlett, Villiers Elliot Hunt, William Hurford Hutchings, Aaron Gordon Eton, Corporal Herbert Ibbotson, Privates Matthew Joseph, Herbert Frederick Komhcll, Horace Victor Lfeo, Lance-Corporal Peter Monigatti, Privates Andrew MTvor, David Reid M'Leod, Charles Joseph Mather, Clarence Rainton Murray, John Breeze Nancckivell, William Henry O’Donnell, Sydney Atchett, Norman Persey Attullo, Leonard Robcrtshnw, Malcolm Roxburgh, James Richard Tate, Phillip John Wostrupp, Corporal Andrew Smith,’ Privates Harry Walter Nilson, George James Smith.

FIT FOR SERVICE. Auckland Battalion (Proceeding to Egypt, May 31.) Private E. S. Moss. Canterbury Battalion. (Arrived at Malta, May 17 and 18.) Private R. J. Wills. Private W. F. Bowis. Private W. 11. 0. Bruce. Private J. S. Bennett. Private It. G. Cox. Private L. Cheosman. Private .1. J. Driscoll. Private T. B. Dwyer. Private F. F. M. Flavall. ■Private A. Harvey. Sergeant-Major W. G. Hall. Private J. Hardy. Private W. Jones. Private W. M‘Lagan. Private J. M. M'Kenzio. Private AV. J, Mitchell. Private E. H. Penny. Private E. Iladd. Private G. J. Taylor. Private A. Williams. \ Proceeding to Egypt, June 5.) Lance-Corporal R. C. Ecolesfield. Private T. Hill. Private G. V. Harding. Private H. F. Owen. Private J. M. Robertson. Lance-Corporal H. G. Randerson. Private T. S. Russell. Sergeant L. G. Wood. FEW ZEALAND CASUALTIES. (Received June 25, 9.15 a.m.) SYDNEY, Jnne 25. Privates Goorgo Hooper and A. E. HiHio.r, reported killed i«i action, and Private Turk, wounded, woro all Now Zealanders. Sergeant Morgan, killed in action, was a well-known footballer, and played against tho touring Now Zealand team. ■ '■! —V