TURKEY AT WAR

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144777, 6 September 1915, Page 3

TURKEY AT WAR

THE DARDANELLES. TURKISH ATTACK REPELLED. BY AUSTRALIAN FORCES. WELLINGTON, Sept. 6. The High Commissioner reports, under date London, Sept. 4 (3.35 p.m.) :—■ .A French official report states that at the Dardanelles a Turkish night attack against the south sector, held by the Australians, was repulsed with heavy losses. THE ATTACK ON HILL 70 GALLANTRY DISPLAYED IN VAIN. . , LONDON, Sept. 4. , Reuter’s correspondent at tho Dardanelles says that Hill 70 is entirely scrub-covered, except for a sandy gully near the top, forming a scimitarshaped scar without cover. Tho men in tho afternoon reached' the edge of the scimitar. The hill shook with the concussions of the naval guns, and gorse fires blazed at the base of the bill. At 6.20 the reinforcements of the Yeomanry advanced under a tremendous shrapnel fire, in fail view, over the Salt Lake, an expanse of a mile of dry mud, flat as a billiard table, and climbed tho hillside. At 7.80 they launched an attack across tho scimitar. As if running a race they swept across the gully with incredible rapidity, and vanished into tho smoke and darkness on tho hilltop. None doubted that tho hill was captured, and there was profound disappointment when it was found to be untenable. The Indians on the northern flank from Anzac established themselves from Kafaji Kachala, in the hills, to Susakkuyu on the plain, where• they touch the other corps. Tho summer is breaking, and tho nights are growing colder. A strong north-easter is heralding th© autumnal storms. The army will welcome any weather that will end the fly plague. MR. BARTLETT’S REPORT. LONDON, Sept. 3. Mr. Ashmead-Bartlett, concluding his report of tho attack on Hill 70, says;— The noise of tho guns and sie unceasing roar of thousands of rifles made a perfect inferno. The battalion advanced and seized the southern slopes, digging in preparatory to an advance towards the top. The shell fire now seemed to tell upon the Turks and many wore observed streaming down tho trench lino, either because it had become untenable, or they were preparing to meet an advance. Tho situation was unchanged for an hour, and then tho Yeomanry again advanced in solid masses, forming up on the lower western and northern slopes. It was almost dark and, the attack seemed to hang fire. Suddenly the Yeomanry leapt to their feet and charged like a single man right uphill. They were met by a withering fire rising to a crescendo as they neared the northern crest, but nothing could stop them. They charged with amazing speed, without a hart, from bottom to top, losing many leaders, including gallant Sir John Milbapk. It was a stirring sight that was watched by thousands in the evergathering gloom. One moment they were below the crest, the next moment they were on top of it, tho next they had disappeared into the trenches, bayoneting tho defenders who had not fled earlier, while others who hod not stopped in tho trenchlino were pursued down the reverse slopes. From a thousand lips a shot rose up: “Hill 70 is wonl” The night was now rapidly falling; tho figures became blurred, then lost to shape, and finally disappeared. As I left Chocolate Hill I looked back upon a vista of rolling clouds and huge' fires, from which came the incessant roar of rifle fire. This was ominous, because the question was whether we could hold Hill 70 throughout th© night, in the face of determined counter-attacks. The battle raged ceaselessly. Apparently tho Turks ■were never driven off the knoll on the northern crest, whence during the night they enfiladed, with the use of machine-guns and artillery. The Yeomanry who dashed down the reverse slopes were subjected to coun-ter-attacks, and they lost heavily, and were obliged to retire. It ivas decided that it was impossible to hold Hill 70, and at daylight the troops were ordered to withdraw to their original position. DAyljght thus found Hill 70 no longer in our possession. Nothing will lesson tho glory of that final charge of England’s Yeomanry, and thus ended the great fight. However, the Anzac troops achieved some successes, the Australian infantry finally driving the Turks from Hill 60, while our whole line is now linked up by means of trenchline instead’of by isolated posts.

A TURKISH REPORT. CONSTANTINOPLE, Sept. 4. A communique states; Our right wing of artillery dispersed an enemy battalion which was drilling. We silenced two hostile guns near l Korevedere. RAID ON ASIA MINOR PORT. ATHENS. Sep?. 4. Seamen landed in the Gulf ot Ismid, Sea of Marmara, from a British submarine and partly dynamited the railway bridge at Gebitze. They returnd unharmed. The Turks set fire to Ismid after massacring the whole population. ARMENIANS AGAIN VICTIMS. TIMES AND SYDNEY SUN SERVICES. ' (Received Sept. 6, 8.0 a m.) PARIS, Sept. S. Athens states that travellers arriving from Constantinople report that the Turks burnt the town of Ismid and massacred the Armenians. GERMAN VIEW OP CAMPAIGN. I ROTTERDAM. Sept. 4. German comments op the Dardanelles developments indicate that experts are surprised, and warn the defenders against their former cocksureness. They must not underestimate the British doggedness. The, British admitted that they expected Jo have.

many disappointments before the final success, and they did not expect important Anglo - French reinforcements to bo sent. Italian help is more likely to gravely increase the Turkish difficulties. KAISER’S HINT TO ENTER PASHA AMSTERDAM, Sept. 4. Tho Kaiser, in decorating Enver P4sha, wrote to him bidding him to continue to keep a good watch on the Dardanelles. ALLEGED SHORTAGE OP MUNITIONS. (Received Sept. 6, 11.30 a.m.) PARIS, Sept. 5. The Echo do Paris,’ Salonika correspondent states that Turkey is feeling the lack of munitions, old stocks being depleted and coal and metals The munition factories’ chimneys at Tophane, Zeitnn and Bourneo have not been smoking for several days. PANIC LN CONSTANTINOPLE. . AWAITING THE END. (Received Sept. 6, 11.30 a.m.) PARIS, Sept. o. The Echo do Paris’ Rome correspondent states that the condition of the people at Constantinople is pitiable. They are terrorised by the approach of the final catastrophe. It is rumoured that Djemal Pasha, who is now at Bagdad, is considering the organisation of a revolt against Enver Pasha. A CHAPLAIN KILLED. AN OLD NEW PLYMOUTH MINISTER. , WELLINGTON, Sept. 6. News has been received that ChaplainMajor Wm. Grant, senior Presbyterian Chaplain with the Main Force, was killed at the Dardanelles on August 28. He was a native of Ormondville, 56 years of ago, and was stationed at New Plymouth, Leeston and Gisborne at various times. He leaves a widow and five children. Two of his sons are at the front. [Mr. Grant came as a student to St. Andrew’s Church in 1883, and remained for a year, returning in November, 1888, and shortly afterwards was ordained. He left for Leeston in May, 1891. Ho visited New- Plymouth two years ago, at the time of the jubilee services, and preached in his old church. For some years before the outbreak of war li© was stationed at Gisborne, and after receiving tho appointment as chaplain in the Expeditionary Force* resigned lus charge at Gisborne, in order that his absence might not interfero with the work of the church. Th© news of his death will be received with widespread regret.]