TROOPSHIP GOSSIP.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144778, 7 September 1915, Page 6

TROOPSHIP GOSSIP.

PICKED DP IN THE EAST. INTERESTING IF TRUE. BLUFF, Sept. 6. The troopship Waitomo, in command of Capiain E. Harris, returned to Bluff on .Saturday, having been for five months absent from New Zealand waters. She brought back no troopers, as. her duties took hor to India and Burma after discharging her troops and horses at Suez. Fear of submarines at the time prevented the Waitomo and hor sister transports from putting the troops ashore at Alexandria, and so they never actually entered the Mediterranean,Sea. The principal news brought hack by the Waitomo is that ‘‘Big Lizzie” (H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth), which has not been heard of at the Dardanelles for some months, was torpedoed by a German submaino, although she was not sunk. She was assisted to Malta, badly ' damaged, and ultimately, from all accounts, reached Portsmouth, where she was sent (the cables said) “to have her 15-inch guns re-lined.” It appears that only one torpedo was fired at Britain’s famous battleship, the submarine diving promptly out of harm’s way. Had a second or third been fired, in all probability “Big Lizzie” would have spoken from her terrifying 15-inchers for the last time. Reports state that a • few mouths should see her once again raining shells upon the enemy somewhere. An additional item is the big impression made by the Australians and New Zealanders upon the Egyptian and Turkish population. Tneir famous charge upon landing at Gaba Tope is spoken of in awesome tones amongst tfie native population, which had an opportunity of observing the Australians while they were training in Egypt, their • height and physique creating an impression which has been justified by their successes at Gallipoli, The feature of the Gallipoli operations that has been creating surprise is the fact that the Russians have made no progress in Asia Minor. At the commencement of the Turkish campaign, the Russians were mamly in evidence in the Caucasus, and it was expected that they would co-operate against the forts of the Dardanelles from the eastward. Beyond a few naval movements in the Dardanelles Russia has not been heard of. Did they find it necessary, it is asked, to Utilise their whole forces in the Car-, pathians and Poland, or were they merely waiting to co-operate with the Indian army pushing through the Euphrates valley? In any case, the feeling in Egypt and also in India is that the Dardanelles will "bust” in September, and, at least one chapter of the campaign will be closed. The general impression amongst the colonial forces appears to be that the heavy losses in landing at Gaba Tepe were caused through the impetuosity of the troops. After being tied up in Egypt for so many months, they were dying for a fight, and the moment, they landed there was only one thought throughout the various battalions, and that was to “stick” the Turks. They ran out of all control in giving effect to their feeling, and tore up theslopes in a wild rush, irrespective of machine-guns posted upon every point of vantage. Had they kept their advance within reasonable bounds, not half the casualties would have occurred and the ground actually hold would have been successfully taken in any case, but their glorious impetus has added much lustre to the reputation of the “Mad Ingles.”