Please wait. Contacting image service... loading

Article text

THE FOLLOWING APPEARED .TN
Yesterday's
THIRD
EDITION.
THE WAR.
(Reuter's Messages.)
In the Dardanelles.
! A FIGHT ON GALLIPOLI.
THE ACTION OF JULY 12 AND 13.
DESCRIPTION BY MR. ASHMEADI
BARTLETT. I
A SCENE FROM "THE INFERNO."
CAPTURE-OF ALL THE- -ENEMY'S-'
TRENCHES.
THE VICTORY AT ACHI BABA.
London, Monday.
Mr. Ellis Aihmead Bartlett, the offi-
cial correspondent with the troops in
the Dardanelles, writes:
"Our success on July 12 and 13 was
achieved by desperate fighting. Any-
one who has not seen the ground cart
have no conception of the obstacles
our heroic infantry have to face in
gaining even a few yards of fresh
soil.
, "The, Turks have now realised that .
no infantry can withstand the bom-
bardment of high explosives concen-
trated on a small section of defence ;
therefore, they withdraw most of their
men down into the communicating
trenches whilst the bombardment lasts.
Our infantry are thus able to occupy
two or three lines of trenches at a
sihall loss. The majority of our casual-
ties occur after the trenches have been
won.
"The enemy knowing the plan of
their own trenches attack with bombs j
through saps. Fighting at close quar-
ters, parties of men get over-far for- ¡
ward frequently, and are lost for
hours. It is a common occurrence for j
our men to gain possession of an ad-
vanced trench whilst the Turks are
still holding sections behind. The cost
of this type of warfare cah be worked
out with mathematical exactitude-so
many raen must be sacrificed, and so
many shells and grenades for every
hundred yards. It is bludgeon work,
brutal, and unattractive.
"Victories , like Ach i Baba cannot
be won in a day, any more than be-
fore Ypres or Souchez. Sections of the
enemy s line are first pounded into a
pulp, then stormed, and finally held
against counter-attacks.
"The Territorials, by the way thev
are' coming out of the fiery ordeal,
have greatly enhanced their reputa-
tion, and are now settling down to
.the novel conditions. They have proved
themselves, first of all. fighters of great
.intelligence and dash. During the
first attacks on July 12 the brigade on
the right assaulted and captured a
third line of trenches, but failed to
establish connection with the French
on the right. Throughout the day our
heavy guns were busy. Thero was a
terrific bombardment at 4 o'clock in
the afternoon against the left, wherp
the (Turkish line touched the Achi
-Baba nullah. Tlie Turkish position
looked appallingly strong, like a giant
ploughed field, a* succession of trenches
replacing the furrows. In addition,
the Turks on the right held a regular
rectangular redoubt perched on the
edge of a ravine, down which were
placed concealed machine guns.
"At 4 o'clock in the afternoon every
gun was turned on the Turkish
trenches and redoubt. High explosives
threw up great masses of earth, sand-
bags; ana* wooden beams to an immense
height. Meanwhile not a British sol-
dier nr Frenchman was visible.
"At 5 o'clock the artillery lengthened
its fuses and concentrated its fire on
dead ground where the enemy was
massing in reserve. At the same mo-;
ment the British troops leapt out of ¡
their trenches and surged forward. The
great redoubt and the network of
-Turkish trenches were a scene like a
picture from 'The Inferno.'
"Our guns shelling the works at the
rear mado the background of earth
smoke like a gigantic steaming
cauldron. Our gallant brigade
Soured into the thick vapors without
esitating or looking backward. Indi-
viduals were s^oon swallowed up in the
midst of it, and it was only possible to
discern black dots rushing about and
bayonets flashing in the clouded sun-
light.
"A continuous roar of musketry pre-
vailed. The Turks resisted valiantly;
but when the smoke lifted our men were
everywhere in the possession of the
enemy's trenches."
$