Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1915-03-20
ALLIES lose Three
SHIPS in DARDANELLES
CONTINUED from page olie.)

| "Mine-sWeeping has been in pro-
gress for ten days inside the straits. A
general attack by the British and
French fleets was opened on the
morning of the 18th against the fort
resses in the narrows.
"At 10: Al a. m. the SuDerdread-
naught Queen Elizabeth and the bat
rleships lnfleXible, Agamemnon and
Lord Nelson bombarded Forts j. L. r.
u and v and the battlcships Triumph
and Prince George bombarded batter
les f. e and Fl. A heavy fire was OPP
ened on the ships by the enemy how
tiers and field guns.
"At 12:22 p. m. the French squad
ron, consisting Of the battleships Suf-
fern Gaulois, Charlemagne and
BouVet advanced into the Dardanelles
and engaged the forts at close range.
Forts !. u. II and f. replied strongly.
Their fire was silenced by the battle
ships inside the straits. All the ships
were hit several times during this
part of the action.
AT 1:25 p. Ill. all the forts ceased
firing. The battleships Vengeance,
Irresistible, Albion. Ocean, Swift,
Sure and Majestic then advanced to
relieve The six end battlcships which
were inside the straits.
French Ships Sinks with Grew.
CAS- the French squadron which Lad
engaged the forts in most brilliant
fashion, was passing out, the BouVot
was blown up by q drifting mine and
sunk in sc fathoms OF water north OF
the village of Arcn Kioe in less than
three minutes.
at 2:36 d. IN. the relief battlcships
renewed the attack on forts which
again opened tire. The attack on the
forts was maintained while the opera
tons of the mine sweepers continued.
cat 400 the battleship Irresistible
quit the line, listing heavily and at
$50 D. m. sank, having probably
struck a drifting mine.
cat Cos D. m. the battleship Ocean.
also was struck by mine. Both ves-
sells sank in deep water and practic
ally the whole of their crews were
removed to safety under hot fire.
"The French battleship Gaulois was
damaged by gun fire. The British
battleship Inflexible was hit by a
heavy shell. damaging her forward
control position, which requires re-
pairs.
"The bombardment of the forts and
the mine sweeping operations ter
minated as darkness fell.
1.-THE damage to the forts effected
by the prolonged direct fire OF the
very powerful forces employed can
not yet be estimated. The losses in
the ships were caused by mines drift
ing with the current, which were en-
countered in areas hitherto swept
clear.
British Casualties Not Heavy.
1.-The British casualties in personnel
| We're not heavy. considering the scale
of the operations but practically the
| whole of the crew of the Bouvet was
lost with the ship An internal eMplo
sion having apparently supervenet
the explosion of the mine.
"The battleships Queen and implac
able. which were dispatched IRON
England to replace the ships damag
ed and casualties suffered. in anticl
patton of this operation, are due tt
arrive Immediately, bringing thu
British fleet again to it's origina
strength.
"The operations are continuing al
ample naval forces are available OF
the spot. W
"On the 10th Vice Admiral Garden
who had been incapacitated by illness
was succeeded as chief in comman
by Rear Admiral John Mitchell Dur
beck acting with the rank of vice ad
miral."