The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-26
Anglo French Fleet of 81
War Vessels Silcnces Three
FOrtificatiOns.
GREAT TASK REMAINS
TO FORCE THE STRAIT
Mines, Forts and Turkish
Fleet Bar Advance to
Constantinople.
BOMBARDMENT STILL
GOES ON, SAYS REPORT
AeroplaneS Assist in Opera
tions. Which Were Begun
on December 18.

LONDON. Feb. 2j.--Thc Admiralty
announced officially tonight that the
Turkish forts Mt the entrance of the
Dardanelles have been reduced by the
combined Anglo-French fleet of thirty.
two ships. which have been lombard
ing tho positions internationally for
more than two months.
The Admiralty's announcement fol-
lows:
The Weather mod"rating. tho
homhardmcnt Of the outer forts
of the Dardauollcs was renewed
at = o'clock this morning. After
period of long range fire n
squadron Of battloshipS attacked
.,ngc. All the forts at
rhe entrance Of the strait have
been rcducGl.
The operations arc continuing.
Tho feat is regarded in official cir.
clos hero as ono Of the most impor.
;ant accomplishments of the allied
Powers since the beginning of the war.
NV III 'NINIlN, lI'NfN'ls I''llll ''Ul llf'i'
this Is merely the first step in -
stupendous task and that enormous
efforts will hc required to force the
passage Of the rest of the strait.
which is lined with strong forts and
modern defensive works fnr distance
Of forty miles on both sides. Further.
Ia, iaI, ,,.hf ia,
conditions is not to bc dcspi>cd. is
supposed to be stationed in Niagara
Roads. ~ the nnrrowcSt part Of the
waterway and extensive mine fields
have been laid AT strategic points In
the Strait and in the Sca of Marmura.
Ircnt Fleet Engaged.
The allied fleet j. under command
of Vice Admirn Garden. and Is the
strongest aggregation nf warships on
the allied side with the exception ~
IN" British homo hcct II comprisc>
vessels of all classes mvludn. sub.
strong dotachmcnj of acroplancS con
NoYod by the acroplanc shin Ark
Royal. The strongest units under the
british flag are the bnttl" cruiser I'm.
flexible. which carries I. inch Guns.
and the battlcships AGamcmnon Corn.
wallis, Nencean and Triumph Tn.
der the French flag ara the battlcships
Sutfren. Ganlois and Bouyet Together
these vessels can throw n weight OF
metal that even the strong Turkish
defenceS conld not long resist uuaidcd.
Th" forts which have been Ie.
Stroyed are tire" In number. two ~
Soddul Rahr on tho north. ON the
European side of the entrance. and
one ai Kun kalch. on rhe south or
Turkish side. They hay" been re
Cardcd rs among the strongest FORT.
hcationS In the world and they have
been vastly improved since German
influence made Itself felt in Turkey.
German engineers having installed the
latest krupp ordnance and the mo.l
modern of defenSiv" works. The fott,
themselves are mostly constructed n
earth and occupy commnndin. pusi
tionS nj the mouth of the strait on
the .Egean Sea.
Lines Of Mines.
Eleven miles in from the entrance
j. The ncNr obstacle which the f,e,t
VIII encounter. the lines of mines he
ginnIn. at k"phrZ and extending for
considerable distance to Nnror,
Roads. iusl inside Of tho nnrrowc.f
part OF the strait, which l. ONLY one
ana onr-fifth mile wide there. II
was ~ This pom thar Lieut.. Hn|
brook, in the British submarine R.Il
hrHvcd the chains of explosives onl
l"rp"do'd the Turkish hattlcSh,p
MrSsudiNch on DH'cmh"r ! I. bringing
his craft back to the open Sca nm
harmed
At k"phoz th.e are also two strong
forts, and fur,uoY lu. at the MarDIora
Sea end of Ia" s,rails, az. tho mo.
formidable defence. oc all the rurtIu.
cations at thanal kalcnSI ur sultan.
kilohsi ana AZ kld Bah. Botwccn
these two points thcr. arr. nuncruy-
o'ltr strong works, uu,tI, a. tn,
narrows near Nt?ar'. Nhr.r.a row q
t"lr forts pr"toC'~ ITO .." tn,!u lam,
and of two tn southern pit
Tho british and fr'u,h Na. ~ an.
th"ritieS de- not fear tho mined are,
as much az they dn INC forts uhir,