New-York tribune., 1915-02-21
ALLIES BOMBARD
THE DARDANELLES
Forts, Outranged by Large
Squadron, Fail to
Hit a Ship.

London. Feb. 20.-The British and
French fleets, with an aerial fleet CO.
operating. bombarded the forts of the
Dardanelles YESTERDAY and to-day.
The official announcement on the
subject issued this afternoon by the
British Admiralty says:
yesterday at a. m. British fleet
of battleships and battle cruisers. ac-
companied by fotillas and aided by
strong French squadron, the whole un-
der the ccmmafid of ViceAdmiral Car
den. began an attack upon the forts at
the entrance to the Dardanelles.
"The forts at Cape Helles and Kun
Kale were bombarded with deliberate,
long range fire. Considerable effect
was produced on two Of the forts. Two
others were frequently hit, but being
open earthworks 1t was difficult to es-
innate the damage. The forts, being
outranged, were unable to reply to our
fire.
"At 2:45 D. m. portion of the bat
tleship force was ordered to close IN
and engage the forts at closer range
with their secondary armament.
"The forts on both sides OF the en-
trance then opened fire and were en-
gagged at moderate ranges by the Ven
oeance. the CORVALLIS, the Triumph,
the Suffren and the Bouvet, supported
bv the Inhexible and the Agamemnon
at long range.
"The forts on the European side were
annarentlv silenced One fort on the
Asiatic side was still firing when the
oneratious were suspended owing TO the
failing light. No ships of the allied
fleet were hit.
"The action was renewed this morn
inc after an aerial reconnaissance by
british aeroplanes. The ship Ark Royal
is in attendance. with a number OF sea,
nlanes and aeroplanes OF the naval
wing"
The bombardment must have been one
~ tho most serious ever undertaken,
in the opinion Of naval experts, for no
less than eight battleships and armored
cruisers took part, these warships hav-
ing total of thirty l2-inch and SIX
l0-inch guns which outranged the guns
of the forts. Early on Friday this Meet
including the British battle-cruiser In
flexible. which had just returned from
the Falkland Islands, where, with
other ships, she took part in the battle
in which Admiral Count vor Specs
German squadron was destroyed,
opened a long range bombardment on
the forts at Cape Helles and at kum-
kale at the entrance to the strait.
When these forts had been damaged
the battleship force closed in and en-
gagged the forts with their 8. and 3
inch guns, which, it is Nelieved, must
have poured an enormous rain OF smells
on the Turkish positions.
Besides desiring to bring Turkey to
her knees, the Allies in their attempt
70 force the Dardanelles aim at an
early release of the large stock OF
wheat which is locked up in Russian
warehouses. and which the Allies wlsh
TO get out, both TO relieve the markets
and 10 provide Russia with necessary
credit to pay for war materiai oough'
abroad.
Amsterdam via London, Feb. 70
A dispatch from Constantinople gives
the following official statement issued
by the Turkish War Office:
early on Saturday British ana
French ships renewed their bomoard-
mont of the outer forts of the Dards-
nelles. firing 400 shots without mueh
success. One soldier was signify
wounded by a fragment OF stone
"Eight armored Anglo-Frencn snlps
bonbarded the outer forts Of the par.
danelles for seven hours without
silencing them. The enemy hred shots
from guns Of great calibre.,
"Three hostile armored ships were
damaged. One of them, flagship, was
damaged severely"
Another version Of the Turkish re-
mort. as received here from Constan-
tinopie, SAYS that on the Turkish side
one man was killed and another slight
ly injured.
Athens. Feb. cot is reported here
that the Anglo-French feet destroyed
Turkish forts on the Asiatic side OF
the Dardanelles during the lombard
ment this morning. The forts on the
European side subsequently were at
tackled and are still firing.
A powder magazine on the Asiatic
side of the Dardanelles exploded dur
ing the bombardment The fortF re-
plied ir lively manner 20 the fih Of
the ssrshi2s but without success.