The Washington herald., 1915-10-17

London Cby mail to New York;. Oct.
l6.-ACres of dead and dying have COW
cred the blood-soaked sands Of the
Gallipoi Peninsula in the most terrific
lighting of the entire war.
Trooper Clutha Mackenzie. son Of the
high commissioner for New Zealand, who
was made blind at the Dardanelles. gave
4 graphic account today of the fighting
which he saw and took part in.
While acres of ground were covered
with dead and dying and the driedup
water courses were piled high with
mounds of corpses.' declared Trooper
Mackenzie at the New Zealand hospital.
in London.
Ordered to Drive Out Turks.
Mackenzie is only :. o.years old and he
left college to enlist IN the Wellington
Mounted Rifles. He pictures the Turks
as the toughest foes that the allies have
been called upon to face. He con-
tinued:
The Anzac troops (Australian and
New Zealand army corps, commenced
the attack against the Turks on the
night of August s. Our job was to drive
the Turks from the foothills on the left
of the Anzac zone. which formed the
key position to Hill 81.
Our attack began in the evening and
as the night advanced II grew in vio-
lence. The roar of musketry and thun-
der Of big guns and exploding shells
filed the mountain ravines with an un-
earthly. ear-splitting din. The Turks.
in addition to their searchlights, threw
III. many star bombs. the use of which
had been introduced among them by the
Germans
Britons March to Aid.
We advanced from trench to trench
tghting with the bayonet and keeping
up an incessant rifle fire. Despite the
ferocious resistance of the Turks We
gained about two miles. capturing i'm
portant ridges and foothills leading to
the enemy's main position.
IN the meantime other British
troops had landed at Sulva Bay in the
darkness and were moving to support
our left.
Not more than two regiments of
troops We're able to gain the crest Of
the hill. from which we could direct
our fire into the trenches of the enemy.
The fighting was of the most awful
character. The Turkish rifle and ma
chine guns were splitting millions OF
bullets at us and. let me tell you. the
Turk knows how to shoot when he
is under fire. He doesn't lose his
head.
Carpet of Bodies.
My regiment was practically ami
hilated. Nearly every man was killed
or wounded. Many of the New Zea-
landers. including the Maoris. Jared
just as badly. Our advances were
marked by a trail of dead and dying.
Those in the rear had to Chamber over
the piles of corpses as they moved for
ward In the midst of this friGhtful
tangle of MANNED humanity the shells
from the Turks big guns were drop
ping with frightful accuracy.
The scene at the summit of Hill
97l is beyond my powers of descrip-
ton. l can only say that the ground
was carpeted with bodies and that the
air rang with exploding gunpowder.
the battle yells of the soldiers. and the
of the wounded.
To our left the Gurkas. Australians. |
had advanced well toward Anafarta
Ridge, but the Turks counter attacked |
and drove them back.
Up Bloody slopes.
The accuracy of the Turkish fire. |
especially that of the machine guns. |
was wonderful. l have already given |
the Turkish soldier credit for his
ability with the rifle. and he is a good |
soldier in more respects. but he does
not like the cold steel. For all his |
for being the Terrible
Turk he is not SO ferocious as the
name implies.
The Turks are also very proficient