New-York tribune., 1915-03-20
Official French Account
of Disaster to Bouvet

Paris. March l9.-The Ministry Of
Marine tonight gave out the follow
ing:
'In the course of the operations IN
The Dardanelles on March is the allied
naval forces were subjected to very
intense fire and warShipS ran against
floating mines in the straits. French
and English battleships violently BON
harded forts Kilid Bahr, Cahanak, ka-
luesi. and also Forts Souain Dere, Oar
danus and Kephez Point.
"The results during the course OF
this hot day were acquired at the cost
of a considerable loss. The Bouvet was
sunk following the explosion OF NINE.
The Gaulols was momeLtarlly put out
Of action by reason of damage caused
nv Tho fire Of the enemy The Br tish
feet suffered equally, two of its battle
ships being sunk by mines. THESE
losses, painful as they are, Will not
,ton the course Of the operations.
"As soon as the news Of the accident
"a tho Bouvet was recei ed, the Min
,stry of Marine sent a dispatch TO the
hattleship Henri ". which was on the
Syrian coast, to replace the Bouvet'
Information as 10 the fate OF the crew
of the Bouvet has not yet been re-
ceived A certain communication per
mits the statement that part Oh the
crew-the exact number unknoWn-has
been saved"
"The allied feet entered the Straits
of the Dardanelles at o'clock TINS
morning" says Havas dispatch from
Athens based on information received
from Tenedos. r,,-
beth was leading. She was followed,
m order. by the Ocean. the lnflexloie,
the Agamemnon and the Lord Nelson
and then by the French warships Gau-
lois. Suffren, BOuvet and Charie-
uagnc. The weather conditions were
excellent. The reports Of cannon could
be heard from the Gulf of Saros bonn
harding indirectly Kilid Bahr.
The warships stationed at the en-
trance Of the straits bombarded Dar-
danus and Kihd Bahr. The line eX-
tended from Kun Kale, on the Aslatlc
side, at the entrance 70 the straits, 70
Kalantina The line advanced as lar
as Cayofonia, where powder arsenal
situated below the town OF DaroahelleS
was blown up.
"Forts Tchimenlik, Kilid Bahr and
Yildjz Tabia replied with heavy fire,
shells falling on all sides of the war
ships and some even on the ships them
selves.
"One ship entered close to Dsrds-
nelIes. but was forced to retreat be-
fore violent cannonading. OEe
French ship, the name of which is not
vet known, suffered severe injuries.
"a she'll exploded on the British
battle-cruiser InheXible, wounding sew
eral men, who were Immediately trans
ported to the hospital ship;
"The town Of Dardanelles (Chanak
kalesiD is in flames.
"At 6 o'clock in the evening the ac-
Ion had concluded. but was partially
resumed during the night. majority
Of the forts suffered severely"
Berlin, March 10 (via wireless to
Bondon).-A squadron of six British
and four French battleships at 1880
a. m. Yesterday attacked three fort
resses of the Dardanelles. At the same
time, another squadron of the allied
fleets commenced operations against
three fortresses in Saros Bay.
After a fierce artillery duel, the hos.
tu3 ships withdrew at p. m. Part OF
the squadron continued its fire until
O'Clock from long range at great inter-
walls.
The French battleship Bouvet struck
mine at 2:30 p. IN. in the vicinity OF
the entrance to the straits and sank In
three minutes.
A British torpedo boat WAS sunk by
the fire from the forts. The British
battleship Irresistible was put out OF
action, while another battleshlp was
seriously damaged.
Constantinople. March 10 (by wire
less TO Berlin and London, March l9).
An official statement issued from
Turkish headquarters says:
"Our feet early to-day bombarded
the shipyards and manguvring place
Of torpcdo boats west of Theodosia ton
the Black Sea, in the Crimea, part OF
Russia, and set the buildings o" hre.
n The British battleship Irresistible
" was commanded by the Hon. Captain
Stanhope Hawke, and in times of peace
had complement of 780 men. She
was the largest of the three allied bat
tleships sunk, being of $4,000 tons dis
placement and 430 feet long. The chief
armament Of the warship consisted OF
four 12-inch and twelve 6-inch guns
She also carried sixteen 12-pounders
six 3-pounders, two maXims, four sub
merged torpedo tubes and was protect
cd bv Krupp armor The speed of the
yarship was eighteen knots. She was
built in 1898, at a cost of S5.O0O,OOO.
The Ocean was commanded by Cap
tain Arthur Hayes-Sadler and had
crew Of 75O men. She was 41S feet
long and of 1880 tons displacement
Her armament was composed OF four
l2-inch and twelve 6-inch guns, ten
12-pounders. six 3-pounders, two max,
inns, four submerged torpedo tubes and
her armor was Of Harvey-nickel make
She was Of l8 knots speed and was
built in 1898.
The French battleship Bouvet was a
vessel of 10000 tons displacement. laid
down in 1893, with complement OF
Cpl men. Her armament consisted or
two Pinch guns, two 108-inch, eight
55-inch. eight 39-inch, ten 3-pounders
and ten l-pounders, besides two tor
pedo tubes.
Admirals and Captains