The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-10-27
TURKS IN CONTROL
ALLIES HARD PRESSED AT DAR=
DANELLES FRONT

! DANELLES FRONT
TROOPS Save SOLDIERS
Associated Press Correspondent Says
Position Of Attackers is no Better
Than When They Landed-ovel
One Hundred and Thirty Thousand
Men Have Been Sent to Peninsula
The following letter from an Asso'
ciated Press correspondent at the
Dardanelles front is Of interest, in
view of the assertion Of Lord Miner
in the House of Lords last week that
the British campaign on the Gallipoli
peninsula had been failure, and the
declination of the British government
to commit itself regarding continua.
ton Of this campaign. Although
seven weeks have elapsed since this
letter was written, there have. been
no changes of great importance, as
far as reported, on the Galhpoli
fronts.
The position of the allied troops
on the Anafarta-Ari Burnu front OF
the Gallipoli peninsula can hardly be
described as promising one. Such,
at least, was the impression gained
by the Associated Press correspond
ent during an eight-day stay in the
war arena in question. The factors
upon which this conclusion is based
are a thorough inspection Of the
Turkish officers and allied prisoners
OF war.
What is perhaps of more import
ance is the result of four major mill
tary actions which occurred while the
correspondent was on this front.
They consisted of an attack by the
Allies on a Turkish position north OF
Kodjatchemen Dagh the afternoon oI
August 20, an assault on Turkish
trenches in the same general locality
the same night and two attacks on
Anafarta August 26 and 27. In each
instance the Allies were driven back
with heavy losses. No advantages
were gained by them, with the excep-
ton of the temporary occupation OF
Turkish trench near Kutchuk Ana
farta August 26.
The losses of the Turke were by no
means light in any of these opera
tions, but the Allies, acting on the
offensive, suffered heavily. Their
losses for the four actions are esti-
mated at eleven to thirteen thousand
dead, and double that number Of
wounded.
A description Of the Ari Burnu-
Anafarta territory may be of inter
est. When the correspondent visited
this 'front.' the Turkish positions ran
from the immediate north to Gaba
Tepe along the base of Kodjatchemen
Dagil, then turned slightly northeast
toward and past Biyuk Anafarta,
thence northwest past Kutchuk Ana
farta, clearing that place to the west
at distance of about eleven hun
dred yards, and contining west in Q
semicircular sweep toward Kiretch
Tepe, or Chalk Hill.
This elevation then formed the ex-
treme Turkish right flank. Two hills
south of Kiretch Tepe, on some maps
indicated as part of the Kizlar Dagh,
were in the hands of the British.
The ground held by the Allies was
that part of the coast region which
could be commanded by their naval
artillery. Generally speaking, they
held to the south Of Kodjatchemen
Dagh the western slopes Of the hills,
within the line drawn above, of the
Anafarta valley, the west slope OF a
high ridge between the two Anafar-
tas and the plain to the north Of
Salt lake. Near the eastern slope Of
Kiretch Tepe the allied trenches ran
south again and finally crossed the
northernmost of the two hills me1-
toned.
Thus far the Allies have landed in
the .Anafarta region about one hun
dred and fifteen thousand men, a
large part of which force already has
been used up. It is safe to say that
they are to-day opposed by about one
hundred and thirty-fiye thousand
Turks who are actually entrenched
with about eighty thousand effectives
in reserve.
Every advantage of terrain is held
by the Turks, whose trenches are
located on higher ground than those
Of the Allies. The Anafarta region
may be compared to half of a huge
saucer which has been broken, the
line breakage being formed by the
shore of the Aegean sea and the bot
tom and rim being in the hands OF
the Allies and Turks, respectively.
Until August l6 when the Turks
under Lieut.. Col. Winners Bey, a Ger
man cavalry officer, retook Kiretch
Tepe, the position Of the Allies was
better, as they were masters Of at
least a part of the Anafarta region.
This advantage was lost that day. A
few days before the Turks, under
Lieut.. Col. Kannengieser, a German,
reoccupied Kodjatchemen Dagh'
while another Ottoman force, under
Mai. Hunger, also German, cleared
off the allied troops from an impor-
tant crest west of the. Biyuk Anafarta
cemetery. With these positions lost,
the Allies to-day hold themselves in
the Anafarta region solely by virtue
of an immense artillery fire super
iority.
Without the support of some forty
line ships, cruisers and torpedo boats
they would be Thrown into the sea" "
as Liman Won Sanders, commander
F fin-chief of the Turkish Gallipoli
army, expressed it. There have been
moments. however, when the Turk
ish troops in the Anafarta district
have been hard pressed. On such
instance occurred August 26. The
British fleet in the Aegean prepared
by a very severe bombardment for
the ensuing infantry assault between
the two Anafartas When the rush
came the Turkish infantry was obhg-
ed to evacuate it's advanced trenches.
Retreating to the rear and communi-
eating trenches, the Turks checked
the advance of the British. Two
days later the Turks reoccupied the
lost position. An attack made by the
Allies Aueust 26 and 27 in the direc-