New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-07
BRITISH LANDING
AT DARDANELLES
COST $4,000 MEN
Turks Wire Fences and
MOrtarS Made Coast
Death Trap.
HAMILTON PRAISES
FORCES OF ALLIES
EulOgizes Australians for Valor
In First Attack on
Gallipoli.

London, July 6.-"Throughout the
events have chronicled the royal
navy has been father and mother TO
the army Not one of us but realizes
how much he owes to Vice-Admiral de
Robeck; to the warships, French and
British; to the destroyers, mine sweep
ers and picHet boats, and to all their
dauntless crews, who took no thoughts
of themselves, but risked everything to
give their soldier comrades a fair run
in at the enemy"
IL is in such words that General Sir
Ian Hamilton, commander of the Allied
troops at the Dardanelles, pays tribute
TO the navy at the end of his first full
report describing the trying days of
the landing on the Gallipol peninsula.
General Hamilton reports that the
British losses between April % and
May were 2,167 killed, S,2l9 wounded
and 1888 missing-a total Of 1879. In
his dispatch yesterday he gave the Turk
losses between June % and July 2 at
b,lb0 killed and $4,000 wounded.
The commander in chiefs dispatch
to the War Office is of great length, but
most OF the events had already been
chronicled in other official dispatche.
from him.
Decided on Landing Attempt.
After witnessing the "stupsndous"
battle between the warships and tho
land forces, General Hamilton conclud-
ed It would require the whole Of his
strength to enable the feet effectively
to force the Dardanelles. He prepared
to fling all his troops rapidly ashore, In
the full knowledge that an attempt TO
land on such a we'll defended theatre
OF operation involved difficulties for
which there is no precedent in military
history, except possibly in the sinister
legends of Xerxes."
General Hamilton admits at was
touch and go" many times before the
invaders established footing. In sew
eral instances half of the landing par
ties were killed or wounded before they
could reach even the slight shelter af-
forded by the sandy bank on the upper
part Of the beaches. = great majority
of the senior officers were either killed
or wounded
The Turks had turned the landing
places into death traps. There were
wire entanglements the whole length
of the shore, with supplementary
barbed wire network concealed beneath
the surface Of the sea. Land mines
and sea mines were everywhere, and
machine guns. cunningly tucked away
in holes in the cliffs, were able TO con-
verge their fire on the wire entangle-
ments.
Thought To BE Impregnable.
$50 strong, in fact, were the de-
fences" says the general, that the
Turks may well have considered them
impregnable. and it is my firm convic-
ton that no finer feat of arms has ever
been achieved by the British soldier or
any other soldier than the storming of
these trenches from open boats on the
morning OF the 25th Of April"
General Hamilton speaks Of "long
lines Of men being moved down as BY
a scythc" OF the endless chains OF
wire entanglements he writes: Again
the heroic wire cutters came out
Through the glasses they could be seen
quietly shipping away under the hell
ish fire, as If they were pruning vine
yard"
or the Australians he says: Like
lightning they leaped ashore, and each
man that did so went straight as his
bayonet at the enemy. So vgorou,
was the onslaught the Turks made no
attempt TO withstand it, and fed from
ridge to ridge pursued by the Austral.
ian infantry"
Needed More Ammunition.
A shortage of ammunition prevented
the Allies from gaining the hoped-fol
/ footing on Ach.- Baba. Had il beer
possible" says General Hamilton, etc
push in reinforcements of men. artill
! cry and munitions, Krithia should have
/ fallen. and much subsequent fighting
for its capture would have been avoid
| ed.
Cup to May l." he continues, "the
net result of the operations was the
repulse of the Turks and the infictior
upon them of very heavy losses. Al
! first we had them fairly on the run
! and had it not been for those invention
Of the devil-machine guns and barbed
/ wire which suit the Turkish character
and tactics to perfection, we should not
have stopped short of the crest OF
| Achi- Bahia"
General Hamilton pays high tribute
/ 10 the French forces, who lost heavily
/ lie reports the British losses during
/ the period between April % and May ;
as III officers and 1890 men killed
412 officers and 1907 men wounded and
| thirteen officers and $3.50 men missing
.