New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-03-09
TURKS RESIST
DESPERATELY
Almost Every Vessel in
Fleet Struck, but with
Little Result.
AEROS AID VESSELS
Warplanes Fly Low TO Discover
Whereabouts of Batteries
3 Officers Wounded.

3 Officers Wounded.
London. March 9-The British ard
French fleets have battered their way
a step nearer 20 Constantinople by
silencing the strong Dardanelles forts
Of Rumili Medjidich Tabia and Hami-
dieh Taba, fringng the Asiatic shore
line, which previously had withstood
the bombardment, and the Mount Dar-
danus battery, further south.
The Admiralty statement issued q.
night makes it plain, however, that the
Turks are making a terrific resistance,
and the shells from their German.
made guns have found more than one
mark on the besieging craft The an
nouncement admits that the Turks not
only scored three minor hits on the
big battleship Queen Elizabeth, bu:
that the majority Of the ships is<d
the strait, both French and British,
were struck. None was sunk and there
were no casualties.
According to an unofficial dispatch
from Athens, another warship Of the
Queen Elizabeth type has srrived on
the scene
Shells Hurled 2l,oo0 Yards.
From the number OF ships engaged
and the size ana range of the guns, the
battle of the Dardanelles is unlike any
thing in history, according to naval ex-
perts. At 1000 yards the Queen ElIz-
abeth, assisted by smaller ships, is
still hurting shells across the Gallipoli
peninsula into the Turkish strongholds
on the Asiatc shore.
Aeroplanes, taking wing from the
decks of the besieging craft, are play.
ing a signal part in the operations. One
British machine became unmanagesble
and plunged into the sea, and another
was hit by the Turks twenty eight
times.
The Russian fee. also has been busy
at the further end Of the long passage
the British and French are trying to
penetrate On behalf Of the Russian
Naval General Staff the Official Press
Bureau tonight made the following an
nouncement:
Russians Silence Forts.
"On Sunday our fleet bombarded
Zunguldiak, Kozlon and Kilimli (ports
on the Black Sea-, destroying all
structures and plants for the shipment
Of coal. The bombardment was fol-
lowed by a terrific explosion and fire.
Four batteries were silenced and eight
steamers destroyed. Our casualties
were three men wounded"
The French Ministry of Marine to-
night issued the following statement
concerning operations IN the Darda-
nelles:
-Four French battleships, the Suf-
fron, the Gaulois, the Charlemagne and
the Bouyet. and two British battle
ships. the Agamemnon and the Lord
Nelson, entered the Dardanelles on
Ma -ch 7. While the British battleships
bombarded at long distance the forts
Of the narrows separating Chanak and
Kilid Bahr the French battleships COW
cred them by bombarding the batteries
of Mount Dardanus and Souain Derc
and concealed batteries that were
silenced.
Fort Rumili Medjidieh Taba. on the
European side, and Hamidieh Tabia,
on the Asiatic side, replied 10 the ire
Of the British battleships, but also
were destroyed"
Queen Elizabeth Struck.
Following is the text Of the British
Admiralty statement issued tonight:
THE operations against the Darda-
nelles are progressing in fine weather.
Vice Admiral Sackyille II. Garden re-
ports that on the 6;h Of March the
battleship Queen Elizabeth, supported
by the battleships Agamemnon and
Ocean, began an attack on the Forts
Hamidieh |, Tabia and iiamdieh 3,
which are marked on the Admiralty
map as forts L and Y, by indirect fire
across the Gallipoll peninsula, firing az
u 600 yards.
THE G forts are armed as follows:
Fort L. two li-inch guns and seven %
guns; Fort Y. two l4-inch, one "a, one
81 and four 40 inch guns.
The Queen Elizabeth was replied TO
by howitzers and field guns, and three
shells rom the field guns struck her,
without, however, causing any damage
Meanwhile. inside the straits the
Vengeance. Albion, Majestic and Prince
George and the French battleship Suf-
frer fired on Souain Dere and Mount
Dardanus batteries, marked + and + on
the Admiralty map, and were fired on
by a number OF concealed guns.
Two Forts Silenced.
Fort Rumili Medj idieh Taoia. marked
J on the Admiralty map, which had
been attacked on the previous day,
opened fire and was engaged and hit By
l2-inch shells.
"A majority OF the ships in the
straits were struck by shells. but there
was no serious damage done and no
casualties resulted.
"On March 7, the weathe, continuing
calm and fine, four French bat,leships