The Washington times., 1915-03-21
ALLIES BIG SHIPS
SMASH DEFENSES
GUARDING NARROWS
Three Turkish Forts Already
Practically Dismantled by
the Terrific Fire.

LONDON. March 2.-The Turkish
forts Kilid Bahr. Namazieh, and
Chanak. guarding the Dardarclles mar
rows, were practically dismantled dur
ing the terrific bambordment of Thurs
day, according to dispatches from
Athens. Two thousand shells were fired
at the two forts.
Allied aviators, reconn offering over
the strait. have made this report to
Rear Admiral John Michael De Robeck,
commanding the allied fleet.
Government officials are greatly
cheered by the news. The silencing OF
Kilid Bahr and Chanak, IL the unof-
fetal report Is true. more than com
pensates the allies for the loss of the
battleships Bouvet. Irresistible, and
Ocean, they declare.
Aeros Fly Over Narrows.
The accommodating trips of the aero
planes constituted practically all the ac-
tvity in the Dardanelles yesterday, &C
cording to Athens dispatches. Under
orders from the fleet commanders aVi-
ators circled low over the narrows to
learn the extent of the damage done by
the shells from the warships.
Off the entrance to the strait those
warships not undergoing repairs partici-
pated in the ceremonies for the dead.
Including nearly 600 sailors who per-
ished when the Bouvet went TO the bot
tom and the casualties aboard the Eng
lish warsbips, the dead total nearly
1,0QO.
Bodies Drift Out of Strait.
Scores Of bodies of French sailors,
carried by the swift current flowing out
of the Dardanelles, drifted out of the
inc to mos ypp
to the island of Tencdos. Boats were
put out to pick up the floating corpses
from the Bouvet in order that they
might be buried at sea with all naval
honors.
Nearly half the bodies of the French
sailors were horribly mangled. This
confirmed the report from correspon-
dents who observed the battle that the
Bouvet was shaken by the explosion or
a mine of tremendous power. and sug-
gested that the Turks, working under
the direction of German Officers, had
devised a new form of floating mines
more terrible than any hitherto known.
Town of Dardanelles in Ruins.
The allied aviators reported to Rear
Admiral DeRobeck that two trouble
some Turkish batteries south of
Kilid Bahr were completely demolish-
ed by the warships' fire. Piles OF de-
bris lie inside Kilid Bahr itself, the
aviators reported, and Chanak fort
on the Asiatic side of the strait. Is
partly in ruins. Large forces of Turk
ish troops are feverishly at work, en-
deavoring to repair the damage before
the allied fleet renews the assault In
force.
The destruction of the town of Oar
danelles, set on fire during Thursday S
bombardment, was completed when
six units of the fleet entered the strait
Friday. No serious attempt was made
against the forts at the narrows, Ath-
ems dispatches say, the warships re-
tiring because of weather conditions.
The French battleship Henry " and
the British battleships Queen and I'm
placable are en- route to the Darden-
elles to replace the three warships
destroyed Thursday, and it is believ-
ed the Russian Black Sea squadron
Is ready to cooperate by operating in
the Bosphorus.
A great allied army is being assem-
bled at some point along the Dardan-
elles to attack the Turkish defenses
from the land side.
Ridicule German Claims.
Admiralty officials ridicule the state
ments by Berlin military experts, wire
lessed here, that the sinking of the
three allied warships was conclusive
proof that the Dardanelles could never
be forced. There is no disposition, how
ever, to deny the fact that the Anglo
French squadrons must sustain still
heavier losses before the way is clear
ed to Constantinople.
The floating mines that spelled de-
struction for three big units OF the al
died fleet on Thursday found their
mark in waters where the channel is
more than four miles wide. That the