The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-03-24
WARM FIGHT OVER
THE DARDANELLES
Seven-Hour Conflict Was
Without Profit.
THE ALLIES GAINED N0TH|NG
But Lost Heavily-Turks De.
Tended Forts With Ef.
fective Gun Fire.
FIGHT ON FRONTS CONTINUES

Berlin, March 90 (via London)
The correspondent at Constantinople
of the Wolff Bureau telegraphed to-
day description of the fighting at
the Dardanelles on Thursday, March
IS, in which the French battleship
Bouvet and two British battleships
were sent to the bottom. There fol-
lows and abridment of the corre-
spondent's story of this engagement:
The efforts of the Allies to force
the straits of the Dardanelles reach
ed their climax in an artillery duel
on Thursday, March 1S, which last
ed seven hours. The entire atmos-
phere around the Turkish forts was
darkened by clouds of smoke from
exploding shells and quantities of
earth thrown into the air by the pro-
jectiles of the French and British
warships. The earth trembled for
miles around.
The Allies entered the straits at
11:30> o'clock in the mornings and
shelled the town of Chanak Kale.
Two French and five British war;
ships took part in the beginning.
This engagement reached its climax
at 1 80 o'clock, when the fire of the
Allies was concentrated upon Fort
Hamidieh and the adjacent fortified
positions.
The attack Of modern marine ar
tillery upon the strong land forts
presented an interesting as we'll as
terrifying spectacle. At times the
forts were completely enveloped in
smoke. At 2 o'clock the Allies
changed their tactics and concen-
trated their fire upon individual bat
teries, but it was evident that they
found difficulty in getting the range.
Many of their shells fell short,
casting up pillars of water, or went
over the forts to explode in the
town.
At 3:15 o'clock, when the bonn
bardment was at its hottest, the
French battleship Bouvet was seen
to be sinking at the stern. A mo-
ment later her bows swung clear of
the water and she was going down.
Roaring cheers from the Turkish
garrisons and forts greeted this
sight. Torpedo boats. and other
craft of the Allies hurried to the
rescue, but they were successful in
saving only few men.
Besides having been struck by
mine the Bouvet was severely dam
aged above the water line by shell
fire. One projectile struck her for
ward deck. A mast also was shot
away and hung overheard. 1t could
be seen that the Bouvet, when she
sunk, was endeavoring to gain the
mouth of the straits. This. how
ever, was difficult. owing apparently
to the fact that her machinery had
been damaged.
Shortly after the sinking of the
Bouvet British ship was struck on
the deck squarely amidships and
compelled to withdraw from the
fight. Then another British vessel
was badly damaged, and at S;45
O'Clock was seen to retire under
terrific fire from theTurkish battery.
This vessel ran In toward the shore.
For a full hour the Allies tried to
protect her with their guns, but 1t
was apparent that she was destined
for destruction. Eight effective hits
showed the hopelessness of the sit
uation for this vessel. She then
withdrew toward the mouth Of the
Dardanelles, which she reached In a
few minutes under a hail of shells.
The forts continued firing until the
Allies were out of range.
This was the first day when the
warships attacking the Dardanelles
kept within range of the Turkish
guns for any considerable length of
time. The result for them was ter
rible. owing to the excellent marks
manship from the Turkish batteries,
The Allies fired on this day 2,000
shells without silencng one shore
battery. The result has inspired
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