Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-14

KIRTHIA, Gallipoli Peninsula, Tur-
key, June 21-To be for three days on
the firing line with the Ottoman forces
facing the allies armies in this field of
operations is an experience which, so
far as is known, only the Associated
Press correspondent has enjoyed up to
this time.
Field Marshal Liman Won Sanders
Pacha had previously indicated that the
situation of the Turks had no secrets
in its makeup. Essad Pacha, COM
mander of the Ottoman North Group,
at this writing, holding in check the
British at Ari Bournow, was willing
also that the region under his control
be visited, and Weber Pacha, COM
manding the South Group, operating
against the allied forces at Sid-el-
Bahr, merely asked what was desired
to be seen.
Turkish right wing, left wing, center,
artillery positions, firing line-any-
where" .y
He summoned one of his aids and in
structed him to take the correspondent
wherever he wanted to go.
Dangerous Behind Front.
In approaching Weber Pacha's camp
it was demonstrated that it is as dan
gerous behind the modern front as in
the firing line. The allies were Civ
ing much attention to Turkish
trench, shot high, missed the trenches,
with the result that the bullets, by that
time almost totally spent. flew over the
summit and hummed past the heads of
the party.
r, M
reached. Gen. Weber had been taking
nap. but accepted an unintended in
terruption good-naturediy.
mo objection at ALL, said weber
Liman Pacha, in which the correspond
ent was given permission to visit the
North and South groups-provided
their commanders had no objection.
Then followed the part of the CONVEX
sation already given.
The situation was most favorable to
the Ottoman forces, he continued. Had
it not been that the allied ships lit
orally overwhelmed the peninsula with
artillery fire during the landing opera
| lions, not single British or French
! soldier would have set foot ashore But
for days and days the allied ships had
bonn barded every square yard on the
southern extreme of the peninsula.
| toman troops without exposing them
to almost instant humiliation But
day after day the Turks dug more
trenches and improved them. Then 1t
was that the allied land forces ran into
wall of Turkish pluck and endurance.
French Are Forced Back.
| In those days Weber Pasha was in
command of the Ottoman forces behind
| Kun Kale. Here the French tried their
luck Gen. Weber forced them back.
The operations against the Asiatic side
at Kun Kale were no feint. Weber
Pasha has in his possession the gen
eral order of the French landing
| troops. Kun Kale and it's neighbor-
hood were to be taken and held at al
cost in order that the Turkish batteries
| in that locality might be captured. II
| was feared that these batteries would
prove a thorn in the side of the allied
| troops at Sid-el-Bahr. because they
| could sweep, and at present do sweep.
| every day, the positions on the allied
right wing. -
| The French failed to hold Kun Kale.
| because the Turkish batteries moved
| down everything on the ground held
/ by the French troops, and the ottoman
| infantry waded in with the bayonet in
| a manner which not even the French,
| no mean performers with the bayonet
! themselves, could stand. So they re-
| embarked and went to Sid-el-Bahr,
| where today they form the allied right
| a CALLING fire by the Turkish batteries
| they were to silence. At any rate the
| British forces form the left wing at
Sid-el-Bahr, which is out of effective
| reach of the Turkish Kun Kale bat
| teries
| Early in May Gen. Weber was trans
| ferred to command the south group of
| the Ottoman forces of Gallipol.
Earth Scared and Furrowed.
! About 4 in the afternoon the first
| visit to the actual Sid-el-Bahr front
| was made by the Associated Press cor
| RESPONDENT. The route taken led across
stretch of country on which the al
lied ships and land artillery have
| thrown tens of thousands of shot and
| shrannel For miles the earth is scar
! red with the holes and burrows of ex-
pioded projectiles. Fragments of steel
are almost as common as rocks on a
New England field. Within few
| souare Yards one can find parts of
! nroiectiles of every caliber and descrip-
tion-from the three-inch shells of field
| artillery to the ffteen-inch giants of
! the superdreadnaught Queen Elizabeth.
| Some of the holes torn into the ground
are large enough to completely hide
| several men on horseback. Despite this
| whitening fire the Ottoman troops held
| their ground.
The spirit of the Turkish soldiers in
| this position was excellent. The men
were resting on the ground when the
| party approached. Instantly they were
! on their feet. A lusty "merhaba" came
from hundreds Of strong throats. To