Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-03-03
FORCING THE DARDANELLEs.

For weeks the allied naval forces
at war against Germany, Austria
and Turkey, have been Smelling the
entrance forts to the Dardanelles,
preparatory to forcing a passage
through the sea of Marmora and the
taking of the Ottoman capital
Constantinople. Most prominent in
the attacking feet is the English
super-dreadnought, Queen Elizabeth,
one of the newest and most powerful
war vessels in the British navy,
mounting eight 15-inch guns. While
the entrance. forts are reported to
have. been demolished, the hardest
part of the task to be accomplished
by the invading fleet seems to be
yet ahead of it. Of this the Mil
waukee Free Press says, editorially:
The entrance forts of the DardaneI-
les, which, according to London, have
been reduced by the allied fleet, form
but an insignificant part of the forth
fcations which defend this narraw
strait throughout its length of forty
seven miles
Curiously enough, these forts are
the least modern in their defenses and
equipment of the entire chain; fact
demonstrated by the ease with which
they appear to have been outranged
by the 12-inch guns of the warships.
The achievement of the allies, if
confirmed, is therefore in no wise
indicative that their proposed task of
forcing the passage is going to he ac-
complished at the same rate, if it is
accomplished at all
The bombardment of Sedil Bahr,
Kun Kahleh, Essamidieh and the
other entrance forts was not under
taken from within the straits, but
from the Aegean Sea, where the vessels
could keep out of range. Even under
this favorable condition. the task re-
quired nearly two months and resulted
in serious damage to the fleet.
Of quite another sort will be the
problem of forcing a passage forty
seven miles long, from one to four
miles wide, mined from one end to
the other and fortified and equipped
in the most modern manner.
Even if the Turks had not recently
provided the latest Krupp guns for
these forts. an entering feet could
not get out Of range Of the older
armament, nor could it hope to avoid
the mines.
If Lord Charles Beresford was
right dozen years ago when he
claimed that forcing the Dardanelles
would cost so per cent of the ships
making the attempt, that figure may
well be increased to go per cent to-
day in view of the Improvements in
the straits defenses and armament.
The chances are that no feet, how
ever powerful, could force the pas
sage near the town of Dardanelles.
Here the water is but a mile wide.
and the two forts guarding it
Sultaniest Kalechi and Kilid Bahr-
cLC Sc-lu " NC very dlOI
brought up to the minute by German
military experts.
Apart from this, it is difficult to see
how Great Britain and France, large
as their combined fleets are, could
risk the tremendous sacrifice of YES
sells which an attempt to force the
Dardandellas would involve.
Even if we assume that remnant
could get throu gh the Sea of Marmora
into the Black Sea, thus accomplish
ing an epoch-making feat, it would
leave the fleets so crippled as serious
Iy to endanger the home defenses, es-
pecially those of Great Britain.
However that may be, it is quite
as foolish to begin speaking of danger
to Constantinople. as it was to speak
of the impending fall of Berlin when
the Russians first penetrated into
East Prussia.
It's not only a long way, but a
deadly one from the Aegean to the
Bosporus.