The Detroit times., 1915-03-06
Less Than Eighteen
Miles Between Fleet
and Capital
TURK FLEET is
FAR OUTCLASSED
Attack On Bosphorus
Said to Be Con-
certed
BY ED. L. KEEN.


(sto0 Correspondent United Press.)
LONDON. March 6.-That three
new Russian dreaunaughts, rushed
To completion at the Black sea ship
yards, have joined the Russian fleet
In It's descent upon Constantinople.
was the report in admiralty circles
today. The admiralty fatty refused
confirmation and declined TO com.
ment on Bucharest dispatches that
the cars naval forces In the east
are scanning southwark TO attack
the Ottoman capital through the
Bosphorus.
Before tomorrow night. according
to Bucharest dispatches, the Russian
Black sea feet will be pounding at
the Bosphorus forts, less than -
miles from Constantinople. The new
dreadnaughts. IL they have been
completed. will batter away at the
eastern approaches to Islam's capi
tai with 30 i2,inch guns. supporting
them In the battle are believed TO
be six smaller Russian battleships.
The new Russian dreadnaughts are
the Ekaterina II. the lmperatriza
Maria. and the Alexander Ill. Each
has a displacement OF 22,50o tons.
They were laid down In the Russian
, Black sea yards at sevastopol and
Nikolaief, in 1911. and we're launch
ed several months ago. From va
rious sources II was reported less
than a month ago that all three had
been completed and had Joined the
Black sea squadron.
II these reports are true, nine
Russian battleships. two protected
cruisers and at least 20 smaller
war craft are approaching Constan.
tinople. In armament this Russian
feet is vastly superior to the Turkish
naval forces. reported TO have been
Withdrawn into the Bosphorus for n
final defense OF the Turkish capital.
The admiralty early today was
without information as TO the prog
.ress OF the Anglo-French fleet bonn
harding the Dardanelles forts. Ath-
ems reported that the last dispatches
from the scene OF the fighting show
ed the allied warships pounding
away at Forts Chanak on the Asiatic
shore. and Kilid Bahr. directly oppo-
site on the European side. The
C,xonch aouadron u.aa cnntto,,ino itu
efforts TO reduce the Bulair forts on
uallipoli peninsula from the Gulf OF
Saros.
Reports OF the Russian Black sea
fleets dash toward Constantinople
aroused enthusiasm here. Naval
critics. however. pointed out that a
string OF almost impregnable fort
resses fringe the Bosphorus and com
mand the eastern approach to Con.
stantinople. The Bosphorus is less
than 500 yards wide at its narrow.
est point Lacking 15inch guns the
task OF the Russian fleet comman-
der will be infinitely harder than
that confronting Gardens feet in the
Dardanelles.
II was reported here today that
the southwark dash OF the Russian
hghting ships resulted from con-
certed plan OF action blythe Russian.
English and French admiralties. The
plan OF the Russian commander, nc
cording to this report. was TO con
centrate HIS feet at the eastern ap-
proach TO the Bosphorus. This would
bottle up the Turkish fleet between
the two naval forces OF the enemy
and prevent its escape into the Black
sea, where II might lombard Rus
sian ports before being trapped.
Darius Cobb. Boston artist. viii ex-
htbit bis picture Of Jesus. "The