New-York tribune., 1915-02-28
Commanders Ordered to
Reach ConstantinOple
at All Hazards.
TWENTY WARSHIPS
IN ENGAGEMENT
New 15-Inch Guns on First Trial
Work Accurately - Three
Killed on AgamemnOn.

p4eleu lnS utbIIuCliOH VI Nht iOi'o a.
the entrance OF the Dardanelles, the
allied feet Of British and French war
ships. the greatest which has ever been
in action, are now attacking the inner
forts. which heretofore have stood be-
tween Turkey and invasion By the sea.
Apparently the outer forts could not
withstand a great bomba rdment. and
when they had been levelled and de
serted by their defenders men we're
landed from the ships to complete he
work OF demolition, while mine sweep
ers cleared passage for ships in the
strait.
More serious work is now ahead, for
the I'll important fortfcations are at
Kilid Bahr and Chansk, which guard
the narrowest part Ct the strait, which
the fleet is now approaching. There is
no doubt, however that the allied
commanders have instructions TO make
their way 10 Constantinoplo in spite
of all OBSTACLES. and have been supplied
with the best means for carving out
these orders.
A dispatch from the Athens corre-
spondent of the Exchange Telegraph
Company says that a battleship bonn
barded a Turkish camp on the Gulf Of
Saros
A complete list Of the ships engaged
is not available. but reports from Ath-
ems and other points say that twenty
large vessels are taking part, and the
report issued tonight by the British
Admiralty up to Friday night, mentions
no fewer than ten os these. Previous
reports mentioned others that were not
engaged on Thursday or Friday, the
period covered by the Admiralty state
ment.
Queen Elizabeth Heads Fleet.
At the head of the feet is the Queen
Elizabeth. one of England's latest su--
perdreadnoughts, with tonnage OF
: "a 500. which has been commissioned
since the war began and which mounts
eight 15-inch guns. The Queen Eliza
beth took part in the bombardment, so
that for the first time these monster
weapons had been used, and, according
to the Admiralty report, they did their
work "with great accuracy
Other ships which assisted IN sllenc-
| ing the outer forts were the BRUSH
battleship Agamemnon, which was
struck by a Turkish she'll and had
three men killed and five wounded; the
British battleships Irresistible, Ven
geance, CORVALLIS, Albion and MaJes-
tic. each of which carries four l2-lnch
: guns, and the Triumph, which has Iour
. lO-inch guns, and the French battle
ships Gaulois, Suffren and Charlemsgne,
each Of which carries four lZ-lnch
guns.
/ battleship Bouvet, and one or two brlt-
! isb battle cruisers, are in the vicinity,
: 10 render assistance should 1t be re-
ouired. The Fort Dardanos, which the
/ ships attacked IN Friday after the en-
/ trance TO the straits had been swept OF
/ mines. is not far from the narrows, and
/ II is probable that the big and more
/ important attack has begun by this
| time. c
{ REPORTS from neutral Balkan States
saw that the residents of the Islands
I i'm the Sea of Marmors have been or,
dered 10 evacuRte their homes, and
{ that An imperial train is waiting TO
( take the Sultan TO Asia Minor.
so far as Great Britain is concerned,
tho most important immediate result
of the initial success is the reduction
which it has brought in the price Of
wheat. which has dropped Two shilllngs
a quarter.
The Admiralty's Statement.
The Admiralty statement follows:
"The entranec TO the Dardanelles was
guarded by four principal forts-name, ;,
IL. Cape Helles Battery, Fort Seddui
Bahr, Fort Orkhanieh Tabia and Fort
KUN Kalossi Tabia, which Will De de-
scribed for CONVENE s A. b. - ana
, u These forts were armed as follows:
A.Two 90 guns. B-Six 1912 guns.
Two 9.2 guns. D-Four 1O.2 and
two 90 guns. -,
"The weather having improved, al
/ though the wind was still from the
southwest. the attach on these forts
: was resumed Thursday morning rep
ruarv 25D at 10 o'clock. The Queen
/ FIizsbeth. Agamemnon, Irresistible and
B Gsnlois began by deliberately bonn
harding Forts A. B, and ID, respec-
|
lively, at long range. ooo
Fort replied. One she'll at 1000
wards hit the Agamemnon. kllllnB three
3 men and seriou.iy wounding five. The
} irresistible and Gaulois made excellent
nractice on Forts c and ID. while the
/ Queen Elizabeth concentrated, with
/ Great accuracy. on Fort A, putting both
of its guns out OF action By about
/ 1880 a. m. III.
"The Vengeance and Cornwallis then
ran in under cover OF long range nre
and engaged Fort A at close range. Inc
reduction of Fort A was completed
wbiIe Forts C. and ID opened very
slow and inaccurate fire.
Effective Resistance Impossible.
"Tbe Suffern and Charlemagne next
delivered an attack on Forts { and ID,
advancing 20 within two thousand yards
of them. Il was then seen that they
we're i'm no condition to offer an eneo-
tive resistance. A,
/ "The Vengeance. Triumph and Al
h;on were then ordered in 10 complete
the reduction of the forts. All Tour
were reduced by 5:l5 = m.
..Sweeping operations, covered oy
division of battleships and destroyers,
/ we're Immediately begun. The enemy
set fire 10 a village at the entrance as
darkness fell.
"A report also has been received OF
the operations Of February 20. The
/ straits had been swept up 10 four miles
from the entrance. The Albion and
Majestic, supported by the Vengeance,
proceeded 10 the limit Of the swept
area. and began an attack on Fort Dar-
| dsnos and some new batteries whicn
! Continued on page 3, columns