New Britain herald., 1915-03-09
ALLIED FLEET S|LENCES
 MORE TURKISH FORTS
Btstigipg Ships Damaged by Fire
 From Cermap-nadc Guns.

London, March 9.-The British and French fleets have battered their way a step nearer to Constantinople. not, however, without damage to the ships Dardanelles continues. More Turkish forts on the Asiatic side have been si- fenced, according to a statement by the British admiralty, but the Turks are making a terrific resistance and the shells from their German-made guns have found more than one mark on the besieging craft.
 This struggle for the gateway of the Ottoman capital is at present the big feature of the war news and close ly linked with this is the sustained excitement in Greece incident to the resignation of the cabinet of M. Veni- zelos, who, deeming Greeces entry into the hostilities on the side of the Triple Entente imperative, could not agree with his king and resigned. M. Zaimis has declined to form a cabinet according to an Athens dispatch and King Constantine will summon M. Gounaris, deputy for Patras, for the task.
 Queen Elizabeth Hit Three Times.
 From the number of ships engaged and the size and range of the guns, the battle of the Dardanelles is unlike anything in history, according to naval experts. At 21,00O yards the huge hattleship Queen Eliza beth, of the British squadron, assisted by smaller oli ;, ct;l 3p c1o oll hn Gallipoli Peninsula into the Turkish strongholds on the Asiatic shore. The admiralty statement carries the oper- ations through Sunday and admits that the Turks not only scored three minor hits on the Queen Elizabeth, but that the majority of the ships inside the straits both French and British, were struck. None was sunk and there were no casualties.
 Two Forts Silcnced.
 The Turkish forts Rumili Medjidieh Tabia and Hamidieh Tabia, fringing the Asiatic shore line, which pre- viously had withstood the lombard ment, were silenced, as was the Mount Dardanus battery further south. The Turkish casualties are unknown.
 A Turkish official statement from Constantinople, issued prior to the admiralty statement this evening" in- sisted that the fighting in the Dar~ danelles was developing in favor of the Turks. It was stated that no bat teries were being destroyed and that the hostile ships were forced to re- treat.
 Abdul Hanid Reported Free.
 One of the most picturesque bits of news is from Bucharest, Rumania, stating that former Sultan Abdul Hamid has regained his freedom and is gathering his friends and support CTS around him. It is asserted that he may seek to play an important part in his country affairs.
 More progress by the British fleet before Smyrna, by which Turkish batteries were silenced, is announced in an admiralty statement. Another official statement says that the Turks loss in the land fighting at the head of the Persian Gulf is 50 per cent. larger than previously reported
 British Statement.
 The British admiralty last night made public the following statement:
 The operations against the Dar- danelles are progressing in fine Wea- ther. Vice Admiral Sackville Ii. Garden reports that on the sixth of March the battleship Queen Elizabeth, supported by the battleships Agamem- non and Ocean, began an attack on Forts Hamidieh l Tabia and Hami- dieh 3, which are marked on the ad- miralty map as Forts U and V, by in direct fire across the Gallipoli Penin- sula, firing at 21 900 yards.
 These forts are armed as follows: Fort U( two 14-inch guns and seven 9.4 guns; Forth V, two 14-inch, one 94, one S2 and four 4.9 inch guns.
 "The Queen Elizabeth was replied to by howitzers and field guns and three shells from the field guns struck her without, however, causing any damage.
 Meanwhile inside the straits the Vengeance, Albion, Majestic and Prince George and the French bat tleship Suffren fired on Souain Dere and Mount Dardanus batteries, marked F and E on the admiralty