Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-05-13
Stories of the War

has written the following account of
operations on the peninsula:
while Australians and New Zea-
landers were fighting so gallantly
against heavy odds north of Kaba
Tepeh, British troops crowned them
selves with equal laurels at the south
ern end of the GallipoH peninsula. A
firm footing now has been obtained.
The line stretch across the southern
end of the entire peninsula with both
TANKS secured by the fire of warships.
The army holds many convenient
landing places immune from the en-
emys guns.
The problems British landing par
ties faced differed from those the Aus
tralians solved farther north. Here the
cliffs are not high and irregular, but
rise about fifty feet from the waters
edge with stretches of beach at inter-
walls. Five of these beaches were Sc
lected for Decentralization under the
cover of warships. 1t was hoped the
Turkish trenches would be rendered
untenable and the barbed wire en-
tanglements cut by the fire of the
ships but these expectations were not
realized.
"For example, the landing place be-
tween Kaba Tepeh and Cape Helles
was the secene of desperate struggle
which ragged all day. The Turks held
barbed wire protected trenches in
rore shore. After hours of lombard
ment the troops were taken ashore at
daybreak. Part of the force scaled
the cliffs and obtained a precarious
footing on the edge of the cliffs, but
boats which landed along the beach
barbed wire and exposed to a terrible
cross fire. Every effort was made to
cut the wire, but almost all those who
landed here were shot down. Later the
troops on the cliffs succeeded in driv-
ing back the Turks and clearing the
beach.
THE most terrible Of all landings,
however, was on the beach between
Cape Helles and Seddul Bahr. Here
the broken valley runs inland, enfilad-
eddy hills on either flank, on which
were built strong forts which defend
ed the entrance to the Straits until
they were knocked out by our guns.
Although the guns and emplacements
were shattered, the bOmbproofs and
ammunition chambers remained intact
and running back formed a perfect
network of trenches and entangle-
ments right around the semi -circu-
lar valley. The Turks had mounted
pompoms on the Cape Helles side and
had the usual Shippers concealed every
where. The fore shore and valley also
were protected by trenches and wire,
rendering the position most formid-
able.
"One novel expedient was running a
liner full of troops deliberately ashore,
thus allowing them to approach close
in under cover without being exposed
in open boats. Great doors had been
cut in her sides to permit rapid dis
enbarkation and she was well provid-
ed with MaximS to sweep the shore
while the troops were landing. Owing
to her going ashore farther east than
was intended, however, it became nee
essary to bring up lighter to facili-
tate the landing. The Turks directed
a perfect tornado of rife, Maxim and
pom pom fire on 200 men who made a
dash down the gangway. Only a few
survived to gain shelter. All the 9TH
ers were killed on the gangway. Dis
embarkation, therefore, which meant
almost certain death, was postponed
until later in the morning, when an
other attempt also failed.
Then while the liner carrying 1000
men packed in like sardines with the
officers huddIed on the protected
bridge lay all day on shore with a hail
of bullets rafting against her pro-
tected sides, the battleships Albion,
iously bombarded Seddul Bahr and the
encircling hills. Meantime the Turks
on the Asiatic side tried to destroy the
liner by howitZer fire, which was kept
under only by the bombardment from
covering ships in the straits. In spite
of this covering fire the vessel was
pierced by four big shells and it was
decided to postpone any further move
ment until night, when the troops got
ashore almost without the Turks fir
ing a shot as a result, perhaps, OF
troops landed on other beaches having
pushed along and destroyed some Tur-
kish positions"