The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-09-15
GUNS ROUT BRITISH
CHARGE UP GALLIP0LI BROKEN
BY STONEWALL DEFENCE,
WOUNDED LEFT TO FOES

WUUNDLD LETT lU TULl
Frontal Attacks Following Sari Bail
Repulse Beaten Back With Heavy
Loss-Temporary Gain Nullified
by Enfilading Fire-Fight in For.
est Fire.
Failing to take the Turkish posi-
tions at Sari Bair by surprise, as
was recorded by Ellis Ashmead-Bart.
lett, in a dispatch to the London
Post, the British attackers rested for
ten days in preparation for the des-
perate eXpediency of attacking the
trenches in frontal attack. The
British correspondent describes the
action as follows:
If we have failed in the great
strategic scheme of getting astride
Of the peninsula north of Anzac by
seizing the hills around Anafarta and
forcing the enemy to abandon his
positions before Achi Baba and on
the Kilid Bahr salient, it certainly
has not been through want Of try
ing.
The original plan just failed, as
the most carefully laid plans will go
wrong in war, because a corps failed
to carry out the task assigned it,
namely, to push through with a rush
when the enemy was completely sur
prised and had only few battalions
to oppose our divisions.
The first attempt to seize the hills
around Anafarta having definitely
broken down by the morning Of Au-
gust 10, it required time to sort and
reorganize the units, collect the
wounded and land stores, ammuni-
ton, and artillery before any fresh
attempt could be made against the
position, and it was not until August
Fl that the army was in position to
make q frontal attack on the Turks
in this quarter.
This ten days interval was made
full use OF by the enemy, who now,
knowing definitely where our main
blow would fall, was able to release
his divisions in the north, stationed
around Bulair, and bring some of
them to the threatened point. All
hope of effecting surprise had now
vanished, and it was obvious that the
position comprised within the sector
stretching from Hill 20 to Hill 112-
the line chosen for our assault
could only be taken by frontal at
tack and sheer hard fighting. Mean
while, the Turks had made full use
of the time afforded them, and, ac-
cording to their invariable practice,
dug themselves in up to their necks.
Our immediate objective on the
left was the capture of Hill 20, which
lies in front Of the main position, and
has caused us so much trouble ever
since the landing. Our center and
right were to advance from the ridge
N front of Chocolate Hill to Yllghin
Burnu, as it is marked on the map,
and from the trenches in the plain
south of it, and, after capturing the
Turkish trenches in the low ground
in the immediate front, were to con-
verge and assault the main obJec-
tive, Hill 112.
For the bomba.dment which was
to precede the attack the battleshps
moved in closer to shore, being sup
ported by cruisers and several moni-
tors. At exactly three p. m, August
Fl, the first gun was fired, and for
xr-sfrncco6
those terrible bombardments which
become a commonplace on. this
bloody soil. Once again the enemy's
trenches appeared to be swallowed up
in clouds Of Garth and smoke; but
the Turks showed no sign, and not a
man left his position.
While this bombardment lasted the
enemy's guns replied furiously, con.
centrating their fire chiefly on and
behind Chocolate Hill, which was
wreathed in bursting shrapnel. Very
soon the shells set fire to the bush
and scrub, and the fire, famed by
the breeze, burned iuriously, spread
ing with amazing r..pidity and ct
times blotting out the position IN
clouds of rolling smoke and flames.
At three-thirty a regiment crept for
ward from the trenches and endeaV-
ored to form a firing line at the foot
of Hill 20. This was the signal for
a terrific outbreak of rifle fire from
the whole length of the Turkish line.
At the same time another regiment
advanced against the south side OF
Hill 70 and established themselves
in the burnt scrub at its foot.
The guns still thunGered away at
the trenches at the top, but the TURK
ish infantry did not seem to care,
many standing boldly up from their
cover in order to get a better view OF
the advancing lines of khaki figures.
The rifle fire was deafening, and /
do not think ever heard such din
as that produced by the ships guns
and the field pieces, the pursuing
shells and thousands Of rifles on any
battlefield before.
At three-fifty two regiments made
a final rush up the hlll-one pat
TALON from the west and another
from the south. A great solid mass
of khaki with bayonets glistenlng
amid the smoke and dust seemed 10
emerge from the burned scrub and
surge toward the trenches on top.
For few minutes the artillery
heightened their fuses and shelled
the reverse slopes, leaving the trench
line clear. The Turks came out on
top and fired furiously into the ad-
yancins lines. Some of them SEEM
ed to waver for a moment and aban-
doned the crest, running down be-
hind: but the majority stuck to their
trenches, determined to die where
they stood. ,,
Our men got high up on the hill
but on the north side the battalion
was brought to a standstlll by ma
chine guns and cross fire on the
south. Some of our men reached the
ton and jumped into the trenches'
where they died fighting among the
Turks at the point of the bayonet.
In fact, at this southern angle a
desperate hand-to-hand fight took
nlace. and never have the enemy