The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-14
The Dardanelles Campaign.

with the Dardaneles campaign OF the
Allies. Great Britain and France. will
marvel AZ the original plan OF forcing
the straits with warships unsupported
by land forces. Hut to-day the Allies
know more about the channel de-
fences than they did when they began
to lombard Kun Kale and Seddul
Bahr in the middle of February.
These Old forts ut the entrance of the
Dardanclles were silencei by a ter.
rifle fire from II inch and IL inch
guns. but the forts were not destroyed
until landing party occupied them
under the fire of the feet They We're
not modern in any respect Many of
the outrangcd Turkish guns were
found intact.
The Allies seemed to be pressing on
to an early triumph when Chanak.
on the Asiatic. and kilid Bahr, on the
European side Of the Narrows. were
also slenced on March Is. But the
following day the British hattleships
/ Ocean and irresistible and the French
battleship Bouvct were sunk 10y float.
Ing mines. and rs feasible operation
the forcing Of the Dardanclles past
Niagara to Gallipoli by the unsupported
warships went into eclipse. 1t was OF
course understood that troops would
4 he needed later on when CONSTANT
nople was To be occupied. but the
British Admiralty seems to have as
sumed that the fleet could fight its
way into the Sea of Marmora in spite
Of mine fields.
on April G the British battlcship
| Lord Nelson. next to the Queen Eliza
! beth the finest In the fleet, was put
/ out OF action by the enemy's shell
/ fire. and the torpedoug of the British
battleShip Goliath now brings the
count up To four. exclusive OF the loss
of the Bouvet. Also the Majestic and
tCornwallis have been damaged during
the opera lions. Destroycrs and
trawlcrS engaged in sweeping the
straits for mines have suffered too.
In fact, the Turks. with German en-.
gineers and artllerymen 10 plan and
direct the defence of the Narrows
have made the warships keep their
distance. The Allies have failed IL
clear the mine fields below Chanak. II
is now admitted that concealed mobile
batteries make the task impracticable
Moreover, there Is reason 10 believe
that the defenders have lined the
shores OF the Narrows with torpedo
tubes. An attempt to force this part
Of the Dardanelles would probably re
suit in overwhelming disaster To the
attacking fleet, So II the straits are
To be opened the work must be done
by the land forces. with such timely
aid as the warships can give them
Thus far the defence II the Nnrrows
has been triumph for the German
engineers. who have made effective
use Of the terrain on both sides of tn,
channel
The land campaign may not prove
ms hard q problem, but II bristles will
difficulties too, Up through the Gal
lipoli Peninsula the country is strewI
with hills that can he easily defended
There are besides narrow gorges AN
streams flowing down from the divide
As the Turks are stubborn trencl
fighters Sir IAN HAMILTON will hav
to fight every foot Of the way. and hi
casualties are bound Ia be heavy
Since the European side OF the Oar
danclles. by its greater elevation
commands the ASiatic, the Britis
commander must clear the Galfpol
Peninsula Of the enemy MP to Bokal
Kalessi before the fortiii"ntlons o.
that side can he taken in reverse. q
the opposite shore, the ground bcln
lower and not Offering so many o,
staclcs to an advance. the progress q
, the expedition should be more RAPID
but even with concerted action by tn
land forces and the feet the rcducto
of the dcfences will be a task of tr,
ucndous difficulty.
once the forts at the Narrows IN
, occupying Constnntlnople will becom
=, t. question OF getting transports int
the Sea OF Marmora and landing n
q allied army east Of the Tchataldj
- lines under the guns Of the warshlps.