River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-08-05
ALLIES BIG TASK
IN DARDANELLES
Raiding Force Outnumbered
Two to One by Turks.
ALL TURKEY ARMED CAMP.

Ammunition Will Be Decisive Factor
Here, as In Other Fields of War, Says
ConstantinopIe Correspondence nder
German TuteIage Fort Defenders
Have Arrived at Efficiency.
The London Daily Telegraph publish
es a letter from Constantinople de-
scribing the defenses of the Darda-
nelles, in which the writer says: =.
81 have traversed the coast from
Fort Niagara to within half mile of
Kun Kale, and instead of dividing
it into named defenses, as Forts Mede1
jieh, Chimilik. Kalid Bahr, DardanuS,
and SO forth, am tempted to classify
the whole coast as one great fortress,
for such it is.
'Since March IS every position that
offered a field of fire in the least suit
able has been turned into a battery.
The banks of the strait bristle with
guns. Artillery of large caliber, except
ing the movable howitzers, is absent i'll
these new defenses, but they are armed
with an uncounted number of small
guns.
This factor of preparation is one
that must be kept constantly in mind
when studying the situation. All Tur-
key is an armed camp. From the mo-
I4ent you cross the border at Mustafa
rasha until you reach Constantinople
you are passing Turkish troops in the
IL Il kCk
Sea of Marnora and touch land on Ell
Their the Gallipoli or Asiatic side you
cannot ride u mile in any direction
without falling on a camp.
Strengthen Coast Defenses.
with this indication Of what Turkey
is doing to meet the crisis that threat
ems on land, it is evident that prepara-
ton of a similar nature is proceeding
in coast defenses. The forts that guard
the narroWS are not in the strict sense
modern; yet, tested under the severest
attacks Of high power guns, the dam
age they have suffered is almost nil.
Under German tutelage the crews
that man the forts have arrived at
high state of efficiency. That their
morale has increased a hundredfOld
since the fatal March Is goes without
saying. Confidence is the note OF all.
A certain amount of friction exists be-
tween the Turkish commanders and
their German allies. This is bound to
be the case under the circumstances,
but it is little more than the expression
of jealousy on the part of the native
officers. The Germans view the pre-
tensions Of the officers of the sultan's
army with tolerance. The friction will
hardly become of sufficient Importance
to impede military operations.
There is no arsenal In Turkey which
can turn out ammunition for fortress
guns, so the forts must rely on the
supply on hand, which is said to be
ample
1.-THE waters before the guns are
sown with mines. There are also hid
den batteries, especially placed to pro-
tect the mine fields The strait is also
protected by howitZer batteries mount
ed on short sections of railway track.
Raiding Force Outnumbered.
"The Galipoli peninsula today is not
from a military point Of view the same
place it was three months ago. What
must be realized is that under German
guidance on the peninsula today every
ravine Is q field of obstacles, every
ridge a fort. If the British troops have
a herculean task in Flanders pause to
imagine what is before them here.
''In the first place, they are outnum-
bered by two to one, and. in the Sec
ond, they are operating from a most
difficult base. At first glance one may
say that the advantage in numbers is
of little Importance, as the Turkish
troops during their last war were Of
proved inferiority. Perhaps they were
a poor lot during that last Balkan war.
though from the looks of things at
present 1 doubt even that. But today
the Turkish common soldier is most
formidable.
"From what have written it may
be contend ed that look on the opera
lions in the Dardanelles pessimistical
". Such is not the case. / can see
success for the allies in time, but they.
must be prepared to make enormous
sacrifices. Ammunition is the decisive
factor in modern battle. do not hes
itate to say that in the end the fate OF
Constantinople will be decided by the
amount of powder and shell available
for the use Of the contending armies"
M0TIQEI