The Western outlook., 1915-08-14
WARSH|PS IN DUEL
British Dreadnaught Drives Turk.
ish Cruiser From Strait.
SaIvos Of Monster Shells Sweep High
Over Ridges Of GalIIpoii at
Observation-Disclosures
Directs the Fire.
BY LOUIS EDGAR BROWNE,


Correspondent of the Chicago News.)
Mudros, Allies Near Eastern Base
The Queen Elizabeth and the Goeben
have been engaged in battle with each
other. The great British dreadnaught,
the most powerful battleship afioat, at
tackled the Goeben under most ex-
traordinary conditions, Although the
Queen Elizabeth fired salvos of gigan.
tic highly explosive projectiles, the
Goeben escaped unhit.
Since the allies forces landed at the
Dardanelles late in April the German
Turkish battle cruiser has seriously
hampered the advance toward their
al-Constantinople. 1t has suppos-
eddy a base at Chardak, an auxiliary
naval port, on Gallipoli strait, %
miles above the narrows. Nearly ev-
cry day the Goeben has taken posi-
ton between Maitos and Cape Niagara,
Just above the Narrows,s and has sup
ported with killing fire the Turkish
troops facing the Australian-New Zea-
land line running in semicircle from
below Suvla bay southwark toward the
line of the English and French forces
advancing up the peninsula.
Turkish engineers have established
line Of communication between posts
Of observation and signal stations
somewhere east of Maitos. Because
Of these the fire control was made so
effective that, although the Goeben
was firing over a ridge of mountains,
its officers were quickly informed just
where each shell hit and what dam
became the fire of the German battle
cruiser and so seriously did 1t him
der the movements of the allies that
1t was decided to attempt to destroy it
even at considerable cost
The Queen Elizabeth wac selected
for the first chance.
A ridge of fairly high mountains
runs down the Gallipoli peninsula and
q battleship firing across 1t from the
Gulf of Saros to a point above the
Narrows would be unable to see its
target. The Queen Elizabeth could not
see the Goeben. An aeroplane was
needed to observe the fall of proiec-
tiles and to direct the fire.
1t was somewhat after noon when
a big naval aeroplane mounted and
circled over the mountains. A naval
observer Occupied a seat beside the
pilot. Far below him was the Darda-
nelles winding along like distorted
letter S. Several Turkish antiaircraft
guns were hurting shrapnel skyward
at terrific rate.
The observer easily found the Goe-
ben. The aeroplane sailed back to the
Australian lines and communicated
the Goeben's position to the Queen
Elizabeth. The aeroplane then again
had commanding view of the Goeben
and yet was within easy signaling dis
lance Of the Queen Elizabeth.
Suddenly one of the 15-inch guns
Of the Queen Elizabeth belched forth
q great sheet of flame, followed by a
roar that could be heard at Mudros, so
miles away. The spotting officer, lean
ing far over the combing of the fire
control top, picked up the giant pro-
jectile with his glasses and kept 1t In
view until 1t disappeared below the
ridge Of hills. Like flash his glance
turned to the aeroplane soaring high
above the mountains Some distance
below the aeroplane there popped into
being three black dots. An instant
later three more black dots appeared.
These were small smoke bombs
dropped by the observer to signal
where the shell had struck relatively
to the target.
up 300-left three!' shouted the
officer to sailor standing at his ell
bow. The first shot had fallen 300
yards short and 300 yards to the right
Of the Goeben.
An instant later salvo from the
Queen Elizabeth's entire broadside of
eight 15-inch guns crashed out. Eight
monster shells, each weighing 1000
pounds, went careening through space
at speed of $500 feet a second.
The Goeben took alarm after two or
three salvos and fed at top speed
northeast to the base at Chardak.