The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-01
Turk, Behind Great Natural Defences,
DefeS Huge Allied Fleets and Armies
British and French Have
Made Little Progress in
Dardanelles.
FLEET ALONE FAILED

Il 1/ILI1 ~ ThlLLD
There Ia one field Of battle OF the
nan that are being fought over in
the world war that is more crowded
with historic significance than any
other. II u the D~ardanelles. 1t was
here that xerxes in asa 3. C. crossed
from the Adriatic to the European
shore to descend upon Greece and con-
quer Athens. Seven hundred years
earlier the Greeks crossed the .Egean
and laid siege to Troy. the ruins Of
which lie on the Asiatic side within
easy range Of the guns of the great
French and British fleets now attempt
ing to make their way through the
strait.
In ss4 b. C. Alexander the Great
crossed the Dardanelles. which at that
time was called the Hellespont. and
on the plains Of Troy defeated the Per-
slams. II was across this strait, now
strewn with mines M swept by the
gunhre Of the Turkish forts and the
allied fleets. that Leander swan nightly
to visit Hero. the beautiful priestess OF
Aphrodite. One night the light which
burned to guide him was blown out and
In the darkness he lost his way and was
drowned. In grief Hero took her own
life. Lord Byron swan from the Euro
pean shore to the Asiatic coast TO show
that the feat was not a product OF poetic
phantasy.
II was here that the Turks. sweep
ing westward and menacing the de-
cadent Byzantine Empire. hrst crossed
to the European shores. in 1885. and
began the century Of warfare which
resulted In the fall of Constantinople.
in 1883. and the establishment Of the
Turkish Empire in Europe.
Since tina: time the Dardanelles has
proved the source OF innumerable wars.
| Time and again the Russians, seek
ing an outlet into the Mediterranean
from the Black Sea. have sent their
armies against the TURKS. Only once
has a foreign feet succeeded In pass
ing from the Esean Sea through the
| Dardanelles 10 the Sea OF Marmora-
when Admiral Duckworth made his way
through In 1907. In 1856 the Treaty OF
Paris bound all the European Powers to
refrain from attempting to send war
ships through the Dardsnelles without
the permission OF Turkey. This treaty
was a defeat for Russia and a vic
tory for Great Britain and France.
which sought to keep control OF the
Mediterranean. To-day the very Powers
that have so long e~ndeavored at any
cost TO keep Russia from passing from
the Black Sea into the Mediterranean
are allied with their ancient enemy to
open the strait.
History's Biggest Fleet.
Such is the historic interest Of the
p%ardanelles. Never. however, has this
narrow waterway ana its brown and
barren shores been the scene Of such n
spectacle as 10 now passing. Here -
gathered the mightiest feet that in all
history has sought to break down land
defences and here are gathered the
French and British armies. including
New Z~ealanders. Australian and Sene-
ealese. The neet. headed by the Queen
Elizabeth. the most formidable battle
ship anoat. numbers about 100 ships
of all classes.
To appreciate the dinfculties facing
the allied forces in the Dardanelles II
Ia necessary to understand the charac-
ter OF the narrow waterway ana the
topography Of the surrounding land. II
is the character Of the land and water
which go further than anything else
In making this region an almost i'm
p~regnable fortress. The strait Is about
thirty miles long, ranging In width
from three TO six miles. Midway IN
the D%ardanelles lies the narrowest strip
Of the waterway. called h Narrows
Here the shores are about three miles
ApaTt, Dut tHc HaNikdpit ''i'' -
little more han a mile and a half
, wide at any point. The Sarrows proper
are about Ave miles long. A fact
which has proved a serious problem TO
the attacking fleet is that in this mar
row channel there Is a terrific current
on the European side OF the strait
lies the Gallipoli peninsula. a mountain
Gus and arid tongue OF land only ten
miles across at its widest point From
the very tip OF the peninsula at Cape
Helles a ridge OF hills run along the
Dardanelles. The Asiatic shore also Is
mountainous
The ravines and ridges on both sides
have been turned by the Turks, under
the guidance OF German officers. into a
great armed camp. The Turkish forts
at Kiiid Bahr. on the Gallipoli side. and
Chanak, on the Asiatic side of the Mar
rows, were thoroughly equipped with
Krupp armor and guns OF the most
modern type. The entire waterway
from the .4;gean to the Sea OF Mar
mora was strewn with mines. Along
both shores, II is reported, torpedo tubes.
taken from the Turkish warships, had
been installed.
ChurchiIl's Plan Adopted.
Winston Spencer Churchill. then First
Lord OF the Admiralty, ov.rruled the
:. Judgment OF Admiral Fisher. the First
Sea Lord. and won over the Government
to his plan OF attempting to force the
D~ardanelles. The question and II
proved such an important one that
Lord Fisher later resigned rather than
lend his reputation to a continuance OF
the undertaking ard Mr., Churchill was
forced from the Admiralty-was
whether or not the available British
and French fleets would be able 10 make
their way through the Dardanelles.
On February ~ the allied squadrons
appeared of the entrance to the Oar
|, danelles and began a long range bonn
bardment OF the Sedd-el-B ahr forts a,
the tip OF the Gallipoli peninsula and
OF those at Kun kale. directly opposite
on the Asiatic side, Never before had
such a tremendous FIRE been concen-
trated by battleships on land defences
I Six days OF bad weather followed. and
on February rs the feet steamed into
close range and bombarded the forts
! with their secondary armament. The
Turkinsh Are ceased and marines were
!, put ashore TO discover the extent OF ths
! damage. Little material damage had
|, been done to the gun and emplacements
so the Job was finished with charge.
Of guncotton.
, Then began a month of operations ir
: which the ba%ttleships tried to silence
! the runs Of the forts at the narrows
while vain attempts were made b,
!, steam trawlers to sweep the waterway
OF mines. Just below the narrows three
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