Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-03-18
Commanders of Anglo French
Fleet Expects to Pass Darda-
neIIes Straits Into Mar
mora Within Fortnight.
WAITING ON LAND FORCES
Eight or Ten Defenses and Sew
eral Coast Batteries Remain
-Warships Continue to
Shell Qualifications.

March 13.-The Overseas News
agency TODAY aav out tho follow
ing:
"a Netherlands news agency with
h~eaaauartHrs at The Hague has re-
ing that in the fighting in the Oar
danelles straits, two British tor
pedo boa destroyers and two mine
sweepers nave been destroyed,
while two bio battleships have been
disabled
Paris. March l5.--rhe ho1nbardment
Of the Dardanelles was resumed yester>
day U'riday) morning by French and
British battleships. says a dispatch to
the Matin from Athens. Seventy small
mine SWeeperS are reported to be con-
tlnuing their efforts to clear the mine
fields. under the direction OF officers
representing British and French navies.
The allied fleets" says the Matin.
"still ave eight or 10 forts and a GER
tain number of coast batteries to re-
duce. but 1t is the general opinion they
Will enter the Sea of Marmora within q
fortnight II the land forces c~o-operat-
Ing with them also can continue their
advance
Garden Confident.
Vice Admiral Garden commanding
the British fleet operating against the
Dardanelles, has expressed the opinion
that the allies will be able to hammer
their way through the straits before
Easter. according to an Athens dis
patch to the Journal.
Long range bombardment of the
Dardanelles Qualifications was resumed
yesterday (Thursday) by the allied
fleet. according to an Athens dispatch
to the Havas agency. No information
has been received as to the results OF
the operation.
The warships. the dispatch did
no. enter the straits, and their object
seemed to be to prevent the Turks by
long distance fire from repairing GER
tain forts which a been damaged. A
bridge two miles from Chanak Kalessi.
over which supplies and ammunition
were transported from the Gallipon
peninsula, is reported to have been de-
stroyed.
Turks Shoot Better. z
Turkish craftsmanship ha I'M
proved" says the dispatch, probably
owing to the presence OF German gun
ners, but the ammunition Is OF poor
quality and many of the shells fall to
explode.
An allied squadron reinforced by
six more w%arships bombarded he forts
of Smyrna. which replied. The battle
ship. Triumph. was hit but the damage
done was slight.
"Mussulmans living in the coast dis
trict have fled into the interior and
several villages have been evacuated by
The Turks"
Operations of French and British
~WarShips against the Notifications at
the entrance to the Dardanelles and IN
the first mine field Of March 10 and II
are described in an official statement
issued by the ministry OF marine. The
communication says:
During the day of the 10th IN bad
weather. two British warships shelled
two forts at Bulain Con the GallipoH
peninsula on the Gulf Of Saros), while
two other British ,battleships lombard
ed the light batteries which commanded
the Bay Of Morto at the entrance Of the
Dardanefles.
Clean Mine Field.
During the night OF March 1O-11S
mine sweepers entered the straits un-
der the cover of the guns Of the battle
ships and a cruiser n succeeded IN
operating in the first mine field, not
withstanding a hot fire from the gllna
Of the defenses. French divisions; re-
sumed on the 18th operations begun
the day before against the Qualifications
the Bay of Morto."
The above dispatch would seem to in
dictate that h allied fleet has not pene-
trated the Dardanelles as far as ina
been supposed or that the operations
against the Turkish fortiications had
not been entirely successful. Previous
~Ormat has been to the effect that
Chanak Kalessi and other forts at the
part of the straits had been
successfully bombarded. that about y
third of the passage had been cleared
OF mines n that some OF the more
important batteries at the entrance ia
the straits had been silenced.
4