Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-08
HARDLY AN IMPRESSION
MADE At DARDANELLES
Allies Efforts to Force Strait Have
Resulted Only in Tremen-
dOus Loss of Life.
THEIR POSITION PRECARIoUs
With Supporting Fleet Withdrawn,
Deep Sea on One Side and Turk on
the Other, Invading Armies May
Be Destroyed.

DO DSSliosCNs
NEW YORB. July THE BROOKLYN
Eagle prints the following story from
its special correspondent at the OAR
danellcs. describing conditions on the
Gallipoli Peninsula:
IN THE FIELD WITH THE TUR-
k1SH ARMY NEAR THE HEAD
QUARTERS OF FIELD MARSHAL
l.lMAN Won SANDERS. May 20 tby
courier to The Hague)- Whatever
changes in the situation of the allied
FORCES operating at Sedd- Ell Rahr and
AN!-Burhu. on the Gallipoli Peninsula,
may occur before this statement
reaches America, II is certain that the
Hritish campaign against Turkey to-
DAY is the most badly managed eXpe-
diion Of tho war. Beginning with the
spectacular but futile, bomhardment
or tho Dardanelles forts on March IS.
and continuing with landing operations
on scale quite inadequate to the size
o! the Turkish army and the natural
strength OF its positions. the allies
attempt to force the strait by land
nave resulted in four weeks OF heavy
losses, which. in spite OF slight gains
AZ Sedd- FL Bahr, leave the invaders in
a desperate plight, owing to the with
drawal Of most Of the bomba riding bat
tleships and the threatened intercept
ton OF all overseas lines Of communi
cation from the Aegean Stands BIZ Ger
man submarines.
GENERAL DIFFICULTIES
OF LANDING ADMITTED
The general difficulties of the land
ing operations must be recognized and
admitted. The British commanders
felt before a single soldier was set
ashore, that the chances OF retaining
foothold on Gallipoli were something
Less than even. That a successful land
ing was made at all must be written
down as one OF the bravest assaults
in the war. II was never expected that
the small! landing force would march
upon Constantinople, because. with the
Lmpossihiity OF spartne large rein
iorcencnts from the western front, IL
was hoped tina. a Russian force land
ing on the Thracian coast OF the Black
sea. would complete the operations bv
capturing the Turkish capital All
this conceded with the pcrsisten,
rumors In Sofia OF an English agree
ment TO permanent Russian control
OF Constant!nonle.
Russia has failed to assist England
ana france. so that to-day the allies
arc wasting good lives in an Ill
conducted, II splcndidly brave, attempt
merely TO retain prccarious stretch
OF beach on the Aegean and a few
kiioneters OF scrubby sand at Scdd-
FL Bahr
SUPPORT OF FLEET
IS ALMOST WITHDRAWN
The Triumph and Majestic have been
torpedoed. Win the exception OF two
cruisers of Sedd- Ell Rahr, the fleets
nave Withdrawn their support and the
mes OF communication. for water. food
ana ammunition. which lie over a
transport route from the base islands
IN Inc Aegean Sea. are threatened with
intcrcept!on by enemy submarines
nc TWO points at which the invad-
inS force remains are, as all the world
knows. al .Avi- Burnu. on the Aegean
Sea, and at Scdd- FL Bahr at the very
END OF the Gallipol Peninsula
~ Sedd El-Bahr the British position
la IS much stronger at Avi- Burnu.
me Turks have the general advantage
OF commanding most OF the heichts
but the possession OF one or two small
elevations by the British who are in
'!eAched !or the most part in the plain
running down 10 the sea. lessons IN.
overwhelming odds against them.
AT Avi-Rurnu the landing forces an
pear practically hopeless OF further ad
vance. have seen the British trenches
only few hundred yards from the sea
sweeping ashore in great scmicircle
which confronts the Turkish cntrench-
ments at distance varying from 200
yards 70 less than ten Yards II is tho
most difficult sort OF fighting in the
world. over the most difficult sort OF
country The Turks AT Av!- Rurnu arc
on a hillside which commands the en-
tire British position. From a pcriscone
could look directly into the English
trenches; so close to those of the enemy
that even the Turkish commander is
AT times unable to distinguish them
ne British are between the Turk and
the deep sea. with the Turk souattins
on NIL in front of them caring no
more for his life than WORKOUT fez.
FORTS WHICH LINE STRAIT
PRACTICALLY UNDAMAGED
This. then. is the sum total of what
the allies, with their fleets and their
armies, have accomplished against the
Dardanelles. | have seen the forts on
both sides of the strait at Chanak-
kale at khalid- Bahr, and, as those who
have not seen them find hard TO credit.
slight damage the March lombard
ment wrought has been repaired
What remains OF the landing forces
cannot be said TO be making any
serious impression, if one judges by
results. No attempt has been made 10
deny that the Turkish losses have been
large One estimate places them at
5000. Personally, I am aware of
about 10000 wounded in Constantine
ople alone.
Tine withdrawal OF practically all the
DC i:lpard'hE ships. after the Trium ph
"''' -'"JeSl'c SUNK, mas taken
considerable support from the bac OF
the forces ashore. But there is n
second and more important aspect of
submarine activity in the Aegean.
Both at Sedd FL Bahr and ut Avi-
Burnu, 1t must be kept in mind that
all supplies must be brought across
open water. Reinforcements are not
only subject to the fire of Turkish
shore batteries on landing, but are
menhced with torpedoing in the course
Of their transition from tho Rr;tish
bases. All ammunition and food are
subject to this same danger The