The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-07
Two Forts Damaged and the Magazine of a Third Blows Up-NO Warships Damaged
ATTEMPT TO LAND FORCES RESULTS IN
 DISASTER TO ALLIES
Turkish Guns Drive Men Back to the Ships-Fleet Keeps Up a Vigorous ROmhardment

Paris, March 7.-G :25 a. m.)-Ihe ministry of war announced that on account of the situation in the Dar- canelIes and in order to meet every eventuality the government has de- cided to concentrate in North Africa an expeditionary force which will be ready to put to sea at the first sign that it is needed and be directed to the point where its presence is re- quired.
 London, March G.-t9;15 D. m.b--The British battleships Queen Elizabeth nnd Prince George and the battle cruiser JnfIexibIc, with their eight 15- finch and their dozen 12-inch guns. yes- serday attacked the principal forts on the European side of the narrows in the Dardanellcs. Two of the forts were damaged and the magazine of third was blown up. Guarding the narrow est part of the straits from the Euro- pean side, they are believed to he the strongest forts along the entire water- way, although those opposite almost equal them.
 .'One fort indicated on the admir- alty maps as 'Is" has two 14-inch guns that could scarcely reaeh the queen Elizabeth, which fired 20 rounds from her 15-inch weapons by indirect fire and had the advantage of aero planes to sid her gunners The other Two forts had three 11-inch guns and some smaller cannon.
 Cruisers continue attacks on tho Qualifications along the coast of Asia Minor, from Besika, near the entrance to the Dardane1les. to smyrna, doubt les to prevent endorsements being sent to the straits where there arc many Turkish troops with whom the marines landed to complete destruc- tion of the forts at the entrance to the straits have been in contact. It was in the land fighting that the al- lies suffered casualties, according to the British report, of 19 killed, 25 wounded and missing The Turks. however, place the British casualties at . higher figure.
 New Fleet Joins
 Tonight's admiralty dispatch dis closed that the East Indies fleet under Vice Admiral Sir Richard Peirse has Joined the allied fleet and bombarded the Qualifications of smyrna which were seriously damaged.
 On Wednesday the ships continued the bombardment of Fort Dardanos on the Asiatic side of the Dardanelles. clearing the outer straits of mines French ships are keeping up u bonn tardment from the Gulf of Safos.
 Results Satisfactory
 Paris, March G. T:30 p. m.)--An of ficial communication from the ministry of marine says:
 At the Dardanelles during the day of March 6 three cruisers stationed in the Gulf of Saros bombarded by indi- rect fire across the Gallipoli peninsula the Turkish forts at Kilid-B Bahr, which guard the European coast of the nar- row strait between that point and Chanak.
 "The fire was directed and recsified by four vessels stationed at tho en- trance to the Dardanelles. The result of the bombardment was satisfactory 'The powder magazine of one of the forts exploded. None of the vessels was damaged.
 During the day of March three ves- sels of the allied fleet bombarded from a great distance the fort at 7assi Kale, ct the entrance of the Gulf of Smyrna,
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