Evening star., 1915-03-24


on the peninsula would be impossible.
Bombardment of the Turkish fortit1Ca-
tions in the Dardanelles was resumed at
10 o'clock yesterday morning by an al
lied fleet, according to an Athens dis
patch The WarShps were accompanied
into the straits by number of mine
sweepers.
Weather Aids the Turks.
A Tencdos dispatch to the Times sent
Monday says:
"a northeasteriy gale has been blow
ing for three days and the sea is run
ming so heavily that the small Greek
steamer which plies between Piraeus and
Tenedos took twenty-four hours in excess
Of its usual time for crossing. This
weather Is most unfavorable for nava!
operations and is thought to be enabling
the Turks to repair their battered forti-
tications and to mount fresh guns.
Ten battleships of the allied fleet
are anchored under the lee of the
island, resting after the recent tussle
with the Dardanelles forts. and four
mine sweepers could be seen issuing
from the mouth of the straits.
1T is impossible to tell how long
this pause will continue. The equi-
noctial gales in this region are said to
last either three days or seven"
Describes Narrows Battle.
The correspondent of the Daily News
at Tendos. describing the last battle
of the narrows in the Dardanelles, In
a dispatch dated Monday. says:
'1t is declared that the British gun
ners held the mastery and that six of
the Turkish forts in the narrows were
wrecked.
Il gathered details from witnesses
on British ships, as well as ashore, or
Thursdays attempt to force the mar
rows. This attack certainly was one
of the most extraordinary and spec
tacular events of the war. other de-
tails were gathered aboard the Gaulois,
where it was courteously received.
Action Starts in Morning.
Operations began today at 9 am,
when an Angio-F French squadron Gu
tered the mouth of the straits between
the outer forts, which previously had
been silenced. \ fresh breeze was
blowing from the north with q heavy
sea. but otherwise the weather was
fine.
'.At 10 O'Clock the forts in the mar
rows opened fire and our ships re-
sponded, the Queen Elizabeth with an
indirect fire from range of fourteen
miles. and by noon the cannoItade was
terrific. AS many as $50 gums of cali
were engaged in the furious duel
shortly before o'clock the fighting
reached its climax. From hill in
Tencdos it was said the sea whitened
into spouts by Turkish shells. German
Sunners We're working thirteen-incl
iloNitzers. and the damage must have
been considerable IL only their gun
merry had been better.
Torpedoes Also Employed.
l,t
produced may be attributed partly to
the careful destruction by concentrated
fire of our smaller guns of ranging
buoys, with which the channel is
thickly sowu- Torpedoes fired from
land also were employed, but with lit
tie effect, the charges being weak.
Our losses were due to drifting
mines of high efficiency, which fioated
thickly on the surface of the sea in
the upper reaches of the straits. Mines
exploded from shore also may have
caused part of the destruction. At
2:45 O'Clock the Bouvct struck one of
these floating deaths. She sank in
ninety seconds.
According to an officer of the eau
with her deck at an angle of Is degrees,
smoke and flames which attained a
great height almost hiding her from
view. With n swift, shudderng mo-
death struggle she then turned COM
pletely on her side till her fighting
tops touched the water her stern being
submerged. Half minute later she
disappeared in a vast smother of steam
and foam. littering the sea with the
bodies of her crew.
Irresistible Is Struck.
The Irresistible was struck amidships |
and her engines shattered. The deaths |
a aboard occurred mostly In the stoke |
hold While boats which had been |
cruising about looking for mines re-
moved the crew Turkish batteries |
poured in II hail of shrapnel For I
some time the great ship lay helpless |
as log.
THE explosion of a ma gazine follow
ing contact with mine had reduced
her to a condition of wreck.
THE GauloiS was pierced near the
bows Just below the heavy armor belt,
by a torpedo or she'll which first struck
the water Il few yards away. She be-
gan to fill rapidly and was run aground
on one of the Rabbit Islands, at the
mouth of the straits, but she has been
pumped out and repaired and now is
a float again No one aboard was in
jured.
Fort Seen Burning.
During the afternoon one of the
Chanak forts was seen burning fiercely.
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