Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-03-20
DARDANELLES
IS Scene OF
ENGAGEMENT
FLOATING MINES PICK OFF lRRE.
s'sTABLE, OCEAN AND soURET
DURING A FURIOUS soMsARD-
MENT.
AL Crews ARE RESCUED
Several Other Ships by Fierce Fire
90 Are Temporarily Put Out Of
-. Action.
ALL Crews Are RESCUED

London, March 19..--Serious casual
ties were suffered Thursday by the
allied fleet assaulting the Dardanelles.
Three battleships, two British and
one French, were sunk and two 9th
ers temporarily disabled during a fu-
rious engagement between the shore
batteries, forts and warships
Drifting Mines. ;. n >.4
Drifting mines spelled destruction
for the French battleship Bouyeti and
the British Ibattleships lrresistable
and Ocean, which sank during the hot
fire, after striking the mines. A heavy
fire from shore mOmentarily put out
of action the French battleship Gau.
lois and the British battleship lnfiex-
ible L.. .n1.
The British admiralty statement
says S..5.
practically the whole OF the crews
Of the Irresistible and the Oc an, to-
falling 1 500. was removed in safety
under hot fire, but virtually the en-
tire crew. of the Bouvet, numbering
$40, were lost. 1t added the. Losses
will not stop aggressive action against
the Dardanelles. ,dJ oi
The British battleships Queen and
Implacable and the French battle
ship Henry w., already are speeding
to the Dardanelles to fiji thu vic
TINS places. The allied feet Of l6
units began a general attack Thirs-
day morning on the Ave forts and
three batteries. Mine sweeping pro-
gressed the last ten days inside the
straits, tut apparently the mines drift
ed into the sphere Of activity after
the attack began. The damage to
the forts is mot estimated" gT
Start Heavy Fire.
AT 10:45 in, the morning" the Of
tcial statement says, THE Queen
elizabeth, Infexible, Agamemnon and
Lord Nelson bombarded forts J, l..
+. U, and v, while the Triumph and
Prince George fired at batteries 2, f,
and H, and heavy fire, was opened on
the ships from the howitzers and field
guns. %4g3
AT 1920 O'Clock the French
squadron, consisting of the Suffien.
Gaulois, the Charlemagne and the
Bouvet advanced up the Dardanelles
and engaged the forts at closer range.
The forts J, U, f, and f replied
strongly. Their fire was silenced by
ten battleships inside the straits, all
the ships being hit several times dur
ing this part Of the action. As
Close Firing.
y s.D,, on ol1 <Lo fOrfc cp2SQ6 firing.
The Vengeance, the Irresistible, the
Albion, the Ocean, the sW1ftsure and
the Majestic then advanced to relieve
the six old battleships inside the
straits. AS the French squadron.
which engaged the forts in a most
brilliant fashion, were passing out.
the Bouvet was blown up by drift
ing mine and she sank in 80 fathoms.
north of Erenkui village, in three
minutes.
Damaged by Gun Fire.
at 2:3O, six relie1 battleships re-
newed the attack on the forts, which
again opened fire. The attack on the
forts was maintained while the op-
erations of the mine sWeepers con-
tinued. At :O9 the Irresistible quit
ted the line, listing heavily, and at
$50 sank, having struck drifting
mine. At eos, the Ocean also struck
mine and sank. Both sank in deep
water and practically the whole OF
their crews were removed under hot
fire. =. So
"The Gaulois was damaged by gun
fire. The Infiexible will require re-
pairs.
"The bombardment of the forts and
mine sweeping terminated when the
darkness fell. Damage to the forts
effected by the prolonged direct fire
of very powerful forces employed can
not yet be estimated and further re-
port will follow"
The British statement says the Ll''
erations are continuing withsthe ll2-
val and military forces available on
the spot" 1t is believed thu damage
to the forts is extensive, as indicated
by the general assault from the 's"sa
Continued on Page Two.)