Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-03-27
ALLIED FLEET
Levels. FORTS
Battleships Make Progress
in Effort to Open
Dardanelles.
STRONG DEFENSES
DESTROYED BY GUNS
5Forts at Dardanus Destroyed and
Those q Kilid -eahr seriousIy DAM
aged, According 70 Report From
Athsns - Battle Fleet Decides on
Continuous Attacks, Big Ships Work.
ing in Relays.

Paris. March Z7-1e now mas Deen
established that the forts at Dardan-
Us have been destroyed and those at
Kilid Bahr seriously damaged by the
operations OF the allied feet in the
Dardanelles, says Hasas dispatch
from Athens, dated Friday.
Ships engaged in mine sweeping
were fred on at Erenkeui by Turkish
troops. but the batteries were said to
have been silenced by two battleships.
According to news from Mitylene
three British and two French warships
have anchored in the gulf OF Smyrna
with transports.
incsssans Pounding Planned.
Ata conference OF feet commanders
It was determined to begin methods
cal and incessant shelling Of the Turk
ish Gefenses. From four to five war
ships will enterythe strait each day,
withdrawing at specified intervals.
when they will be relieved by other
warships. BY pounding away IN the
steady fashion the attacking warships
win keep the Dardanelles defenders
busy and prevent the mounting OF new
4
on Wednesday night Turkish artil-
lery n Erenkui fred five shells and the
fort al Kilid Bahr also fred The
British vessels replied with twenty
rounds. To this the Turks made 60 ga.
ply.
From midnight until morning the
mine sweepers continued their work
sithoutS disturbance and with salts
factory results. despit violent storm.
Tleatina Mines chisf Menace.
British naval officers who paxticipat-
.aea ~ ropssnEkans laa1 waak In the
Ddfd2n3 . d ~ ~ 49, ceess1psn0snt
at Athens Tof the Reuter- Telegram
Company, have expressed the belief
that but for floating mines the narrows
of the Dardanelles would have been
forced March Is. the day the allied
fleet 80 fiercely bombarded the Turkish
forts on either side of the narrow wa
terway.
In the opinion Of certain British Off
GERS, the correspondent goes on that
the forts themselves would not be able
to bar the passage Of the straits. Fur
thermore the mine fields have been
considerably weakened. as many mines
were broken up during the last attack,
while others had been cast adrift by
storm.
The French battleship Gaulois and
the British battle cruiser Infiexible,
damaged in the recent action. have
been towed to well-sheltered bays,
where they are effecting repairs.
Some Of Forts Demolished.
There is good reason to believe. in
the opinion Of these officers. that
some of>the forts along the Dardanelles
have been demolished by the shells of
the warships.
Subjects Of the allied powers the
Reuter- correspondent goes on to say.
have been forced to quit the town Of
Dardanelles. otherwise known as
+ ChAnak, and their dwellings have been
plilaged by the Turks.
The authorities Of Constantinople
are forcing christians up to the age Of
Is to work on the defenses protecting
Constantinople along the heights on
both sides OF the Bosphorus. The coal
shortage In the Turkish capital is
acute. Many factories are closed and
the power stations Of the street car
service have been obliged TO smut down.,