Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-03-25
RESULT OF TREMENDOUS
EFFORTS MADE by, ALLIES

EFFORTS MADE by, ALLIES
DARDANELLES, Thursday, March
IS tvia Constantinople and Berlin
March Fl. and London, March %. 1:l5
T. M).-One French battleship. the
Houvet, sent to the bottom; one Brit
ish bat;lcship. name unknown az vet
TO observers on shore, driven on the
leach and battered to pieces, and three
other ships OF the allies SO damaged
that it was found necessary to take
them out OF action, nld the Turkish
forts not yet silenced and suffering
only nominal losses-these are details
or the result Of the tremendous Of.
rorts made by the allied fleet on March
Is to force the passage of the Darda
nclles
Ihe action lasted nearly seven hours
durlng which time there was "A terrific
cannonadc from the ships and rbe
1orts. The fire from the warships at
times was exceedingly severe but the
turkish gunncrs maintained their pre-
cision wonderfully. even when literal
~ buried in the earth and debris which
'he exploding shells from the warships
'hre" broadcast over their positions
me aihes put In an appearance at
about 1850 in the morning. ,browine
their hrst shells in the town of Chanak
haiessi Their vessels at this hour
numbered Tour French and five British
battleships a little later five other
hfi'lsh warships entered the bay, and
lhe bombardment rapidly became Won
derfully terrific and spectacular.
The correspondent of the Associated
Press had taken shelter in Fort Chimen-
iik, but he was driven out by shells to
u position OH hill outside the town
Even this hill already was burning in
Two places as result OF exploding
shells
IN beginning ftANGE
OF GUHNERS is EXCELLENT
In the beginning the range of the
British and French gunners was ey
ccllent. The correspondent saw shell
land fair on a corner OF Fort kales
Sultanie tower, and tear out n large
hole in the masonry. This routed out n
party of newspaper correspondents
While they were traversing Chanak-
kalessi several houses were Knocked
I" pieces by exploding shells The trlp
TO the town was accelerated by the
well-directed shots. While the cor
respondents were on the water front.
several large shells exploded 100 wards
away. and splinters from them filed
the air.
This attention from the British gun
ners was due to the fact that the party
Of correspondents was moving along
in the center Of body OF soldiers.
The fire from the warships soon be-
came general. one shcll buried itself
In the ground close TO the group Of OBJ
servers: fortunately in exploding IL did
no damage.
The hillside toward which the cor
respondents were making their way
finally was reached at about 1890 II
then was seen that the British had con
centrated their frc on the forts. The
noise OF the explosions and the replies
OF the Turkish batteries were deafen-
Ing. The area of fire was so extended
that at times the correspondents we're
unable TO find cover anywhere Ger
tn In vantage point. however, finally was
decided on, and from this position the
observers looked upon wonderful as
saut; the concentrated attack OF n
large group of modern battlcships
against well-built and well-defended
land fortificatlons.
SHIPS FIRE HEAVILY
AND CONTINUOUSLY
The British ships were firing heavily
and continuously. At times the smoke
was 80 thick that 1t completely blotted
out the horizon and totally enyeloped
the particular Turkish fort under fire:
but time and again the smoke cleared
and showed the Turkish position vir-
tually undamaged. The fire of the
Turks was apid and accurate, so much
so that the fire from the warships
began to be errRtic Many shots New
CONTINUED on Second Pagc.)