The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-11
Turkish Fleet in HarbOr Target
for Air Raiders.
War Office and Famed Cruiser
Suffer Direct Hits.
ALL RETURN, 300 MILE FLIGHT
Germans Push British Back 900
Yards in Belgium.
Capture User Dunes After Lev
cling British Defenses.

London, July 11.-An air raid on
the enemy fleet off Constantinop1e
was announced in an official British
statement today. Bombs were dropped
on the Turkish cruiser Sultan Selim,
formerly the German cruiser Goeben.
The damage to the vessel was not
given.
The war office at Constantinople
also was attacked and a direct hit was
attained by the British, who returned
without casualties.
Bombed at Height of 500 Feet.
The announcement follows:
"A report has been received from
the vice admiral in the eastern Medi-
terranean that on the night of Mon
day a successful attack was carried
out by the royal naval air service
against the Turkish German fleet
lying off ConstantinopIe in the Golden
Horn.
When the Goeben. surrounded by
warshipS. including submarines. had
been located an attack was made from
a height of 500 feet. Direct hits were
obtained on the Goeben and on other
enemy ships near here. Big explo-
sions took place on board them and
several fires were observed.
THE war office also was attacked
and a direct hit was obtained. The
enemy appeared to have been COM
pletely surprised, as until the bombs
had been dropped no anti-aircraft
batteries opened fire. Our force re-
turned safely, without any casualties.
The Golden Horn is a narrow inlet
of the Bosphorus, charting the main
part of Constantinople from Galata
and Pera. The air raid thus must
have brought the British naval filters
he cit nf Con a J1tinnT1R itself
The admiralty statement does not
mention from what point the British
ffers started their raid but it was
probably from some British war vessel
anchored in Aegean sea- The sea
planes must, therefore, have Travelled
at least 800 miles in the air over the
| Dardanelles and the sea of Marmosa
to nave accomplished their feat 90
! miles in each direction.
| The cruiser Goeben figured largely
in the news early in the war. She was
| in the Mediterranean when war was
declared and after escaping from ar
/ Italian port was reported to have beer
J sold to Turkey by Germany. On Sep
TENDER ?. 1914, however, the Goeber
was in an engagement in the Mediter-
ranean flying the German colors. A
month later when it was reported she
! had been very gravely damaged in this
fight, she was sold to Turkey and hel
name changed to the Sultan Jawu
Selim. She has been in port ever
since.
Penetrate British Line.
London July 1.-THE enemy pene-
trated the British position in Belgium
! on a front of 1,400 yarsd to a depth OF
| 600 yards, says an official British
statement today.
! In the advance the Germans reach
/ ed the right bank of the User near the
sea. The attack followed a twenty.
ho, l.aI- n n1,t on
defenses in the dunes sector near the
coast were leveled. The sector wa:
isolated by destruction of bridges ovel
the User.
tackled determinedly," the British
commander-in-chief reported. "Oul
dunes defenses were leveled and he
succeeded in penetrating our positions
on a front of 1 400 yards, reaching tt
the right of the User near the sea.
1.-The enemy penetrated the dune
= to a depth of 500 yards
Newport is about two miles from
the sea. at the extreme left of the
fighting line in Belgium. From Their
to the sea the terrain IS flat anG
sandy. The river Yser's mouth emp
ties into the ocean between Westendt
and Broeders-Duynen.
French Hold Back Enemy
Paris, July 1.-THE Germans at
tackled last night in the Woevre nortI
of F'lirey. Today's official statemen
says they were repulsed.
Repulse of German raids aroun,
Sapigneu. in the Champagne was re
ported in today's official statement /
number of prisoners We're taken.
On the left bank of the Mouse artil
lery fighting was active.
Hear Big Guns in London.
London. July 11.-One OF tn
heaviest big gun duels of the wa
ragged yesterday on the Belgian coasl
Sounds of the distant firing wer
heard in London from 6 o'clock in tn
/. morning until nearly midnight an
again today, beginning at dawn. L
some London suburbs tremors like
slight earthquake could be felt.