The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-06-11

downstream. They were quickly tow ed up to the ferry, manned again. the wounded rowers relieved, the wound ed Ks carried to the ambulance dug out under the bend The surface of the stream was churned with bullets.
 Then they began to shell us. But the pontoons threaded the fountain like spray with surprising immunity. There were many casualties from bull lets. but only one direct hit by a shell; the pontoon sank, but the crew were saved. The Ks pushed along under the bund and dispersed. the enemy's pickets., The first Turks we saw emerged from their dugouts and sur rendered. Within an hour we had got most of the rifle fire under. The
 machine gun was silenced. There were only shells now and the bullets Of few persistent snipers.
 In the meantime the Gurkhas were forcing a passage 100 yards down stream. the fGurkhas 500 yards be- low them. The distant sound of mus ketry heard between the bursting of shells told us they were not having an eAsy time. Tn both cases the river was swept by machine gun fire; both regiments ran up against strong points; the Turks lined the banks, threw grenades at the crews as they landed. and the fight developed into a bombing match between boats and shore.
 To realize the nature of the assault one should think of the bund as the parapet of the enemys trench-it was loopholed and had head cover. The Gurkhas had to land within from if teen to fifty yards of this and attack it; the gallant rowers had to land their draft and push off The boats
 made the shore at set distances apart. There was no quick shoulder to shoul- der rush to stimulate elan Each landing was an individual piece of in ittatfve and heroism- gallantry in cold blood. Judged hy any other standard than that of mere bulk it was as great a thing as the landing at Helles, and it will be as historic In face of all opposition the two regiments established a footing on the north bank. But, as one by one the rowers were killed or wounded and the boats stranded and drifted down stream, No. 2 and ferries had to be abandoned. A company and a half of each battalion had got across, and they hung on in spite of rifle,
 machine gun and intense artillery
 
 to cross, moved upstream when the boats were lost to No. 1 ferry, and
 re-enforced them from the point where the Ks had crossed. Later they formed part of the line that swept the Turk from the bend
 To return to No. 1 ferry: At 8 o'clock six galloping mules brought up the first wagon of the bridging train. Chesses, buoys, ropes anchors, cables were flung on the ground, and party of sappers rushed up and down putting in the stakes of the first
 land anchorage. Then the pontoona came up one by one on carts, az u swinging canter, landmarks for miles. An hour passed and the Turkish gum
 ners had not discovered the bridge
 work. They had registered on the head of the nullah 150 yards down. stream where the Ks had crossed. and they kept on smelling it till even ing. Apparently they had no forward observation officer. no telephone wire. At 10 o'clock one could stand in the fifteenth pontoon well advan- ced in the stream as secure as one ever IS at the edge of a small scrap. had imagined a tornado of shells, pictured one relay of sappers reIiev- ing another as it was shot down. be- lieved that so many pontoons must
 be paid for with so much blood. Each one as it was driven into it's place sounded the doom of the Turkish ar my Yet this crossing. the most vital thing in the campaign, was carried through as smoothly almost as if we were on maneuvres. Later on their howitzers swept the bank and the stream in their search for the bridge.
 But it was too late; they were begin
 ming to think of saving their own guns. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, eight hours after driving in the first
 land anchorage, the bridge was com
 plete and our troops and transports
 were pouring over It was a great feat. The stream here at the narrow
 est point in the bend was .285 yards wide.
 l. In the meantime the infantry had
 advanced to ridge astride the bend. sweeping the enemy before them. Six hundred prisoners were taken. The main artery of their system was se vered Our Sanna-i-Yat troops. who
 had carried the first three lines of trenches, followed up without further opposition. NKut, for so many months the lodestar of the British and In-
 dian soldier became a mere incident in the advance.