ADVANCE ON ACHI BABA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLV, Issue 3993, 28 July 1915, Page 5

ADVANCE ON ACHI BABA.

■■ ■ ■" ■ THE GALLIPOLI CAMPAIGN.

TERRITORIALS' BRILLIANT CHARGE.

Mils TAKE INVINCIBLE REDOUBT.

A BRUTAL BLUDGEONING CAMPAIGN. STIRRING STORY BY MR. ASHMEAD BARTLETT.

( Fluted Press Association. — Copyright.) LONDON. July 20.^ \Lr Aslimead 'Bartlett reports from tlie Dardanelles that tne success of tlie 12th anti 13th was achieved after desperate lighting-. He says anyone who has not seen . the ground has no conception of the obstacles our heroic infantry have faced m gaming even a few yards of fresh soil. The Turks now realise that no infantry can withstand a bombardment with high explosives com :*titrated on a small section of the defence, and therefore will iraw most of their men at dawn to the communication trei hes whilst the bombardment lasts. ,>ur infantry are thus able to occupy two or three hues with yin;: | loss. A majority of the casualties occur after the trenches are won. The enemy knowingly plan their own trenches to attack with bombs through sans. .Fighting at close quarters parties get overfar forward, and are frequently lost for hours. It is o common occurrence for our men to gain possession of advanced trenches,, whilst, the Turks are still holding sections 0 f this ivne of warfare can be worked out with m-ihematic!;! exactness.* 3o many men must be sacrificed, so many shells and grenades to every hundred yards. It is biudo'con work, brutal and unattractive. 3 Victories at Aehi Dal.a cannot be won in a day any more than before Yores and Souclu'z:. Sections of the enemy s lines must be first pounded to pulp, then stormed and finally held against counter-attack. “ The Territorials are coming out of the fiery ordeal with a o- 1- catly-enhanced reputation and are settling down to the novel conditions. They have proved themselves first-class fighters oi great intelligence and dash. . . .. ~„ . , Burinc the first attack on the ivtli a lerrito.nal Liignde on the rio-ht assaulted and captured a third line of trenches, but failed to establish connection with the French on the right. Throughout the day our heavy guns were busy and a terrific bombardment was opened at 4 o'clock m the afternoon against, the left, where the Turkish line touened Achi Baba nullah I fie Turkish positions looked appallingly strong, like a giant-ploughed field successive trenches replacing the furrows. In addition, the Turks on the right held a regular rectangular redoubt perched on the edge of the ravine, down which they had placed concealed machine guns. At 4 o’clock in the afternoon every gun was turned on tne Turkish trenches and redoubt. High explosives threw up great masses of earth, sand bags, and wooden beams to an immense heio-ht Meanwhile not a Britisher or Frenchman was visible. °At 5 o’clock the artillery lengthened their fuses and concentrated the fire on dead ground, where the enemy was massing IGftC l At the same moment the Britishers leapt out of the trenches and surged forward to the great redoubt and network ot trenches. The scene resembled a picture from the Inferno. Our guns shelling the works near tlie rear made a background of carta and ' MII<I TIie «••round resembled a gigantic steaming cauldron. The •••allant Bri-nde noured into the thick vapours without besitator looking backward. Individuals were soon swa lowed up in the mist and it was only possible to discern black dots rusbin o- about and bayonets flashing m the shrouded sun and tin- continuous roar of musketry, the Turks resisting valiantly. When the smoke lifted, our men were everywhere m possession of the enemy’s trenches For a few minutes it looked as if the redoubt would give i rouble but the Scots never gave the Turks a _ chance and swarmed up the escarpment on all sides jumping in on top oi Ihe Turks and settling the argument with- the bayonet. Parties of Turks held cut for an hour and a half with eon--1 j unous and furious fighting, but our artillery made such a curlain of shrapnel that counter-attacks were impossible. «„„set‘the Brigade had captured all the works and attacked on the left, but were compelled to evacuate two of the captured trenches on the right. It was a great day for tnese soldiers who, despite the extreme neat and their difficult lash, fought like veterans. ' „ ~, „ , , ■, ■ • "The Turk has a partiality tor night fighting, when Ins inferiority in artillery is not apparent. Throughout the night of the 12th the rifle tiro was unceasing and at dawn the noise rose in a crescendo as the lurks brought up reinforcements and attacked our weary men through the communication trenches with bombs and bayonets.. The Scots fought gallantly,, but eoukln t maintain all the ground won and were driven nut of two trenches, but clung st übbornlv to the redoubt. . ~ ~ i i i At daybreak the staff examined the situation chiselv and decided to "give the enemy no rest, but to follow up with anothei >ij (aek. The two exhausted Brigades were accordingly v.ith-d'-u'wn ' the Naval division entering the front trenches. The Field Artillery, at 4 .o'clock m the afternoon opened and battered into a shambles flic Turkish trenches which aie now knocked almost beyond recognition in the high wind the bursting shrapnel threw up immense clouds of dust obscuring Our right moved forward at 4.30 p.m. amidst a terrible rifle lire, and regained the two trenches, but were held up at the third 1,1(1 TbevVlicn moved to the right, advancing a long distance and skirting the enemy works, but unable to enter them. Fi‘Hi tin o' on the right continued for three hours and was liirldenTrom view, so that it was impossible to know what was I,L ' Pl Our l attack on the left was completely successful and was conducted with the utmost skill and dash Our infantry simply swept over everything, bayonettmg all the Turks who did not succeed in escaping down the sap. . . .. . , , , Our boys finished their assigned task m a few mmiites, but Ihere was no stopping them and. they swept forward in small parties as if thev would never stop. Despite the-shells and bullets it looked as if they intended to assault a fresh position, but fortunately this premature advance was checked m time. The Turks on our left, thoroughly demoralised by the final charge, fled far to the rear to the foot of Achi Baba, our shells 11 lU^ At simset we.held the whole of the enemy’s left, which we •firmly consolidated during the night , , , ~ , , Despite every effort, on the right, we failed to take the last two lines of the Turkish defences, but we ccmsolidated the first rwo. We were opposed,By three of the best Turkish Regiments, of whom our infantry captured five. hundred. : "fyEitvlßiic Toilo2‘ts that ilio A.lli©s in "fciic lcist low JitW© ' -•» a interruptedly bombarded Turkish’ positions in the interior of ’•Hip Straits, endeavoring to destroy enemy batteries on the Asiatic' coast hindering tlm movement of the Allies m the region .«t Achi Babn.