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A PRAYER FOR VICTORY.
"At 4 o’clock the ship’s company and the troops on board
assembled to hear the admiral’s proclamation to the combined force.
This was followed by the last service before the battle, in which the
chaplain uttered a prayer for victory, and besought the Divine blessing
for the expedition, all the men standing with uncovered, bowed heads.
STEAMING TO THE RENDEZVOUS.
"At dark all the lights were put out, and the troops rested for
their ordeal at dawn. It was a beautiful calm night, with a bright,
half-moon.
THE LAST HOT MEAL.
"By 1 o’clock in the morning the ships had reached their
rendezvous, five miles from the intended landing place. The soldiers
were aroused, and served with their last hot meal before landing. The
Australians, who were about to go into action for the first time under
trying circumstances, were cheerful, quiet, and confident, and there was
no sign of nerves or excitement.
THE FIRST LANDING.
"As the moon waned, the boats were swung out. The Australians
received their last instructions, and these men, who only six months ago
were living peaceful, civilian lives, began to disembark on a strange,
unknown shore, and in a strange land to attack an enemy of a different
race.
"Each boat, which was in charge of a midshipman, was loaded with a
great rapidity in absolute silence, and without a hitch, and the
covering force towed ashore by the ships' pinnaces. More of the
Australian brigade were carried aboard torpedo-boat destroyers, which
were to go close inshore as soon as the covering force had landed.
"At 3 o’clock it was quite dark, and a start was made towards the
shore with suppressed excitement. Would the enemy be surprised, or be on
the alert?
"At 4 o’clock, three battleships, line abreast and four cables
apart, arrived 2,500 yards from the shore, with their guns manned and
their searchlights in readiness. Very slowly, the boats in tow, like
twelve great snakes, moved towards the shore. Each edged towards each
other in order to reach the beach four cables apart. The battleships
moved in after them until the water shallowed. Every eye was fixed on
the grim line of hills in front, menacing in the gloom, and the
mysteries of which those in the boats were about to solve.
"Not a sound was heard, not a light seen, and it appeared as if the
enemy had been surprised. In our nervy state the stars were often
mistaken for lights ashore.
THE ENEMY’S FIRST ALARM.
"The progress of the boats was slow, and dawn was rapidly breaking
at 4.50 when the enemy showed alarm for a light which had flashed for
ten minutes then disappeared. The boats appeared almost like one on the
beach. Seven torpedo-boat destroyers then glided noiselessly towards the
shore.
"At 4.53 came a sharp burst of rifle fire from the beach. The sound
relieved the prolonged suspense which had become almost intolerable. The
rifle fire lasted a few minutes, and a faint British cheer came over the
waters, telling us that the first position was won.
"At three minutes past 5 the fire was intensified. By the sound of
the reports we could tell that our men were in action. The firing lasted
for 23 minutes, and then died down somewhat.
A TERRIBLE FUSILLADE.
"The boats returned, and a pinnace came alongside with two
recumbent figures on deck, and a small midshipman, who cheerfully waving
his hand said, "With shot through the stomach." The three had
been wounded in the first burst of musketry. The boats had almost
reached the beach when a party of Turks, who were entrenched on shore
opened a terrible fusillade from rifles and Maxim guns. Fortunately,
most of the bullets went high.
RUSH FOR THE TRENCHES.
"The Australians rose to the occasion. They did not wait for
orders, or for the boats to reach the beach, but sprang into the sea,
formed a sort of rough line, and rushed at the enemy’s trenches. Their
magazines were not charged, so they just went in with the cold steel,
and it was over in a minute for the Turks in the first trench had been
either bayoneted or had run away, and the Maxim guns were captured.
A CRITICAL MOMENT.
"Then the Australians found themselves facing an almost
perpendicular cliff of loose sandstone covered with thick shrubbery.
Somewhere half-way up the enemy had a second trench strongly held, from
which there poured a terrible fire on the troops below and on those
pulling back to the torpedo-boat destroyers for a second landing party.
SCALING THE CLIFFS.
"Here was a tough proposition to tackle in the darkness, but these
Colonials are practical above all else, and went about it in a practical
way. They stopped for a few minutes to pull themselves together, got rid
of their packs and charged the magazines of their rifles. Then this race
of athletes proceeded to scale the cliffs, without responding to the
enemy’s fire. They lost some men, but did not worry. In less than a
quarter of an hour the Turks had been hurled out of their second
position, all either bayoneted or fled.
THE WRONG LANDING POINT.
"As daylight came it was seen that a landing had been effected
rather further north of Gaba Tepe than had originally been intended, and
at a point where the cliffs rise very sheer. The error was a blessing in
disguise, for there were no places down which the enemy could fire, and
the broken ground afforded good cover once the Australians had passed
the forty yards of the flat beach.
A RUGGED COAST LINE.
"The country in the vicinity of the landing looked formidable and
forbidding. To the sea it presents a steep front, broken into
innumerable ridges, bluffs, valleys, and sandspits, rising to a height
of several hundred feet. The surface is bare, crumbly sandstone, covered
with shrubbery about six feet in height.
SNIPERS AT WORK.
"It is an ideal place for snipers, as the Australians and New
Zealanders soon found to their cost. On the other hand, the Colonials
proved themselves adept at this kind of warfare.
"In the early part of the day heavy casualties were suffered in the
boats conveying the troops from the torpedo-boat destroyers, tugs, and
transports. The enemy’s sharpshooters, who were hidden everywhere,
concentrated their fire on the boats.
"When close in, at least three boats broke away from their tow, and
drifted down the coast without control, and were sniped at the whole
way, and were steadily losing men.
"The work of disembarking proceeded mechanically under point blank
fire, but the moment the boats touched the beach the troops jumped
ashore and doubled for cover. From hundreds of points this went on
during the landing of troops, ammunition, and stores.
"When it was daylight the warships endeavoured to support the
landing by heavy fire from their secondary armaments, but, not knowing
the enemy’s position, the support had more of a moral than a real
effect.
AT DAYLIGHT.
"When the sun had fully risen we could see that the Australians and
New Zealanders had actually established themselves on the ridge, and
were trying to work their way to the northward along it. The fighting
was so confused, and occurred on such broken ground that it was
difficult to follow exactly what had happened on the 25th
April, but the task of the covering forces had been so splendidly
carried out that the Turks allowed the disembarkation of the remainder
to proceed uninterruptedly, except for the never-ceasing sniping. But
then the Australians, whose blood was up, instead of entrenching, rushed
to the northwards and to the eastwards searching for fresh enemies to
bayonet. It was very difficult country in which to entrench, and they
therefore preferred to advance.
THE COVERING FORCE CHECKED.
"The Turks only had a weak force actually holding the beach, and
relied on the difficult ground and the snipers to delay the advance
until reinforcement came. Some of the Australians and New Zealanders who
pushed inland were counter-attacked and almost outflanked by oncoming
reserves, and had to fall back after suffering heavy losses.
"The Turks continued to counter-attack the whole of the afternoon,
but the Colonials did not yield a foot on the main ridge.
"Reinforcements poured up from the beach, but the Turks enfiladed
the beach with two field guns from Gaba Tepe. This shrapnel fire was
incessant and deadly, and the warships vainly for some hours tried to
silence it.
"The majority of the heavy casualties received during the day were
from shrapnel, which swept the beach and ridge where the Australians had
established themselves. Later in the day the Turkish guns were silenced,
or forced to withdraw, and a cruiser, moving close in shore, plastered
Gaba Tepe with a hail of shell.
HOLDING THE GROUND.
"Towards dark the attacks became more vigorous. The enemy were
supported by powerful artillery inland which the ships' guns were
powerless to deal with. The pressure on the Australians became heavier,
and their lines had been contracted.
"General Birdwood and his staff landed in the afternoon, and
devoted their energies to securing the position, so as to hold it firmly
until the next morning when it was hoped to get the field guns into
position.
TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES.
"Some idea of the difficulties in the way can be gathered when it
is remembered that every round of ammunition and all the water and
stores had to be landed on a narrow beach, and carried up pathless hills
and valleys several hundred feet high to the firing line. The whole of
the troops were concentrated upon a very small area, and were unable to
reply, though exposed to a relentless and incessant shrapnel fire which
swept every yard of ground. Fortunately, much of it was badly aimed or
burst too high.
"The most serious problem was the getting of the wounded to the
shore for all those unable to hobble had to be carried from the hills on
stretchers; then their wounds were hastily dressed, and they were
carried to the boats.
NOT FOUND WANTING.
"The boat parties worked unceasingly the entire day and night.
"The courage displayed by these wounded Australians and New
Zealanders will never be forgotten. Hastily placed in trawlers,
lighters, or boats, they were towed to the ships, and, in spite of their
sufferings, they cheered the ship from which they had set out in the
morning."
In fact, I have never seen anything like these wounded Colonials
in war before. Though many were shot to bits, and without hope of
recovery, their cheers resounded throughout the night and you could see
in the midst of a mass of suffering humanity arms waving in greeting to
the crews of the warships. They were happy because they knew they had
been tried for the first time, and had not been found wanting.
A STAND AS WORTHY AS MONS.
"For 15 mortal hours the Australians and New Zealanders occupied
the heights under an incessant shell fire, and without the moral and
material support of a single gun from the shore. They were subjected the
whole time to violent counter-attacks from a brave enemy, skillfully
led, and with snipers deliberately picking off every officer who
endeavoured to give the command or to lead his men. No finer feat has
happened in this war than this sudden landing in the dark, and the
storming of the heights, and, above all, the holding on whilst the
reinforcements were landing. These raw colonial troops, in these
desperate hours, proved worthy to fight side by side with the heroes of
the battles of Mons, the Aisne, Ypres, and Neuve-Chapelle.
THE NEXT MORNING.
"Early on the morning of April 26 the Turks repeatedly tried to
drive the Colonials from their position. The latter made local
counter-attacks, and drove off the enemy with the bayonet, which the
Turks will never face.
"The Turks had been largely reinforced over night, and had prepared
a big assault from the north-east, and the movement began at half-past
nine. From the ships we could see the enemy creeping along the hilltops,
endeavouring to approach under cover. The enemy also brought up more
guns, and plastered the position with shrapnel, while their rifle and
machine-gun fire became unceasing.
THE WARSHIPS JOIN IN.
"Seven warships crept close in, with the Queen Elizabeth
further out as a kind of chaperone. Each warship covered a section, and
opened a terrific bombardment on the heights and valley beyond.
"As the Turkish infantry advanced they were met by every kind of
shell our warships carry from "Lizzies" (18-inch shrapnel) to
12-pounders. Their shooting was excellent, yet, owing to the splendid
cover they had, the Turks advanced gallantly, while their artillery not
only shelled our positions, but tried to drive off the ships.
AS SEEN FROM THE DECK.
"The scene at the heights of the engagement was sombre and
magnificent. It was a unique day, and perfectly clear. We could see down
the coast as far as Seddul Bahr. There the warships were blazing away,
and on shore the rifle and machine-gun rattle was incessant. The hills
before us were ablaze with shells, while masses of troops were on the
beaches waiting their turn to take their places in the trenches.
THE TURKS REPULSED.
"The great attack lasted for two hours. We received messages that
the fire of the ships was inflicting awful losses on the enemy, and then
there came the flash of the bayonet in a sudden charge of the Colonials,
before which the Turks broke and fled, amidst a perfect tornado of
shells from the ships. They fell back sullen and checked, but they kept
up an incessant fire throughout the day. The Colonials, however, were
now dug in.
"Some prisoners were captured, including officers, who said the
Turks were becoming demoralised by the gunfire, and the Germans had had
difficulty in getting them to attack."
LATEST NEWS
A WEEK'S WORK
BOMBARDING THE FORTS
THE AUSTRALIANS PUSHING ON
LONDON, May 6
The "Daily Chronicle" has received the following additional
message regarding the fighting at the Dardanelles, dated "Before
Gallipoli, Sunday," from its special corespondent: —
"The most prominent feature since my last message has been the
great damage done to the forts at the Narrows by the guns of the fleet
and the artillery of the land forces. Maidos is still on fire.
"On Friday afternoon the Queen Elizabeth was getting most
destructive shots in at Boghali Kalesai, opposite Nagara, until the
place caught fire. Chanak was on fire by midday on Saturday. It is
evident that the fleet is making considerable progress.
"The Australians and New Zealanders are pushing on towards the
coast between Maidos and Boghali. The ‘pitter-patter’ of the
machine-guns on the hills can be clearly heard from Aegean Sea.
"The battleships at the entrance to the Dardanelles late on
Saturday shelled the positions inland to facilitate the progress of the
French at Kum Kale, on the Asiatic side.
"The week’s progress is amply satisfactory in every way."
THE BRITISH FORCES.
"UNSURPASSED COURAGE AND SKILL.
"THE ATTACK BEING PRESSED.
LONDON, May 6
"In reply to a question asked by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr.
Bonar Law), in the House of Commons today, the Prime Minister (Mr.
Asquith) gave a detailed account of the landing of the British and
French forces at the Dardanelles.
"He said it commenced at three important points simultaneously on
April 25, in the face of much opposition from entrenched infantry and
artillery. By the nightfall 29,000 men had been landed. The Indians were
held up for the whole day, but eventually succeeded by a fine attack, in
taking up a position which enable them to cover the disembarkation of
the remainder of their forces.
"The landing of the Australians and New Zealanders was opposed by a
heavy fire at point-blank range, but the troops carried the Turkish
position with a rush. The attack was pushed forward with the greatest
dash.
"The French landed on the Asiatic side, and advanced with great
gallantry.
"The whole landing was magnificently supported by the naval forces.
The losses during the operation were heavy.
"The disembarkation continued the next day (April 26). Every
Turkish attack was repulsed, and the troops were, by April 27, firmly
established across the peninsula. The New Zealanders and Australians
defeated every counter-attack.
"By May 2 the position had everywhere been consolidated. The
successful performance of this difficult operation in the face of
determined opposition displayed unsurpassed courage and skill on the
part of the troops. Operations are now being continually pressed on
under highly satisfactory conditions."
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