Page:EB1922 - Volume 31.djvu/1128

DARDANELLES DEFENCES

Nigara

Chanak Fortj

Armaments capprox] Helltt 2 9-2 Stddtl Bahr /> 10-2 Orthaailll 26-2 Kamtali 4 10-2. 1 S-t Dardanui 4 5-9 Soghandere

Midjitlieh 2 l! 4S-4S4 Hrniidich ii 2 14 in. Namaiish /Mm. I tO'l

1194.3 S-2.S S. Hamidiehi 2 14 in. 7 9-4 in. HaaiiiM Hi 214ia.lt-4 I 8-2.46-e

were begun at 8 A.M. Feb. 19 by the "Inflexible" (8 i2-in.), "Agamemnon" (Capt. H. Fyler 4 i2-in., 10 g-2-in.), " Corn- wallis," "Vengeance" (both 4 i2-in., 12 6-in.), "Triumph" (Capt. Maurice Fitzmaurice 4 io-in., 10 7-6-in.), "Bouvet" (2 i2-in., 2 io-8-in.), "Suffren" (4 i2-in., 10 6-4) and " Gaulois " (4 i2-in., 10 5'5-in.). The forts were apparently silenced, but when the ships closed in at 2 145 P.M. reopened fire, and were still firing on the Asiatic side when failing light put a stop to the operations. On Feb. 25 the operations were resumed with better results. The " Queen Elizabeth " (8 i5-in.) assisted by the " Agamemnon " put both guns of Cape Helles out of action and the " Vengeance " (Capt. Bertram Smith) and " Corn- wallis " (Capt. Alex. Davidson), running in, engaged it at close range. The Kumkale forts on the Asiatic side were silenced by the " Irresistible " (Capt. Douglas Dent), " Gaulois," " Suffren " and " Charlemagne," and by 5:15 P.M. all the outer forts were effectually reduced. The minesweepers proceeded in and swept a channel four miles up. The entrance was now clear and the " Albion" (Capt. Algernon Heneage), " Majestic" (Capt. H. F. Talbot) and " Vengeance " entered on Feb. 26 and engaged Fort Dardanus (E) on the right-hand side halfway up to the Narrows. But the outer forts were merely the outworks of the defences. The real obstacle loomed ahead at the Narrows, where a channel only a mile wide was commanded by a score of batteries, mounting at least 9 i4-in. guns and three times as many io-in. and g-in.

March 3 to March 17 was occupied with attempts to sweep the channel by night and reduce the forts by day. On March 3 the " Irresistible," " Albion," " Prince George " (Capt. Alex. Campbell) (all 4 i2-in., 12 6-in.) and " Triumph " resumed the attack on Fort E and the sweeping operations continued. It was here, however, that the principal shortcomings arose. The minesweeping force had neither the training nor the vessels required for their colossal task. On March 5 the " Queen Elizabeth " opened indirect fire on the Kilid Bahr forts, shelling them overland from the western side of Gallipoli and apparently putting Hamidieh ii. out of action. Indirect fire was continued the next day on Hamidieh i. and ii. at 21,000 yd. while the " Vengeance," " Albion," " Majestic," " Prince George " and " Suffren " inside the Straits engaged Forts E and F halfway up the Narrows. The weakness in aircraft and trained ob- servers began to show itself when three officers were injured and two seaplanes disabled in two days. On the 7th the " Gau- lois," "Charlemagne," "Bouvet" and "Suffren" engaged Fort E (Dardanus) while the " Agamemnon " and " Lord Nelson " (Capt. J. D. McChatock) went up and engaged Med- jidieh and Hamidieh i. in the Kilid Bahr group on the north side of the Narrows at 14,000 yd., apparently silencing both. Meanwhile the progress of the minesweepers was poor. The

trawlers unable to go more than four knots against the current were an easy target for the guns. On March 10 the mine- sweepers went up at night supported by the " Amethyst " (Comm. G. J. Todd) and " Canopus " (Capt. H. S. Grant). Two trawlers were hit by 6-in. shell and one sunk by a mine. At home the First Lord was growing impatient and on March n sent a telegram to Vice-Adml. Garden urging a decision and suggesting that the forts at the Narrows could be overwhelmed by the fire of the fleet. It was clear that in his case the idea of a gradual reduction of the defences had given place to that of a shock attack. Everything now hinged on clearing the mine- fields. The trawlers could not face the fire but on the night of the I3th seven of them and five picket boats manned by volun- teers made a determined effort, as far as their lack of training would permit, to sweep the channel, supported by the " Ame- thyst " and " Cornwallis." They steamed up in line ahead on the European side, and at 3 150 A.M. were shooting their sweeps when six powerful searchlights shone out on them. The " Ame- thyst " opened fire on the searchlights and came under a heavy fire. A 6-in. shell carried away her wheel shafting, and after receiving nine hits she was forced to retire with 22 killed and 38 wounded. The trawlers were driven back under a tornado of fire. This effectually demonstrated the difficulty of sweeping under fire by night and it was decided to attempt it by day under cover of a bombardment. Vice-Adml. Garden's health had broken down and the final attack took place on March 18 under Vice-Adml. John de Robeck. He had with him the " Queen Elizabeth," "Inflexible," "Agamemnon," "Lord Nelson" and 14 older battleships.

It was a clear sunny day when the force mustered for the final attempt. At 10:45 the " Queen Elizabeth," " Inflexible," " Agamemnon " and " Lord Nelson " engaged the Kilid Bahr and Chanak batteries while the " Triumph " and " Prince George " engaged the forts halfway up at Soghandere (F), Dardanus (E) and Kephez. After a bombardment of about an hour and a half the French battleships " Bouvet," " Charlemagne," " Gau- lois " and " Suffren " advanced as far as Kephez and engaged the Narrows forts at about 9,000 yards. The forts ceased firing for a time. The " Vengeance," " Irresistible," " Albion," " Ocean," " Swiftsure " (Capt. C. M. Lefroy) and " Majestic," after relieving the six old battleships previously engaged, renewed the attack at 2:36 P.M. while minesweepers continued their operations. Up to this point the day had been going fairly well though the " Inflexible " had been badly hit at 1:15 P.M., her fo'c'sle set on fire and her control station put out of action. Then came the denouement within one short hour. As the " Bouvet " was retiring, she was struck by a mine or shell and in two minutes turned turtle and sank with most of her crew. At 4 P.M. the " Inflexible " struck a mine and was forced to retire. At 4:15 the " Irresistible " struck another; the " Ocean " went to help her and struck another at 6:05 P.M. and both went down, though their crews were saved. All this happened in Arenkoi Bay four or five miles from the entrance on the Asiatic side, where mines had eith?r been laid by a Turkish minelayer on March 8 or may have drifted down from the minesweepers.

The " Suffren " and " Gaulois " were also injured so severely as to require docking. Three ships had been sunk and three disabled, putting one-third of the force out of action before the minefield had been swept. De Robeck had attempted too much. To force a channel defended by a strong minefield and heavy batteries remained to the end of the war a tactical propo- sition of the first magnitude which was too much for the Germans in the Gulf of Finland and was beyond the compass of the force at De Robeck's disposal. The minesweeping force was an extemporized force of trawlers which attempted to perform a task of exceptional difficulty with no special experience, no special vessels, no special appliances and no special training for the work. The minesweepers and minesweeping talent required for the task had been retained at home. Success at the Dardanelles was sacrificed to the integrity of the Grand Fleet. Lord Fisher would not agree to a renewal of the attempt and there is no reason to believe that a further attempt with