An appraisal of the real
difficulties attendant upon reducing the forts and batteries
lining the European and Asiatic shores, which determined the
Allies upon their present joint operations by land and sea, is
found in the subjoined dispatch, presented in part from E.
Ashmead-Bartlett, appearing in The London Daily Telegraph of
April 26. It is followed by full press reports from the
Dardanelles describing the difficult landing and establishment
of the Allied troops on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
Eastern Mediterranean, April 12.
The days of the Turk in Europe are numbered, but no one will deny that
he is dying hard and game. It came as a disagreeable shock to many to
read on the morning of March 19 that two British battleships and one
French had been sunk in the Dardanelles, while several others had been
hit and damaged.
We were told that the outer forts had been completely destroyed and that
the work of mine sweeping had made excellent progress. This news was
given in perfect good faith and was also quite true, but we built up on
it too great a structure of hope, but few realizing the immense
difficulties the fleet has had to face--obstacles which do not really
commence until the Narrows are approached.
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