World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula
This morning Asia’s guns have not worried us so far, but the batteries
in front of Achi Baba are very active, and are worrying the troops in
the valley very much. The sound of bursting shrapnel reminds me of the
spit and snarls of angry cats. Our artillery is quiet. Rumour says that
another enemy submarine has been accounted for, but the one that came
in yesterday morning is still at large, and consequently our Fleet is
unable to come and help us. At two o’clock H.M.S. _Prince George_ is
sighted off Imbros, surrounded by twelve destroyers and preceded by
seventeen mine-sweepers. It was a very impressive sight to see—all
these destroyers and sweepers jealously guarding the great ship from
submarine attack.
She takes up a position opposite the Asiatic coast, well out from the
mouth, and then opens fire with all big guns on the Turkish batteries
on Asia in position opposite Morto Bay. We enjoy seeing the pasting
that she gives them, her big guns rapidly roaring away and belching
forth spurts of flame and buff-coloured smoke. Everybody imagines that
every Turkish gun must be knocked out. After four hours, she leaves
with her retinue of smaller ships. Half an hour after, one big gun
on the Asiatic side opens fire on to “V” Beach, and simultaneously a
heavy Turkish attack on our left starts, supported by a tremendous
bombardment from Turkish artillery. The fight lasted all night, and
ended about six in the morning. Their infantry left their trenches very
half-heartedly, and our machine-guns accounted for a heavy toll of
enemy casualties.
_June 19th._
We gave way at a part of our line last night, but regained the ground
later in the early morning, and our line is still intact, and as we
were. We lost heavily, but Turkish losses were enormous.
Captain Usher, my Staff Captain, was killed this early morning in the
trenches by shrapnel, and I feel his loss awfully. He was always so
charming to me. It’s the “good-uns” that go, as Wilkie Bard says. I
am sure this war is too terrible to last long; it is simply wholesale
butchery, and humanity will cry out against it soon.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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