World War, 1914-1918 -- Campaigns -- Turkey -- Gallipoli Peninsula
The bombardment in no way seems to slacken, but I clearly see the
range increased, and hear the officer behind me commanding the two
60-pounders, which are in action just near, to increase the range. I
watch carefully, and as the smoke and dust quickly clear away from
the redoubt and Turkish front line, which had been subjected to this
terrible ordeal for two solid hours, I hear a roar of musketry, mingled
with the excited, rapid reports of machine-guns. I actually see, in
one part, a line of blue spurts of flame, a curious effect, caused
by the dark background of gorse and trees. And then the sun reflects
on hundreds of small metal discs, and I see leap as one man from our
trenches rows and rows of khaki figures, each equipped with a small
shining disc fastened on to his back. On they run, and swarm up the
redoubt like packs of hounds, and strangely—though perhaps I am too far
away—I see none fall.
The scene has passed: I have seen a gallant charge, made in the old
style. In five minutes it is over and become glorious history. The
bombardment continues, and the scene goes back to one of bursting
flame, yellow, green, white, and black smoke drifting away in the
strong breeze to the sea. The 60-pounders behind me steadily plunge
and recover as their charges are hurled forth on their destructive
journeys, with an ear-splitting roar. Suddenly over the din I hear a
familiar and fear-striking sound: it is the deep boom-_s-h-r-i-e-k_ of
“Asiatic Annie,” and her sister follows quickly after, and they are
endeavouring to get at the 60-pounders just behind and silence their
efforts. The 60-pounders take no heed, but go steadily on. They are
hard to hit, and are well dug in. I am directly in the line of fire,
and what missed them might get me, and so, after one shell bursts
damnably close, I abruptly slither down the slopes of the cliff into
the arms of two smelly Greeks, who have been sitting below me, shouting
now and again gleefully, “Turkey finished!”
Our camp gets a bad shelling. Two passers-by are killed, and one of our
transport men is buried in his dugout, and when dug out is found dead.
_4.30 p.m._
Have been at work on supplies; the firing has died down somewhat.
Wounded are arriving, and the stretcher-bearers are nearly dropping
with fatigue and heat as they carry their heavy burdens along to the
dressing stations on the beach. Prisoners are arriving. I count a
hundred, all looking frightened out of their lives; I heard we had
captured four hundred prisoners, three lines of trenches, the Boomerang
Fort, one four-gun battery, and twelve Maxim guns.
_6 p.m._
We are again bombarding heavily, and I hear my Brigade is attacking,
but cannot see anything but smoke and dust.
_8 p.m._
It has now quietened down somewhat, but Asia is sending shells over to
the 60-pounder battery once more.
_June 29th._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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