[Illustration]
THE DARDANELLES
_COLOUR SKETCHES FROM GALLIPOLI_
WRITTEN AND DRAWN BY
NORMAN WILKINSON, R.I.
_With Thirty Full-Page Plates in Colour, reproduced from Water-Colour
Drawings made on the spot, and a number of
Black-and-White Illustrations_
SECOND IMPRESSION
LONGMANS, GREEN AND CO.
39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON
FOURTH AVENUE & 30TH STREET, NEW YORK
BOMBAY, CALCUTTA, AND MADRAS
1916
CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I FIRST IMPRESSIONS 1
II THE LANDING AT SUVLA BAY, AUGUST 6-7 9
III OFF THE LEFT FLANK AT HELLES 23
IV TRAWLERS IN THE DARDANELLES 34
V BEACH-PARTIES 42
VI SUBMARINES 50
VII WOUNDED 56
[Illustration: THE NUMBERS ON THIS MAP REFER TO THOSE COLOUR PLATES
WHICH ARE STARRED IN THE LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS]
LIST OF COLOURED PLATES
HELLES
_Facing
page_
*1. H.M.S. _THESEUS_ _Frontispiece_
This cruiser, 25 years old, which has now special arrangements for
withstanding submarine attacks, is supporting the Army off the left
flank. She is firing at Turkish gun emplacements, an aeroplane being
used to spot the fall of shot.
*2. SHELLS FALLING ON THE BASE CAMP AT HELLES 62
*3. OFF THE LEFT FLANK AT HELLES }
*4. MONITORS SHELLING YENI SHER VILLAGE AND ASIATIC } 64
BATTERIES }
*5. FRENCH FLAGSHIP _SUFFREN_ SHELLING ACHI BABA 66
*6. FRENCH FLAGSHIP _SUFFREN'S_ 12-IN. SHELLS BURSTING ON
WESTERN SLOPES OF ACHI BABA 68
*7. BALLOON-SHIP _HECTOR_ WITH KITE BALLOON UP, "SPOTTING,"
OFF THE LEFT FLANK 70
SUVLA BAY
*8. LANDING AT "A" BEACH, AUGUST 7, 5.30 A.M. 72
*9. TROOPS LANDING AT "C" BEACH, AUGUST 7 74
*10. "C" BEACH, AUGUST 8 76
*11. DRESSING STATION—"A" BEACH }
*12. SHIP'S BOATS GOING OFF TO A HOSPITAL SHIP WITH } 78
WOUNDED }
*13. H.M.S. _TALBOT_ IN SUVLA BAY SHELLING ENEMY RIDGES
AT DUSK 80
*14. SALT LAKE AND CHOCOLATE HILL 82
*15. LALLA BABA } 84
*16. LOOKING TOWARDS THE VILLAGE OF ANAFARTA }
*17. H.M.S. _SARNIA_ LANDING TROOPS IN SUVLA BAY 86
*18. SALT LAKE FROM CHOCOLATE HILL 88
*19. TRANSPORTS UNDER SHELL-FIRE—SUVLA BAY 90
*20. DRESSING STATION—"A" BEACH 92
*21. SUPPORTING SHIPS AT THE SUVLA LANDING } 94
*22. ANZAC }
*23. ANZAC 96
*24. MOTOR LIGHTERS } 98
25. GENERAL SIR IAN HAMILTON'S HEADQUARTERS }
26. SEAPLANE BASE 100
27. SEAPLANES AT KEPHALO 102
28. H.M.S. _EXMOUTH_ IN KEPHALO HARBOUR 104
29. SUBMARINE E11 AT KEPHALO 106
30. H.M.S. _BEN-MY-CHREE_ AT KEPHALO 108
31. HOSPITAL SHIPS AT KEPHALO 110
32. FRENCH FLAGSHIP _SUFFREN_ 112
33. HOSPITAL SHIP _AQUITANIA_ 114
34. SUBMARINE E2 RETURNING FROM THE SEA OF MARMORA } 116
35. MUDROS HARBOUR }
36. HOSPITAL SHIP _AQUITANIA_ AT MUDROS 118
THE DARDANELLES
CHAPTER I
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Before entering upon the subject of this chapter I cannot help a
passing allusion to the lack of pictorial records of this war—records
made by artists of experience, who actually witness the scenes they
portray.
Our descendants will surely regret the omission when they try to gather
an impression of the greatest war in history from the inadequate
material obtainable.
I do not lose sight of the fact that many professional artists are
fighting with our army in France and elsewhere. But life in the
trenches is so arduous that it is doubtful if many records will come to
us from this source.
The start of my journey was not at all what I had intended. I had
imagined myself busily sketching our departure and attempting to get
some of the delightful colour and abundant movement of the lower Thames.
In actual fact, I spent most of this time lying on a settee, trying to
overcome the effects of inoculation, though rather cheered, it is true,
by the thought of the annoyance set up amongst the millions of germs
inhabiting my system.
I made several efforts to go on deck, but was forced each time to give
in and return to my cabin.
This was the more annoying, as we were passing through what to any
traveller by sea, and to me especially, was the most interesting zone:
full of romance and mystery, with stories of sunken submarines, rumours
of nets and mines, and all the strange happenings of this strangest of
wars.
There was naturally a certain amount of speculation on the steamer as
to the possibility of attack by submarine: this new factor in modern
warfare, which, from a romantic point of view, has so largely conduced
to the elimination of spectacular fighting.
At the time of sailing we had heard of submarine activity in the
western entrance to the Channel, though the apparent indifference of
the passengers was a wonderful testimony to the calmness of the Briton
in the presence of a very real danger. However, hopes ran fairly high
that we might soon get into safe waters, as we were favoured with a
fairly heavy summer gale, which should, with luck, see us well round
Ushant and down the bay.
We were pushing along doing a steady ten knots with our fore-deck
frequently taking it green; but, well loaded as we were with general
cargo, the ship was wonderfully easy in motion. This was in comforting
contrast to a tramp-steamer close by, which looked as if she wanted to
see how far she could roll without turning over.
Ships bound for the Mediterranean and to other parts are more scattered
nowadays than formerly. Since the war they have avoided the recognised
trade routes. Probably there may be enemy submarines bound out to the
Eastern Mediterranean, but the likelihood of attack from these appeared
to us small. After all, they would surely reserve their stock of
torpedoes for a more important quarry, and, in any case, would hardly
be likely to advertise their presence before arriving in their intended
zone of operations.
During the night we passed a number of patrol boats keeping their
ceaseless vigil. The patrol service will, when the war is over,
undoubtedly reap the full meed of praise to which they are entitled.
It is utterly impossible for the landsman to grasp the soul-wearying
work on patrol vessels. Frequently of quite small tonnage, keeping the
seas in every kind of weather, not bound anywhere in particular, but
just slogging to and fro on a set beat, rarely thought of except by the
relatives and friends of those serving in them.
We reached Gibraltar in two or three days, during which time no alarms
from submarines disturbed our peace. The sight of the Rock for the
first time must frequently call forth an exclamation on the strangeness
of events which have enabled us to take and hold so fine a strategical
position. Isolated as it is from any other of our possessions, it has
certainly served us well in the Dardanelles campaign.
Malta was made in the early morning, and it certainly looked a gem set
in a sea of opal, although closer acquaintance found it stiflingly hot.
Our time here was short, as we were ordered to a vessel leaving early
next morning for Mudros, the base in the island of Lemnos. The ship
in which we took passage was one of an entirely new class, specially
designed for the destruction of submarines. On our passage up, a matter
of three days, a sharp lookout was kept, as we were now nearing the
danger zone. For some reason difficult to discover there appeared to be
a lull in the operations of these craft, due, probably, to the numerous
devices employed to restrict their activities. Nevertheless, continual
reports were coming in of their being sighted, and our Captain was
anxious to try the efficacy of his means of offence, but we were
disappointed or otherwise, according to our various temperaments, for
we sighted nothing suspicious.
On the third day a French destroyer, with whom we exchanged recognition
signals, steamed up to us for a closer inspection. This denoted our
close proximity to the great naval base from which the operations in
this theatre of war were largely conducted.
A distant view of Mudros, one of the finest natural harbours in the
eastern Mediterranean, showed a vast concourse of ships, which grew in
interest and numbers as we approached. Eventually we steamed between
lines of warships to an anchorage given us by signal. I have seen many
reviews and naval pageants, but nothing to compare, in interest, with
the assemblage of ships that we now witnessed. British battleships,
French battleships, cruisers of both nations; a Russian cruiser, the
_Askold_ (which had incidentally been badly hammered in the war with
Japan); destroyers, torpedo boats of all ages, submarines (some fresh
with the laurels of raids in the Sea of Marmora), North Sea trawlers,
tramp-steamers, transports, food-ships, motor-boats, Greek sailing
vessels, motor-barges for landing troops, private yachts taken over by
the Admiralty (the Admiral conducting operations being himself in one
of these), and endless other craft gathered from everywhere to assist
in the enormous undertaking of supplying food and munitions and to
guard the routes to the various other bases established in the islands
around. Towering above all the vessels could be seen the _Aquitania_
and the _Mauretania_, their immense bulk dwarfing every ship in the
harbour.
Ashore were camps in every direction, that of the French being the most
conspicuous, as, owing to its longer occupation, the ground had lost
every trace of vegetation and had become a vast arid mound, looking
terribly hot, with clouds of sand blowing continually across it.
The fact of so many battleships and cruisers being in the harbour
was an eloquent tribute to the moral influence of submarines. These
craft would appear to have been less active recently, whether as a
result of means taken to combat them (the sea is a maze of nets), or
whether from engine troubles or shortage of petrol, it is impossible
to say. On the other hand, they may hope to lull us into a sense of
false security, and thus to entice the larger ships out. Whatever the
cause, our belief in their inactivity is strengthened by the fact
that a number of warships are patrolling the seas continually without
interference.
We spent a few days in this port before an opportunity occurred to
get nearer to the area of hostilities. I was fortunate enough to be
appointed to a ship which left almost immediately for Kephalo, our base
in the island of Imbros, some ten miles distant from the enemy coast.
After a rapid passage through a sea studded with indicator nets, we
arrived at Kephalo. A fair enough anchorage, this, in summer, though
a practically continuous breeze from the north-east, sometimes of
considerable strength, is apt to make it uncomfortable for small craft.
The setting here is rather more picturesque than Mudros, by reason of
the smaller water area and higher hills on the northern side. Here
again a large concourse of ships was gathered, mostly transports,
though two vessels, the balloon-spotting ship _Hector_ and the
plane-carrying and repair ship _Ark Royal_, were of unusual interest.
The flagship _Exmouth_, with a large collier made fast on either beam,
was evidently determined not to allow the marauding submarine any
opportunity of repeating her _Majestic_ and _Triumph_ successes.
Nothing has been left undone to make Kephalo a safe anchorage. A
complete net-guard stretched across the harbour has up to the present
been effective in preventing submarine attack.