_LONDON, June 15.--There have been so many rumors recently that the
Allies had forced the Dardanelles that Sir James H. Dalziel asked
Premier Asquith this afternoon in the House of Commons if there was
any truth in such reports._
_"None whatever," was the reply. The Premier said that it was not in
the public interest to say anything now about the Dardanelles. "The
operations are of the highest importance," he added, "and they will be
pushed to a successful conclusion."_
_The following announcement concerning the operations was given out
officially today:_
The situation on the Gallipoli Peninsula has developed into trench
warfare. After our success on the 4th instant the Turks have evinced a
great respect for our offensive, and by day and by night they have to
submit to captures of trenches.
On the night of the 11th-12th of June two regiments of a British
regular brigade made a simultaneous attack on the advanced Turkish
trenches, and after severe fighting, which included the killing of
many snipers, succeeded in maintaining themselves, in spite of bombs,
in the captured position.
On the morning of the 13th a counter-attack was made by the Turks, who
rushed forward with bombs, but coming under the fire of the naval
machine gun squadron were annihilated. Of the fifty who attacked,
thirty dead bodies were counted in front of that part of our trenches.
The situation is favorable to our forces, but is necessarily slow on
account of the difficulties of the ground. The Turkish offensive has
sensibly weakened.