The Observer from London, Greater London, England • 9

THE OBSERVER, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1915. FIERCE ATTACK THE BOMBARDMENT OF THE DARDANELLES. of General Joffre's retreat, may lead to an cistern battle of the Marne or to something equivalent in military effect. BOMBARDMENT OF THE DARDANELLES. service the whole excellent strategical railway system of Galicia, except in its southern corner.

There, however, and in the Bukowina, the Magyar and German troops have made bold advances. Emerging from the mountains into Southern Galicia they have captured Xa-dworna and Kolomea, which are linked up by a main line over the Carpathians with the railway system uf Central Hungary. The mountain-bred Tyrolese played the chief part in once more, driving the Russians altogether out of the valleys and gorges of the rugged Bukowina. Our Allies have thought it better vo abandon Kilid-BahrJ --V. i Y- 1.

S- sanifatfS. it I the Allied Fleets on Friday and yesterday. AT YTTTE-S GERMANS CHARGE WITH BAYONET. REPULSED WITH LOSS. HEAFIGHTINfrTNTHE-' VOSGES.

PARIS, Saturday. 'his afternoon's official communique says In Uelgium the enemy bombarded Nieupoti 'Bain5and the Dunes. His batteries wer effectively in thT attack directed yesterday against our trenches east ct Ypres. After an intenn bombardment of our positions they attacked with thejayonet, but they were repulsed, andpur artillery enveloped with its fire reserves svliich were to have supported ita attack. Thu-ficrmpp Intes were very high.

From the Lys to the Oise and on the. Alan cr in the region of Berry-au-Bac great artillery acttvityprevails. Kisconfirmed-that tha in the campaign in -the last few days have been considerable. According xtjit Amonta maAn hv TiriftnnAHi hattjLlinn Ts said UH been destroyed. un tne be tne ana of theda yesterday, the enemy delivered a -feurth counter-attSkaiainst the trenohei- whioh we took at Les Eparges.

This attack was beaten back, as were three preceding ones, by our afullciy firth In the Vosges the enemy continued unsuccessfully-his counter-attacks on Hill 607 (south of Lusse). At the Sattel (souttfof la iJecht) tliu enemy succcedctr-in gaining a footing on' the eastern (Reiciisackerkopf). The fighting COB- -tinues at this point, where we had an advanced-post. Rainand-anowarafrdluig "in iheVosges A semi-official Note issued here to-day says JZLrzr- It is necessary tocallpnblic-ttention, both in France and iu neutral countries, to the partrcrdar efforts made in, the German communiques of the distort the truth. It should be remarked that these efforts coincide with the reassembling of the Italian Parliament.

Similar attempts to distort the truth andtospread-lies took place, on the eve of the meeting of the Scandinavian Sovereigns some weeks -ago. Tho repetition of the proceeding makes it possible to realise its object, ana define its character." -A- Note published to-day on aerial warfare states that almost incessant rain, low clouds and itrnnr; wn.dT i hindered aerial betweenFebruary 7 and i'ebru- aryl5. The daily collaboration-of aviator and artillery has nevertheless at several point achieved results 'which it has been possible to confirm. Captive hirrmnn rrrnnnnnBan'fes have also made-the regulation of the' firing possible. Reconnaissances have been.

attempted with success, often under the most-' perilous conditions. To-night's official communique is follows In -Belgiirm whole front, aa far as and including Rhcims, -cannonades and fusillades. Our action continues in Champagne under good conditions. We have repulsed several counter-attacks and made f-alr hlt "Qrth of Perthes by occupying a- wood which the enemy had 8tronglyOTgBmaeon In the Argonne some engagements of little importance. At Los Eparges (south of after having repulsed a sixth -counter-attack by the enemy, we delivered a-fresh-attack, which enabled-us-to enlarge and -complete the progress- realised yesterday.

Ws took three machine-guns, two trench mortars, and made -200-prisonersin-cTudTng several officers. On the positions which we carried at Xon ge found dead bodies of soldiers belonging to five different -regiments. Beuter, GERMAN BULLETIN. STRONG ATTACKS BY IN FRANCE. ALLIES AMSTERBASL-Jgatrirday The official communique to-day says -Jii tliu Western war theatre and in Champagne, north of Perthes and north of Let Mends', theJrench yesterday attacked, with strong forces.

All attempts of the enemy to break through our lines failed. At smominor pointshe. enemy succeeded in jjenetrating into our' advanced trenches, whore fighting still continues. At the remaining points the enemy were repulsed with heavy losses. Tvortli of.

Verdun the French attack was also repulsed." Near a. heavy artillery enemy again- attacked and fighting continues. In the Vosges we stormed the enemy's main position on a height east of Sulsera. along a length of two kilometres, and also Reicheacker-Irnpf, writ, nf Minister. The fighting for a height north of Muhlbach still continues.

We occupied after fighting Metseral and Sonder-nach. In-the Eastern war theatre, in the sector north-west of Grodno and north of Suchavola, there is no of Kqlno the enemy has been thrown back to an ad vancea pjD3ition at Lomza. South of Myszyniec and north-east ef Prasspy8zand east of RnoinnT tlwto he hai fighTinKof only local importance. oniy local imp Sonth-of the Vistula there is nothing Reuter. GERMAN PEACETSLK: WHEN THE HAPPY GOAL IS KEACSQEDrn: AMSTERDAM, Saturday.

The NoTddeutscheAUgemek(e Zeitaog publishes 'an article headed War," in which', aJtec saying that the time has Hot. yet come to discuss this question the the-writer proceeds as oUows Firstjpf all there ooconejjinfof the war lMimely. to defeat-the in? iuch way tho-. we are iuro that no will ever dare our peace, in we hopejo devetop the life u1 ffmM. a free We must not allow thi itronr determination to.

win to be troubled bj dis- discussion wouldHnerttably-teadr sharp conflicts of party potties. -The time-lor discussion can -bejfetefhiined by military ovents. When the' frappy 101 is reached' the Imperial" Goernmett.wiU owa iriliwjut hieMi -tion disclose i tit' mMirWM with regard to peace." Reuter. The antecedents of the new situation of the Vistula are still obscure, it would be absurd to assume that faults were committed by Kuss'an strategy. For more clearness let us briefly recapitulate the beginnings.

Move mid counter-move throughout were dictated by good reasons, and on neither was the chess-play contempt though the Russian higher command has pieces without npcew.ari.y jeopardising its game. Hindenburg concentrated his efforts in vain on trying to bastfi through the Russian centre on th-Middle Vistula. There our Allies first fought him to a standstill, then tney oui-flanked him and menaced a vital lino of liis communications by advancing 111 rough the region beyond the north bank of the great Polish river, while at tin- same time they threatened more and more the whole long frontier of East Prussia. 'Thev occupied and laid waste that portion of the Kaiser's favourite province which lies eastward of the Jlazurian Lakes. The Kaiser and his staff next sent German troops into Hungary, with the design of breaking the Russian grip on i he Carpathians and dislodging thern from the central basis of their whole strategical position, Galicia.

But to keep as many German troops as possible engaged in the North and to make it as difficult as possible lor Uie xionen- to help the Hapsburgs, tl ..1 still ninrn strone round East Prussia. Then the larger nart of his forces north of the ist.uln-r can form no estimate of their minibe 1 nittflanlfP at widely varying' distances by the northernmost mesh of the German drateiriiriLl railways. Marshal von Jl lllt.1'- IKU i UMll 1.111 Russians fully expected him to take. He seized it with a secrecy, swiftness and power that doubtless surprised them. They must have been not unprepared rfitlmnwnt in itself, hut hardlv fur the considerable losses that attended it.

When all was ready some hundreds of thousands of German troops were (I nniin t.h Russians, heavily out numbering them, especially on the wings tln.ir Fsir.st.retehed disnositions. It seems probable that von Hindenburg tinned to break the Russian forces into two groat masses and to envelop first one and then the other. Uleariy ne aimed at a mighty and crushing coup, of some kind. In this, at least, he failed. Only one Russian division seems to have been overwhelmed.

This was the chief basis of the claim in the Berlin bulletins that sixty guns and 60,000 prisoners were taken in ten or twelve days' fighting. This claim as regards prisoners is in all likelihood much exaggerated, other wise it is hard to imagine why far larger numbers of Russian guns were not captured amid the deep, loose snow. The Berlin bulletins only burst-out into suspicious exultation when the pace of German progress had been severely checked or stopped at several points, and i-when immediate hopes of a far more sweeping and significant triumph had disappeared. The German Government warns East Prussian refugees not to return to their homesteads just yet. The Kaiser weeps because the desolating example set by his troops in Poland has been answered in kind upon his own territory.

VII. WARSAW AND THE CARPATHIANS. The Grand Duke rightly gives little information for the moment. On the one hand, there are grave possibilities of peril to our Allies. On the other hand, there is reasonable ground for thinking that the Germans, as on so many other occasions in East and West, may fail in reaching their main In the North, between the fortresses of Kovno and Grodno, runs the Nienien.

The Germans hardly seem to be in sufficient strength for carrying tne main passages of that river and marching for two or three days beyond so as to cut two of the three main lines of railway between Warsaw and St. Petersburg. The. enemy's heaviest effort seems rather to be directed from a new angle igainst Warsaw itself. For this purpose they must first reduce isovo-jefirgievsk at the confluence of the fistula and the Bug, and this is though be one of the strongest fortresses in jxistencc.

The enemy is within fifteen miles of it Bt Plunsk, but the Grand Duke has had nearly a fortnight to get ready for a stern emergency. If the group of railways and roads east of Warsaw and Kovo-Georgievsk fell into the enemy's hands, then, as we have repeatedly pointed out, the results would be fcerious. Of all that depends on this part of the struggle the- Russians are well aware. The railway facilities behind the whole of their present fighting front are good. Though all of us may well hold our breath until Fortune declares herself in the course of the colossal struggle now opening, we think the enemy on his new lines of attack against Warsaw is more likely to be stopped as firmly as he has been held upon tho nzura and the Rawka.

The situation along tho Carpathians is at least equally important, but upon the hule less doubtful. We cannot dwell to-day upon its details. It will be eucrngh to distinguish the broadly contrasted results in two different regions of tho fighting along the great mountain range. On one or the other side of the Main ridges the Russians either hold or block all the chief passes for a hundred niles. These passes are the Dukla, the Mezo Laborcz and the Lupkow, command in? a northern group of routes: then the Uszok, the Beskid, the Wyszkow and the rest, commanding a central group of communications.

Over the passes named, where cur Allies are more than holding their r' ii in furious fighting amidst snow and forest, run all the direct railways and roads to Przemysl and Lemberg. In other words, our Allies have still at their FORTS SHELLED BY ALLIED FLEET. TURKS OUTRANGED. ENEMY'S WORKS DAMAGED. AEROPLANES AT WORK.

THE PIRATES' NEW VICTIMS. BEITISH STEAMER TOKPEDOED. NORWEGIAN VESSEL MINED. GERMAN ATTACK NEAR YPRES. HEAVY FIGHTING IN THE VOSGES.

A British fleet, assisted by a strong French squadron, on Friday bombarded the Turkish forts at Cape Helles and Rum Kale at the entrance of the Dardanelles. The bombardment was renewed yesterday. The damage inflicted is not precisely known. Two forts, however, were seen to suffer considerably, while two others were frequently hit. According to Greek accounts, some forts were destroyed and a powder magazine was blown up.

In this operation the aerial wing of the Navy took a considerable part, the aeroplane ship Ark Hoyal being in attendance with a number of sea planes and aeroplanes. Yesterday the first British vessel to fall in the new era of warfare in augurated by the Germans was the Cardiff steamer Cambank. She was sunk off Amlwch without warning by a torpedo from a Get- man submarine. Several persons lost their lives. American opinion is still agitated con cerning the reply of the German Government to the United States Note.

The Press for the most part is hostile to the German contention. In the Western theatre of war the Germans have made a violent attack upon the Allies' trenches to the east of Ypres, pushing it home with the bayonet. They were repulsed with heavy loss. Artillery, as usual, was active, espe cially in the Champagne, where in the course of a few days the enemy has lost considerably, a battalion having been annihilated. In the Vosges heavy fighting con tinues.

There the enemy had a slight success. Messages reaching Amsterdam from Austrian sources show that the highest expectations have been aroused in Vienna by the re-occupation of the Bukovina. It is claimed that the Austrians now dominate the main routes to Lemberg. The Russians are said to be hastening reinforcements to the Bukovina frontier. OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.

The Secretary of the Admiralty makes the following announcement: Yesterday morning at 8 a.m. a British fleet of battleships and battle-cruisers, accompanied by flotillas, and-aided by a strong French squadron, the whole under the. command of Vice-Admiral Sackville H. Carden, began an attack upon the forts at the entrance to the Dardanelles. The forts at Cape Helles and Kum Kale were bombarded with deliberate long-Tange fire.

Considerable effect was produced on two of the forts. Two others were frequently hit, but being open earthworks it was difficult to estimate the damage. The forts, being outranged, were not able to reply to fire. At 2.45 p.m. a portion of the battleship force was ordered to close and engage the forts at closer range with secondary armament.

The forts on both sides of the entrance then opened fire, and were engaged at moderate ranges by Vengeance, Cornwallis, Triumph, Suffren, Gaulois, Bouvet, supported by Inflexible and Agamemnon at long range. The forts on the European side were apparently silenced. One fort on the Asiatic side was still firing, when the operation was suspended owing to failing light. No ships of the Allied Fleet were hit. The action has been renewed this morning after aerial' reconnaissance.

His 3- TaUan COPYRIGHTEOGRAPHIA" 55 ftf SWT L0KXIH.E& The map Indlcataa the two forta, Helles Majesty's aeroplane ship Ark Royal is in attendance with a number of seaplanes and aeroplanes of the Naval wing. GUNS DESTROYED. ATHENS, Saturday. British and French warships made a combined attack upon the Dardanelles forts yesterday morning. After a reconnaissance by the Allies' aeroplanes, twelve battleships and twenty torpedo-boat destroyers bombarded the forts from half-past nine until midday.

The Asiatic forts of El Hamideh and Kum Kale were destroyed. Fort Hegreul fired twelve shots without any success. At half-past four in the afternoon the Allies' Fleets resumed the bombardment and destroyed two Turkish 28-centimetre guns. The bombardment ceased at a quarter-past five. Central News.

ATHENS, Feb. 19 (delayed). The allied Anglo-French Fleet began a bombardment of the forts on the Asiatic side of the Dardanelles at 9.30 a.m. to-day. The forts, which did not Teply, were destroyed.

The squadron also attacked the forts on the European coast. Firing continues. Router. MAGAZINE BLOWN UP. ATHENS, Saturday.

The Allied. Fleet bombarded the Asiatic bank of the Dardanelles. A powder magazine blew up in the course of the bombani-ment. The forts replied in a lively manner, but without success. Exchange.

THE TURKISH VERSION. (From Our Own Correspondent.) AMSTERDAM, Saturday. A report from the Turkish headquarters states The English and Fflifich fleets have made an attack on the Dardenelles. Eight warships bombarded tho outer forts for seven hours, but could no; silence their batteries. Throe enemy ships weix? damaged.

The Turkish losses were one man killed and one slightly wounded. TURKISH CAMPS SHELLED. ATHENS, Feb. 18. A report, from Tenedos states that Allied warships yesterday bombarded lurkish camps on the coast opposite Tenedos.

The Turks replied without success. Beater. THE DARDANELLES. The Straits of the Dardanelles, whico separate Asia from Europe and connect the Sea of Marmora with the Mediterranean, are 35 miles in length and of breadth varying from one to four miles. At the entrance two miles separate the forts at Lape or Seddul Bahr, on the European side, and Kum Kale, on the Asiatic.

A current of about two knots flows towards the Mediterranean. Dot ting both sides are numerous other forte, more especially at the narrows between Kelid Bahr and Kalo Sultanieh, about twelve miles from the entrance. I here also the current runs more stronzlv, attaining a speed of ibout four miles an hour. Tho object of tho present operations is, of course, known only to tho Xavabiutliorities, and it mav possibly be surmised that they ai-e a preparation for an attempt to force he Dardanelles a very hazardous adventure, viewing tho character of the waterway and its defences. Of the latter little is known, but it, is suspected that they are not as formidable as the Turks would have us believe.

The last occasion on which an attempt was made to enter the Straits was during the war between Italy and Turkey in 1911-12. A tomedn flotilla ran un at niffiit about a mile 'ind a-half with the object of attacking the Turkish fleet lying to the cast ol KUid aahr. Tney were discovered and had to heat a retreat. They sustained but utue damage. FOOD CRISIS IN PRUSSIA.

PROTEST AGAINST THE PRICE OF POTATOES. AMSTERDAM, Saturday. The Chamber of Commerce at Bielefeld, Prussia, has protest against the increase in the price of potatoes. A fire has destroyed a considerable part of the Praust sugar factory at Danzig. The damago is estimated at two million marks.

A serious explosion occurred in the Judittem gas works, near Konigsberg. A number of persona were killed or injured. Central News. ORDERS TO SOW CROPS. MEETING THE FOOD SCARCITY IN AUSTRIA.

VENICE, Saturday. The appeal issued by the Austrian Minister of Agriculture a few days ago, urging farmers not to leave even the smallest piece of ground uncultivated, has now been followed by a peremptory decree by the Government', ordering landowners to sow immediately every available plot of their ground with spring corn. Where there is any insufficiency ol labour owing to the DeasanU havme lomed the army the local authorities are empowered to furnish-the necessary "heln and to recover the expenditure incurred from the sale of the crops. Failure to comply with tne decree will be severely punished by heavy fines and imprisonment. iteuier.

SWT1 'ToUe even the ca-ph-u Czernowitz and to p-treat to the edge of their own frontier, planing the river Pruth between them 1 -1 i ana uie enemy, tnus trio Austrians are again along the northern Roumanian frontier, 1'his tact, so long as it remains unaltered, may be expected to have a restraining innuence on Bucharest. Too much importance, however, must not be. attached to the fact itself. The Austrians cannot hold the Bukowina unless they can maintain them' selves in the neighbouring corner of Galicia, wnere their position is very far from being assured with onlv a single line of railway to depend upon wfiiic strong Kussian forces are concentrating in front of them If Warsaw and the covering line of fortresses linking the Vistula and the Niemen can bo held in the north, the Hapsburg armies are more likely to be driven back once more across the whole linie of the Carpathians than to reoccupy Przemysl and Lemberg. They have as yet only brushed the fringe of the problem of reconquering Galicia.

For the Russians up to now every step back wards, both in the northern and southern area of tho operations, has positively increased their fighting strength by improving their facilities for the assem bling, the supply and tho lateral move ment. of troops. We shall do well to share the unmoved confidence and resolution of our Allies. VIII. SEA-POWER AND THE DARDANELLES.

That confidence will be increased by tho stirring news which comes as we write. The bombardment of the forts at the entrance of tho Dardanelles by a powerful British and French squadron is evidently no more than the opening of a continued and determined operation. Upon all the Balkan nations it will make an impression more profound than can. easily be understood by most people on this side of Europe. It will be hailed, wo think, both in the East and West as the brilliant beginning of events which, through both their direct and indirect effects, must go far indeed to decide in favour of the Allies the struggle in the East.

The facts now reported can only be regarded as the prelude to a prolonged and far-reaching drama. On Friday morning a powerful naval expedition, prepared with sufficient secrecy, was ready for its work under Viee-Admiral Garden. The strongest ships of the Allied Fleet were the Inflexible and the Agamemnon, but with these were half-a-dozen pre-Dreadnoughts three British and three French carrying heavy guns. A flotilla of torpedo-boat destroyers accompanied the battleships and cruisers and a flock of the Allies' seaplanes and aeroplanes was ready to reconnoitre. Their opening flights must have been a first warning to the Turks that they have profoundly miscalculated the forces of the Powers who were formerly their best friends.

Of four forts guarding both shores of the entrance three were apparently silenced on Friday, but while the other continued to fire from the Asiatic side its guns were as much out ranged as the rest of the iurkiah artillery. Tho older battleships closed in and engaged at shorter range, but not a vessel of the Allied fleet was hit. The action, only stopped by failing light, was renewed yesterday morning. We may expect it to continue until the Allies have fairly mastered the entrance to the famous straits. That, of course, would only bo the beginning of a work hitherto held to bo almost impossible of accomplishment by a fleet alone under modern conditions.

The winding and difficult channel of the Dardanelles' is over forty miles long, and the chief defences are not at the opening curving westward towards the vEgean, but command the narrows further in. Kilid Bahr once reduced at that point, the rest would doubtless be more manageable. Without speculating too curiously on the probable detail of further proceedings, we are bound to think that the operations now onpnpd are intended to be decisive that tlvey have been planned with a thorough knowledge of tho obstacles and a determination to overcome them by the uncompromising use of all necessary means. We need not repeat some considerations which we have repeatedly emphasised. By coincidence, as it nappens, tne immense importance of the issues at stake is enforced in our leading article else where.

The Dardanelles eaunot be forced in a dav by any means, lew have hitherto supposed that in any case the forcing would to attempted oy naval means only. We must wait for the sequel. If the Allies can seize tho gates of Constantinople on the Mediterranean side their fleets can enter the Sea of Marmora. Once that is done Constantinople itself is at their mercy. As a next step England and France join hands with Russia, and the Allies have the full command of the Bla-ck Sea.

We lack space here to dwell upon the. various results which would radiate from that fact. No single coup that the Allies at the present hour can attempt would be so far-reaching in its potency not only for naval and military operations, but for diplomatic and economic purposes. The forcing of the Dardanelles and the mastery of Constantinople would be a. splendid' arid decisive exploit which would ring through the world and of itself would shatter the first hopes of tho German offensive in the new phase.of the war.

and Kum Kale, whloh were bombarded by TO FORCE THE STRAITS THE BOMBARDMENT OF THE DARDANELLES. (By Our. Naval Correspond ant.) The news that the forts of the Dardanelles had been bombarded has been eagerly awaited by all those who rightly discerned the signs of the times since the day the Formidable was sunk. Of course, the silencing of tho guns of the Dardanelles Forts is only a preliminary operation, which was itself prepared by the torpedoing of the Messudiyeh by Lieutenant Holbrook, V.C. The shores of the Straits aio heavily fortified right up to the entrance to the Sea of Marmora, and the channel is, in some places, no more than a mile wide, and nowhere more than four miles.

The subsequent operations, however, may take a different turn. To attack forts with ships is against the canons of naval warfare, canons which, perhaps, may have been too easily accepted. It is unquestionably sound if it is required that the ships shall lie at anchor but when they are in rapid movement, gunners who are not trained to fire at a moving target, and, perhaps, are not provided with proper directing, apparatus, may easily find more difficulty in hitting the ships than tho seaman gunners do in hitting a stationary target while themselves in motion. This seems to have been the case, for though the Cornwallis, VengeanoBj Triumph, Suffren, Gaulois and Bouvet closed to a moderate range no damage was done to them. But to secure immunity the ships require room to manoeuvre, which will not be available if they pass inside the Straits.

It will be observed that only the older ships were ordered to close. The Cornwallis, Vengeanco and Triumph are all very lightly armoured for such work, while the French have a thick but narrow and short belt on the waterline amidships. The Suffren and the Gaulois have four 12-inch guns apiece, while the Bouvet has two and two 10-im'h. Of the British ships, the Triumph has 10-inch guns, Lhe rest 12-inch. But it speaks eloquently of the immense preponderance of sea-power possessed by the Allies that they should bo able to spare so many useful ships for an operation which necessarily involves considerable risk of damage.

There will not be the smallest doubt in the mind of anyono that the risks taken were fully justified. Once more we find joint operations by sea and air being undertaken. We have yet to hear the result of the work done by the seaplanes. The second chapter, when ire get it, will be of surpassing interest. The Turkish earthworks, as distinct from the permanent forts, are probably not very assailable from the sea.

It remains to bo seen if they can endure bombardment from the air, or, rather, the men who hold them. It is interesting to know that the new mystery ship Ark Royal is employed. The passage of the Dardanelles was forced in 1807 by a British fleet under Admiral Sir 'John Duckworth, without serious opposition, tho Turks being unTeady. The Turks, however, temporised, and Duckworth, unwisely, played into their hands. In the upshot he nad to retire, and was somewhat roughly handled as he made his way back.

In 1878 Admiral Sir Geoffrey Phipps Hornby ran through the Straits by night with the Mediterranean Fleet and anchored off Gallipoli. But the Russians were then at Hoiflair, and we were definitely on the side of the Turks, so no opposition offered, despite the fact that the Sultan's firman had not been obtained. It is said that it is much easier to force tho Straits from the Black Sea than from the Mediterranean, on account of the strong current which flows from east to west. But tha saying has lost some of its force in the days of steam. With mine fields and torpedo craft to be considered, however, it docs not seem likely that there will be a direct attempt to force the passage with the Fleet.

Fleets have engaged forts in comparatively modern times on the following occasions: Pombardment- of Algiers by f.ord Exmouth and a British and Dutch fleet (1316) Bombardments of Scbastopol and Sveaborg by the British, and Kinburn by the French (1854-5) (on the last occasion armoured' floating batteries wero used) Bombardment of Alexandria by British in 1882: Bombardment of Port Arthur by Japanese (1904). The last-named was only a distant bombardment and subsidiary to the land attack. 'SINGING AS THEY GO. THE GOOD-HUMOURED IN' FRAKCE. ENGLISH PARIS.

Saturday. In a letter written from St. Pol there occur the following passages with reference to the English troops aaore inem Because me soiaiers are so generous. Ihey pay well. I heir pockets are always tun oi sweets, cnocoiates ana cigarettes.

They have more than they can eat and they give all that is over to little barefooted children who follow them to within a hundred metres of the trenches thouting 'Cigarettes, please. 'Cake, please. "In the evening the soldiers sing in the small cafes. The Scotch songs are especially beauti ful. It is very moving to hear-the Scotch airs behind the closed shutters while the cannon thunder a short distance away.

Desnite all troubles the prave faneliah pre serve their admirable good humour, going to the trenches singing. They singing, although oovea-ed with mud rig.t up to the eyes always distributing cigarettes and chocolates, which thev receive even in the firing line." Central jfewa. TOEPEDOED. CARDIFF VESSEL SUNK OFEJ HOLYHEAD. NO WARNING GIVEN.

FOUR LIVES LOST. The steamer Cambank, of Cardiff, was torpedoed at 11 o'clock yesterday five miles off Amlwch by a German submarine without wai-ning. The pilot had just been taken on board bound for Liverpool. The third engineer and two firemen wero killed, and a donkeyman was drowned while jumping into the boat. The remainder of the crerw, numbering 20, together with the pilot, were saved.

The crew, after the vessel had been torpedoed, took to their own boat. The Bull Bay lifeboat went to tho ship's assistance, and later a patrol boat towed both craft (the lifeboat and the ship's boat) to Amlwch Port, where they were taken to the Shipwrecked Mariners' agent. The vessel was under the command of Captain Prescot. The" Cambank was a vessel of 3,000 tons. A liner, which arrived at Iiverpool yesterday, is stated to have spoken shortly before 10 O'clock the Cambank.

The Cambank warned the officers that there was a submarine in the neighbourhood. The Liverpool liner, being the quicker vessel, reached port in safety, but when the officers were apprised of the fate of tho Cambank they were much distressed. They did not encounter anything untoward on theirj voyage. Interviewed by a Press representative, one of the sailors uf the Cambank gave the following narrative We were bound from Huelva, Spain, to Liverpool, with a -cargo of copper. When outside Amlwch we took on board a pilot, and had gathered up speed when a periscope was observed about 200 yards awav.

The engines were reversed, but while the vessel was round a torpedo nit us amidships, hmoke was covering everything, as wo had no warning. We had to ma kc the best of our time to launch the lifeboat. The donkeyman was drowned in-attempting to jump into tho boat. We managed to get clear before she sank. After pulling about tlhe Bull Bay lifeboat came up and took us in tow.

As we were exhausted and only partially clothed, a patrol boat took us in. charge and towed us to the harbour. The third engineer and two firemen were killed outright, and several members of the crew received slight, injuries. A ship flying the Italian flag which preceded the Cambank reached Liverpool safely. According to Lloyd's Lowestoft agent it is reported there that the Lowestoft White Heather has foundered in the English Channel, and that there is no news of the crew.

THE BELRIDGE. EVIDENCE OF HAVING BEEN TORPEDOED. CHRISTIANIA, Saturday. The Norwegian Foreign Office has sent tele graphic instructions to the Norwegian Legation in Loudon to have the crow of the strainer Bclridge examined by the Norwegian Consul General. Reuter.

The Secretary of the Admiralty announced last night that the pieces of metal found on board the Norwegian steamer Belridsze after she had been struck have been examined at the Admiralty, and proved beyond doubt to be nieces oi a discharged torpedo. Lloyds agent at Deal telegraphed that the lorwesian steamer iiearadge, previously reported, is proceeding to Thames Haven in tow ot the tug Ucean, of Kotterdam. NOEWEGIAN STEAMER MINED. COPENHAGEN, Saturday. A message from Xnkskov states that the Norwegian steamer Bjaerke, from Lcith to Nakskov with coal, stTuck a mine at eight clock this morning and foundered.

The crew was saved. Reuter. SAFETY OF THE HORACIO. News was received yesterday of the safety of the steamer Horacio, of Bilbao, bound to West Hartlepool. The vessel was overdue at Hartlepool, and from the finding of one of her lifeboats off the Goodwin Sands on Thursday, it- was feared that she had heen mined or torpedoed.

The vessel, it has now been ascertained, is anchored between Deal and Rams-gate. She had encountered heavy gales which washed the lifeboat overboard DUTCH SAILINGS UNAFFECTED. NO SIGNS OF THE PIRATES. (From Our Own AMSTERDAM, Saturday. In spite of tha German war zone" declaration, shipping in and out of the Dutch harbours is practically normal at least, as compared with the conditions which have reigned since the war began.

lip to now the German threat has not affjsved Dntch sailings, -with the single exception of the passenger service from Flushing. The steamer Ary Scheffer arrived to-day at Rotterdam and reported that she saw no indication of the German blockade in the North" Sea..