State Library of NSW
[Page 223]
bridge. The Turks soon tumbled to the new plan and on the night of the 13th they allowed the flotilla to come right through the minefield without firing a shot or showing a light. Then when they were half way down they suddenly switched on their searchlights and opened a terrible flusilade from every available gun. There was nothing for it except for all the destroyers and Trawlers to get back as quickly as possible.
On the day of the great attempt to force the Straits March 18th the destroyers played a secondary role in the actual fighting but they behaved splendidly and were responsible for saving the lives of the survivors of the Bouvet and the Irrestibable and Ocean. They took the crews of the latter two ships off under a very heavy fire and were fortunate enough to escape any serious damage. The definite failure of this attack ushered in the era of land operations & the Fleet was temporary withdrawn to Tenedos and Mudros but the change brought no respite in the work of the destroyers. They had still to patrol the Turkish Coast and the Dardanelles and to sweep the lower waters so as to keep them clear of drifing mines. A Turkish torpedo boat managed to escape from the Dardanelles under cover of a dark night and attempted to sink one of our transports coming from Alexandria. How that ship miraculiously escaped and the chase of our destroyers which ended in the enemy running ashore are well known. Almost every day a destroyer would enter the Straits and make a reconnaissance hight up under a heavy fire. This was both exciting and trying work. The next great service rendered by these craft was on the historic day of the landing April 25th. Each destroyer had a definite stat-
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