Item 02: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett articles on the Gallipoli campaign, 1915 - Page 12

[Page 12]

and clear witha a slight breeze from the south west. The Fleet rendevous was off Tenedos at 8-30 am and proceeded to the previously appointed stations. The Agememnon proceeded to anchorage C and and 9-50 let go the starboard anchor in 17 fathoms. It was thought that this would plce the ship outside the range of the guns of No 1 Fort but at 10-17 these fired the shots falling six houndred yards short. Then they went over. At 10 -19 the right gun of S 3 replied the shot going over the fort and falling in the barracks behind. The target of the Agememnon was a a large earth emplacement with two embrasures on Cape Helles. These soon got the range and at 10-35 the Flagship made a signal to the Agememnon to weigh. This was t done by the turrets crews. At 19—37 the first shot struck the ship speedily followed by another.

The Agememnon was in fact hit six times while the cable was being weighed suffering some casualties and some damage. At 10-40 the Agememnon glided out of range s sixty five shots having been fired at her and she herself firing about 50.,. The Turkish shells were armour piercing 9-5 calibre. The Queen Elixabeth supporeted the Agememnon at 13000 yards and at 11-58 landed a shell on the right hand embrassure throwing the gun off its mounting and completely wrecking it. The Fort ceased fire at 11-44. Shortly after the Q.E his the Agememnon landed a shell on the left hand embrassure. The maximum range of the forst seemed to be 10500 yards and the rate of fire from two guns three a minute. The whole of this time the Irresistible and Q E were raining shells on forts 4 and 6. The effect of the 15 in was appaling. At 12-10 the Agememnon was ordered to assist in the demolition of Fort No3. At 12-48 the Vengenace and Cornwallis started their run in to three thous—