Item 01: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett diary, 1915-1917 - Page 100
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[Page 100]
portraits show. His face is much fuller and extremely read and rough. I suppose this is due to the sun. He asked me a great number of questions which I answered to the best of my ability. The chief were these ' Do you consider the Turks obtain the greater part of their supplies from Asis Minor via Chanak or by sea from Constantinople and via the Bulair lines through Thrace. I told him I considered it impossible for them to keep there army in Gallipoli going feeding it through Asia Minor alone and that if we closed the sea route by submarine s and cut off communication with Thrace by land they would very speedily be starved out. He replied, 'They made great accumulations of stoes and supplies for the invasion of Egypt and they have been transferring these north by the railroad as far as it goes and from there on camels and in carts. We cannot stop them getting this stuff across fromn Chanak by submarines as they can run it over in sailing boats and in the penny steamer. Personally I do not think they bring much via Bulair except the food for horses and cattle or anything they can collect in Thrace. He went on, 'we May be able to obtain the same result by sending more submarines up an by entirely closing the sea route'. I pointed out to him the tremendous moral effect which would be created by landing right in the rear of the Turkish lines on the troops facing us at Anzac and before Achi Baba. He agreed with this but still persisted that the army might be fed from Asia. I am quite certain he is wrong there especially if we destroy Chanak by a bombardment. In regard to the Enos landing he remarked . 'This point has its advantages but it leaves you with such a long line of communications to keep up before you get