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[Page 22]
[Text incorporates handwritten corrections by E.A.B.]
The New Armada
E Ashmead-Bartlett
Who will ever forget the magnificent spectacle our fleet presented when the expedition first sailed from Mudros for better or for worse on the afternoon of April 24th 1915. Since then so many things have happened in the Eastern Mediterranean that those early days have faded into the background and have been forgotten by many. In addition to the hundreds of great Tranpsorts drawn from every sea in which the British Flag has ever flown every type of warship was represented. There was the mighy Queen Elizabeth fling the Admiral's flag the wonder of all eyes and the admiration of every Colonial Britishier India Frenchman or Senegalise who had been brought togther for this, the last of the great crusades of the Cross against the Cresecnt.
Then down the scale were the Inflexible the Lord Nelson the Agememnon the last two the greatest of our pre-Dreadnaught battleships the London-Queen Prince of Wales and Implacable. The others like the Canopus and Prince George the Albion and Goliath a few birthdays older and cruisre of all sorts too numerous to innumerate. This mighty Armada should have struck terror into the minds of the Turks but that stubborn and extremely stupid people have little or no sense of fear and were probably rather flattered at the immensity of the forces brought against them. After all this same Armada failed to force the Dardanelles on March 8th and had seen three battleships the Irrestibable, Ocean,and Bouvet go to the bottom and several more retire none the better for their trip up the Straits.
Who will ever forget those early bombardments the like of which the World is hardly likely to see again against land forces. Who does not recall that closing scene on May 8th at five pm when every battleship opened up on theTurkish positions with 15 in 12 inch 9inch 7.5s 6inch and every other availabl inch. The earth shook, the skies became overcast and Achi Baba disapeared from view under immense clouds of rolling smoke and bursting flames. It was magnificent. It made you feel drunk with the sense of power which lies within thes steel walls.