an attempt to force the Dardanelles.

VIEWED FROM A BATTLESHIP

Slowly through the night of April 24th our squadron, which was to land
the covering forces of the Australian contingent just north of Gaba
Tepe, steamed towards its destination....

At 1 a.m. the ships arrived off their appointed rendezvous, five miles
from the landing-place, and stopped. The soldiers were aroused from
their slumbers, and were served with a last hot meal. A visit to the
mess decks showed these Australians, the majority of whom were about to
go into action for the first time under the most trying circumstances,
possessed at 1 o'clock in the morning courage to be cheerful, quiet, and
confident....

At 1.20 a.m. the signal was given from the flagship to lower the boats,
which had been left swinging from the davits throughout the night. Our
steam pinnaces were also lowered to take them in tow....

On the quarter-deck, backed by the great 12 in. guns, this splendid body
of colonial troops were drawn up in serried ranks, fully equipped, and
receiving their last instructions from their officers, who, six months
ago, like their men, were leading a peaceful civilian life in Australia
and New Zealand, 5,000 miles away....

At 2.5 a.m. the signal was given for the troops to embark in the boats
which were lying alongside, and this was carried out with great
rapidity, in absolute silence, and without a hitch or an accident of any
kind....

The whole operation had been timed to allow the pinnaces and boats to
reach the beach just before daylight, so that the Turks, if they had
been forewarned, would not be able to see to fire before the Australians
had obtained a firm footing and, it was hoped, good cover on the
foreshore....

At 4.53 a.m. there suddenly came a very sharp burst of rifle fire from
the beach, and we knew our men were at last at grips with the enemy.
This fire lasted only for a few minutes, and then was drowned by a faint
British cheer wafted to us over the waters....

The first authentic news we received came with the return of our boats.
A steam pinnace came alongside with two recumbent forms on her deck and
a small figure, pale, but cheerful, and waving his hand astern. They
were one of our midshipmen, just sixteen years of age, shot through the
stomach, but regarding his injury more as a fitting consummation to a
glorious holiday ashore than a wound; and a chief stoker, and petty
officer, all three wounded by that first bur