peaking, a narrow neck of land. Even this, however, presented
tremendous potential difficulties to any force. A hill almost 500 feet
in height rose in the center and marshes on either side prevented a
turning movement. Furthermore, the difficulties of landing a force in
the face of an enemy strongly intrenched on the heights were not
lessened by the circumstance that the cliffs rose to a height of 300
feet, almost straight from the water's edge. In short nature seems to
have designed the country in every way as a protection against an
armed force seeking to force its way either in or out of the Black
Sea. To just what extent these natural advantages had been utilized by
the Turks it is impossible to say. It is not likely, however, that
they, or their German mentors, had been idle, in view of the
importance the Allies were known to attach to the straits.

In September, 1914, and probably for some time before, the Turks were
known to be busy strengthening the forts. Subsequent events led to the
conclusion that they, or their German advisers, were alive to the
lessons of the early days of the war in France and Belgium and had
made elaborate arrangements for the placing of heavy guns in concealed
positions. In addition they perfected the mobility of even the
heaviest of pieces, so that it became impossible for observation from
the Franco-British ships or from aeroplanes to locate them with any
certitude.

The Turks also seem to have secured a plentiful supply of sea mines,
with which the waters approaching the Dardanelles and the actual
passage of the straits were strewn along the shores. Toward the
Narrows were constructed shore batteries for the launching of
torpedoes, as well as for the launching of floating mines. The strong
current of the straits could be depended upon to carry these latter
engines of destruction among the allied ships of war should they
venture within the narrow, confined waters of the Dardanelles.

This was the condition of affairs, then, on November 3, 1914, when a
joint Anglo-French squadron sailed in close to the tip of the
Gallipoli peninsula and opened a bombardment of the outer defenses of
the Dardanelles. For this and subsequent naval operations against the
Turkish position, England was able to detach from her main theatre of
naval activity--the North Sea--a considerable number of old, but still
extremely powerful, battleships and battle cruisers. These boats, with
the exception of the _Que