n and his government to
follow suit.

Meanwhile, nothing of the kind was happening, either in Gallipoli or
in Constantinople. The German and Turkish authorities, confident in
their ability to hold the straits against all the forces that could be
brought against it, were quietly perfecting their plans. Bad weather
again interrupted the Allies' operations, and it was not until March
1, 1915, that the _Triumph_, _Ocean_ and _Albion_ again entered the
straits, and bombarded Fort Dardanos (once more active), and the
concealed shore batteries. The same night the mine sweepers, under the
protection of destroyers, cleared an additional five miles of the
channel, and the waters were safe up to within a mile and a half of
the entrance to the Narrows.

About the same time the two French squadrons bombarded the Bulair
lines, where the Gallipoli Peninsula connects with the mainland, in an
attempt to interrupt the Turks' supply of troops and ammunition.

On the following day, March 2, 1915, the _Canopus_, _Swiftsure_ and
_Cornwallis_ drew close into Fort Dardanos and opened fire. By so
doing they got within range of the Turkish batteries in the pine woods
just below the Kilid Bahr plateau and all three boats were hit.

For the next few days the bombardment of various Turkish positions and
batteries was continued. On the afternoon of March 4, 1915, a large
landing party was put ashore at Kum Kale and Sedd-el-Bahr to complete
the demolition of the works. That on the Asiatic shore again had a
hard time and was driven off by a Turkish force after doing only small
damage. The force on the European side also found that the Turks had
quickly returned to the tip of the peninsula as soon as the fire of
the warships had ceased.

On the following day there occurred at Smyrna an incident that is hard
to explain. Even British experts have not made any attempt to solve
the puzzle. Vice Admiral Peirse with a British and French fleet,
appeared off the city and opened a bombardment. The Turkish command
did not reply and, after doing considerable damage, Peirse and his
ships sailed away. He made no attempt to land, indeed he is not
believed to have had a force for that purpose with him. The only
reasonable explanation of the bombardment is that it was in the nature
of a diversion intended to keep as many troops as possible from
Gallipoli.

In the Dardanelles the operations were rapidly coming to a head. The
Anglo-French command believed the ti