ecome a matter affecting their
pride.

[Illustration: Operations at the Dardanelles.]

CHAPTER XLIV

ABANDONMENT OF DARDANELLES--ARMENIAN ATROCITIES

Finally, by midnight of Sunday, all was ready. Just after that hour
the allied troops on shore at Anzac and Suvla Bay could see the dark
forms of the warships and the transports as they dropped anchor close
inshore. If they had listened attentively they might have heard the
soft splash of the hundreds of muffled oars as they slowly propelled
the ships' boats toward the beaches.

On shore preparations were being made to repel a hurricane attack by
the Turks. For it was felt that as soon as the enemy got knowledge of
the contemplated withdrawal they would attack with unprecedented fury.

But, though the British troops waited, the expected attack never came.
Finally, just after three o'clock in the morning, the Australians
exploded a large mine at Russell's Top, between the two systems of
trenches, and made a strong demonstration as if about to initiate a
big offensive. About eight o'clock the last of them were taken off.
Before these last men left they set fire to the stores that it had
been impossible to carry away.

It was only then, apparently, that the Turks awoke to the real
progress of events. Immediately from every Turkish battery a hurricane
of shells was poured into the deserted Allies' base. Those within
range turned their fire upon the allied fleet, now swiftly
disappearing from sight in the thin haze.

Highly significant, as showing the serious state of public opinion in
England during the closing days of the Dardanelles campaign, were the
published statements of E. Ashmead-Bartlett. Ashmead-Bartlett was in
the nature of an official eyewitness of the major part of the
operations at the Strait, although the British War Office took no
responsibility for his opinions or statements. It was at first
intended by the British authorities that there should be no newspaper
correspondents on the spot, but finally, as a concession to the
demands of the united press of Great Britain, it was agreed that one
man should be allowed on the scene and that his dispatches should be
syndicated among the papers sharing the expense of his work.
Ashmead-Bartlett was the man selected for the unique task.

His dispatches from the Dardanelles were censored on the spot and
again in London, so they did not possess much information of direct
value. It was when he returned t