Turks’ second disaster

Fighting on the dunes

Allies making progress

There appears to be no doubt that the statements published on Saturday concerning the second Turkish defeat in no way exaggerated what had happened.

At Sarykamyah, the 9th Army Corps was wiped out and the 10th nearly met with the same fate.

Subsequent reports showed that, in pursuing the remnants of the latter, the Russian forces came into contact with the 11th army corps towards which the other corps had been trying to converge.

A very hard struggle followed and the Turks fought with a courage and ferocity worthy of a better cause.

There is reason to believe, however, that, badly fed, the Ottoman troops were in no condition to wage a prolonged battle and there are stories that the smell of hot food wafted towards their lines and had as disastrous effect upon their mood as the heaviest fire.

Thousands of prisoners were taken and, in the culminating stages, the slaughter was considerable.

Practically, the whole of the corps have now been accounted for and the failure of the Turkish effort in the area is complete.

The effect this may have upon Turkey’s further part in the war remains to be seen.

There is not however, likely to be an abandonment of it all together until they have tasted the prowess of the troops waiting for them in the desert lands along the Suez Canal.

Of the results of that venture, there can be no doubt.

The heaviest fighting of the weekend in the western area of the war appears to have been in the region near Perthes.

At Blangy fighting took place on Friday and Saturday, the French official account described fairly lively action for the possession of a foundry.

This was first taken by the Germans and immediately recaptured by an energetic counter attack.

Near Perthes, another trench was taken and to the North a wood between two and three hundred yards in advance of the French lines was occupied.

Along the Belgian coast the allies appear to be advancing steadily if slowly.

The official communique speaks of continued progress in the region of Nieuport, the Germans being driven out of their trenches on the Grande Dune for a distance of 200 yards.

French denial

The French denial of the highly-coloured version of the fighting at Soissons was prompt and effective and the story of the retirement across the Aisne is given in proper perspective.

And the tale of thousands killed is shattered by the statement that the French forces numbered less than three brigades altogether and that their retirements were carried out in orderly fashion.

The losses of the French according to German figures, which does not bear the guarantee that it is the truth, amount to 25,000 dead and 17,860 injured prisoners.