London, Feb. 20. The Allied Fleet has carried out a two days' bombardment of the Dardanelles, with considerable effect.
Later.
The Press Bureau announces that at 8 yesterday morning a British fleet of battleships, battle-cruisers and destroyers, aided by a powerful French Squadron, the whole com manded by Vice-Admiral Carden, attacked the south entrance of the Dardanelles, The Forts of Cape Helles and Kumkale were bombarded, with a deliberate long range fire, Consider. able effect was produced on two forts, while two others were requ ently hit but it was difficalt to estunate the damage.
A portion of the battleships, at 2.45 p.m., were ordered to close and engaged the forts at closer range with their excondary armament. The forty on both sides of the entrance then opened fire and were engaged, at moderate ranges, by the British battleships Vengeance (12950 tons: 4 12in; 12 6-in; completed 100) Cornwallis (14000 tons; 4 1%in; 12 6-in; completed 1904), Triumph (11800 tons; 4 10-in; 14 7.5-in; completed 1904) and the French battleships Suffren (12730 tons; 4 19-in; 10 6.4-in; completed 1903), Gaulois (11000 tons; 4 12-in; 10 5.5.-in; 8 4in; completed 1899) and the Bouvet (12000 tons; 2 12-in; 2 108 in; 8 5.5-in; 8 4-in; completed 1898), supported by the British battle-cruiser Inflexible (17250 tons; 8 12-in; 16 4-in; completed 1898) and H.M. battleship Agamemnon (16600 tons; 4 12-in; 109.2in; completed 1907) at long range, The forts on the European side of the Straits had, apparently, been silenced while only one fort on the Asiatic side was still firing whea the operation was suspended owing to the failing light. None of the Allies were hit.
The action was renewed to-day after an aerial reconnaissance.
The aeroplane ship Ark Royal is in attendance with naval sea-planes and aeroplanes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.