London, Feb, 27.
The Admiralty has issued a state ment concerning the reduction of the forts at the entrance of the Straits of Dardanelles, which was effected by the super-dreadnought Queen Elizabeth (27,500 tos sight 15-inch guns) and the British and French battleships Agamemnon (16,500 tons) Irresistible (15,000 tons) Gaulois (11,000 tons) Ven-glance (12,950 tons) Cornwallis (14,000 tons) Suffren (12,790 tons) Charlemagne (11,000 tons) Triumph (11,800 tons) and Albion (12,950 tons), after which sweeping opera: tions for mines, covered by a division of battleships and destroyers, were immediately begun.
A Turkish shell hit H. M. 8.
Agamemnon, killing three and seriously wounding five men.
The Straits, on the 26th, having been swept up for for four H.M.S. Albion and H.M.&. Majestic (14,900 tons), supported by H.M.S. Vengeance, proceeded to the limit of the swept area and attacked Fort Dardanus and some new batteries which had been erected on the Asiatic shore. The reply made by the Turks feeble and ineffective and the enemy retired from the forts at the entrance after being shelled from inside the Straits.
In the afternoon demolishing parties were landed at Kumkale, on the Asiatic shore, and at Seddel ahr, on the European shore, from HLM.S, Vengeance and H.M.S. Irresistible, and all the forts were completely demolished except Kum-kale, which was partially demolished. The enemy were encountered at Kumkale and were driven over Mendere Bridge, which was partially destroyed. riginal from
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.