a more equal basis.

But this was not to be essayed at once, for more rough weather
kept the fleets from using their guns effectively, their trawlers
continued to sweep the waters for mines near the Narrows. By March
3, 1915, however, the commanders were ready to resume operations.
The _Lord Nelson_ and the _Ocean_ had by then also arrived on the
scene, and in the subsequent operations were hit a number of times
by the Turkish guns; and the _Canopus, Swiftsure, Prince George_,
and _Sapphire_, though they did not report being hit, were also
known to have been present.

The new "eyes" of the fleets located new and concealed batteries
placed in position by the Turks, and at two o'clock in the afternoon
of February 3, 1915, they ascended to direct the fire of the ships'
guns by signal. The bombardment was kept up till darkness fell,
but it was resumed on the next day.

On March 4, 1915, the _Queen Elizabeth_, so great was the range
of her guns, was able to reach the forts Hamadieh I, Tabia, and
Hamadieh II, firing across the Gallipoli Peninsula. Three times
she was hit by shells from field pieces lying between her and her
target, but no great damage was done to her. While her guns roared
out, the _Suffren, Albion, Prince George, Vengeance_, and _Majestic_
went inside the straits and had attacked the forts at Soundere,
Mount Dardanos, and Rumili Medjidieh Tabia, and were fired upon
by Turkish guns from the forts and from concealed batteries which
struck these ships, but not a man was killed or a ship put out
of action.

March 7, 1915, the _Agamemnon_ and _Lord Nelson_ attacked the forts
at the Narrows, their bombardment being covered by the four French
battleships. All of the ships were struck, but again none of them
was put out of action. After heavy shelling forts Rumili Medjidieh
Tabia and Hamadieh I were silenced.

While these operations were going on, another British fleet, consisting
of battleships and cruisers, on March 5, 1915, began an attack
on Smyrna. For two hours, and in fine, clear weather, Fort Yeni
Kale was damaged after being subjected to heavy bombardment, but
it was not silenced when dusk interrupted the attack.

Little was accomplished for some days afterward. Some of the forts
which had been reported silenced were getting ready to resume firing;
their silence had been due to the fact that the defenders often had
to leave their guns while the gases generated by the firing cleared
off, and they ha