The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-13
Ze WAITER FRONT
81 oSTEkO. @eyofxwsee, :
British Filters Believed to
Have Destroyed Ostend
Railway Station.
GRAHAME WHITE Is
FLIGHT COMMANDER
,pee,o, ca6ir Despatch to Tnr svv.

Spceiai Cd6ie Despatch 10 THE Sun.
LoNDoT. Feb. 2-Thirty-four Brit
ish seaplanes and aeroplanes-the
greatest force OF aerial craft ever as
sembled FOR a hostile purpose-left
their base at Dover early his morn
ing sailed across the Channel and
made successful attack on Ave
towns In Belgium. where the Ger
mans were believed TO be establish
ing submarine stations for raidlng
British n-i caiiiii- shippins.
The expedition was urder command
OF Wing Commander Samson, who had
with him 5dcii noted fiers as Claude
Grahamc- White. now Flight Com
n,ander. and Lieut.. John Cyril Porte.
vino was to have made an attempt 10
ny across the Atlantic in Rodman
WaramaScr's flying boat America but
hurried home &c resume his rank
when war was declared. The America
was subsequently bought by the
British Admiralty for $4,000 and may
have been used to-day by Porte. He
is known to have been flying the
machine recently.
Two Machines Damaged.
| Az tn, aviatCrs and their observers
returned safely TO the British base.
The only mshaps were that two ma
] 40 1,x n
shot which the Germans fired AZ the
squadron when they had recovered
from the surprise caused by the attack
and that Grahame-White fell into the
sea Off Newport on the return and
was target for the enemy's guns
until he was rescued by French war
ship.
Grahame- White was taken to Dun
Kirk, little the worse for his mishap
and joyful over the successful work
OF the aerial feet. When he got there
no learned that the British airmen with
the expeditionary army had likewise
performed notable feat In driving
off large German aerial fleet that
had attempted an attack on that city
the night before.
The Daily Chronicle correspondent az
Dover describes the departure of Com
mander Samson's fleet as one of the most
impressive spectacles IN history. He says
THE aeroplanes and seaplanes made
the most wonderful sight possible. They
started from England In a thick haze
upon the sea, but the air was brilliantly
clear above. They went one at "A tim'
IN rapid succession, strung out like q
flight OF wild ducks. Their speed showed
that they would make the Belgian coast
in about twenty minutes. II Is under
stood that the pilots plan staying IN
: France for brief spell before returning"
Took Germans Unawnrcs.
The German tilers were taken una
wares and no hostile craft were encoun
: tered by the British. The German
artnlerymen and those In charge OF tn
anti-aircraft guns mounted In ever!
occupied Belgian town were SURPRISED
too and did not open fire until the Brit
ish had swept by and the damage ha,
been done. The British Admiralty re
port OF the affair follows:
During the last twenty-four hours
aeroplane and seaplane operations
were carried out by the naval wing
in the Bruges, Zeebrugge, Blanken-
" berghe and Ostend districts with "A
view to preventing the development
of submarine bases and establish
ments.
Thirty-four naval aeroplanes and
seaplanes took part in the attack
and great damage Is reported to
have been done at Ostend, notably
to the railroad station, which ac-
cording to present information was
probably burned to the ground. The
railroad station at Blankenberghe
was also damaged and the railway
lines were torn up In many places.
Bombs were dropped on gun posi-
n lions at Middlekerke and also on the
power station and on German mine
sweeping vessels at Zeebrugge, but
the damage done TO them Ia not
10 known.
lie During the attack the machines
IN encountered heavy banks of snow.
II No submarines wore so6n IA the at
tack. Flight Commander Claude
B. Grahame White fell into the sea on
Newport and was rescued by q
French vessel. although exposed 10