The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-17
WITH 70 k1RCR|'hF /
French and English Attack
German Submarine Bases.
Total Damage Not Known, bnt
Report els Good"

. London, Feb :l7.-Forty aeroplanes
and seapl4neS-by far the largest
aerial squadron ever engaged in a sin
gle OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES afternoon car
against the submarine bases Germany
is attempting to establish at Zee
brugge and, Bruges.
Ostend. Zeebrdgge, Middlekerke and
Ghistelles were hombarded.
French ae1oplanes. eight In num- I'm.
Der. co-operated with the British ma
val wing and srafhed such hail OF
bombs upon the German aerodrome At
Ghistelles that the German aviators
were unable even to leave the ground.
The 81 British aerOplanes and hydro-
planes thus were enabled to attack
the enemy practically unmolested.
Though the statement of the British
admiralty does not give the order IN
which the German positions were at
tackled, 1T Is assumed that the bonn
bardment was carried out in the or
der in which the towns are. named In
the report.
/ At Ostenda the heavy batteries es-
tablished by the Germans on both
sides Of the harbor were made the tar
gets of furious rain of projectiles
of the French machines had been pre-
viously arranged. During the pre-
viOus raid the work OF the British air.
men had been hindered by the pres
lence OF German machines. which,
though not in sufficient strength to
spoil the plans of the British. were
Irresponsible for Tuesdays raid be-
cause the British In the previous at
tack were forced, due to this diver
sion, to suspend operations before the
damage sought to be inflicted had
been done.
French First.
Evidently the French machines pre-
coded the British squadron and at
once attacked the Ghistelle's aero
drome so that. after the British had
done their work at Ostend the course
to Zeebrugge, the main object of the
raid. is clear. Passing over Middle
kerke. the British flyers poured a rain
Of projectiles upon. the German bat
teries set up in the dunes outside the
town. Following the line of the wag-
on road toward Ghistelle, a German
train was attacked.
Evidently satisfied. the British
passed on to Zeebfugge Here they
ftook up the work where they had left
Ioff on the previous raid. The mole
where the German submarines are E0-
ported to be assembling and where
special batteries are mounted, was at
tackled. Then the airmen turned theil
attention to further damaging thu
locks of the canal which connecte6
with Bruges. Their object was tt
widen the breach already opened. =
| sTrawlers used by the Germans IN
mining operations, anchored in con.
siderable numbers outside of Zee.
brugge,4vere bombarded and one re.
lport from the Holland frontier say.
several Of them we're damaged.
The admiralty statement gives M
details of the damage inflicted bur
says the .sHnR0RtAdr result 81 the raid
Y RE se' q l6nk iSsiEa sof Id u !
note concerning the raid:
| instructions always have been is
sued to flight commanders to cOnfin,
their attacks to points of military i'm
i portance. Every effort has been mad
by the flying officers to avoid drop
of towns attacked"
This statement is evidently made t.
anticipate any claim by the German
that the damage was purposel.