The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-05-15
SHIP VZlNDICTIVE,
HER WORK DONE,
BLOCKS OSTEND

LONDON. May IA graphic ac-
count OF the blocking OF Ostend har-
/ Dor Is given in a statement OF the
British admiralty. dated at Dunkirk.
/ In part, II is as follows:
1T was night that promised well
/ for the enterprise nearly windless-
| and what little breeze stirred came
point or so vest OF north. The sky
was lead blue. family star-dotted,
with no moon. and a still sea for
coastal motorboats, whose work was
done close in shore.
/ From the destroyer which served
the commodore for a flagship, the
remainder OF the force were visible
only as silhouettes Of blackness-the
deStroyers looming like cruisers in
| the darkness.
The guns found her at once. She
was hit every few seconds after she
entered. her SCARED hui. broken
afresh in a score OF places. ner dicks
and upper works swept by machine
guns. The machine gun at the end
| OF the western pier had been put out
{ VI d'AlOh > d AhoAVl WA . ~ N~h''s
/ but from other machine guns at the
/ inshore end OF the pie. from a POSI-
! ton on the front and from machine
guns apparently firing over the cast
ern pier, there cOnvsrEsd upJn her
d Eail OF lead.
Control Demolished.
after her control was demolished
by'a shell which killed all the occu-
/ pants, including Sub Lieut. Angus u.
MacLachan, who was in command %
| il. the upper and lower bridges and
I the chartroom swept by bullets. rum-
mandcr GOdsal ordered the officers 10
go with him to the coming tower.
Immediately after passing the
breach in the pier. Commander GOd-al
| left the coming tower and went to
I deck the better TO watch the SnI0's
movements. He chose a position and
called in through the slit OF the con-
ming tower his order TO starbOard the
helm. The Nindictive responded and
/ laid her battered nose to the easI-'n
/ pier and prepared to swing her J2O
I feet OF length across the channel
cit was at that moment that a shell
! from the shore batteries struck the
coming tower. Lieut.. Sir John Al
| leyne and Lieut.. V. 4. &. Crutchley
were still within. Commander God
sal was close TO the tower outside.
/ Lieutenant Alleyne was stunned by
I the shock Lieutenant CrUtChley
shouted through the slit to the COM
mander and. receiving no answer,
rang for the port engine full speed
astern to help the swinging ship. by
this time she was laying at an auG!e
of about 40 degrees 10 the pier, and
seemed to be hard fast. so. it was
impossible to bring her further
around.
The Work Is Done.
After working the engines some
minutes TO no effect, Lieutenant
! CrutchIey gave the order to clear the
engine room and abandon ship. ac
cording to the program previously
laid down. Engineer Lieut.. COmdr.
William \. Bury. who was the last TO
leave the engine room, blow the malni
charges bv switch installed AFT.
Lieutenant Cru;chlcy blew the auNili-
arv charges IN IN" forward six inch
magazine from the coming tower.
Those on board felt the old ship
spring a. the cNploSIv" tore the bot
tom plates and buIkhcads from her
She sank about feet and Law upon
the bottom OF the channel. Her work
was done.
"It is 20 be presumed that Com
mandcr GoGsaI Wa killed by tn" shell
which struck the 'uuuIHE tower
Lieutenant CrutChIev. searching Tn"
ship before he left her. failed to find
his body or that of Suhl"Utcnant
MacI.achan IN that wilderness of SPIN
tered vord and shattered steel In
the previous attempt To block the
mort. Commander God-aI commanded
the Brilliant. and. together with all
tho Officers 81 that snip and or tho
sirius had volunteered at once Tor
the further operation
From purkirk sudden br'"t
furry Of Eunir" announced that Ger
man airplanCS were about They
were actually on tn" way 10 visit cal
ais. and over the invisible coast 90
FLANDERS the summer lighting Of rest
less artillery rose and fell mOHuton.
DI~ly
"'TBcrc's the vIndirttve" The mur
fled Seamcn aud marines standing by
the torpedo tubes and guns turned a.
that name To Eaz" at tine great black
ship seen mi,tIly through the screen
inS smoke frnm the DESTROYER fun
ncIs. Flooding silently to her goal
and end. Photographs had made o.
miliar that high sided profile. her tall
tunnels with Z"cbruEge scars. always
with the back ground Of the pier at
Dover against which she Law TO he
fitted for her last task Now was
added to her the environments Of night
and sea and IN" greatness Of the
tragcLy Of her mission.
she rccedcd into the night astern
as a destroyer raced in To Law light
buoy that was to bc her guide. and
those on board saw her no more. She /
passed thence int" tho hands or the
small craft whose mission was 10