Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-05-10
U-BOAT NEST At
OSTEND SEALED
BY BRITISH NAVY
Raiders Successfully Sink Cement
Laden Obsolete Cruiser Across
Entrance to the Harbor.
ENGLISH CASUALTIESLIGH

BY Associated Press 10 Every Evening
London, May I0.-The German sub
marine base of Ostend, on the Belgian
coast, has been blocked IA the result of
a new raid by British naval forces, the
Admiralty announces. The obsolete
cruiser Vindictive, filled with concrete,
has been sunk across the entrance 10
the harbor.
The British lost one motorboat. Their
casualties were light.
Tho announcement follows:
Operations designed to close tho ports
Of Ostend and ZeebrIgge were succoss-
fully completed last night, when tho
absolute cruiser Vindictive was sunk
between the piers and across the entrance
10 Ostend harbor
''Since the attack on Zeebrugge on April
% the Vindictive had been filled with
concrete and fitted rs a block ship for this
purpose.
Our light forces have returned n their
base with the loss Of ono motorbOat,
which had been damaged and sunk by
orders Of the vice admiral to prevent it
from falling into the hands Of the enemy.
Our casualties were light
Regarding reports that German Fub-
marines have been unable 10 enter Flern-
1871 EgfNN anu NHs1 thA u ff-tfAfl ~ ~
many, Reuters Ltd, says it - unable N
obtain confirmation in naval quarters.
Photographic and other evidence from
Zeebrugge shows the Bruges canal ls
still entirely blocked as result Of the
British raid Of April % and it cannot
he used The distractions, IL has been
found were better placed than at first
supposed.
German attempts to clear the waterway
are meeting with no SUCCESS as a re-
suit of British air activity and other
causes
Dover, England, May 10.-The decision
to send the Vindictive TO Ostend WAS
made a few days after her return from the
Zeebrugge raid, and the task of filling her
with concrete was begun Immediately
As in the joint raid on Zeebrugge and
Ostend, this latest British naval exploit
was kept a well-glarded secret. As an
evidence Of this il IS recalled that after
the battle scarred-crtIlser returned from
IeebrlIgge an urgent request was made
that she be sent up TO the Thames TO
London for public view. The authorities
did not encourage the proposal, however,
and the agitation subsidized. All the time
the old vessel was being overhauled Tor
itf Ltol voyage
Apparently the British have carried out
another raid on the German submarine
bases on the Belgian coast similar to the
one on April % when 50 much damage
was done 70 the harbor works at Zeebrug-
&c. In the raid on Zeebrugge and Ostend
on April D the light cruiser Nlndlctlve
landed British storming parties on the
mole at Zeebrugge. the attackers doing
considerable damage To the mole alter
storning German batteries. Commander
Alfred Carpenter was promoted TO be
captain, for bravery IN action. ne
Nrndictive WAS damaged severely IN the
action st Zeebrugge.
Ostend was originally attacked at the
same time as Zeebrugge, but the blocking
vessels sent In there were turned slightly
off their course and the success was not
equal 10 that attained at Zeebrugge. The
operations, began with a view 70 closing
these two ports, the Admiralty announces,
have now been successfully completed
The importance of the blocking opera
tons lies IN the fact that If they have been
as successful, as is believed, and the
Germans have been deprived OF their
Belgian bases, they Will now be forced to
revert for sometime at least, to their own
home ports as starting and returning
points for their undersea raiders. These
craft would have therefore to traverse Tar
longer, more difficult and more dangerous
routes 10 attain their cruising grounds,
with the consequent increase by many
times of the chances of their being turned
back or destroyed.
The Vindictive was built at Chatham
in 1897. She displaced $50 tons and
her complement was $50 men.