New-York tribune., 1918-04-24

dcpots. There was great competition
for the undertaking, and we could only
use very small proportion of those
who volunteered.
"There were light covering forces
belonging to the Dover command and
Harwich forces under Admiral Tyr
whit covering the operation in the
North. A force of monitors, together
with a large number Of very small
motorboats, took part in the operation;
which was particularly intricate and
had to be worked to a timetable and in
volved delicate navigation on a histile
coast without lights and largely under
unknown navigational conditions de-
veloped since the war, with the added
danger of mine fields.
"I should like to mention that the Of
ficer who developed the operation was
killed.
"The high development of scientific
use of fog or cmoke was one of the
than smoke, which, combined with GER
tain wind conditions, was essential to
the success of the operation, so as to
protect the operation from batteries
which might have fankcd it.
The Plan of Attack
"The plan was, after an intense bonn
tors, the Vindictive, with auxiliaries
to run alongside the mole and at
tack it with gunfre as they approached.
Storming and demolition parties we're
to be landed. Meantime three block
ships, assisted by motorboats, were to
make for the entrance to the canal,
run aground and be blown up. Two
old and valucless submarines, filled
with explosives, were to run against
the pile work connecting the masonry
with the shore, in order to cut off
the mole from the shore.
"At Ostend the operation was more
simple, but the difficulties were con-
sidcrably increased by mist, rain and
low visibility and the consequent alb
sence of aerial cooperation.
"The results thus far are known to
be two block ships were run ashore
and blown up at Qstend. 1t is too
early to say definitely whether they
accomplished their object, but so far
ness they were slightly off the course.
At Zeebrugge two of three block ships
obtained their objective, being sunk or
blown up at the entrance of the canal.
The third grounded while passing.
"a certain amount of damage, the
extent at present unknown, was done
by gunfre and torpedo attack on an
enemy destroyer and other craft lying
at the Mole. Coastal motor boats re-
port having torpedoed an enemy de-
stroyer which was trying to escape
seaward. One of the two old sub
marines gained it's objective and de-
stroyed the piling approach to the
Mole.
"Storming parties from the Vim
dictive and the ferryboats attacked
under an extremely heavy fire and
fought with the greatest gallantry,
maintaining their position alongside
the mole for an hour and causing, it is
believed, much damage to the enemy
and inficting considerable losses. The
obiectives for the storming and demo-
lition parties on the mole were the
enemy forces holding it and the bat
terry upon it, as we'll as the destroyer
and submarine depots and the large
seaplane base upon it.
After reambarking their landing
parties the aforesaid three vessels
withdrew. This attack primarily was
intended to engage the attention of the
garrison on the mole, thereby allow
Ing the block ships to enter the harbor.
The casualties to the personnel, as
we had expected in a hazardous ad-
venture of the kind, were heavy in
proportion to the number of men en-
gagged. Up to to-day the British losses
reported are one destroyer sunk by
gunfire and two coastal motorboats
and two launches missing"