Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-15
Graphic Story of Sinking
Old VindictiUe at OSte1d
Old British Warship "Plods" to Scene of Last
Resting Place, While Thrilling Sea and
Land Fight Goes On.

LONDON, May 14.-The admiralty has
issued the following graphic story OF
the .ostend operation:
sDunkirk. May 1.-THE Sirius lies
in the surf some 1000 yards east OF the
entrance to ostend harnor; when a ,rh sno
in The early hours of yesterday morn
fnE. the Vindictive CROPPED her way
through the smoke screen ana heau . u
!, for the entrance it was as thoueh tne
old hghting ship aWos se h AND listed listed her
and hung a fare in her slack ana rus Ns
rigging, and that eye of unsteaoy n[e.
mailing in the blaze of star snelis, "
reddening through the dri.t OF srrUn
watched the whole great enterprise
from the moment when 1t hunS III
doubt to It's ultimate triumphant sue
cess. ~ that
"The planning and execution OF tna
success had been intrusted by wee Az
miraI Sir Robert Keyes to Commodore
Hubert Lynes, who directed the pre-
viona attempt to block the harbor with
the Sirius and Brilliant. Upon that Va
casion combination OF unforeseen en, e
against him.
Germans Take Precautions.
Simon this the main problem was 70
secure the effect of surprise at 49,,
upon an enemy who was clearly, - 90
his 'ascertained dispositions: eap bad
him. The Sirious and Brlillahe M. .ha
baen bafiied by the displacement OF the
Sfroom bank buoy. which marks 1ne
channel to the harbor entrance bad
since then aerial reonncoissahce n
esfah1ished that the Germans had re-
moved the buoy altogether and that
there now were no guiding marNs y.
snv kind. They also had cut gaps IN the
uiers as a precaution asalnst a lan
and, further, when TOWARD MY thsir
yr1nv from
anchorage, it was known that son nd
nine German destroyers were out anu
vrere at large upon the coast.
Chronicle Of Events.
..rhe solution of the problem is pest
indicated by the chronicle OF eveit Us
It was nj ht that promi sa1o Ven M.n nd
What little breeze stirred came pom.
ar 40 west of north. The sky was ieao
blue. family star-dotted. with no moon.
and a still sea for. small erai.. mo.os
launches and coastal motor ooaes' "ho9e
work was done close inshore.
:. "Erom the destroyer which served
the commodore Cor flagship the re-
Itaainder Of the fierce were visible OILY
- silhouettes OF oiacknes ss in the
darkness the motor boats IKE destroy
ere and the coastal motor boats Sho"
ing themselves as racing hiiioehs %
foam. .-at eurrv
~ 1unfire announced that German arr
planes were about. They were actuails
On the way to visit Calais. ana over .le
invisible coast OF Flanders the sum-
uner lightning of restless artillery rose
and fell monotonously.
"There's the Vindictive."
.rhere's tho vindictive" The muf-
fRad' seamen and marines standing by
the. torpedo tubes and guns turned az
that name to gaze at the great oiack
ship. seen mistily through the screen
fnE. smoke from the destroyers' fun,
neis. plodding silently to her goal and
end. Photographs had made familiar
that ihigh-sided profile. her tall tunnels
With 1eebrugge scars. always with the
s sste1 Which she lay to be fitted for
her last task. Now was added to her
the environment Of night and sea and
The greatness OF the tragedy OF her
nission.
asdestroyer raced on to lay light buoy
that was to be her guide. and those on
board saw her no more. She passed
thence into the hands OF the small craft
her and hide her in the clouds of a
smoke screen.
There was no preliminary lombard
ment of the harbor and batteries, as
before the previous attempt. That was
to be the first element in the surprise.
A time table had been laid down for
every stage Of the operation. and the
seA6 work beforehand even included
peesises orders for laying the. smoke bar
IaSe. with plans calculated for every
dkSceionSof'the wind.
All.in Readiness.
. .9Gonitors anchored in. firing positions
= taH' ha 10
Sreat sea batteries of the royal marine
2ftillery in Flanders, among the largest
3uns that were ever placed on land
lkountings, stood by likewise to neu
%eAliEe the big German artillery along
he coast and the airmeh who were to
<pf1aborate with an aerial bombardment
<3 the town. waited somewhere In the
&kness overhead. Destroyers pa
(plleA to seward Of the small craft.
( The Vindictive. always at that sol
$a gait Of hers, found the f1agship.s
10At buoy and bore up for where .
$500 motor boat commanded by Lieut..
8iAm r. Slayter was waiting by .
1oolum dare UPON the old position Of
spour minutes before she arrived
-, and fifteen. minu4esa only before
n Mas due at, the harbor mouth, the
enal TOR the guns to open was given.
NO motor boats under command Of
1Gaut. Albert L. Poland dashed in to-
taFd the ends Of the high wooden piers
And torpedoedH them. There was a ma
4 lne gun on the end Of the western
Nor. and that vanished in a roar and
LIP of fiames-which called to the
Surprise Is Sprung.
-orsr- the town a flame suddenly ap-
Feared high in the air and sank slowly
kaSthwards. the signal that the air
Names had seen and understood AL
p8t coincidentally with their first
9fnhs came the first shells. whooping
- from the monitors at sea- The sur
fYise part Of the attack was sprung
Ne surprise. despite the Germans
HAtehfulness. seems to have been COM
ttete. Up until the moment when the
ta1pod0e0 OF the motor boats exploded
&Aefe had not been shot from the
6hd-only occasional routine star
261tls.
sThssmotor launches were doing, their
roektnagnffcently. These pocket war
114ED manned by officers and men Of
C3e royal naval volunteer reserve are
4becaalists at smoke production. They
GlM1t to either hand Of the Vindictive's
&DuyDe the likeness OF q dense sea mist,
Ak1ytnU landward with the wind. Star
1heus paled and were lost as they sank
n break on short upon it, front, II
034deo the observers In tho great 6af-
lelee. which suddenly, upon the warn.
OF the explosions OF guns. roared
m act1on.
1hsrs Was-a while, Of tremendous. I'm,
RR-~1 ~- -> -,