Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-06-28
,,;, If Fire Sent Ship to the
Bottom of 0stend
Harb0r.
sIUpO|SE IS WELL PLANNED
....L Comes From Sea, Land and
Air Before Germans Awake-Vin-
dictive, Screened by Smoke
From Launches, Plods ST.
Iently to Its Goal.

following SrdplilS s'oiS Va 'AN
.otd on Ostend, which resulted IN
h,ockoding nearly all the entrance to
A. r-hoot base by the sinking of the
oId crriser vindictive across the chan
NEIL
1.-THE Sirius lies in the surf some 2
noo Yards east Of the entrance to U.s.
,o,d harbor. which she failed so gal
Iort,v "a block. and when, in the early
horrs of the morning the Vindictive
oroned her way through the smoke
screen and headed for the entrance 1t
,ros rs though the old fighting ship
evoke and looked on.
"a coastal motor boat had visited
her and hung flare in her stack anc
rusty rigging, and that eye Of unsteady
fire. paling in the blaze Of star shells,
or reddening through the drift of
smoke. watched the whole great enter
mise from the moment when it hung
in doubt to its ultimate success.
Depended on Surprise Attack.
"The planning and execution Of that
success had been intrusted by Vice
Admiral Sir Robert Reyes to Commo-
dore Hubert Lynes, who directed the
previous attempt to block the harbor
with the Sirius and Brilliant. Upon
that occasion q combination of unfOre-
seen and unforeseeable conditions had
fought against him.
Upon this, the main problem was
~, 81 ,t Nf NJ =
tack upon an enemy who was clearly,
from his ascertained dispositions, eX-
pecting him. The Sirius and Brilliant
had been baffled by the displacement
of the Stroom bank buoy, which marks
the channel to the harbOr entrance.
But since then aerial reconnaissance
had established that the Germans had
removed the buoy altogether and that
there now were no guiding marks Of
any kind.
"They also had cut gaps in the piers
as precaution against landing, and
further, when toward midnight Thurs
day, the ships moved from their an
chorage, it was known that some nine
German destroyers were out and were
at large upon the coast.
Night Nearly MINDLESS.
1.-THE solution of the problem is best
indicated by the chronicle of events
Il was night that promised we'll fol
the enterpriSe-nearly windless-and
what little breeze stirred came a point
or so west Of north. The sky was leaG
blue, family star-dotted, with no moon
and q still sea for small craft, motor
launches and coastal motor boats
whose work was done close inshore.
"From the destroyer which served
the commodore for a flagship the re
mainder of the force were visible onl.
as silhOuettes Of blackness.
From Dunkirk q sudden brief fur
ry Of gunfire announced that German
airplanes were about. They actual.
were on the way to visit Calais, am
over the invisible coast Of Flanders tn
summer lightning Of restless artiller,
rose and fell monOtonously.
There's the Vindictive" The NUT
ned seamen and marines standing b.
the torpedo tubes and guns turned a
that name to gaze at the great blac
ship seen mistily through the screen
Ing smoke from the destroyers' fur
nels, plodding silently to her goal an
end.
She receded into the night aster
as a destroyer raced to lay a ligh
ouoy that was to be her guide, an
those on board saw her no more. Sh
passed thence into the hands Of tn
small craft whose mission was to guild
ner, light her, and hide her in tn
clouds Of smoke screen.
There was no preliminary bon
oardment Of the harbor and batterie
as before the previous attempt. Thu
was to be the first element in the SUI
prise timetable had been la
uoWn for every stage Of the operation
anu the staff work beforehand eve
inciuded precise orders for laying II
smoke barrage, with plans calculate
Aor every direction Of the wind.
Gait Always Solemn.
monitors anchored in firing pos
uons far seward awaited the sigma
me great sea batteries Of the Roy
marine artillery in Flanders, amor
Nle largest guns that were ever place
.n lahd mountings, stood by likewi
" heutralize the bigger German art
N,E along the coast, and the airm'
VINO We're to collaborate with an ael
commandment of the town wait,
npVneWhere in the darkness overhea
eS.royers patrolled to seward Of Il
small craft.
-. Inc Vindictive, always at tn
s, ,,eihh gait of hers, found the fla
anips light buoy and bore up f
"nere a coastal motor boat comman
10y W. by Lieut.. William r. Slayter w
non, ,hs by calcium flare upon the Q
O., Of the Stroom bank buoy.
~ rour minutes before it arriv
:. ,le and fifteen minutes only hefo
viu vas Que at the harbor mouth, t
IT, e""l Tor the guns to open was give
1ioo motorboats, under command
n