The Washington herald., 1918-04-24
British Admiralty Heao
States Success Reason
ably Sure.
HOURS BATTLE FOUGHT
Vindictive and DafodiI
Crews Storm Mole at
Zeebugge.

London, April z3.-British naval
forces early today struck at the
roots Of the U-boat pest" on the
Flanders coast. The exact result
was still uncertain this evening.
but Sir Eric Geddes, First Lord
OF the Admiralty, was able to an
nounce in the Commons:
There is every reason to be-
lieve the entrance to the Brugcs
Canal was blocked"
This canal forms the exit Of the
German submarines from their
base at Zeebrugge, eight miles in
land.
Ostend also was attacked. There.
too, the British naval raid "met
with reasonable measure of sue
cess the admiralty announced.
Because Of the extremely hazard
Gus nature of the whole operation
only volunteers participated.
British CsssaIties Hesvy.
The British casualties were ad-
mittedfy heavy, but well worth the
price For at the bottom Of the
Bruges hArbor now lie the wrecks
Of fve concrete-ladsn obsolete Brit
ish cruisers. deliberately blown UP
BY the abandoning crews 10 OBJ
struct the ravage OF the German
undersea ferrets.
=. At the same time q stronE de-
tachment OF British sailors, organ
iIed into storming parties, fought
an hours battle alongside the Zee
Brugge mole. Beside that mole. a
British submarine filed with eN-
!. plosives was blown up. blocking the
passage of U-boats through those
shallow waters. Great damage wa
inflicted on the mole by the sailors.
who were from the British cruisers
Vindictive and DaIodil.
Destroyer sunk.
One British destroyer and two
Dotor-bosts were sunk. and two
launches are missing. French light
naval forces co-operated with the
. British.
. A German destroyer wss torpedo
ed.
/ A few hours before the British
Admiralty statement on the Flan-
: ders coast action was issued an
Amsterdam dispatch quoted the
Kaiser as saying to nifty submarine
commanders at a base on the Plan
ders' coast:
Accept my thanks for your CO.
operation with our victorious
armies. which will bring a strong
German peace. Fight and con-
I quer."
shows They Mean Business.
The successful raid Of British hight
cruisers on the Belgian ports OF Os-
tend and Zeebrugge. used by the
Germans as submarine bases. Nas
hailed by navy oficisls yesterds,
, as a further indication that the Brit
, ish admiralty. acting with Admiral
Sims, for the American forces. has
adopted a comprehensive plan OF war
fare against the C-boats No method
! for hampering the work Of the Ger
: man undersea craft will be consider
ed too puny to be prsctised.
Although the German hshermen
have been able TO get sea food under
the protection Of the seacoast bat
teries at the two ports raided. IL is
generally believed that the sinking
: of the FIVE concrete-fiIled vessels was
calculated to force C-boats, in puttinE
to sea, to come to the surface. Air
craft has long been employed in
trying TO detect the movements OF
the German undersea boats. particu-
larry near bases they are known to
frequent
: Report Prom Slams Expected.
A detailed report Of the operation
from Admiral Sims is expected BY
: the Navy Department. although there
? is slight reason TO believe that Il
can be made public. II is know
that Admiral Sims has been promi-
nent in the counsels OF the allies, and
inasmuch as the value OF offensive
action has always been the basis Of
I American naval tactics. u is thought
that Admiral Sims may have had a
part in reviewing the plan carried out
by the British unit:
} Navy men pointed out that al.
though American warships had not
participated in the actual hghtinE
IL is possible that American observ-
= ers were aboard some Of the cruis-
v ers who protected the advance Of
i the light craft sent into the mine
y fields. Older vessels would be used
: in such operations, IL was pointed
;. out, and the American fleet now In
a I e. H. "a.