Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-04-25
REPORT ON DAMAGE
TO U-B0AT BASES
Air Observations Show Big
Break in the Mole at
Zeebrugge.
BERLIN TELLS OF ATTACK

| By the Associated Press.
| LONDON, April 24.--Air observation
shows a clear break of twenty yards In
| width in the Zeebrugge mole at the
| inner end and that sunken object
| blocks the greater part Of the channel
| in the harbor of Ostend, according to
an official bulletin issued by the ad-
| miralty.
The text Of the statement reads:
| "Fo1lowing the naval operation on the
enemy's coast yesterday morning, OBJ
servations were made by aircraft and
bomb attacks carried out. Observation
was difficult owing to the clouds, and
on this account our machines descend
ed as low as fifty feet.
"a clear break Of twenty yards wide
was aobserved in the zeebrugge mole
at it's inner end. AT Ostend a sunken
| object was seen lying between the
| piers and blocking the greater part OF
| the fairway.
Numerous bombs were dropped on
| ob1ectlves on shore"
Submarines Crew Rescued.
DOVER. England. April 24.--The
| which was used to destroy the German
| piers at Zeebrugge during yesterday
| mornings raid were rescued. accord
| ing to a member Of the crew. by an es-
The sailor said that after the destroy
er slipped the submarine at the en-
trance to the harbor the underwater
boat made straight for the target. A
time fuse was set and the crew aban-
doned the craft few moments later.
| The submarine struck the objective and
blew up. The sailor said the pier was
blown to pieces
Marine Describes Attack.
LONDON, April 24.--A youns marine
who took part in the fighting at zeebrugge
described his experiences to Central
News correspondent at kentish port
as follows
| shall never forget it 1t was all pitch
dark until we got right into the har-
Dor ana then the place suddenly be-
came cam aiishs with star shells. and the
Looming big ahead Of us was Ger
man destroyer, evidently getting I'M
der way. We put on full speed ahead
and rammed her amidships, cutting her
| IN half: As she sank we steamed
! gangways and rushed on the mole. BY
| that time it was raining hard.
Ehe nrst thing my party encountered
was giant German, who came out OF
the semi darkness and lungsd at our
nearest man. Before he could get in .
blow our captain knocked him on the
head with his tfunche con, and he sank
down dead.
Knocked opposers on Head.
Next we saw another German de.
stroyer. tied up On the other side Of the
mole. This we destroyed. We knocked
on the head all who attempted to oppose
our progress. Then came an order to
charge along the mole. We rushed ahead.
bavOneClnR all
across.
by this time we were fairly mad
and in high glee. The noise Of the
firing. mingling of the shouts and cries
! slaughter"
The marine said that when the order
came to return to the ship they re-
TRACED the their steps along the mole:
dying, and re-embarked safely.
Berlin Report Of Raid.
BERLIN. April "a. via London.--1n
the British naval raid Tuesday morn
ing on the German submarine bases on
the Belgian coast the German ad-
miralty announces that, in addition to
the Ave British cruisers sunk near the
coast, three destroyers and o number
Of motor boats were sunk BY the fire
OF the coast batteries.
/ The statement reads:
'On Tuesday morning An enterprise
of British naval forces against our
Flanders bases, conceived on a large
scale and planned regardless Of sac-
rif1ces. was frustrated.
After violent bombardment by
the enemy at sea small cruisers, es-
corted by numerous destroyers and
| motor boats, under cover Of . thick
veil of artificial fog. pushed forward
near Ostend and Zeebrugge, with the
intention of destroying the locks and
harbor works.
Says Only Forty Landed.
According to prisoners. four COM
parlies Of marines were to occupy the
mole at Zeebrugge by coup de main
! in order to destroy all structures. guns
and war material thereon and the ves-
sells lying in the harbor.
only about forty Of them got on
the mole. These fell into our hands,
some alive and some dead. On the
narrow, high wall Of the mole both
parties fought with the utmost fierce
ness
pated In the attack the small cruisers
Virginia, Enterprise and Sirius and
| two others Of similar construction,
whose names are unknown, were sunk
close OFF the coast. Moreover, three de-
| stroyers and a considerable number of
| torpedoboats and motorboats were
sunk by our artillery nre Only few
/ men Of the crews could be saved by US.
Beyond the damage caused to the
| mole by q torpedo hit, our harbor works
are quite undamaEed! OF our naval
| forces only ono torpedo boat suffered
damage Of the lightest character. Our
| casualties were small"
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