The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-04-25
.U-BOATS TRAPPED
At BASE BY THE
BRITISH FLEET
Five Old Cruisers Sunk in Mouth
of Harbors.
H0BSON FEAT IS DUPLICATED
German Submarines Are Blocked Up
at Zeebruege and Ostend-Hero of
Action Is kilIed-Enelish
Destroyer and Small
Craft Lost.

Craft Lost.
London, April 24--Sir Eric Geddes.
first lord of the admiralty, told the
house of commons of the intrepid raid
in the early morn against Ieebrugge
and Ostend German U-boat bases on
the Belgian coast, and said in giving
the house such information as had
come 10 hand Of this extremely gal
liant and hazardous raid"
IL ask the members to appreciate
that most of the officers and men from
whom we have got to get the informa-
ton have been fighting the greater
part of the night and that some of
them are not Yet IN.
Reyes in Command.
THE raid was undertaken under
command Of Vice Admiral Roger
Reyes, commanding NJ Dover French
destroyers co-operated with the Brit
ISL forces.
"Six obsolete cruisers, all from TWEEN
Ia to thirty wears old. took part in the
attack. They were the Brilliant Sir
ius, Iphigenia, Intrepid, Thetis and
Vindictiye.
"The first five Of these were filed
with concrete and were TO be sunk in
the channel and entrances 10 the two
ports if this could possibly be man
aged.
Carries Storm Party.
"The Vindictive, working with two
fercy boats, carried storming and de-
moliton parties to storm the head of
the mote which runs out from Dee
brugge.
"The Vindlctlve was specially fitted
for landing storming parties and was
armed specially for the purpose with
flame throwers, Stokes mortars and
that sort Of thing.
Many Men Volunteer.
"The men employed on the block
ships and in the storming and demoli-
ton parties on the Vindictive were
bluelackets and marines picked from
large number of volunteers from the
grand fleet and naval and marine de-
pots.
There was great competition for
the undertaking. ana we could only
use very small proportion Of those
who volunteered
Action intricate One.
There were light covering forces
belonging to the Dover command and
Hnrwich forces under Admiral Tyr
whit, covering the operation in the
north.
"A force Of monitors, together with
large number of very small motor
boats, took part in the operation, which
was particularly intricate and had TO
be worked to Il timetable and involved
delicate navigation on hostile coast
without lights ANA largely under I'M
known nayigational conditions, devel-
oped since the war, with the added
danger of mine fields.
Hero Loses Life.
II should like to mention that the
officer who developed the operation
was killed.
The high development Of scientific
use of fog or smoke was one of the eS-
sentials of success. II was more fog
than smoke, which, combined with GER
tain wind conditions. was essential to
the success of the operation. 50 as to
protect the operation from batteries
which might have llanked 1t.
THE plan was, after an intense
bombardment of Xeebrugge by the
monitors, the Vindictive with auXli-
aries was to run alongside The mole
ana attagk # with gunhre ms they APP
preached. Stormlng and demolition
parties were to be landed
Meantime three block ships. assist
ed BIZ motorhouts, were 10 make for
the entrance to the Bruges canal. run
aground ana be- blown up.
TWO Submarines Used.
"rwo old and yaucless submarines.
Oiled with explosives, were 80 run
guilst the pIleWork connecting the
masonry with the shore. ia order to
cu; of The mole from the shore.
AT Oslend the operation was more
simple. but the difficulties were consid-
crably Increased hy mist. rain and
low visibility aud The consequent alb
sence of arciul cooperation.
Expedition a Success.
"Thc results thus far are known to
be- that two block ships were run
ashore and blown mp 1T ostend. II Is
too early to say definitely whether they
accomplished their object but, so far
rs the officers could see IN the dark
ness, they were slightly off the course.
at Zoebruggc two of three block
ships attained their objective. being
sunk or blown up az The entrance of
the canal The thlrd grounded while
passing IN.
"a certain amount Of damage. The
extent at present unknown was done
10y gunnre aud torpedo attack on an
enemy destroyer aud other craft lying
~ the mole
"Coustul motorboats report having
torpedoed an enemy destroyer which
WINS trying to escape seaward.
"One OF the two old submarines
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