Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-24
'SA SARATDLESSENS
U-BOAT MENACE
|nsring Exploit Seals Up
preying German Craft
and Hampers Tirpitz
o,SES BADLY DAMAGED
e.rrison on Mole Thought
American Force Made
the Attack
London. April ~

London, NpllI ~
- Franco British naval raid on the
.,.,r coast yesterday morning-one Of
r,ost daring exploits in marine his
vas believed by experts today to
=, sealed up the zccbrugee submarine
hp a., r.u,,,o,,,.
l l,ob as two 3O0-foot ships, filled
.s hundreds Of tons of cement hard
Ns i,ts stone, which were sunk in the
.J will require weeks of labor to
c,r I've Meanwhile many submarines
w otber warcraft thus will be blocked
nom the open sea
Thought Raid American
rrnon the landing parties disembarl<ed
A. csrman garrison on the Mole fled,
70 "1ts the Americans ~
~ stormers destroyed cannon and
nSnse quantities Of munitions on the
y.o with the aid OF bomb and flame
Arowers
complete official reports have not been
..alved here, but IL Is believed that
\. sinking Of ships laden with con-
10 off the harbors Of both bases will
-.sdp the passage Of t-boats and make
sscessarv for the Germans to do much
I.,aeinr before they can carry on then
Underwater operations with their old
lime freedom.
zeebrugge is the larger and the more
rnortant Of the two bases and has
A,sn attacked many times by British
md French airplancs.
n 10 reported by the Mail that two
,,sirovers got inside Of the Mole and
ssv up the gate Of the Bruges Canal
sock. which the Germans had been using
br submarine purposes.
This is regarded as one Of the most
rsmarkable feats of the war. aa the
,hips had to come under the fire of
German shore batteries at close range
N addition to avoiding extensive mine
selds
when the lock Of the canal was de-
rroyed ships broke away from their
mornings and a considerable number of
ustt was carried out to sea.
German Dcfenses Damaged
The protecting ships that conveyed
NE block fleet did much damage to
ne German defensive positions among
Ne sand dunes, and il is reported that
many shore batteries were wiped out
wmpletey This was the biggest Of
tnsive move thar the British fleet has
made since the battle Of .mtland
The British carried out their enter
Prise very clevPrly. using fog and smoke
Greens TO hide their movements. The
IAlps were almost inside Of the harbors
hiore they were detected.
Two Of the out-of-date cruisers that
cunk wont flnN+n
middle Of the passage through which
ne Bruges canal enters the sea. This
vii be severe handicap for the Ger
mans for they have been in the habit
dfunning their submarines IN the canal
iar cyerhaulng after operations AT sea
Survtyors say the approaching sbins
vet discovered near the Mole and bun.
ditds Of guns from the shore batteries
'peneo nre on them. The ships were
partly protected by the Mole, although
numerous hits were scored on them in
ne upper works and other not vital
parts.
Geddcs Gives Early Details
SIT Eric Gcddcs, First Lord Of the
Aumralty' IN giving details in the
nouse or, Commons Yesterday of this
nuemely gallant and hazardous raid"
aerlared in all probability the en-
uanee to the BruCcs Canal at Zcc-
Hugge mad been effectively blocked.
Casualties Heavy
Stormlng parties from the Niudic-
i've and the fcrryboats attacked under
IN extremely heavy fire and fought
sln the greatest gallantry, maintaining
uer position alongside the mole for
~ nour and causing. it is believed. much
ssmdee TO the enemy and innicting con-
nuelanle losses. The obicctives for the
Wrnlhg and demolition parties on the
uoe were the enemy forces holding il
snu the battery upon il. as well as the
destroyer and submarine dcpots and thc
Aige seaplanc base upon it,
Aiter re-cmharking their landing
parues the aforesaid three vessels with
IW This attack primarily was in
Nnued 10 engage the attention of the
ssiIlSon on the mole, thereby allowing
~s oiock ships to enter the harbor.
Inc casualties to the personnel. as
hsd expected in hazardous adj
su'ure OF the kind, were heavy in
roportlon to the number of men en-
steu' The British losses up to the
neeent reported are one destroyer sunk
euhnre ana two coastal motorboats
~u TWO launches missing.
we nave sufficient information to
SloN that the entrance to the BruEes
ssnal probably was effectively blocked.
aat material damage was done and
at 'he greatest credit is due To all