The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1918-06-14

success had been intrusted by Vice
Admiral Sir Robert Keyes to Commo-
dore Hubert Lynes, who directed the
previous attempt to block the harbor
with the Sirius and Brilliant. Upon
That occasion combination of unfore-
seen and unfOreseeabIe conditions had
fought against him.
Upon this, the main problem was
to obtain the effect of surprise at
| tack upon an enemy who was clearly,
from his ascertained dispositions. ex-
| pecting him. The Sirius and Brilliant
had been baff1ed 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 a 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.
"The solution of the problem is best
indicated by the chronicle of events.
1t was a night that promised we'll for
the enterprise-nearly windless-and
what little breeze stirred came a point
or so west of north. The sky was lead
blue, family star-dotted, with no moon,
and a 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 only
as silhOuettes of blackness.
From Dunkirk a sudden brief fur
! ry of gunfire announced that German
airplanes were about. They actually
were on the way to visit Calais, and
over the invisible coast Of Flanders the
summer lightning of restless artillery
rose and fell monOtonOuSly.
"There's the Yindictiven The muf-
fed seamen and marines standing by
the torpedo tubes and guns turned NJ
that name to gaze at the great black
ship seen miStily through the screen
ing smoke from the destroyers' fun
nels, plOdding silently TO her goal and
end.
"She receded into the night astern
as a destroyer raced to lay a light
buoy that was to be her guide, and
those on board saw her no more. She
passed thence into the hands of the
small craft whose mission was TO guide
her. light her and hide her in the
clouds of q smoke. screen.
"Thpre was no preliminary hom-
bardment of the harbor and batteries,
as before the previous attempt. That
was TO be the first element in the sur
prise. A timetable had been laid
down for every stage Of the operation,
and the staff work beforehand even
included precise orders for laying the
smoke barrage. with plans calculated
for every direction of the wind.
Gait Always Solemn.
monitors anchored in firing posi-
tions far seward awaited the signal.
The great sea batteries Of the Royal
Marine artillery in Flanders, among
the largest guns that were ever placed
on land mountingS. stood by likewise
70 neutrnllze the bigger German artiI-
/ 49, olo,, tho coast. and the glTmen
who were To collaborate with an aeTl-
al bomhardment Of the town waited
somewhere in the darkness overhead,
Destroyers parolled to seaward OF the
small craft.
THE Vindlctive, always ri Ina'
solemn gait Of hers, found the nag
ships light buoy and bore mp TOT
whore a coastal motor boat command
ad nv Lieut.. William r. Slayter was
waiting by a calcium flare upon the oIu
posItion of the Stroom bank buoy.
-Four minutes before ii arrlfeu
,bera and fifteen minutes only before
n was due at the harbor mouth the
signal for the guns 10 open was gwen:
Two motorboats. under command OF
TJent Albert L. Poland, dashed IN
reward the ends of the high wooden
nIers and torpedoed them. There was
= machine gun on the end OF the "eS'-