The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-04-24
DANIELS KNEW
ATTACK PLANS
Descent OH Submarines Nest
Was Delayed While Moni-
tors Were Built.
THIS ONLY OPENING MOVE
Believed Test Shows German
Dcfcnccs Aren't Deadly
as Thought.
THIS ONLY OPENING MOVE
SPECIAL Despatch to The SuS.


WASHINGTON. April 23.--Naval au-
thorities here regard the British and
French raid on the German submarine
base at Ostend and Zeebrugge rs an
important movo In gradually developing
plans to eliminate completely the U-boat
menace by effectively bo,tling them up
at their starting point.
The operation appears now to have
been Of greater scope and pretens!on
than VAS shown by the first reports.
Intimations have come from the Navy
Depar,mcn: here that this Government
was not ignorant OF the project and
tina. vessels under Vice-Adniral Slms's
command may have played role in
directly in the general plan.
Specially Built Monitors Used.
II develops now. according to naval
officers here. that the British have been
able to overcome the difficulties Of the
shallow beach of the Belgian coast.
which barred the approach OF deep
drauSht vessels. 10y making use Of spe-
c!a1ly constructed monitors OF light
draugh:. but armed with IL inch guns.
special purpose of helping the raid on
the C-boat bases and from first accounts
they seem to have fulfilled their mission.
They. together with cruisers carrying
landing parties and auxiliary vessels.
appear to have conveyed the five old
cruisers filed with concrete. an obsolete
submarine filed with explosives and
other ships making UP the expedition
Naval officers here note the intrepid
buy hus!nesslke manner in which this
mixture OF naval vessels approached
within range OF the German land bat
teries and set about the execution OF
their well laid plan. Tho campaign ap-
pears to have been divided into two
phases. the apparent object which de-
ceived the Germans into devoting their
attention to the landing party from the
cruiser Nindlctive and the long range
monitors and the real object. which was
the blocking OF the entrance OF the
! Bruges Canal.
smoke Screen Helped Greatly.
Incidentally the allied plans appear 10
have been materially aided by the smoke
/ attack. which screened the work OF the
| British vessels from enemy view and
! doubtless caused the land batteries to
, Are many Of their shells haphazard al
| the maze OF smoke. Tie fact that
Thomas A Edison has been devotins
! much OF his time TO perfectng smoke
screen devices may mean that some OF
his ideas were Incorporated in the plan
but this cannot he learned until furthel
| details are known here.
! The sinking " the old cruisers laden
with concrete and the work OF the crew
! In blowing w the obsolete submarine
along with much Of the pling beside tho
| mole. was apparently carried out with
out disturbance, the Germans giving
| all their attention TO the landing party
| and the monitors.
II is known the German hre was en-
| tremely heavy and that the landi np
party suffered severely and that the
man who conceived the brilliant idea OF
| the attack Is among the dead. But tho
fact that the British ships were able
! to reembark many of the landing part,
after the object Of the raid had bcer
successfully accomplished IS regarded
here as fine piece OF coo! and DARING
work. In fac: the general impression
| here ie that the defensive qualities OF
these Ostend AMI 2eebrugge bases are
by no means as deadly as many officers
OF the Royal Navy feared.
strength Of Dcfcnces known.
The present raid is admittedly feel
ing out process 10 far as testing thu
German defcnces was concerned. Now
that the calibre Of these defence, has
been gagged. the next move In the gen
eral plan can be undertaken with fs'
moro confidence, Il is expla lined.
The only vessels which the Allies ap
near to have lost in the face of this Ger
man FIRE were one destroyer. two coasta
defence boats and two small launches
\ German destroyer 's known to har
been blown up at Zeebruggc and othe
damage to the German vessels ma
have been severe.
Rut " the entrance 70 Icearugge am
Ostend hae been blocked the effect o
the l'.boat campaiGn may become ap
parent almost Immediately. II ma
mean tina; U-boats are held at thei
bases and that such U-boats as are noN
operating of the British Isles viii hav
no means Of returning In safety.
Secretary Daniels declined to-day I
comment on the raid. but It Is understood
he knew II was coming
American naval officials for some tin,
have been in favor of aggressive actio
agains. the T-hoat bases, The Rri.is
apparently have been slow TO !Ddorse IN
| idea, but II now seems that the BIRTHS
Admiralty has been waiting for the com
pletion Of the specially constructed mon
| itors which were to play such an !npo'
tant part in the plan,