The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-04-24
BRITISH RAID
(j-B0AT discs
HdrbOrS Of Ostend and zee-
bruggs StOrIned.
BLOCK MOUTH OF CANAL

the Passaee-First Drive on Sea
Wasps.
London. April 24.-BritiSh naval
bases of Ostend and Zeebrugge, the
admiralty announces.
Five old cruisers which had been
filled with concrete for use in block
ing the channels We're run aground,
blown up and abandoned by their
crews.
In all probability the entrance to
the BrugeS canal has been blocked
effectively in consequence of the naval
raid, Sir Eric GeddeS first lord of the
admiralty, announced in the house of
commons.
The result of the whole operation,
Sir Eric said, was regarded as very
successful.
While the operation was in progress
Sir Eric announced, British parties
were landed to distract the enemy.
The officer who developed the scheme
of attack was killed.
Storming parties were landed on the
Mole from the cruiser Nindictive. The
casualties to the personnel, said Sir
Eric We're heavy in proportion to the
number engaged. An enemy destroyer
was tOrpedoed at Zeebrugge.
Two of the blockading ships were
sunk and blown up at the entrance to
the Bruges canal. The piIing beside
the Mole at Zeebrugge was blown up
by an obsolete submarine filled with
explosives.
The casualties to British craft. Sir
Eric said, were one destroyer and two
coastal motorboats sunk and two
launches missing
At OStend two of the blockadin2
ships were run ashore and blown up.
Thr French co-operated in the raid
Sir Eric said. He characterized it rs
an extremely gallant and hazardous
undertaking. carried out under un-
known conditions of navigation. Their.
was Il high development of the smoke
attack.
The object, the first lord continued
was To block the entrances to Osten;.
and Zeehrugge. Monitors We're used
in the operation in addition to the
Storming parties and the blockading
ships.
The storming parties attacked I'M
der an extremely heavy fire and
fought with the greatest gallantry.
maintaining their position alongside
the Mole for an hour, Sir Eric said.
They were believed TO have caused
much damage To the enemy. heladded,
mflicting considerable losses.
The detectives for the storIning and
demolition parties on the Mole We're
the enemy forces holding it, the bat
terry upon ii, and destroyer aid sub
marine depots and a large -sdaplane
base unnn- the Mole Lee e. *
ing the landing parties, the vessels
engaged in this movement withdrew
This attack was intended primarily
to engage the attention of the garri
! son on the Mole, thereby making j.
possible for the blockading ships t,
enter the harbOr.
The ports of OStend and Zeebrugge
on the Belgian coast, are the primer
pal bases for the operations of tht
submarines in their campaign agains
| shipping in the North Sea and Eng
| lish channel They are of great i'm
| pOrtance to the Germans for this pur
pose, and it has been recognized b..
| the allies that to deprive the enemy
of them would be one of the most eff
! fective means of dealing with the sub
marine.
An attack ON these ports by the
| British fleet has been urged, but the
| British naval authorities apparently
| regard the land defenSeS as too strong
| to make this practicable. Various
measures have been adopted TO de
stroy German submarines on entering
or leaving these ports. Field Mar
| shall HaigS offensive in Flanders laSi
summer was generally believed to
! have as one of its main ObjectiveS
the bending back OF the German nor
thern flank so as to deprive the enc
my of these two points.
The Bruges canal Is about six miles
/ long, running from the city of that
name to the North Sea at Zeebrugge
This canal is of great value to the
| Germans, because the principal base
of the submarines operating from Zee
brugge is at Bruges, where there are
extensive docks and shipbuilding
yards.