New-York tribune., 1918-05-15


where in the darkness overhead. De-
stroyers patrolled seaward of the small
craft.
1.-The Vindictive, always at that
solemn gait of hers, found the hag-
ships light buoy and bore up for where
coastal motor boat commanded by
Lieutenant William r. Slayter was
waiting by calcium flare upon the
old position of the Stroom Bank buoy.
-Four minutes before she arrived
there, and fifteen minutes only before
she was due at the harbor mouth, the
signal for the guns to open was given.
Two motor boats under command OF
Lieutenant Albert l.. Poland dashed in
toward the ends Of the high wooden
piers and torpedoed them. There was
a machine gun on the end Of the west
ern pier, and that vanished in a roar
and leap OF flames which called to the
guns.
Surprise Proves Complete
cover the town flame suddenly
appeared high in the air and sank
slowly earthward- signal that the
airplanes had seen and understood. Al
most coincidentally with their first
bombs came the first shells, whooping
up from the monitors at sea. The sur
prise part of the attack was sprung.
watchfulness, seems to have been COM
plete.
Cup to the moment when the tor
pedots of the motor boats exploded
there had not been shot from the
land - only occasional routine star
shells.
"The motor launches were doing
their work completely. These pocket
warships, manned by officers and men
of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve,
are specialists at smoke production.
They built to either hand of the Vim
dictive's course the likeness Of dense
sea mist, driving landward with the
wind. Star shells paled and were lost
rs they sank in it; the beams of search
lights seemed to break off short upon
its front. 1t blinded the observers in
the great batteries, which suddenly
upon the warning of the explosions OF
! guns. roared into action.
Huge German Guns Open Fire
"There was a while of tremendous
uproar. The coast about Ostend is
ponderously equipped with batteries
each with name known and identified
as Won Tirpitz, Won Hindenburg,
Deutschland, Cecilia and the rest
They register from six inches to mon
sters of fifteen inch naval pieces in
/ land turrets, and the Royal Marine Ar
/ tillery fights war-long duel with
I them. These now opened fire into the
smoke and over it at the monitors and
marines. And the monitors replied.
Meanwhile the airplanes were bomb
guns we're searching the skies fol
them. Star shells spouted up anc
Aoated down, lighting the smoke banks
with spreading green fires, and those
strings Of luminous green balls, which
the airmen call flaming onions,' SCARED
up, to lose themselves in the clouds.
Through all this stridency anc
blaze Of conflict the old Vindictive
still unhurrying, was walking the
lighted waters toward the entrance
It was then that those on the destroyers
merely smoke was wet and cold thai
the rigging was beginning to drip, anc
that there were no longer any stars
4 sea fog had come on.
Vindictive Loses Her Way
"The destroyers had to turn on theil
lights and use their sirens to keep il
touch with each other, the air attack
was suspended, and the Vindictve
with some distance vet to go, found
herself in gross darkness. There were
motor boats on either side of her es.
corting her to the entrance. These
were supplied with what are called
Dover flares, enormous lights capable
of Illuminating square miles of sea
At once every pistol was fired as a sig
nal to light these, but the fog and
smoke together were too dense fol-
even the flares.
"The Vindctivc then put her helm
over and started to cruise to find the
entrance. Twice she must have washed
across and at the third turn, upon