The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1918-05-11
IT, S. TROOPS CUT GERMAN BARBED WIRE ON LORR
0STEND HAkBOR is BLOCKED
FOR ALL EXCEPT SMALL CRAFT
Vindictive Cruised for Twenty Minutes in Fog
Before Finding Entrance-FWe Britons
Killed, % Wounded, 10 Missing.

LONDON. May 1.-THE German
naval base at Ostend probably is et-
fectively blocked, as the result OF yes
terday mornings daring raid, except
fortho passage Of small craft
The old cruiser Nlndictive. 800 feet
long, lies quarterlns in tho S27-foot
channel The rapid filling in around
her with silt by the current will clus,
the Germans considerable trouble.
The British casualties were re-
markably light. Omcors and men
who participated in the venture re-
ported Ave dead, 20 wounded aud ten
missing.
A large number Of the officers and
men who took part in the operation
against the Zeebrugge Mole on April
20, claimed the right TO participate IN
tho Ostend operations, says the Cen
tral News story OF tho raid. and their
wish was gratificd. All the men on
: the Vindictlve were volunteers from
tho Dover patrol.
the blocking operation at Zeebrugge,
was In command on the present oc-
! casIon. He tells the following story:
Weather conditions at the start
were In every way suitable. There
was light northwest wind. The sea
was favorable to small craft. There
was n clear sky and the visibility was
| good.
THE outward passage was made
without interference on the part OF
the enemy. The small craft were all
despatched 10 their stations. with de-
stroyers In support. and two coastal
motor boats were told off TO torpedo
the piers. Before the arrival OF the
| Nindictive, until Las o'clock, the enemy
was remarkably quiet. but Just at this
time the Germans began n fire. Star
shells showed that the smoke screens
were progressing excellently.
About this time the sky began TO
he partially obscured by low drifting
clouds. In about ten minutes before
the Vindictiye was due at her des-
tination a sea fog set In. This
stopped our air attack. Indeed, for a
time even the scarchllghts could not
bo seen. This state Of things con-
tinued for almost an hour. when II
cleared sufficiently for the air attacks
to be recommended.
TT was a lurid scene when the vim.
I ~
ly on programme time. There was a
laundering OF guns on sea and land
The exploding OF bombs from air
planes added 10 the din. and there
was an occasional cry OF agony from
some ono mortally wounded. Search.
lights criss-crossed above. and tht
whole scene was Illuminated with
flashlights and star shells. This waS
the picture for a full hour.
Tho Vindictive cruised about foi
twenty minutes IN the fog, looking
for the entrance 10 the harbor. whicr
she eventually found. She sank her
self at about 200 yards inside tn,
eastern entrance. The Vindctive'!
crew was rescued by a motor launcl
which brought off two officers anC
thirty eight men, and another whict
went alongside and took Off a lieu
tenant and two men. Two other mo
tor boats detailed for rescue worl
searched tho shores carefully unde
very heavy fire, but found no one.
An interesting disclosure may now
be made regarding the previous at
: tempt 10 block Ostend. II was un.
successful because the enemy hac
, Just moved about a mile from hi,
former position. II is believed tha'
II he had not made this change both
block ships would have got in.
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