The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-05-12
Obsolete Cruiser Sent to Last
Berth at Entrance Ostend
Naval Base
BRAVE FEAT BY
HANDFUL OF MEN
Ship Hit Repeatedly Before
Finally Locating the
Point Sought

London, May it.-The old cruiser
-adictive went to her last berth, $50
80 200 yards within the piers forming
the entrance to the harbor of Ostend,
one OF the German submarine bases on
the Belgian coast, under a terrific fire
from the German naval guns and ma
chine guns on the shore, according to
the Central News.
Preparatory to the raid into Ostend
the naval air force bombarded the
town and dropped bombs continuously
on the harbor works, causing fires.
Later, the airmen were assisted by de-
stroyers and monitors in bombarding
the enemy position heavily.
The entire operation was carried out
on similar lines to the raid of April
% when concrete laden cruisers were
sunk at Zeebrugge. For the second
time in month a smoke screen was
used successfully. About 2 O'Clock in
the morning large force of destroyers
and coastal motor boats steamed up
toward the shore. the motor boats
going alongside il. The weather was
everything desirable until fifteen min
utes before the Vindictive was sunk
when a sea fog drove in shore and re-
duced the visibility to range betweenl
300 and 400 yards.
The Vindictive experienced the great
est difficulty in finding the entrance to-
the harbor. The enemy employed star
shells and searchlights extensively for
20 minutes the vessel was in full view
of the enemy batteries As she cruised
up and down seeking the entrance she
was hit repeatedly and several casual
ties were sustained. 1t was 90 o'clock
when the piers were sighted almosti
alongside and then the German MAJ
chine guns opened a fearful fire.
Having found his bearings, the cap-I
tain swung his concrete laden cruiser,
around and rammed her stem against
the eastern pier. leaving his lieutenant
to work the engines with the object
of sending the ship across the chan
mel. He then discoyered that the,
cruiser was aground aft and that it
was impossible to turn her any fur
ther. He called his crew from the
engine room and stokehold and then
set off explosive charges.
Airmen, according to the Central
News report, says the Vindictive isl
lying submerged at an angle of 40 de-
grees at the eastern entrance with the
stem against the pier.
NHlIb lIIt NeSScI was Delng dbdn-
doned. two motor launches went alons-I
side under heavy machine gun fire
and succeeded in bringing off the mem
including the wounded.
A large number Of the officers apdI
men took part in the operation againsti
the Zebrugge mole on April % cIaimedI
the right to participate in the ostendl
operations, says the Central News
story OF the raid and their wish was
gratified All the men in the Vindict-l
i've were volunteers from the Doyerl
patrol.
At 3:i5 o'clock the Warwick. flag
ship of Admiral keyes, sighted a motor
launch which had on board two offi-i
GERS, and 3S men Of the Vindictive. AMI
officer who was on a destroyer de-
scribed the operations:
Up to AS o'clock we heard nothinsl
OF the enemy" he said. Then he |
sent up star shells and flashed his Il
searchlights. A heavy bombardment |
followed. beginning when we were
about two and one-half miles from he
shore. BY the light Of star shells ana
searchlights our smoke screen was To-
Gated. Then fog came on and the
airmen were prevented from contin-l
uing their work. For an hour this state
OF things continued but the weather
cleared sufficiently to permit our air.
men to resume their operations.
"A heavy fire was turned on the Vim
dictive. When at last she found en-i
trance to the harbor she ran her stem
into the pier and was abandoned.
THE crews of the motor launches
behaved In the most gallant manner
rushing In to shore utterly rerardIessi
Of their safety. to see that no one was
left behind. One launch brought off
Two officers and 80 men from the Vim
iictive.