The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-05-04
Naval Forces of Allies Make
Dashing Raid to Bottle Up
Hun U-Boat Bases.
GREAT BATTLE IS Renewed
Germans Gain Little by Heavy Attacks
Holland Being Pushed to Wars
5rink-John D. Ryan Made
Director of Aircraft Pro-
duction,
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD.

Last week brought forth one Of the
most spectacular and dashing opera
lions of the war-the raid of British
and French naval forces on the Ger
man U-boat bases at Zeebfugge and
Ostend. Five obsolete cruisers and
two old submarines we're sacrificed.
The former, laden with concrete, were
to be sunk In the ch&nnel mouths, and
the latter full Of explosives, were drtv-
en- against the moles. These vessels,
i escorted by ,destroyers and all making
dense smoke screen. approached the
Belgian coast in the night but were
discovered and deluged with shells
from the shore batteries and from Ger
man destroyers. The chief fight took
place at Zeebrugge. There the cruiser
Vindictive ran inside the harbor under
heavy fire, and landed her crew on the
mole after a great gap had been blown
in 1t by a submarine. The men cleared
the mole, destroyed all It's guns and
sank a destroyer and were able to get
away again, though their losses were
severe. Meanwhile three of the block
ships were sunk at the entrance Of the
canal or In the harbor, and one Of the
old submarines was believed to have
destroyed the lock gates, letting the
water run out of the Bruges canal.
At Ostend the operation was simpler
and at least one of the block ships has
been observed from airplanes block
Ing the greater part Of the channel
At this time 1t is not known just
how successful the operation was in
bottling up the U-boat bases, but prob
ably 1t was no more so than was Hob
sons attempt to bottle up the Spanish
fleet in Santiago harbor. However, 1t
was a gallant enterprise, fearlessly
carried out, and American navy men
hope 1t will be followed up by addi-
tional naval exploits.
IA
There was comparative quiet along
the battle front in France and Flanders
during the first half of the week, and
both the allies and the Germans took
advantage Of the opportunity to
strengthen their positions. In the
minor operations the former had rather
the best Of 1t usually and the Huns
were pushed back in various sectors
by both the British and the French
Meanwhile the Germans were bringing
I'D their heavier artillery, difficult
thing because Of the nature Of the ter
rain and were evidently making prep
arations for resumption Of the attack
This came on Wednesday, when
after an intense bombardment, the en-
envy attacked with very considerable
| forces the allied positions south Of the
Somme, and along the Avre, in the
regions Of Hangard, Hailles and Sene
cat wood. For the time being these
assaults were successfully repulsed ex
cept at Hangard, which village AGAR
| fell into the hands of the Germans
! The reports from Paris said thai
| American troops were fighting witt
the French on this line and that theil
resistance to the attacks Of the Huns
was desperate. About eleven mile:
| directly east Of Amiens, the German
! objective in this region, the British
! withdrew from the village of Villers
Bretonneux. but elsewhere they stood
I firm.
AT the same time the Huns launched
attacks against the British in Flanders
and there was fierce lighting on thu
line between Bailleul and Merville and
near Bethune.
Next day by smashing counter-at
tack the British retook Villers, takinl
some TOO German prisoners and find
ing the enemy dead heaped up abou
the village. The Huns also attacke'
strongly on the south slopes of Noun
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