The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-01-24
BUILD BIG SHEDS
TO GUARD SUBS
Massive Works Erected at
Bruges by Germans.
SHELTER FROM AIR RAIDS
Sheds Of Massive Proportions With
Roofs Eleven Feet Thick Used to
House Submarines Eight Were
Completed. and the Ninth Well Un-
der Way When the Germans pecid-
ed to Run Along DEMONSTRATING
Docks Moved.

The Germans built great strain
sheds in the water to shelter their
submarines at Bruges, Belgium, from
bombs dropped from the air.
The sheds have concrete roofs II
feet thick and are of massive proper
tons. From early in 1917 until the
Huns were forced to abandon Bruges
altogether 1000 workmen were en-
ployed in building the great sheds for
the undersea boats.
Hundreds of concrete pillars, each
two feet thick and 20 feet high, sup
ported the heavy roof. Eight of the
shelters had been completed, and the
ninth was being built, when the Ger
mans decided to run along home.
In the very early days of the war
the Germans clearly planned the har-
bOrs at Zeebrugge and Ostend as per-
manent bases and repair stations for
their submarines, the original boats
being built at the Hoboken works,
near Antwerp. The first large repair
works appear to have been situated
ut the Ateller de la Marine at Ostend,
but 1t is probable that the docks at
Bruges, which are connected with
Zeebrugge by ship canal, were be-
Ding developed at an early period Of
the war.
Floating Docks Moved.
Largely owing to offensive naval
operations off the Belgian coast, as.
sisted by aircraft, the two harbors be-
came exceedingly unhealthy shelters
for such comparatively fragile craft
as submarines, and after the bonn
bardment of May, 1916, the large
floating docks at Ostend were lowed
round to Zeebrugge, and so up to
Bruges.
Following up this initial victory
with great vigor, British airmen COM
menced in January, 1917, an intensive
bombing campaign, directed chiefly
against the docks at Bruges, the lock
gates and harbor at Zeebrugge, and
the ship canal itself, which was, of
course, the only outlet by which the
submarines could gain access to the
sea.
Some idea of the severity of these
attacks may be gained from the fact
that no fewer than 6,123 bombs were
dropped upon Bruges docks alone,
while similarly large number were
dropped upon Zeebrugge and Ostend.
Apart from the immense and con-
tinuOus damage caused to the Mole,
sidings, quays, railways and shipping
at Zeebrugge, the lock gates them
selves-a singularly difficult target to
hit even from low height-were kept
practically always under repair.
Had to Build New CO..
Indeed, on several occas.Y..o, as the
result of direct hits by British air.
men, one of the gates had to be re.
moved by immense floating cranes
and a spare gate fitted, the damaged
gate being towed laboriously to
Bruges for repair in dry dock.
Owing to the great damage which
was caused by the Germans upon
1heir evacuation of the docks, 1T is
difficult to differentiate between their
deliberate work and the distinctions
resulting from the terrific bombing
from the air during the last few
months Of the war. Information from
various sources, however, makes II
abundantly clear that the enemy's
decision to give up the port of Bruges
as a repair base for submarines was
en- the main due to his inability to de.
fend it against the increasingly pow
erful attacks from the air.
The biggest explosion ever expert.
cenced in Bruges was caused by British
airmen at La Brugeoise works, May
81, 1913. The conclusion was felt all
over the city, and the flames lit up
the sky for many miles around. II
is said that the explosion wrought so
much destruction Of valuable machin.
cry that work was never properly re.
Sumed In these extensive factories.