GALLANT AND PERILOUS ENTERPRISE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 185, 25 April 1918, Page 7

GALLANT AND PERILOUS ENTERPRISE

; NAVAL LANDING ATTACK ON, I ' BELGIAN COAST \ U-BOAT EXITS BLOCKED AT OSTEND I AND ZEEBRUGGE r ■ " 1 r I BRITISH ATTACKS IN : THE WEST ; GROUND GAINED AT TWO POINTS' ! ENEMY MASSING HIS FORCES ■ r f ■> ) » v\n inspiring story of British gallantry in a difficult and perilous en- " ferpriso is tho main feature of the war news to-day. Ostend and Zeer brugge, for long sheltering placps and sally-ports for lhe German submarine.l; and destroyers, have been converted into blind alleys, so far as I .their offensive usefulness is concerned, by a brilliant naval exploit. Old r cruisers filled with concrete and obsolete submarines idled with high ' explosives wcro run in to tho exits of tho ports named, and delibcralct ly blown up. Zecbrugge was effectively stopped up. The full extent uf 5 the mischief done at Ostend remains yet to bo seen. The operation at J Zcebruggo involved the landing of storming and demolition parties on (ho defended mole, f.nd, ns might have been expected, was not accomplished 1 vjithout fairly heavy casualties. In view of tho dangerous nature of the ! enterprise, volunteers were called for, and in the good old British way i more volunteered than were required. On land a comparative lull obtains on, the Western front. Tho British have fcored successes in local actions, improving their positions, and capturing prisoners and guns.