ZEEBRUGGE AND OSTEND.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 269, 30 October 1916, Page 5

ZEEBRUGGE AND OSTEND.

BRITISH MINEFIELD URGED. I I AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z CABLE ABBN • | | London, Oct. 28. \ The newspapers suggest the necessity of extending the use of mines in order to close egress to Zeebrugge and Ostend. 1 Zeebrugge is now a station for many torpedo boats, destroyers and trawlers and a number of submarines, together with wooden dummies intended to mislead enemy airmen bombarding the port. _ | I The coast is defended by interminable rows of 11-inch naval guns buried in the dunes. Behind the dunes are heavy howitzers in protected positions. The whole sandy coast is honeycombed with trenches by subterranean catacombs constructed in • concrete and bomb proof. i German torpedo boats and other naval craft are constantly moving between Ostend and Zeebrugge. It I is understood that the Germans have been recently turning out exceptionally fast and well-armed destroyers and have brought them to the Belgian ports. It is only two hours’ steaming from Ostend to the South Foreland. The Flirt (380 tons) was last seen attacking four enemy ships. The fight occurred between midnight and one o’clock. The “Daily Telegraph” says the raid is the most ambitious of the kind since the opening of the war. Germany employed ten of her new, speediest and best gunned destroyers in order to make certain of achieving success. She risked vessels of the value of a million, but the raid merely resulted in the destruction of an enemy transport.

RAIDERS SINK A TRAWLER. [AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSN.] Paris, Oct. 28. Official.—A Channel raider returning sank a French trawler. The crew were mostly saved. THE GERMAN REPORT. [AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSN.) Berlin, Oct. 28. The official story of the raid claims that the flotilla passed the Straits of Dover and sunk eleven patrols and two or three torpedo boats, while others were damaged. All the German boats returned safely. STORMS ON LAND AND SEA. MANY SHIPPING DISASTERS. 1“ THE TIMES.”] London, Oct. 29. There have been violent storms in Britain, doing much damage to property. Several ships were driven ashore. The Thalcombe lifeboat capsized, fourteen being drowned. THE SUBMARINES. LATEST VICTIMS. [AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSN. 1 ' London, Oct. 28. Two boats with thirty-two men oi the Donaldson liner Cabotia sunk on I Monday, are still missing. The 10,000 ton steamer Rowanmore, owned by Wm. Johnston and Co., was sunk. The captain was taken prisoner. CAPTAINS OF MERCHANTMEN. TO BE MADE PRISONERS. [AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSN 1 Zurich, Oct. 28. A German official note announces that all captains of captured enemy merchantmen will be treated as prisoners, alleging that their Governments have instructed them to carry on espionage. ACTIVITY OFF FINNISH COAST [AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSN.] Stockholm, Oct. 28. The captain of a steamer which has arrived at Oregrund states that German submarines recentlv sank fourteen steamers off the Finnish coast and Gulf of Bothnia.

NEWFOUNDLAND PRECAUTIONS. .■OHAI.IAN <NI> N.Z CABLE A.SBN (Received 30, 9.35 a.m.) St. Johns (Newfoundland), Oct. 29. Owing to the possibility of submarines being in the proximity, the city has been ordered to maintain darkness at night, and all shipping has been suspended at nightfall. RELIEF SHIP SUNK. AXJSTP A M A Nf N 7 AfISN, * (Received 30, 9.20 a.m.; London. Oct. 29. At the inquest at Plymouth on five of the crew of a Greek steamer George Embericos. it was stated that the captain told the submarine com. mander that he had a Belgian relief cargo on board, but the commander order the crew into the boats and sank the steamer. THE WEEK’S TALLY. 1 UFt-rpp'c TFJ.pr.RAMS • (Received 30, 8.50 a.m.) London, Oct. 29. The sinking of vessels during the week end, total six Norwegian steamers, one Belgian, one Swedish one Danish, and two British. Three Danish sailers and two British were also sunk.