BRUGES CANAL EFFECTIVELY BLOCKED

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9954, 25 April 1918, Page 7

BRUGES CANAL EFFECTIVELY BLOCKED

iy Teiegraph— Frasa Association—Copyrlttft Australian and N.Z. Cable AiboclilUob.

(Received April 1 24, 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 23

A naval raid was carried out at Oatend and Zeebrugge. Old cruisers, filled with concrete, were blown up in the harbour for the purpose of blocking egress. The entrance of the Bruges Canal is blocked. British landing parties distracted the attention of the enemy from the operations. LONDON, April 23.

Sir Eric Gcddes inhounccd that French destroyers co-operated in tha raid on Zeebrugge and Ostend. It was an extremely gallant and hazardous undertaking under Vice-Admiral Roger Eayes. The object was to block the entrances to Zeebrugge and Ostend. Sis obsolete cruisers—the Brilliant, Sirius, Intrepid, Iphigenia, Thetis, and Vindictive —particiapced n the attack, the first five, filled with concrete, to be sunk in the chaDnol entrances to Zeebrugge and Ostend. The Daitocii and'lsis carried landing, storming, and demolition parties to destroy the heau oi' tne Zeeorugge mole. Tile cruiser vindictive waa iitt-ed with landingbows, and also specially armed with batteries, stoKes-mortars, and flamethrowers. The- men employed on the blockships, stormirg and demolition parties were selected from a, large number of volunteers, for which there was great competition. Light forces from Dover ana Harwich, under Comm&cioro Sir Reginald Tyrrwhitt, covered the operations, . which were moat intricate. It was necessary to adhere to a strict time-table, and involved an attack upon a hostile coast and delicate navigation without lights, added to the danger of unknown minefields. ......

The essentials for success were the scientific use of smoke or fog combined with certain, wind conditions to protect the attackers from enemy batteries. The monitors were ordered to carry out an intense bombardment of Zeebrugge for an hour, then the Vindictive was to run alongside the head of the mole to attack it with gunfire and land storming and demolition parties. Three blockships, assisted by coastal motorboats ah<J launches, were ordered to make for the entrance- to the canal, run aground, and be blown up. Two old, valueless submarines filled with explosives were ordered to run against the pilework connecting the masonry part of the mole with the shore, thus cutting off the mole., 'The operation at Ostend was simpler, two blockships were ordered to be run asSore and be blown up at the entrance to the port. The difficulties here were increased by mist and rain, and as a consequence the absence of effective aerial co-operation. The results so far known are that the two blockships were ran ashore at Ostend, blown up and abandoned. It was too early to

! AUSTRALIAN ZING BRITISH GOVERNMENT PURCHASE. By Telesraull—Pre*« -I<!ijncJrit!on—Coßyrlchl MELBOURNE, April 24. Mr W. M. Hughes announced that a. contract has been arranged with the British Government by which, practically the whole of the zinc concentrates produced in> Australia during the period of the war, and for ten years after, will be pui chased by the Imperial Government. RIGHT TO APPEAL NEW CLAUSE IN ARMY BILL. By Telecrraph— Press Association —Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, April 23. The Government has added a clause to the Army Bill, giving officers and men the rignt to appeal before death sentence by court-martial is confirmed. It also give s to any officer or soldier vho is asked to resign hia commission or. who Is aggrieved the right of appeal before a member of the Army Council. RHEINLANO A TOTAL LOSS 6y rtlozrapl'—Pre** Association—CopyrlfUl Banter's Telegrams). STOCKHOLM, April 23. It is impossible to salve the Rheiniand, which .is a total wreck. Tho Rheinland, an 18,500-ton Gorman Dreadnought, with twelve 11dnch guns, ran ashore recently on one of tho Aaland Islands. HOW RICHTHOFEN DIED B» Tele»Traptt—Pnssii Association—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON. April 23. Baron Richtofen, the famous German airman, was taking part in a so-called "circus," which included 30 v fighting scouts who had a roving commission to cut off British aviators during such an attack as that on the Sordino yesterday. Ri-chthofen was seen flying 150 feet above the ground, and thon suddenly crashed. Ho was found to have been shot through tho heart.

say definitely whether they accomplished! their objective, observation being difficult owing to mist. The officers' in the vicinity reported that they believed these vessels wero slighty off the course. Two out of three of the blockships at Zeebrugge attained their objectives, and wero sunk and blown up in the entrance to the canal. The third) went aground going in. Damage, the extent of which was unknown, was done to the enemy's destroyers and other craft alongside the mole by gunfire and' torpedo attacks.

A motor-boat reports that she torpedoed an enemy destroyer, which attempted to escape to sea. One old submarine attained its objectivo and was blown up, destroying the piling at the approach to the mole. '. The storming parties from the Vin-', dictive, Iria and Daffodil fought with} the greatest possible gallantry, main-; taining their positions alongside the ; mole for an hour, and causing much, damage. The storming, parties' objectives were the mole, the force hold-| ing it and the battery there, and the| large seaplane baae. The Vindictive,i Iris and Daffodil, after re-embarking! the landing parties, withdrew success-| fully. This attack was primarily intended to engage the attention of the moles' garrison, thereby allowing the blockships to enter the harbour. This would have been impossible without an attack on the mole, which was successful. He regretted that the casualties among the personnel were heavy <in proportion to the numbers engaged. The Vindictive, reached her base; the Iris and 1 Daffodil were reported to 'he returning. Our losses so- far as reported were —A destroyer sunk by gunfire off the mole, aJid two coastal motor-, boats and two lannohes missing. The Admiralty's opinion was that the greatest possible credit was due to all; concerned for a very gallant -undertaking carried out with signal success. The co-operation between the units engaged and the syncJmonisa-tion of all the forces was most Temarkable. The officer who developed the smoke attack was killed 1 . Most of the officers and men had been fighting all night. Some had not yet returned. There was sufficient information to show that the entrance to the Bruges Canal was prooerly and effectively blocked and conriderable material damage done. Mr Reginald McKcnna congratulated the Navy upon its very gallant action. GONGRATUUTOB FROM THE KING The Press Bureau announces:: The King sent a message to the Vice-Ad-miral of Dover as follows: — "I heartily congratulate you and your forces on the ma,rked success of last night's operations. The splendio gallantry displayed under exceptionally hazardous circumstances fills me with pride and admiration."

GERMAN COLONIES MOTION BY DR FRODSHAM. By Teloerapb— Press Association—Copyrls*' Published -in "ThD Times." LONDON, April 23. Dr Frodsham (late Bishop of Queensland) moves at the Canterbury Convocation on the 30th inst that the Allies resist tho restitution of the German colonies m the interests of tho natives. IN MACEDONIA GREAT FIGHTING IN ALL SECTORS. By Telegraph—Press Assooiatlon-CopyrlSC ,l, Australian and N.Z. Cable Assoolat"»i»LONDON, April 23. A French communiquo from Macedonia states there d s great fighting activity on all sectors. ARABIAN CAMPAIGN FURTHER ARAB ATTACKS ON HEDJAZ RAILWAY. By Telegraph—Frew Association— CopyrlelU An*, and N Z. Cable A»sn. and Bontes-. (Received April 24, 10.40 p.m.) LONDON, April 23. A Palestine official message from Hedjaz states: Arab forces -under tho King of Hedjaz carried out effective demolitions of the Hedjaz railway north and south of Maan* They successfully attacked the outer defences of Maan, and reached tho Maan station. Subsequently they withdrew to the outer defenoes, which they still hold. Between April llth and 17th we took 322 prisoners.

AUSTRIAN JFOODSTOFFS AN ALARMING SHORTAGE. By TelesrrapTi-'-'PrMs Aesoolatlon—Copyright Beutor'a Teloeranm. (Received April 24, 7.20 p.m.) BERNE, April 23. The Burgomaster of Vienna, at . a public meeting, •declared that available foodstuffs were very scanty, and tho greatest sacrifices were necessary during the coining weeks. Tho official organisations had broken down. He voiced hia disappointment at tho failure of the Ukraine supplies and stated that Austria's only hopo lay in obtaining further aid from Germany.