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Show PLANS PERFECTED 10 BHTIH1TS GERMAN SUBMARINE OPERA-TIONS OPERA-TIONS HAMPERED BY DARING RAID BY BRITISH. Sinking of Old Boat May Block Harbor Har-bor and Cause Removal of Hun Submarine Base. Greatest Mine Field in World Sown. London. German submarine operations opera-tions from the harbor of Ostend, Belgium, Bel-gium, have been seriously hampered for a time, if not rendered impossible, by a daring raid made last week upon the narbor by the British. An official offi-cial statement issued Saturday by the British admiralty says the channel leading out of the inner harbor has been completely blocked by the hulk of the old cruiser Vindictive, which was maneuvered into position under heavy fire and then sunk by uombs. It is pointed out that the obstruc tion m the channel at Ostend will tend to eventually close the harbor through the action of the tides and the rapid silting up. If Ostend and Zeebrugge are removed re-moved as ports from which the German Ger-man U-boats may be operated, the Germans apparently will be compelled to withdraw their submersibles to their home ports. In this connection it is interesting to note that a week ago it was announced that the greatest great-est mine field known to naval operation opera-tion had been planted in the North sea to combat the submarines. It was officially stated that the area of this mine field would be 121.TS2 square miles and that it would be completed by May 15. Some months ago Admiral Jellicoe of the British navy announced that the submarine menace would be met by August 1 and it is possible that he had the blocking of the harbors of Zeebrugge and Ostenu in the laying of an immense mine field in mind when he made his statement. |