THE FLANDERS COAST.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 January 1919, Page 5

THE FLANDERS COAST.

GERMAN FOBTICAHQI!S/| jj BEITISH FEINT AT LAUDDTG. Describing a tour along the Belgian coast shortly after iho German retreat, a correspondent wrote:—lt is not in *nyi serious sense an exaggeration to say that along the whole coast the German batteries stood 'JtJc to check, mm position crowding another, from beyond Oatend to the imtch frontier, W&ere, on April 23, Sirius and Brilliajit went ashore to the east of the piera of Ostind, in their attempt to .block the haxSbor, the gms are clustered above them. It is a miracle that they should bttve reached even the point at which they were sunk. Many, of course, were rendered useless, >but there must bo many more which are yet intact. Below the batteries are the hutments of the gunners, bliell dumps yet full of ammunition, and all the miscellaneous adjuncts of the batteries, fenced in with ranks of mat-red 'barbed wire. The Germans had taken root deeply. Of their black*aud-green camouflaged huts many were substantial affairs of 'brick, wooden-floored, and handsomely furnished, not merely with odd | chairs ;rnd tables conveyed from the nearest houses, in the of a dug l * out, «but with, well chosen gear of not* mal life.

T&OOP3 HELD ON COAST.

A landing on the coast was at nn ■- attempted or intended by us. The operation by land and sea which commenced on September 28 had for its purpose a threat towards the enemy positions -at Osier*"! and Bruges, and. to render them valueless to the Germans without actually attacking them. The enemy was thus deprived of any excuse for bombarding the towns or otherwise destroying property cad life. But it is possible now to reveal that when, on that date, the shelling of the coast: batteries by our ships began, great lighters statable for the landing of troops were actually towed out of Dunkirk and exhibited to the enemy. It was a part of the viceadmiral's plan to encourage the delusion that a landing was 'u contemplation. For days after the GennATig suspected and fctvred that it would be accomplished, and retained upon the coast forces which were bitterly needed down upon tlio front Such haa been the accuracy and discriminal lou of our bombard merits from both tea and ai? that all along the coast private property had mceivea butprisbgly little injury Many prominent and responsible Belgians have expressed to oar naval authoritirc. their appreciation of the fine skill and humanity with which our fire vu to purely! military targets.

MEtSS O>T ZEEBEUGGJi: MOLE. Our motor-launches &re wortring at the entrance to tho harbor, clearing it of mines. The exploration of the Mole has commenced., It will he a long task, not alone because of the length of the structure rud the great quaatity of material with which it is covered. Experts are required in that new adenea which German war methods iiavo forced .upon the world—tho science of naturalising "booby-traps''—the death that Sinks at, the end of a trip-wire, which walte.l to lull upon the opening of a dour or the rising of some dmnco object from the ground. Thorp are wires «v«xywhore. .It i 3 dangsroua to tread 'anywhero or to touch anything. Soma audi taopr w«ro laid at Blankenbcrghe, !in the abandoned huts by the dunes, jand children i:ave been killed by them. But tlio Etrar.ff.Vo thiug of all ill thfa nightmare medley was Capiain Benn'a first discovery when he lauded with his men on the Mole. It was a 3ft. snake, head erected above its coils, hissing. It was about a mile from the shore, upon r, concrntf mole, separated from the land by tha gap in the jetty, and how it got there, unions it Has fallen overboard —ir a mystery, miles* it represent!! the lost wid newest word in Parthian shots.

The bloekshipc Intrepid and tphigenia ■ lie well within the piers, the latter across the passage, the other at a alight angle to tha piers- Xheti3 is outside, ■ hut well across. The German tooat could oiijy be manwavred past them with the greatest ''.fieult* after extensive dredging operations had been carried out Al! that routined in tho old ships that could be uiscrewed, tin- , bolted, or cat away cos be«n removed; >1 there remains »oi r. scrap of brass of y coppez. Round Iphi"enla,'s conningtower a lr -i-pvoof shelter of reinforced concrete has been ewetcd .is a rcfajr' for tho men at work on tha } (during tii- >a.ids. But those who pitted the old ships so thoroughly to obtain nsetal for their munition faetorii«« -were at tho last in s-jch Jwsto to lea - , that they abandoned guns ashore an< ; on the Moln which hud riddled the oV. 4j 1 Vindictive, s<! waff sis aareni j cnt£ goni:.