Chapter II: Front Matter (2)

Broken fragments of walls mark the site of the station on the dune. In front are a derelict engine and train, which have been there since 1914. Near by is the entrance to the covered trench which connected Nieuport-Ville with Nieuport-Bains; same may be visited.

_Return to the car and take the road to the left towards Nieuport-Ville (photo below)._

_Proceed to Nieuport (3 kms.) by the road (very rough) running parallel to the estuary of the Yser, past_ several shelters and artillery positions. _After crossing the bridge over a small canal, the tourist comes out on the wharves of Nieuport._ Once an important fishing port, little remains today of its former prosperity. A few fishing boats still give some little activity to the place.

_At the end of the dike, leave the car and go on foot, in the
direction of arrow A, along the path leading to the mouth of
the river (photos, p. 44). Return to the car and take the
road to the left (arrow B.) to Nieuport-Ville._]

+View, looking towards the sea+.]

+View looking towards Nieuport+.

_In the foreground:_ _Concrete Shelter and destroyed Wooden Pier._]

NIEUPORT.

The small town of Nieuport is of very ancient origin. As early as the 9th century its site was occupied by a castle built by the Counts of Flanders to defend the coast against the Normans. The burgh, first known as Santhoven, took the name of Nieuport _(Neoportus)_ after the inhabitants of Lombaertzyde had migrated there. Situated on the Yser, the town served as a port for Ypres, and was an important business centre. It was besieged by the English in 1383 and by the French in 1489.

After a long period of stagnation, the enclosing walls were pulled down in 1860. However, with laudable respect for the past, the Municipality saw to it that the charming old-world aspect of the place was carefully preserved, by severely controlling the plans of all new constructions, and by prohibiting the use of materials not in harmony with the buildings already existent.

Nieuport, of which nothing remains but a few scattered ruins, was the scene of desperate fighting.

With Dixmude, it was one of the two main centres in the Yser defences, these two towns being, in fact, the bastions of the line of resistance.

Amongst other things, Nieuport possessed an elaborate system of lock-gates and sluices, by means of which the water in the canals throughout maritime Flanders was regulated.

It was easier to defend than Dixmude. The canals and water-courses which united in its port, separated the town from the enemy. It could, moreover, be more effectively protected by the guns of the Allied Fleet.

In October 1914, the Belgian 2nd Division held the outlying defences at Lombartzyde and Mannekensvere (east of St. Georges).

On October 19, it was attacked by the German 4th Reserve Division. Three consecutive attacks against Lombartzyde having failed, the enemy began to shell Nieuport with their heavy artillery.

Renewing their attacks, the enemy captured Lombartzyde, but were unable to debouch. Crushed by the bombardment, Nieuport fell into ruins.

From October 18 to 25, in spite of the heavy bombardment, the Belgian 7th Infantry Regiment held the banks of the Yser, to the east, in front of St. Georges, near the Union Bridge, which the Germans, debouching from Mannekensvere, tried in vain to carry. The Belgian batteries, often without cover, stubbornly supported the defenders. On several occasions, guns were hauled up on the river bank into the infantry lines, whence their direct hits smashed the farmhouses and German machine-guns concealed in them.

The enemy crossed the Yser at Schoorbakke, outflanking St. Georges from the south, which had to be evacuated.

Instantly, batteries of the Belgian 5th Brigade, brought up by hand, opened a rapid fire at short range with high explosive shells upon St. Georges and the approaches to the canal, where the enemy were concentrating.

Mowed down where they stood, the assailants vainly attempted to debouch from the village, where piles of their dead lay among the ruins. The 14th Line Regiment, which had meanwhile relieved the 7th, was able to withdraw in good order.

At nightfall, the batteries were gradually withdrawn behind the railway whence they helped first to hold, then to force back the German attack upon Ramscappelle.

The defenders being now exhausted, and the enemy's attack gathering strength, the Belgian General Staff gave orders to flood the area between the Yser and the railway embankment. The road to Calais, via Nieuport, was thus definitely barred to the invaders.

The Germans revenged themselves by bombarding Nieuport, attempting at the same time to slip along the dunes of Lombartzyde, towards the town, in order to seize the locks. Before the unflinching resistance of the defenders supported by the fire of the British and French monitors, the attack broke down.

_(Photo Nels.)_]

At the beginning of November Lombartzyde, in the northern sector, was the scene of uninterrupted fighting, with alternating advances and retreats.

In December a powerful offensive, having for its objective the capture of the German defences along the Belgian sea-coast, was begun, with General de Mitry in command of the Nieuport forces.

On December 16, the French carried the western outskirts of Lombartzyde in a single rush, and reached the first houses of St. Georges. The enemy, however, resisted desperately, and progress was slow. By the end of the month, the Moroccan Brigade succeeded, with great difficulty, in reaching the Grande Dune. On January 7, the 4th Regiment of Zouaves scaled the Mamelon Vert. A few days later the French Marines, who had been relieved in the Steenstraate sector, by Tirailleurs and dismounted cavalry units of the 2nd Corps, attacked the Grande Dune and Lombartzyde. After extremely desperate fighting, entailing heavy losses, the Grande Dune was captured.

The attack was stayed, and the French clung to the thin strip of land on the right bank of the Yser.

The bombardment of Nieuport increased in violence. Each morning, the huge 16½in. shells wrecked the houses and public buildings, and crushed in the cellars where the defenders had taken shelter. One after another, the 12th century Church, the Abbey on the Dunes, the "+Halles+" with their graceful belfry, and the massive Templars' Tower crashed to the ground.

Meanwhile, the battle continued to rage all around the town.

On May 9, a German attack from Lombartzyde to St. Georges was broken, and on the following day the French marines carried "W" and Union Farms, with fine dash, and destroyed the enemy's blockhouses.

In 1916 (January 24), after a bombardment of more than 20,000 shells, the Germans attempted to debouch from their positions near the mouth of the Yser. Repulsed with heavy loss, they once more deluged the unhappy town with shells.

In 1917, the British prepared their great Spring and Summer offensives, extending from east of Arras to the region of Ypres, and relieved their French comrades in the sector stretching from St. Georges to the sea.

They had hardly taken up their positions, when the Germans attacked (July 10). Thrown back into their trenches before Lombartzyde, the enemy renewed their attacks with increased violence, and forced back the British in the direction of Nieuport. The latter managed, however, to keep a bridgehead at the exit from the town.

Meanwhile, in the Dunes sector, two British Battalions, in spite of their gallant resistance, were forced back upon the river. Of these, only four officers and seventy men escaped, by swimming across during the night.

The Germans on the right bank of the river occupied the Dunes.

The pressure on Nieuport increased, but the Yser remained impassable.

In 1918 (September 28), the great liberating offensive, under the command of King Albert, was launched in the plains, to the east of Dixmude, and Ypres. On October 16, the Belgian 5th Division, east of Nieuport, charged from the famous islets in front of the Yser. The enemy, badly shaken, retreated, closely followed by the Belgians, who harried their rear-guards and completely swept the coast to a point beyond Ostend.

Nieuport, terribly ravaged by four years of the fiercest fighting at its very gates, was at last delivered.

On January 25, 1920, in the presence of King Albert and the Burgomaster, President Poincaré conferred the _Croix de Guerre_ with the following mention on the indomitable city:

_"Martyred City, involved in all the vicissitudes of a desperate struggle lasting four years, Nieuport maintained intact her faith in the future, in spite of all her trials._

_Her ruins bear witness to the heroism of her defenders and to the bravery of her inhabitants."_

_Inset:_ +Lock-Keeper Geraert, who flooded the Plain+ _(See p. 51.)_]

_On reaching the wharves, take the first street on the right, then the second on the left, to the Grand'Place, in which the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame used to stand._

Consecrated in 1163, this Gothic edifice had retained portions of the original 12th century church. The northern doorway was 15th century, and the main entrance 16th century. The tower was somewhat massive. In the interior, a 15th century rood-loft, the high altar (1630), the 17th century stalls (by Desmet), a 15th century pulpit, an ancient tabernacle (by Jean Aert of Bruges-1733), and several old tombs, were noteworthy.

Nothing remains of the church but broken fragments of walls and the ruined belfry. In the surrounding graveyard, among the broken tombstones, Belgian and French soldiers lie buried. Their graves were often devastated by the shells.

In the same square stood the 14th-15th century =Cloth-Hall=, whose belfry was restored in recent times. Only a portion of the façade remains.

_At the end of the Square, opposite the Markets, take Rue du Marché, then the first street on the right (Rue Longue). At the corner of these two streets is_ the =Hôtel-de-Ville= (in ruins) which used to contain portraits of the kings of Spain and the arch-dukes.

_Continue to the end of Rue Longue, where, on the right, are_ the ruins of the =Templars' Tower=. The square donjon is all that remains of a commandery which formerly belonged to the Templars, and which was destroyed during the siege of 1383. Behind, are vestiges of the ancient city ramparts.

_Return to the port by the first (very wide) street on the right, which leads to the Ostend Road Bridge across the Yser. To the right of the bridge are_ the =Nieuport locks= which served, during the War, to inundate the surrounding country, being opened at high water and closed at low water _(see photo, p. 50)_.

=From Nieuport to Ostend.=

_1½ kms. further on, the tourist reaches the site on which Lombartzyde used to stand_ (2 kms.); the scarcely visible ruins are now overrun with grass and weeds. A few huts and a wooden church have recently been built.

Lombartzyde (the Lombards' Corner) owed its name and prosperity to the merchants and bankers, many of them Lombards, who settled there in the Middle-Ages. The town was, however, soon deserted in favour of Nieuport. Its large plain church, of no particular interest, contained a statue of the Virgin, much venerated by the fisher-people, who often visited it in the summer-time. Lombartzyde, formerly a sea-port, was later cut off from the sea by the Dunes, and Lombartzyde-Bains--the seaside portion of the town--grew up there. The steam-trams running between Nieuport and Ostend may be taken to reach it.

Situated about 1 km. in front of Nieuport, on the right bank, Lombartzyde was occupied on September 15, 1914, by the advanced posts of the Belgian 2nd Division.

In danger of being turned, it had to be abandoned on the 20th, at about 3 p.m., together with Groote-Bamburg Farm, likewise situated in front of Nieuport.

For a short time the town was reoccupied by the French, but finally remained in German hands. Neither the attack on the Grande-Dune in December 1914, nor the Belgian advance to the outskirts of the town a little later, could drive the enemy out.

Groote-Bamburg Farm, formerly belonging to the lay monks, lies to the east of Lombartzyde; _there is no carriage road, but a foot-path, starting opposite the church, leads there in 20 minutes_. Of the farm, nothing remains but a maze of trenches, wire entanglements and concrete shelters.

_Opposite the church, the old Avenue de la Reine (photos, p. 52) leads to_ the Dunes, the importance of whose defences will become apparent _(photo below)_.

_Keep along the road to Westende (1½ kms.), a small village situated on the road from Nieuport to Ostend; steam-trams run between the latter towns._

The village was entirely razed, and the site cut up with trenches.

_Westende-Bains is 1 km. further along the coast._

The Germans installed themselves in both places, which accordingly became targets for the British monitors.

_Beyond Westende-Village, take the rough road on the left (photo above). Before reaching the ruins of Westende-Bains (2 kms.) (photo above), turn to the right, then take the left-hand road leading to the sea dike (photo above), which follow on the right, in the direction of Ostend._

_Before setting out for Ostend, visit_ the ruins of =Westende-Bains=, intersected with trenches.

The cellars of the houses were consolidated, and turned into shelters and battery positions.

All along the dike, and along the whole coast runs a line of barbed-wire, through which the Germans caused a high-tension electric current to pass _(photo above)_.

_Follow the dike_, bordered on the right with trenches, numerous observation-posts and concrete machine-gun shelters.

_Below: The Kursaal, used by the Germans as an observation-post._]

+Middelkerke-Bains+ _(3 kms.)_, formerly a small seaside resort, is next reached. All the hotels and villas are in ruins, their fronts having been either ripped open by shells or blackened by fires. The Germans organised powerful defence-works there, in view of Allied air raids and the possible landing of troops. Observation and signalling posts, as well as shelters for machine-guns and searchlights are to be seen all along the dike.

The Kursaal, an isolated building standing in front of the village, was turned into a blockhouse, facing seawards; same includes two superimposed observation-posts, a signalling post, and machine-gun shelters.

_Continue along the dike_, noticing the observation-posts, machine-gun and small calibre artillery emplacements, _as far as the ="Aachen" Battery= on the right_.

This is the first of the formidable coast-defence batteries organised by the Germans. The itinerary takes the tourist to most of these batteries, all of which were fitted with heavy guns.

They were served by standard or narrow-gauge tracks, some having as many as three tracks of different gauges.

At the time of the Armistice the Germans blew up a large number of the shelters, before leaving, and destroyed most of the guns which they had been unable to evacuate.

They also removed all apparatus from the observation and telemetric posts.

_(north-east of Middelkerke-Bains.)_]

An enormous blockhouse, situated on the left of the "+Aachen+" +Battery+, contained an observation-post and the post-of-commandment of the officer in charge of the firing. Near by, are the four 6in. armour-protected guns on concrete platforms, with concrete personnel and ammunition shelters on either side. In front of the battery, near the beach, were anti-aircraft machine-gun posts.

The "Aachen" Battery was connected by infantry defence-works to the next or ="Antwerpen" Battery=, situated on top of the dune. The latter comprised four 4in. guns in armoured turrets, with sand-covered concrete shelters behind. In front, on the dike, are machine-gun emplacements.

The _="Beseler" Battery=, next reached_, comprises four 6in. guns on concrete platforms, with circular armour-plate protection. On each side two elevated emplacements served as telemetric and observation-posts.

_Further on is_ a large infantry entrenchment, with a shelter on the dike for the searchlight, and an emplacement on either side for machine-guns or small calibre artillery.

☙ ☙ ☙]

_Next comes_ the ="Cecilia" Battery=, similar to the "Beseler" Battery, except that the guns are longer, and the armour-plate protection rectangular.

_Having passed_ a series of observation-posts, including that of the ="Tirpitz" Battery=, with its telemetric installation and machine-gun shelters, _the tourist enters =Mariakerke-Bains= (6 kms.)_, a small seaside resort in the suburbs of Ostend.

_Follow the tram-lines along Avenue Léopold, separated from the dike by a row of houses, to =Ostend= (2½ kms.) coming out opposite the entrance to_ the old +Wellington Fort+.

☙ ☙ ☙

OSTEND.

In the 9th century, Ostend, then a hamlet, was situated at the eastern end _(Oostende)_ of a sand-bar belonging to the powerful St. Bertin Abbey of St. Omer. Incursions by the Normans and the ravages of the sea had almost entirely annihilated it when, in the 9th century, Robert le Frison built a chapel to Our Lady there, around which a new village grew up. Thanks to the herring fisheries on the Flemish coast--a flourishing industry in the Middle-Ages, but since abandoned--Ostend grew and prospered. The construction of defence-works at the end of the 16th century, by Guillaume-le-Taciturne, conferred on the town the dangerous honour of becoming the last rampart of the Utrecht Confederation against the Spaniards of the southern provinces, and resulted in one of the longest and bloodiest sieges (1601-1603) recorded in history. This three years' struggle cost one hundred thousand lives and reduced the town to ruins.

Later, Ostend sustained further destructive sieges, e.g. by the English, under Marlborough, in 1706; by the French under Marshal Lowendhal in 1745. Meanwhile, and in the latter part of the 18th century, various factors helped to restore the town's former prosperity, i.e. the "Peace of Utrecht" (1713) which closed the Escaut, thus paralysing Antwerp in favour of Ostend; and the wealthy "Indian Company" founded there, but broken up ten years later for political reasons. The "Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle" (1748) having ceded the town to Austria, Joseph II caused the maritime installations to be completed, and made it a free port, into which the belligerent ships put during the American War. This revived prosperity was again annihilated by revolution and the Napoleonic wars.

In the 19th century, Ostend discovered a new and fruitful source of wealth in sea-bathing, and eventually developed into one of Europe's premier seaside resorts.

Under the impulsion of Leopold II, who frequently resided there, extensive works were carried out in the town and port at the beginning of the present century. The channel was widened, the jetties rebuilt, the port enlarged. A monumental bridge, the present maritime station, and the church of St. Peter and Paul were built. The dike was prolonged westwards and bordered with luxurious buildings. Parks and public gardens were laid out. To the east, the Lighthouse Quarter was transformed, and the Royal Road in the Dunes to Blankenberghe was made.

When, in August 1914, the Germans invaded Belgium, this "queen of watering-places" offered a strangely moving sight until the middle of October. British troops disembarked from the transports, marched in long files through the streets, and encamped in the surroundings. Refugees from all parts were temporarily housed in the bathing cabins. "Zeppelins" and "Taubes" completed the terror and panic caused by the approach of the invaders. The trains were crammed, and the maritime station crowded with thousands of people seeking to get across to Britain. The retirement of the Belgian Army along the littoral, after the fall of Antwerp, marked the end of the season of 1914.

On October 14, the Germans occupied the town, from which the visitors and part of the inhabitants had fled. Naval defences were organised, the dike and dunes armed, while the palaces and villas along the dike, the Kursaal, and other public buildings were occupied by the military staffs. The town suffered severely from this occupation. British shells and aeroplane bombs unavoidably increased the damage. The maritime station, and a number of hotels and private residences in the central and eastern districts were partly destroyed, while the glazed roof of the Banqueting Hall of the Kursaal collapsed.

Many public buildings were transformed into Hospitals, dressing-stations, and even stables. The furniture of the fine villas along the sea-front was either sent to Germany or burnt as firewood. The wine-cellars were emptied. Defilements, in accordance with Kultur's best practice, went hand-in-hand with the destructions. Reconstruction and cleansing will require much time and work. Yet, true to her past, Ostend will rise again, more beautiful than ever, from her ruins.

_Gneisenau Battery, in front of the Royal Palace Hôtel._]

A VISIT TO OSTEND.

_On entering the town, skirt the +Wellington Hippodrome+, in front of which_ portions of the old Wellington Fort _may still be seen at the end of the Western Dike. In front of the terrace of the Royal Palace Hôtel, on the dike, is_ the ="Gneisenau" Battery= armed with 4in. guns _(photo above)_.

_Take Avenue des Courses to the =Chalet Royal=. Go round the latter by Rue Courbe._

_Between Avenue des Courses and Rue Courbe opens out, on the right_, the fine Avenue de la Reine, which connects the dike with the Grand Parc Marie-Henriette _(see p. 67)_.

_On the left:_ +The Kursaal+.

_On the right:_ +Concrete Shelter+

_Further on (to the left)_ +The Chalet Royal+

_In the background:_ +Mariakerke+.]

The Chalet Royal.

This _ensemble_ of light constructions occupies a fine dominating position. Instead of levelling the dune, the side facing the sea was consolidated with masonry-work.

The opposite side of the hill is laid out with terraced gardens, through which winds the road leading to the Chalet. The latter comprises two large pavilions connected by a central gallery.

In the large square, situated in the rear, were collected the bathing cabins, in which refugees from all parts were sheltered during the first months of the war.

_Take Rue Royale, Boulevard van Iseghem, then the road on the left leading up to the dike, near the Kursaal. (Vehicular traffic on the dike is prohibited from 9 a.m. till midnight.)_

The Sea Wall.

Here the dike is separated by some 150 yards from the line of the dunes, being bounded on the west by the terrace of the Kursaal, on the east by a _perré_, rounded off in front of the port jetties. The effect of this bold promontory, which seems to defy the waves, is most striking.

The eastern end, on which stands the old lighthouse (now a semaphore station), was built at the beginning of the 19th century. It is now a _promenade_ bordered with fine buildings, some eighty yards in length by thirty in width. The masonry embankment rises thirty feet above the foundations and is protected by four massive breakwaters.

At low water, only about 200 yards of the beach is uncovered, or about half as much as at the Western Baths, where the shore forms an angle immediately to the left.

In front stretches the New Western Dike, set further back than the old one, and prolonged as far as Mariakerke. The sea-wall at Ostend has thus a total length of 3½ kms.

The Sands.

Each summer, before the War, the +Western Beach+, with its vast expanse of golden sands, its countless bathing-machines and coloured tents, offered, in the bright sunshine and clear air, an extraordinarily animated and gay scene.

The +Eastern Sands+, at the other end of the dike, in front of the wooden pier, although less popular, were nevertheless crowded with bathers during the season.

The Kursaal.

From 1831, when Ostend-Bains was "discovered", until 1875, the Kursaal stood on the old brick-paved dike. It was a modest construction (now at Malo-les-Bains) but had, till then, sufficed for the town's needs. In 1875, the new sumptuous Kursaal was begun on its present magnificent site.

The building, designed by the architects Naert and Lauwereins, covers with its grounds an area of about three acres. Originally, its general aspect was somewhat bizarre, and reminded one of a gigantic turtle basking in front of the sea. The alterations since carried out at different times, particularly the ceramic ornamentation, has considerably improved its original appearance.

Its curved façade follows that of the dike, the latter forming solid foundations. The façade consists of a covered terrace, thirty feet wide, extending round the central rotunda. The latter, elliptical in shape, is 200 feet long, 120 feet wide and 75 feet high, and forms an immense hall capable of holding some 5,000 people. Symphony concerts are given there.

_Return by the path on the west side and take the broad Avenue Léopold, opposite, ornamented with gardens, to =Leopold Park= (see plan, p. 60.)_

Leopold Park.

Leopold Park was laid out in former days on the site of the old fortifications, near the Western Gate, the _glacis_ of the bastions being used to break the monotony of the level ground.

_After visiting the park, return to Avenue Ch. Janssens, which separates it from Boulevard Léopold, and take same on the left. In Place Léopold, take Chaussée de Thourout, on the left, then Rue de Leffingue as far as the entrance to the ="Tirpitz" Battery=, (photos below and p. 64), situated on the right some few hundred yards outside the town._

_The background:_ +Ostend.+

_Inset:_ +Breech of one of the Guns.+]

The Tirpitz Battery.

This powerful battery has four 11in. armour-protected guns, mounted on circular tracks on hollow platforms of masonry about 46 feet in diameter.

The shelters behind the guns were destroyed. The battery was protected by trenches and barbed-wire entanglements.

On the left, facing the sea, are screens which masked the fire of the guns from the land observation-posts. In front of the right-hand gun was the post of commandment.

The guns of this battery were being built by Krupps in 1914, to the order of the Belgian Government, for the forts of Antwerp.

_Return to the town by Rue de Leffingue, Rue du Chemin-de-fer, and Quai du Châtelet; the latter skirts_ the 3rd and 2nd Commercial Docks _and ends at Place Vanderzweep, near the station (see plan, p. 60_). _Cross the bridge, on the left, between the 2nd and 1st Docks, then turn to the right along Quai de l'Empereur._

_The Place du Commerce is next reached, at the end of which stands_ the +Church of St. Peter and Paul+.

The modern Church of St Peter and Paul stands on the site of a former church of that name (1717) which was burnt down in 1896, with the exception of the campanile still standing behind the new building.

At the foot of the new choir is an allegorical group in white marble (by Fraikin), to the memory of Louis-Marie d'Orléans, first Queen of the Belgians and wife of Léopold I, who died at Ostend in 1850.

_Opposite the church, facing the port, is_ the =Maritime Station=, which suffered severely from the aerial bombardments.

The port of Ostend.

The port of Ostend dates back to the 15th century. In 1445, Philippe-le-Bon authorised the inhabitants of the town to make an opening in the dike, in order to construct a fishing harbour. The latter was situated opposite the present port, i.e. to the west, near Mariakerke. At the end of the following century it was moved eastwards, the sea having opened up a passage on that side, in consequence of the levelling of the dunes for the construction of the fortifications. However, the maritime installations which, until the end of the last century, formed the port of Ostend, dated from the time of the Emperor Joseph II. They were completely transformed and considerably extended in 1898-1914, the work being almost complete when the war broke out.

The new vast outer-harbour communicates with the sea by means of a wide channel enclosed between two open-work piers. The channel is also connected by a powerful lock to an immense modern impounding-dock, over 200 acres in extent. The tide supplies the water necessary for flushing the channel clear of sand.

The landing-stage of the Maritime Station borders on the outer harbour where the boats plying daily between Ostend and Dover were moored. Words cannot describe the scenes which took place here during the first half of October 1914, after the fall of Antwerp. At the approach of the German armies, panic-stricken crowds of refugees filled the stations and their approaches to overflowing, in frantic endeavours to get on board the ships that were to take them to Britain.

_Quai de l'Empereur is prolonged, beyond Place du Commerce, by Quai des Pêcheurs which skirts the =Minque= (or +Fish Market+) and the =Bassin des Pêcheurs=._

The Bassin des Pêcheurs (Fishing Dock) is connected with the outer-harbour, which precedes the channel. Near by is the "=Minque=" (Fish-Market),--a circular building in which the fish is sold by auction daily, the proceedings being announced by the ringing of a bell.

During the fine season the natives fish mainly along the English and Dutch shores, but go as far as the entrance to the Channel in the winter. Their boats are of the trawler type, fitted with conical drag-nets, the mouths of which, thirty to forty feet wide, are kept open by cross-stays. The nets are dragged along the bottom of the sea.

_Keeping along the dock-sides, the tourist next reaches the old lighthouse at the end of the dike. Take Boulevard Van Iseghem on the left, then Rue de Flandre on the left, in front of the theatre, leading to the Place d'Armes, in which stands the =Hôtel-de-Ville= (see plan, p. 60.)_

The Hôtel-de-Ville, built in 1711, and restored later, after mutilation, occupies the whole of one side of the Place d'Armes, in the centre of the old city. The long façade was flanked at either end by high towers, only one of which remains.

_To leave Ostend, for the second day's itinerary (Ostend-Zeebrugge-Bruges) take Rue de la Chapelle (continuation of Rue de Flandre) in front of the Hôtel-de-Ville (See, p. 60.)_

_Second Day_

=Ostend Zeebrugge Bruges=

_Leave Ostend by Rue de la Chapelle, which passes in front of the Hôtel-de-Ville (pp. 60 and 66) and leads to Place Vanderzweep. In this square, at the end opposite the Bassin du Commerce, take Avenue de Smet de Naeyer, which leads to the =Parc Marie-Henriette=._

Situated south of the town, between the two railways ending at each of the two stations, is Marie-Henriette Park, which owing to its great size, numerous winding alleys, clusters of trees, and artificial lakes with pleasure boats, was often deservedly called the "Bois de Boulogne". The long Avenue de la Reine connects it directly with the Western Dike; on the other hand, it borders on the new maritime installations.

_Cross the two bridges over the lateral canal, then the railway and maritime lock; take the first street on the left, which passes over the Ghent-Ostend canal and the sluice-gates. Take Chaussée du Phare, on the left, then the first street on the left, opposite Rue Mansveld, to the =Oyster-Beds=._

Ostend oysters, of world-wide repute among gourmets, are not natives of these shores. Gathered from the rocks on the English and Brittany coasts by the Ostend fishing-boats, they are fattened by a special process in the Ostend oyster-beds. The latter, situated in the lighthouse quarter communicate with the outer-harbour. They consist of reservoirs divided into compartments with planks, in which the sea-water, renewed every day, deposes its slimy sediment. During the War, the oyster-beds were closed.

_Taking Chaussée du Phare again on the left (see plan, p. 60), the tourist reaches the site on which_ the lighthouse used to stand, now a heap of ruins.

Built in 1859, its round tower, 175 feet high, showed a fixed white light. Behind is the old Napoleon Fort. Facing the lighthouse, at the end of the sluice dock, stands the Powder Magazine, a kind of fort where the Germans had two batteries.

_Tourists may go round the powder magazine by following the dike which is terminated by the Eastern Wooden Pier._ It was at the end of the latter that the British sank the "Vindictive" on May 11, 1918.

The Blocking of Ostend Port.

On April 21, the British Admiralty undertook to block up the ports of Ostend and Zeebrugge.

Under the command of Commodore Hubert Lynes, the flotilla left Dover at the same time as the one which was to block up Zeebrugge.

The Ostend flotilla was composed of the cruisers _Sirius_ and _Brilliant_ (Commodore Godsal), loaded with concrete, which were to be sunk at the entrance to the port. Destroyers, scouts and motor-boats were to reconnoitre the way and pick up the crews of the blockading ships. Lastly, smoke-boats provided a protecting screen of smoke, which hid the flotilla's movements from the enemy.

When twelve miles from Ostend this flotilla parted company with that bound for Zeebrugge.

The smoke screen hiding the _Sirius_ and _Brilliant_ was swept away by a sudden veering of the wind. The enemy's gunfire had extinguished the lights which were to guide the two cruisers, and the latter thus ran past the Stroom Bank buoy which should have marked the entrance to Ostend but which the Germans had displaced. They were therefore sunk to the east of the stockade.

_undergoing repairs after her return from Zeebrugge, previous to leaving for Ostend where she was destined to finish her career._]

This operation having proved unsuccessful, it was decided to make a further attempt, which was again entrusted to Commodore Lynes. This time the blockading ship was the _Vindictive_ (Captain Godsal), and the Air Service took part in the enterprise. On the night of May 9, the weather being favorable, the _Vindictive_ steamed towards a limelight placed by a motor-boat on the site of the Stroom Bank buoy.

Two motor-scouts torpedoed both ends of the wooden piers, at which signal the whole of the British artillery opened fire, and was immediately answered by the German guns. A thick fog soon swallowed up everything.

The _Vindictive_ had to be led by scouts and, notwithstanding the death of her commander, and the numerous shells which hit the ship, Lieutenant Crutchley was able to carry out the manœuvre, swing the cruiser across the channel, and blow her up. The crew were picked up by a scout, and the flotilla put back to Dover.

_Upper photo: General View of the Post._

_Near the skyline: one of the two British cruisers sunk during the first attempt to bottle up Ostend Harbour._

_Middle photo: Exterior View of the Observation-Post._

_Lower photo: Interior View of the Observation-Post._]

The Germans were eventually able to displace the _Vindictive_ and partly free the passage.

_Return via Chaussée du Phare to Place de l'Ecluse, turn to the left into Boulevard du Congo, which crosses the new eastern quarter of Ostend (see plan, p. 60.)_

_Just outside the town, a short distance before reaching the "Hôpital" (to the left of the road), turn to the left and skirt the left side of the "Hôpital", as far as the ="Hindenburg" Battery=_, consisting of four 11in. guns on semi-circular concrete platforms.

In front of this battery is the +Old Napoleon Fort+, which the Germans turned into a Casino during the war. Some of their mural paintings may still be seen in the rooms.

_Farther on, is_ the post of commandment of the "Hindenburg" Battery.

_Return to the road and continue in the direction of Blankenberghe._

_Beyond Milestone No. 6, which bears the inscription "Le Coq 5 km. 1", there is_ an observation-post, _on the left_, with telemetric posts and machine-gun shelters _(photos, p. 71)_.

On the coast, some distance ahead, may be seen one of the cruisers which were to have blocked the port of Ostend.

_On the road to Blankenberghe, at the point shown by an arrow in the photo on p. 72, take the road on the right leading to the ="Deutschland" Battery=_, also known as the "Jacobinessen" Battery _(photos, pp. 72 and 73)_.

This was the most powerful battery on the Belgian coast. Armed with four 15in. guns, it was used to bombard Dunkirk.

Grouped in pairs, these naval guns, mounted on bridges, were installed in concrete pits about seventy feet in diameter. The right-hand gun only was protected with armour.

The gun laying was effected by means of electric motors. Near each gun immense shelters of reinforced concrete were used to store the shells, while the large shelter between the two groups was probably the post of commandment.

Camouflaging of barbed-wire covered with branches of trees may still be seen hanging above the battery.

The latter was protected by deep lines of barbed wire and infantry defence-works.

_Return to the Blankenberghe road and pass through the village of =Le Coq= (Flemish: de Haan.) On the top of the last turretted house on the right, is_ an observation post, _and opposite, on the top of the dune_, a searchlight. _On the dike are_ two 3in. anti-aircraft guns, _and in the surroundings_, numerous shelters. _Further on, to the left, are_ a lighthouse, _and on the high dune_, an observation-post. _Pass through +Wenduyne+ (4½ kms.) arriving at the ="Herta" Battery=, on the left of the road._ This battery comprises four 8in. guns. _A little further on is the ="Hafen" Battery=_, comprising four 3½in. guns. _=Blankenberghe= (4 kms.) is reached by going between the Fishing Dock and Impounding Dock._

Blankenberghe was one of the most popular resorts on the Belgian coast. _On the dike_, the Kursaal, erected in memory of Lieutenant Lippens and Sergeant de Bruyne, both natives of Blankenberghe, who were killed in the Congo in 1893, _and_ the Pier (Promenade) are of interest.

_In the background: The houses of Blankenberghe._]

_Follow Avenue Smet de Naeyer as far as the station, then turn left along Rue de l'Eglise, to the steps leading up to the dike. If it is not desired to visit the dike, turn to the right along Rue de l'Eglise and Rue des Pierres, then follow Avenue Jules de Trooz, and turn left along Avenue du Littoral. There are tram-lines along both avenues. Tourists who go as far as the dike should take Rue du Casino (on the right, at the top of Rue de l'Eglise), then Avenue Rogier which joins up with Avenue du Littoral._

_Beyond Blankenherghe the road is bordered, on the left, with_ fortifications and batteries. _Follow it as far as =Zeebrugge-Plage= (4½ kms.)_

The following batteries will be passed on the way:

The ="Kaiserin" Battery=, with four 6in. guns; the ="Mittel B" Battery=, with four 4in. long guns on concrete platforms, adjusted for firing against aircraft (this battery is on the top of the dune, with shelters below); the ="Groden" Battery=, comprising four 11in. howitzers.

Lastly, near the port of Zeebrugge, is the ="Zeppelin" Battery=, of four 4in. guns. The entrance to it is situated a short distance before reaching Zeebrugge-Plage.

ZEEBRUGGE.

At Zeebrugge-Plage (Beach), near the Pilots' House, _turn to the left alongside the railway, to_ the mole which bounds the Port of Zeebrugge on the west _(photo below, and sketch-map on page 77)_.

The port is situated about ten kilometers from Bruges, with which it is connected by a ship canal running straight across the littoral plain.

This canal, which is about 230 feet wide and 26 feet deep, is accessible to large ships. It cost forty-two million francs to construct. Communication with the roadstead is obtained by means of an inner-harbour which is provided with locks and sluice-gates.

_At the entrance to mole: 6in. guns on concrete platforms. To the right, at the end of the Mole: German Destroyer sunk by the British during the blockading operations (photo, p. 78.)_]

The port is protected by a semi-circular jetty or mole which stretches out into the sea for a distance of about two kilometres; an elevated side-walk leads to the end of the jetty. The latter, built of blocks of concrete each weighing three thousand tons, is divided into four parts: the first, which spans the beach, is solid; the second is of open-work, to prevent the port becoming choked with sand; the third comprises the wharves proper, and forms the terminus of a special railway siding; it is solid and has an elevated walk running along the left hand side; the fourth, or Lighthouse Jetty, is also solid and acts as a break-water. This immense undertaking, begun in 1893, was completed ten years later, and the new port, on which great hopes were set, was solemnly opened, amid popular rejoicings, by King Leopold.

+The Lighthouse Pier seen in the photographs on page 81.+

+The Mole of Zeebrugge.+

_An assemblage of aeroplane photographs taken in 1917._

_On the left, a number of seaplanes are visible. German warships moored alongside the quay._

=THE BLOCKING OF THE PORT OF ZEEBRUGGE.=

=April 22, 1918.=]

In October 1914, the Germans made a "pirates nest" of the port, which was consequently attacked unceasingly by British ships and Allied aeroplanes. The most important of these attacks was that which resulted in the blocking of the port.

_Motor-cars may go along the mole as far as the end of the wharves. See text and photographs on pages 80 and 81._

In spite of the enemy's formidable defences around Zeebrugge, the British determined to block that port, at the same time as Ostend _(See page 68)_.

The operations, carefully planned in all details, were extremely perilous on account of the minefields, the nature of the landing-places (unmarked by any lights), and the difficulty of finding one's bearings near a coast where the dunes of varying heights are indistinguishable one from another. The enterprise was entrusted to Vice-Admiral Keyes, Commander of the Naval Forces at Dover. The attacking flotilla was composed as follows:

Three old cruisers the _Iphigenia_ (Lieut. Billyard-Leake), the _Intrepid_ (Lieut. Stuart Bonham-Carter) and the _Thetis_ (Captain Sneyd), which, loaded with concrete, were to be sunk in the channel.

The protected cruiser _Vindictive_ (Capt. Carpenter), was armed for an attack on the mole; sailors and marines were to land, destroy the guns, drive back the Germans, and create a diversion, thus enabling the blockading ships to carry out their mission.

Two ferry-boats: the _Iris_ and _Daffodil_, armed for landing operations; two submarines, loaded with explosives, to attack the mole; destroyers to defend the flotilla against enemy attacks; launches and motor-scouts to pick up the crews of destroyed or sunken vessels, and smoke boats.

_1. The "Vindictive" alongside the mole, on which the Marines disembarked._

_2. The "Daffodil" holding the "Vindictive"._

_3. The "Iris" alongside the mole._

_4. The "Thetis" sunk in front of the Channel._

_5. The "Intrepid" and "Iphigenia" sunk in the Channel._

_6. Submarine blown up alongside the open-work pier._

_7. 6in. guns at entrance to mole (photo, p. 75._)

_8. Church and cemetery in which several of the British killed during the operations were buried (photo, p. 80.)_]

Vice-Admiral Keyes was on board the _Warwick_. All the men were picked volunteers of tried courage and energy.

The attack, several times postponed owing to the unfavourable weather, was carried out on April 22, 1918. The flotilla put to sea during the day. When about twelve miles off Zeebrugge, the boats parted company, each taking up its assigned position. The _Vindictive_, _Iris_ and _Daffodil_ advanced behind a smoke screen to within a few cable-lengths of the mole, when a change of wind dispersed the smoke, leaving them fully exposed to view. Enemy sirens immediately gave the alarm. Searchlights, rockets and star-shells lit up the scene, and the air was immediately filled with the roar of artillery and the crackling of machine-guns.

Amid bursting shells, and swept by machine-gun fire, the _Vindictive_ succeeded in anchoring alongside the mole, but her deep draught and the surf prevented her remaining in position, until held by the _Daffodil_. Most of the eighteen gangways were smashed by the cruiser's rolling. The _Iris_ was also in difficulties, her grappling irons being too small to catch hold. Two officers, Capt. Bradford and Lieut. Hawkins, climbed up the side of the mole and endeavoured to fasten the grappling irons. Both were killed. A landing was nevertheless effected, and in spite of heavy losses and the death of Colonel Elliot and Captain H. C. Halahan, the sailors and marines advanced along the mole, under very heavy fire, and for an hour destroyed the enemy's organisations, magazines, sheds, machine-gun posts, etc.

Meanwhile, the blockading cruisers had entered the port and were steering for the channel, despite the violence of the bombardment. The _Thetis_ was leading, but her propeller becoming entangled in a net, she was unable to advance further, and her crew blew her up on a sandbank in front of the channel. The _Intrepid_, followed by the _Iphigenia_, reached the channel, placed themselves across it and were then blown up. The crews were picked up by the motor-boats.

_After being summarily repaired, the "Vindictive" accomplished her last exploit, by bottling up Ostend Harbour on May 11, 1918. (See page 68.)_]

Just at the time when these operations were being completed, Lieutenant Sandford's submarine succeeded, despite the terrific artillery fire, in reaching the open-work part of the mole, where she was blown up, shooting flames to a height of nearly 5,000 feet, and making a breach over 60 feet wide in the jetty. A motor-boat picked up her crew.

A German torpedo-boat and the _Brussels_ were sunk by motor-launches. _(The "Brussels" was captured by the Germans on June 24, 1916. Her commander, Captain Fryatt, was shot on July 27, for having rammed the German submarine U-33)._

The _Vindictive's_ siren recalled the landing-party, who succeeded in bringing back most of their killed and wounded. The flotilla then weighed anchor and returned to Dover.

The operation had succeeded as well as could be expected. The two cruisers, although displaced slightly later by the Germans, blocked the channel, making it impossible for ships of other than light draught to go through. The _Thetis_ also helped to obstruct the entrance to the channel.

_The cross bears the following inscription (in German): "Three English officers, seven English marines, two English sailors, two English stokers"._]

_The upper view is looking from the lighthouse; the lower view takes in the whole of the roadstead. See photos, pp. 76 and 77._]

_These were the only shelters, built by the Germans at Zeebrugge, which they failed to destroy before retreating._]

_Cars can go to the end of the wharves on the mole._ Right and left of the entrance to the jetty are two 6in. guns on concrete platforms _(photo, p. 75)_. Next comes the open-work part, repaired by a temporary bridge built in the first instance by the Germans to replace that part of the jetty destroyed by Lieut. Sandford's submarine, and later rebuilt by the Belgians, after the Germans had destroyed it previous to retreating _(photos, p. 90)_. The tourist now arrives at the mole, on the right side of which are the wharves with their sidings, sheds and cranes which were damaged either by air-raids and the British attack, or by the Germans previous to their retreat. On the left are concrete shelters which were used by the gunners for storing shells, etc. During the German occupation, the enemy's torpedo-boats and submarines were moored alongside the wharves. Along the elevated side-walk are a battery of four 3½in. guns and a number of 6in., 4in., 3in. and 1½in. guns. The entrance to the channel, with the sunken cruisers and the "_Thetis_" stranded in front of them, can clearly be seen from the side-walk.

_Return to the road and before crossing the canal take the road on the left which leads close to where the "Intrepid" and "Iphigenia" still lie._ The work of clearing the entrance to the canal has begun.

_Cross the =Bruges Canal= by the locks, and proceed to =Zeebrugge= (2 kms.)_, an important town which grew up around the port. On the left, in the cemetery behind the church, are the graves of several of the British who were killed in the expedition against Zeebrugge _(photo, p. 80)_, and of the aviators who were brought down in the neighbourhood.

_On leaving Zeebrugge, notice the ="Friedriechsart" Battery=_, on the right armed with four 6½in. naval guns in closed turrets, turning on circular rail tracks mounted on concrete platforms. Between the guns are ammunition shelters connected with the guns by lifts, as on a battleship. In front are infantry defence-works which extend on both sides as far as the Bruges and Leopold Canals.

_Cross the Léopold Canal; immediately beyond, on the left, is the ="Kanal B" Battery=_, armed with 3½in. guns, and on the right a battery of 3in. anti-aircraft guns.

_A, B and C: German Observation-Posts on the house-tops. (Seen from the observation-post on the Dune reached by following the arrow shown in the lower half of photo)._]

_Continuing along the road, the tourist next reaches =Heyst-sur-Mer= (2 kms.) skirting the hotels and villas on the dike. Beyond the last houses of Heyst, on the right, is the ="Freya" Battery=_, armed with four 8in. protected long-range guns, on circular concrete platforms. Between the left-hand gun and Heyst are two large ammunition shelters; the gunners' shelters are behind. This battery is prolonged by the ="Augusta" Battery=, armed with three 6in. guns on concrete platforms. There is a searchlight on the dike in front of the two batteries.

_to the west of Knocke (seen in the upper half of photo). Lower photo: the entrance to the battery, near the windmill._]

_The road next passes through =Duinbergen= (1½ kms.)_, where the Germans had observation-posts on the roofs of three houses. _In the village, turn to the right, at the corner of Pauwers Hôtel (photo, p. 84) coming out behind the square which stretches as far as the dike, near_ a concrete observation-post, built on the top of a high dune, and commanding a fine view over the sea _(Photo, p. 84)_.

_Keep along the street in front of the square, going away from the sea; about 100 yards beyond the tram-lines, turn left towards =Knocke= (2½ kms.)_

_Turn left, before reaching the church, to the mill, near which is_ the entrance to the ="Kaiser Wilhelm II" Battery=. The latter is armed with four 12in. long range guns, mounted on bridges, and pivoting round circular tracks in concrete pits, by means of electric motors _(Photos, p. 84)_.

_If it is desired to go as far as =Knocke-sur-Mer= (1 km.), turn left, beyond the church, along Boulevard de Lippens._

This is the most northern seaside place on the Belgian coast. Its church (St. Margaret's) possesses a 15th century tower. During the war, the Germans transformed several houses on the dike into concrete shelters.

_Return to Knocke, proceeding thence to =Heyst= along the road previously taken. Enter +Heyst+ (3 kms.) by the Chaussée de Knocke; take Rue du Kursaal, on the left, then the Ramscappelle Road, on the right, bearing left again 400 yards further on. 2½ kms. beyond =Ramscappelle-lez-Bruges= take the road on the right and cross the Leopold Canal._

_Go through =Dudzeele= village, to the right of which are_ the remains of a battery position, _and further along the road,_ several concrete shelters.

_=Bruges= (18 kms.) is entered by the Chaussée de Dudzeele. Take the =Fort Lapin=, on the left, then cross the bridges, on the right, to the =Plaine des Ecluses=._

_Beyond the latter, follow Rempart des Bassins, then, on the left, Rue du Calvaire, prolonged by Rue St. Claire, Rue St. Georges and Rue Flamande, coming out at the =Grand'Place= (See plan between pp. 88 and 89.)_

BRUGES.

Origin and Chief Historical Events.

A burgh and a fortified bridge (whence the name of "Bruges" ("Brugge")) on the Reye, a brook since absorbed by the canals,--such was the origin of the town.

In the 9th century Baudouin-Bras-de-fer, first count of Flanders and vassal of the French King replaced the original establishment with a fortified castle, around which, in spite of civil discords, quarrels between the rulers and their turbulent subjects, dissensions between the vassal and his suzerain, and rebellions by those two powerful Flemish _communes_--Ghent and Bruges--the town grew and prospered. These troubles were marked by sanguinary episodes, chief among which were the "Bruges Matins" (1302) in which thousands of the "Gens du Lys" _(Leliaerts)_ partisans of France, lost their lives, and shortly afterwards the famous "Battle of the Golden Spurs", in which the flower of France's chivalry, lured into the Groeninghe Marshes, was annihilated by the Flemish pikemen _(clauwaerts)_ led by Breydel the butcher, and Coninck the draper.

The era which followed this crisis was one of great prosperity for Bruges, then a vast emporium of European trade, being in close relation with London, Genoa, Venice, Augsburg and the Hanseatic towns. Wealth abounded. The rich foreign merchants built sumptuous mansions, several of which still exist. Bruges attained the height of its prosperity in the 15th century, under Burgundian rule. Favoured by the long reign of Philippe-le-Bon, "the Great Duke of the West", the arts, today the glory of the old city, flourished exceedingly.

Decadence set in, chiefly owing to the retreating of the sea and the gradual filling up of the creeks and harbours with sand. Trade steadily declined, whilst in the 16th century, political and religious troubles hastened the downfall of the city. The population of 200,000 dwindled away to 50,000, and at last the place came to be known as "Bruges-la-Morte".

Under the Republic and the Empire, the city, under French domination, became the capital of the Department of the Lys, and later, under Dutch rule (1815-1830), of Western Flanders. When, later, the kingdom of Belgium was constituted, it retained this rank.

Since that time, Bruges with her melancholic chimes has remained a quiet old-world place, the delight of lovers of art, who each year come to admire her treasures, amid the charm of quaintly picturesque scenery.