Russian fleet at Helsingfors, Finland threatened by German forces according to the Dutch newspaper Het nieuws van den dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië dated 6 April 1918

An item dated Petrograd, Russia 5th reported that German forces captured Ekenäs south of Hangö, Finland sinking three Russian ships in the harbour. The Russian fleet in the Finnish waters was now in jeopardy. An item dated Stockholm, Sweden 4th supplied more details. The German force was well overwhelming numbering40.000 men. When the German transports arrived off Hangö seemed the commanding officer of the Russian Baltic Fleet sent a deputation to the German command. With which purpose was unknown. The Russian protested against the presence of the German troops which was a violation of the granted security of the Russian fleet. Some commanding officers of Russian warships including four submarines wintering at Hangö blew up their ships preventing a capture by the Germans. The German transports could only approach Hangö while the Russian icebreaker Volkynitz made a free ice passage. She had left a day earlier Helsingfors towards Reval, Estonia and surrendered there to the Germans. The Russian fleet at Helsingfors could not go towards Kronstadt, Russia lacking icebreakers. At that moment were at Helsingfors lying 2 battleships, a division destroyers, 5 submarines and a large number of transports.