ZEEBRUGGE HEROES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 243, 2 July 1918, Page 6

ZEEBRUGGE HEROES

STORY OF THE GREAT NAVAL EXPLOIT

ONCE AGAIN THE "NELSON

TOUCH"

(Sydney "Sun" Special Representative.) London, April 2!). "They did an awful lot of damage," was tlio prosaic way I heard Sir liric Geddes report the Zeebrngge raid to the Prime Minister at Downing Street. That summed it up, from the point of view of cnld-minded chicf.s responsible for moving men and forces Ttere and there to check the German and ultimately, checkmate him. The Zeebrugge submarine base lmd been knocked about—a hole driven in its breakwater, sheds and stores burnt and blown up, and three old cruisers, each with six columns of concrete inside, sunk in and round about the entrance to the Bruges Canal. A thoroughly satisfactory exploit, thought Whitehall—the German submarine campaign really "damaged."

But like so many events in the war, the matter-of-fact smashing up of an enemy position was surrounded by a thousand deeds of skill and bravery, by thrilling moments of peril and excitement, of striving and fighting, lien had death clutching at them, but fought Germans till they fell; youngsters who had all life before them died with a cheer on their lips—a cheer for England and her Navy. Tlio fightiiYg spirit of sea power blazed out. British marines climbed over the sided of their warships, armed and armoured, with hoarse cries, as in Drake's days. Naval guns pelted enemy ships and harbour works, and seamen took their craft under the noses of the enemy's batteries and spiked them. A "cutting out" expedition far more daring, far more extemsive and costly than anything Jfarryat imagined was behind that phrase—"awful lot of damage."

A Navy of Offence,

Tho Navy has always longed for fight. It has felto that its prestige and power have been clouded over, that it has not been allowed to get at its enemy. So when- volunteers were invited for a hazardous and diliicult work, all the marines came forward in a body. In tiie same day a few hundred naval men liavo just set off on an Arctic journey, in a small ship, in which the chances of death are strong for each one. The picked soldiers of Great Britain have fallen long since, but in the Navy there are still the tons of thousands of virilo youngsters who chose war as a profession. And their fighting instinct should never have been questioned. I'or this raid Ihey had six weeks' training. They learnt about gas masks, steelhelmets, body armour, flame-throwers, trench-storming, and much of tho paraphernalia of the new soldier. They practised throwing rope-ladders •up Hie side of a pior and clambering to the top. Twice they got their ships ready. Twice the wind changed, and thoy went back to barracks. They had arranged a wonderful system of smoke screens, under the direction of tho young and gallant manager of a London fireworks factory— Wing-Conimnnder Brock. Theso screens wero lo come froui mortars, which were to be thrown overboard by motor launches; from reservoirs on tlio cruisers and destroyers; and from bombs dropped by aeroplanes. The smoko was a vital part of the scheme. It was to blow between tho enemy batteries and the attacking ships, and make the enemy fire erratic,

llow did the raid succeed? The Germans' had trenches and barricades, even along the. breakwater; they were in strong force; they had guns 011 light ships. 011 the pier-heads, and by the dozen along the shore; they had "heavy guns capable of throwing I,'iin. shells 15 miles to sea; they had Hares, which'made the scene like, day; they had- accurate registrations for intense shrapnel tire. Why did they allow a man ashore, or a ship to enter the port? I nsked Lieutenant i;. \Y. Uillvard-Leake. J?.N„ the 22-yom*-ol(l Tasmanian who has made tins most, of wonderful opportunities since the Governor-General recommended liim for his Koyal naval cadetship— Uabaul, .Jutland in the Warspite, Zcebruggc. Bill-yard-Lenke's answer was, "The German gunners and machine-gunners got the wind up and couldn't fire straight. It is true that the Germans should have wiped out the whole gallant; band. But that 'only emphasises the courage and resourcefulness of those who'fought against long odds in fighting as intense as anything dui.mg the war. I have cabled to "The Sun" enough to enable all to picture the ferocity of this fighting—how the gallant Vimliclive, with a littlo motor launch pushing her; laid herself .up against the sleep and higli sides of the. Zcebruggc Mole; how her men swarmed, despite devastating sliellfiro and the quick alarm-of the machinegunners, on to (110 breakwater; how tliey fouglit and siew and died there; how meanwhile a submarino was rammed against the Mole at its narrow point., blowing sky-high, with a lingo tongue of flame, tho masonry, and the .Germans on it; how, under the semi-shelter of all this fierce diversion, three concrete-laden old cruisers stole into the port, and how two were sunk in the canal's mouth. Australian's Command. Billyard-Lenke commanded the <Iphigenia. Three days before his commander became sick of the measles, and Admiral Sir lioger -Keyes—•who, as commodore of the Mediterranean fleet, Was the enthusiastic supporter of the Dardanelles expedition—sent for the young Australian, to the latter's surprise and joy, and entrusted him with the task. The Iphigenia was to enter the port third of the cruisers. First. was the Intrepid, under Lieutenant Bonliam Carter, .the brother of Mr. Aiquith's famous ' private secretary. Then eumo tlie Thetis, under Commander B. S. Sneyd. As they stole in at dead of night searchlights and flares v-ere concentrated on them. Smoke filled their eyes, so that they could scarcely seo. Guns roared' in their ears, at one point from a distance of only 15 yards. Tho Intrepid got a clear run straight up tho mile and half to the canal. How they all missed mines is one of the mysteries which crowded upon them. Why they were not entangled in nets, loaded with explosives, only the Germans-and their guardian deities—can know. Two shells wracked -the Intrepid. But when for » single Heaven-sent moment the smoke cleared enough for Billyard-Leake from ins sand-bagged bridge to see the way. the old Intrepid was still going—still tenaciously and irresistibly making foi her grave-place. Shells so hammered the Tliclis 'that she soon became a sinking ship. In tho smoke, amid tho sands—there were 110 Belgian p:lots on ixiard, as alleged by the chagrined Germans—she got on to a sand-bank, camo under concentrated heav.f shellhre, and was manoeuvred into the narrow harbour channel and sunk there. There were Australians 111 the landingparty nicked men from the Australia. They fought hard, slew, and got back, carrying their wounded who were but si Willy hurt. There were Australians ■iK-o oil tho Thetis, and an engine-room ollieor. and all did their work and l.ot us follow nil her the anxious, changing career of the Iphigenia, onco the swift pride of the (•miser scjiwiclroil, now currying nor six pillars of cement to block the Bruges (Jimal. Tier gallant; young Tasmnuian comrnandor'Vas lost amid the smoke; the channel was narrow, the mud-banks many. He had studied the harbour well, bv many charts: had worked out the moments required for every movement. And he carried her through by this mental piacfu-0 amounting almost to instinct. The main mud-bank.he was saved from bv the chance light of a happily-placed star-shell. On bis other side he could just discern the old Thetis, lyiiis broadside on to the German guns, shooting out smoke like a damp furnace, and making emphatic signals with green lights—signals to him to keep clear of the mud. This past, a piece ol' shrapnel broke his*svren cord nml lot ntf a shri"k and hissinir, which blew a hole in the smoke and gave him glimp-je ahead. That carried liini to I he month of the canal, where he bumped hard at the side had to back out, came on again, almost sideways—and ran between a dredger and a barge. Bill.vard-Lenkp does not know to this day why he did not sink the dredger. He had four 4-inch guns on board. But the moments wero too crowded for this inspiration to get through. So lie barged abend, pushing

tho barge in front of him, and sixty yards up the canal came upon the Intrepid, neatly sunk, .still quivering, still raked fore and alt with machine-guns and shells. Sinking the Ship. Here the Iplugeiiia was destrovod. Her nose was turned mto the side of the canal, alongside her old lriend. ilillyardJ.eako ordered Ills men oil'. Une 01 her wo cullers, wlueli nad been hanging over her side, was shattered, the otner was jusl (seaworthy. Tiie seventy men— about twenty had been dropped outside, their duties done—elauiborcil down into this fraii crait. The commander himself went down to a lower deck, where a warrant officer joined linn, the last two lelt aboard. And Biljyard-Lealie pressed the button winch blew out the dlup's bottom, with a smothered explosion just sullic™ to tqss him off his leet. All these men escaped, because tiie Oennan gunners weie wild, and e\en tho hissed 100 high lo no much harm. Uonham (Javier had lo swim ior it, and was picked up by u in? 01 ' lauilc ' l w hich Cll me back ior him. Biuyard-l,<;ake was taken aboard by the cutter, which found the motor hunch. Ami both crews, packed like sardines aboard the launch, moved donn stern "■st, lull speed, through the channel and towards the sea. These were seven desperate minute-;. Sume men were killed; all should have died live times, tint somehow through that maelstrom of shrapnel, high explosives, and bi"lcts, the tender launch and her freight got out By the narrowest margins they avoided everything-tho old 'i'liuis, whim was partly sticking out ot' the clanneithe mud banks; the edge of the mole. All the other raiders had gone. Tlio \ lhdietive was already steaming well cn her w-ay to England, battered, but a glorious thing, i'ursued by lire, wet and shivering, but happy in a daring success, tho last of the raiders turned and set their cralt's nose towards Doyer, and lound Sir lioger waiting in a destroyer, not far out. These men aro convinced that tho ; canal is blocked. And experts say it. will be months before these massive concrete obstacles can be moved. Our aeroplanes were over at dawn, and soon back with photographs, showing the hulls lying slightly separated across the canal. The Kaiser rushed to see the damage and the dead, and sacked the /to-hnigge admiral—which says something for its seriousness. But this is a case where material effect is as nothing compared wit!-, that of the spirii. Tiie nation holds its head a bit higlM.r to-day. it has some ol the smell ot sea power again in its nostrils. Il\ has known that its Navy has triumphed' in this war—are the seas not clear far the Allies r But the flag 'hus been (trooping, though triumphant, from the warships. Nuw it floats out again, a confident, eager, lighting, challenge. And the whole Navy is inspired wil.'i a newspirit—a spirit which has been cabined aud conlhied, but bursts on; wuh tho earne old sticngtii as in Nels-m's day—the spirit of the bine sea 'jglit