LOG-BOOK GLEANINGS

Evening Star, Issue 23693, 28 September 1940, Page 7

LOG-BOOK GLEANINGS

THIS " FUNNY" WAR [By Fiust Mate.] “ It’s a funny war.” Often this statement is heard in Dunedin. Certainly the manner in wliich this war is waged differs vastly from that winch was visualised by the layman prior to its outbreak. A case in point is contained in the cabled item from London, “ Last night a strong ILA.F. bombing force attacked Zeebrugge.” What a sweeping difference from the attack of April 22, 1918, when the peerless Mole exploit began. Then the world thrilled to the spectacular achievement of the Navy—now the Air Force occupies the limelight. Zeebrugge of 1918 was strongly defended by large modern guns of great range; ships'approaching by day could be spotted by- aircraft, while by night they would be picked up by searchlights. Anything in the way of a day attack was out of the question—but what' about a night attack under artificial fog cover? So it was decided. Ships filled with cement, to sink so as to block the canal and make the salvage problem more difficult, were selected—four old cruisers (Thetis, Intrepid, Vindictive, and Iphigenia), two submarines filled with explosives to be blown up under the viaduct, and the two old Liverpool ferry steamers, Iris and Daffodil. This strange armada was 70 strong, with landing parties, as it crossed the Channel in broad daylight, covered by the Harwich ami Grand Fleets, with all the time the chance of enemy aircraft discovering them for the shore batteries.

A thousand and one details had to be arranged to the “ tick.” The greatest problem was to pass the Mole to reach—and block —the canal. The Mole was about a mile in length, and built of solid concrete—on it were powerful batteries of guns and every other form of defence, so that even if the blockships got as far as the Mole without being seen, they would be sunk by the powerful guns on it before they got to the canal entrance — the whole affair seemed a direct challenge to death.

If all went well they would be on the mole and the canal would be blocked in the early hours of April 23, Captain H. F. Carpenter had arranged to lay tho Vindictive alongside the Mole at midnight—at that hour tho vessel emerged from the smoke screen, and Carpenter saw the Mole a few hundred yards ahead. He had hit it off almost to a yard. He at once ordered full speed ahead in order to place his ship .alongside, at tho same time opening fire at point-blank range with all his guns. As soon as the alarm was given the most terrific din began in all directions, the batteries blazed off their guns with intense fury at the Vindictive, and shell' alter shell burst on board her, but Carpenter’S job was to put his ship alongside, and he put her there, at one minute past midnight. The big guns, howitzers and pompoms, of the Vindictive were firing for all they were worth' to clear the Mole and damage tho guns on it. Every known weapon was taking part in the fight, and one can imagine the intensity of tho fire on both sides. About three minutes after the Vindictive aiichored the Daffodil arrived, and the storming parties dashed on to the Mole.

The fight on the Mole was as fierce as any fight could be, and was at its height when, suddenly, above all the exploding shells, was heard a bigger and mightier explosion than ever, and a blinding flash shot up in the skies. The viaduct had gone. A tremendous cheer went up in the Vindictive, and the wounded cheered the loudest.

Submarine C 3. under Lieutenant 11. D. Sandford, had entered the harbour, and by the light of star shells had steered straight for tho viaduct. Going at full speed, he wedged his submarine under it thou, placing his crewin their boat, lie lit the fuses. At .12.20 (the time arranged) tho first .-block-ship, Thetis (under Commander 11. S. vSneydj, was seen passing the end of the Mole, followed by the Intrepid (Lieutenant Stuart Bonham Carter), and the Iphigeuia (Lieutenant F. W. Billyard Leake). What can one think or say of these men in the blockships steaming into an enemy’s harbour, under intense shell fire, and then quietly sinking their ships?

At 1.10, over an hour since the Vindictive went alongside the Mole, Carpenter gave the filial order to retire. The battered Vindictive, the Daffodil, and the Iris, as they steamed into Dover harbour, received tho cheers of Britain

Truly, war has changed