THE ZEEBRUGGE DASH.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 April 1918, Page 3

THE ZEEBRUGGE DASH.

THE ADMIRALTY REPORT,

A GREAT EXPERIENCE.

fAUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CAIII-E ASSOCIATION & HEOTEB.J

LONDON, April 2G. The British Admiralty has issued the full narrative of the raid on Zeebrugge and Ostend. It is full of thrilling episodes and experiences of tho individual vessels engaged and the storming party on the mole. Naturally, the most stirring of theso are the experiences of H.M.S. Vindictive and her attendant ferry-boats, the Iris and Daffodil. As the Vindictive lay alongside the mole, rolling and bumping against, the foundations, she was swent diagonally by machine gun fire from both ends of the mole, and heavy batteries ashore. The landing parties of marines and

blue jackets gathered on the main and lower- decks. The commanders of both wore killed before the word to assault was given. The men were magnificent. They had to rush across tho swaying, splintering gangways and drop over a parapet into a field of fire of German machine guns. [Then there was a further drop of sixteen foot on to the mole itself, but nothing stoppod their orderly, sweeping landing. Meanwhile the lower deck had become a shambles. Tho crew of the howitzer mounted forward were nil killed, and a second crew -was likewise destroyed, and then a third crew took over the gun.

Tho H. M. ,8. Daffodil, which was engaged in pressing the Vindictive against the mole, only lost one killed and eight wounded. Meanwhile the Iris, which was attempting to make fast to the mole, ahead of the Vindictive was in trouble. Her grapples were not large enough to span the parapet., so two officers climbed ashore and sat astride the parapet, trying, to fasten the grapples, till each were killed.

The Iris’s commander had both his legs shot off.

A single shell, piercing tho upper deck, exploded among fifty-six marines, killing forty-nine and wounding seven. Another exploded in the wardroom used as a hospital, killing four officers and twenty-six men. Altogether the Iris lost seventy-seven killed and 103 wounded.

Tho storming and- demolition parties on the mole met with no resistance, apart from the intense, unremitting fire, 'the Germans having, on the approach of the ships, retired to the shore end of the mole. The demolition parties carred out the work in perfect order, destroying building after building. Meanwhile the “blockships” were stealing into the mouth of the canal. The Thetis was tho first of those to come into the tornado of shells from the shore batteries. The bulk of the crew were alreadv taken off, hut unfortunately tho propellor fouled a net of the defences, and this rendered the ship unmanageable. The shore batteries pounded her and she found herself sinking, and still huudreds of yards from the month 1 of the canal. After signalling invaluable information, the commander blew un his charges and sank her. A motor launch rescued the crow of the Thetie, which lost five killed and five wounded.

■ The Intrepid and Xphigenia were more successful. They steered straight into the channel and beached themselves according to arrangement, ono on the eastern bank and . tho other on the wostern hank, where they were blown up, with their sterns stretching well out across the canal. They arc now lying across tlio canal and probably the work they set out to do was accomplished, and tlie canal effectively blocked.

A motor launch brought away the crews.

Officers describe the explosion of tho old submarine as the greatest ever seen. It tore the jetty in half and loft a gap of over a hundred feet. The claim that ono launch sank a torpedo boat alongside the jetty, arc supported by many observers, including officers of the Vindictive, who saw her mast and funnel across the mole, and then noticed them disappear.

The North Star, one of the three destroyers which guarded the Vindictive from ' onemy destroyers while alongside the Aiolo, losi- ner way rn tlie smoke screen, and suddenly forged into the light of starshfells, aud was sunk.

The statement in the Germnn communique that only a few of the crew could he saved by the Germans, is, as usual, inaccurate, for the Phoebe, an other' of these destroyers, came up' under heavy fire and rescued nearly all. Throughout the operation, the monitors and siege guns of Flanders heavily bombarded the enemy’s batteries.

The change of wind at Ostend served us even worse than at Zeebrugge. Tho motor boats had already lit the approaches aud ends of tlie piers with calcium flares, and made the smoke cloud which effectively hid the fact from, tho enemy, when the wind changed, revealing everything. The enemy extinguished the flares with gunfire, and this prevented the “blockships” from finding tho entrance, and as they were soon in a sinking condition they were • compelled to sink themselveß about 400 yards east of the piers, motor launches removing the crews.

CAPTAN CARPENTER’S STORY

LONDON, April 26 Captain Carpenter, commander of the Vindictive, states that the attack required a large number of men who were borrowed from many depots. They were only told that they were required for a hazardous journey. None refused. A number of men on one ship learning that they were to bo left behind decided in a mutinous spirit, to quit their ship. They had their way and were taken into action on ono of the “ blockships.” j The officers and men were intensely trained in fighting and bombing, and all were tuned up to the highest pitch. On separating, they passed Admiral Keye’, who signalled. “ St. George for England.” The _ Vindictive flashed back: “May we give the dragon’s tail a damned good twist.” Captain Carpenter added: “We succeeded.” While Captain Carpenter was walking the deck a bluejacket’s arm was blown off, waving the other, he shouted; “Jolly good luck, sir, have we won.”

A GERMAN’S OPINION. AMSTERDAM, April 26. Captain von Salzmann, commenting in the “ Vossische Zeitung ” anent the attack on Zeebrugge, describes it as “ damned plucky.’’ ADMIRALTY ORDER.

LONDON, April 27. The British Admiralty has issued the following Order to the Fleet:— “Their Lordships express to nil concerned who took part in the gallant! and successful enterprise on tho Belgian coast, their high admiration of tho perfect co-operation and singleminded determination to achieve their object. Tho discipline, daring, and singular contempt for death exhibited by thost assigned the posts of the greatest danger, places this exploit high in the annals of the Royal Marines, and will be a proud memory for the relatives of those who have fallen.” THE KAISER INSPECTS. AMSTERDAM, April 26. The Kaiser visited Zeebrugge on Tuesday and inspected the damage done by the raid. During his visit a British aviator dropped bombs on Zeebrugge. The German papers admit that the English succeeded in nearly blocking the whole passage, but claimed that the submarines are still able to leave.

PREVIOUS ATTACKS FOILED. LONDON, April 26. Reuter’s agent at Amsterdam says

that according to a Berlin telegram, te Kaiser gathered an account of the fight from a captured British captain of Marines, who said that the attack

had been prepared and started on four previous occasions, hut was abandoned each time owing to the vigilance of the German outpost boats. COST OF RAID.

MORE DETAILS WANTED. {Received, This Dav at 8.50. a.m.)

LONDON, April 28

A censored report of the Reichstag Main Committee’s sitting reveals a

lively debate, oved the Zeebrugge raid. Deputies declared the communique was misleading and demanded fuller information, which was refused. Seventeen Belgian fishermen wore arrested at Ostend, on charges of assisting the. British naval raid. German newspapers reflect a deop impression the Zeebrugge raid has made. All assume the attack will be repeated on a greater scale. Count Re ventlow praises the great extraordinary bravery of the British.

(Received. This T)av at 8.50. a.m.) LONDON, April 28. Tho British Admiralty casualties in 10 Belgian coast operations were: — Officers killed 16 Officers died of wounds 3 Officers missing 2 Officers wounded 29 Men killed 144 Men died of wounds 25 Men missing 14 Men wounded 335