ADMIRAL KEYES

Hokitika Guardian, 7 June 1928, Page 1

ADMIRAL KEYES

A HERO OF ZEEBRUGGE. TO RELINQUISH COMMAND (Special to Press Assn, by Radio.) RUGBY, June 3. Admiral Sir Roger Keyes, who ‘hasbeen Comniander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet for the past three years, will relinquish that post and will be succeeded by Admiral Sir Frederik Field, who is expected to hoist his flag in the Queen Elizabeth at the end of the week.

Admiral Field has had an extremely distinguished career. He saw service first during the Boxer troubles in 1900. At tho Battle of Jutland he commanded the battleship King George the Fifth. Five years ago he took the Battle Cruiser Squadron and the First Light Cruiser Squadron on a special Empire cruise, visiting numerous ports in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, as well as the United States and South America.

On his return he rejoined the Admiral tv as Deputy-Chief of the Naval Staff.

[Roger Keyes, tlio British admiral who planned the raids on Zeebrugge and Ostend, was horn in October, 1872. his father being Sir Charles Keyes. Entering the Navy in 1885, lie took part in the Vitu (Expedition in ' 1800, and for his services in China in 1900 was promoted to the position of commander. In 1905 he reached the rank of captain, and till 1907 was naval attache at Rome, Vienna, Athens, and Constantinople in turn. He became commodore in charge of the submarine service in 1912.

During the war he was officer in charge of tlio flotilla of submarines which was sent close in to Heligoland on August 28th. 1914, with the light cruisers Arethusa and Fearless, and some destroyers behind them, and bigger ships out of sight in the offing. German cruisers came out, and tho small British vessels held their own till ;the battle-cruisers arrived and sank the Kolin and the Mainz. Keyes also took part in the Coxhaven raid. In 1915 he became Chief of Staff to Admiral de Robeck, who commanded the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron at the Dardanelles.

In 1917 he was promoted rear-ad-miral and appointed Director of Plans at Tiie Admiralty. His most notable services, however, were rendered in command of the Dover Patrol. Tt was he who directed the heroic naval raids on Zeebruggo and Ostend, the object of which was to block the channels by which U-boats and destroyers emerged from these ports. On the night of April 22nd. 1918. conditions seemed favourable, but the wind rose and dispersed the mist, so that heavy fire was brought to bear on the ships by the German batteries. But a landing party got on to the mole at Zeebruggo and destroyed its works, while a submarine loaded with explosives was run under the viaduct which connected the mole with tho shore, and blown up. Meanwhile tho blocking ships were sunk at the mouth of the canal, and the survivors of their crews were picked up and got away in tho Vindictive and her consorts. At Ostend tho blocking ships had to he sunk outside the centre of the waterway, but the effort was repeated with more success by the Vindictive on the night of May 9th. For his services Keys received the K.C.B. and after the war was made a baronet, and received a grant of £IO.OOO.

From April, 1919 to 1921, as roar-ad-miral, lie commanded the battle-cruiser squadron of the Atlantic Fleet. He was then prompted vice-admiral and became deputy-chief of the General Staff. In 1925 lie was appointed Com-manclcr-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Station, and in March, 192 G, promoted admiral.]