The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-09-26

which the Germans hurriedly brought
to defend their flank. Observation
for the bombing forces was arranged
from the shore by means of naval
balloons, apparently the first time
that the Kite Balloon Section, now a
recognized branch of the Royal Ma
val Air Service, had been represented
in a British naval engagement.
An indication of the freedom with
which the navy controlled the coast
at this period is afforded by the fact
that on October 18th, 1914, machine
guns from the Severn were landed at
Newport, to assist the Belgian army
in the defence of that place. The
casualties suffered by this detach-
ment included the navigation officer
of the Severn, Lieutenant E. S. Wise,
who fell gallantly leading his men
against the Germans.
Naturally and necessarily, Admiral
Hoods. flotilla could only be main
tanned off the coast of Belgium by the
presence of Sir John Jellicoe's Fleet
away in the northern mists and the
command exercised by it over the
German fleet. The Grand Fleet was
the covering shield behind which the
monitors and destroyers of the Dover
patrol could carry on their work
without serious threat OF interference.
They were left unmolested by the
German navy, save in respect of sub
marines and aeroplanes, neither Of
which classes caused them any loss.
Among he forces engaged in exer-
cising the British control of the North
Sea, the destroyer f1oti1la from Iar-
witch may be mentioned. On October
18th. 1913, one division of this flotilla,
m ~ he HoI,
daunted. Captain Cecil H Fox, and
the destroyers Lance, Legion, Lennox,
and Loyal. had a brilliant victory over
a German destroyer division of four
boats. which were encountered off the
Dutch COAST. The time of the engage
ment Indicated that these German
vessels were probably moving down
from the mouth of the Ems to support
heir coinra1es IN laid ADVANCING 10
the coast Of Belgium, and to attack
any British wa silirs .<nt to bonbar1
that coast. Captain Fox's vision,
however. sank all four German fes
troyers within 81, hour. and the action
showed how the Haswieh floti.la was
IN effect the extreme left flank Of the
British army under Field Marshal
French. M
Realizing the situation, the Ger
mans soon altered their plans. Less
and less of their troops were Sc IN and
more and more heavy guns were
morMted among the sand unes which
fringe the coast. Tt soon became evil
dent to Adnliral Hood that heavier
guns were REQUIRED In his flotiIla. The
kship in which he flew his flag, was
badly flolcd on the water,iht AMI had
toj be SEM to England for repairs.
while the cruiser Brilliant and sloop
Rinaldo also suffered casualties,
chiefly from shrapnel from the enc
my's large field guns. Accordingly,
/ on the morning OF October 9th, the
kattleship Venerable. Captain ". H. C.
BERNARD, brought her ~ in. guns to
bear in support of the squadron. This
was the first battlesh.p, so far as Of
fetal reports show, to fire a shot in
anger during this war.
A midshipman on board the Veneer
able wrote at the time; ''of course,
we could see the troops firing on land
and we were firing at the Germans
and made tnern retreat ever so far. II
was not Ell one-at ed, for he Ger
mans brought big siege guns and
howitzers down to the beach and fir
ed at US. Shells were dropping thick
| " on us and round us all he time, and
submarines were about, too. We were
fired at several times by t;rr edoes
! but they always missed us. At abCui
four O'Clock Con October oSth) the
ship touched ground, but we soon got
off. It has been like that nearly al
the time, submarines and aenoplanes
mainly attacking us. 1t was Jolly fine
lsport.''
! A gallant part was played on Octo-
beg 2Tth by the destroyer Falcon, IN
tguarding the Venerable against sub.
marine attack. This small DESTROYER
isteamed into hail of shclis in the
course of her duty, and Lieutenant H
c.. vauton, her commander was killed
with eight OF his men, sixteen other.
being wounded. The fact that mons
of the allied vessels was sunk by u.
boats during the early phase of tn,
operations is testimony of the smart
ness and skill with which they were
handled. The destroyer Badger, Com
mander c. Frenlantle claimed to hav.
sunk German submarine by ram
ming, off the Dutch coast
n, So the curious and stubborn con
test was maintained until. by abou
:, November 9th, 1914, It became appar
ent that the rush of the enemy alonG
1.-The coast had been checked. The OBJ.
/ erations developed into a trench war
= fare, and with the arrival of allied re
Inducements and the inundation o
the country around Newport tn,
work of the flotilla had, for the mo
ment, ceased.
\ Admiral Hood returned to England
but certain vessels of the Dover pa
i troll, of course, remained to kee]
watch on the coast. A fortnight later
la bornbardment of Zeebrugge shove,
that the Admiralty were quite awak
at that time of the necessity for pre-
! venting or curbing the development
of this Belgian port as a German ma
val base. 1t was officially announces
that ION Monday November 2srd
Il 1914), all points of military signifi
canoe in Zeebrugge were subjected t
severe bombardment by two Britis
battleships. The German oppositio
was feeble. The extent of the dam
age is not known. The British ship
returned safely"
In the following month, the moni
tor squadron, refitted after its frs
J arduous bout. was reported to be a
work again off the coast. So the bar
rier in the path of the Germans t
Calais was maintained. Their flan
resting on the coast was never advan
: ced an inch. in spite of more than on
openly avowed intention to gain tn
shores of France at all cost as jump
ing-off place for the invasion of Eng
4 land. Our enemies would have ha
No better taste of the reality and fore