Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1918-10-09
Zeebrugge Raid Told
By Commanding Officer
Supeuman Work in Face Of Whwnd of Fire and Heroic Attack
of Stormng Party Graphically Observation-Disclosures Ships
Still in Position Sealing the NayigabIe Channel
Into Canas-Keyes in Charge

the attention of the Mole batteries be-
fore the block ships arrived in the vi
cinity, and In the latter case to keep
them diverted until after the blocking
ships had arrived at their destination.
Use Special Storm Parties.
1.-THE German garrison in the Mole
was believed to consist of about one
thousand men. 1t was decided to
storm the Mole with special storm par
| ties Immediately prior to the arrival
of the blocking ships. The necessity
of holding the Mole for a certain length
OF time would also provide opportunity
TO carry out a certain amount Of de-
structive work on the Mole The pos
sibiiity of re-enforcements coming
from the shore end and preventing the
Storming party from attaining their
object was to be countered by cutting
the Mole off from shore by blowing up
the railway vladuct.
The Mole is mile and half long
and so yards wide. On the outer side
1t is fianked by wall 80 feet high.
rive feet below the top of this wall is
narrow gangway or parapet running
the whole length of the Mole. with an
iron handrall on its inner side. From
the parapet there is a 16-foot drop to
the Mole proper. The inner side of the
Mole is fitted to allow ships berthing
alongside; whereas it probably was
never considered that any ships would
wish IN berth along the other side.
The ships carrying the storming party
could not go along the inner side of the
Mole without passing close to the Mole
batteries, and thereby risking the GER
tainty of being sunk.
Therefore ii was necessary for these
vessels TO be secured alongside the
parapet of the Mole. and for the storm
parties TO climb over the 30-foot wall
down to the parapet, and thence over
/ the handrail and drop 16 feet to the
Mole before they could attack the Mole
batteries or carry out their destructive
work.
Went Like Clock Work.
THE operation went like clock work.
The Vindictive. Iris and Daffodil pro-
ceeded alongside the Mole in spite of
a heavy fire from the Mole batteries.
The arrival was at one minute past
midnight, April 22-23, and the storm
party disembarked on the Mole imme-
diately. The Daffodil, pushing the Vim
dictive alongside the Mole, enabled
this to be done. Because of the rough
ness of the sea the Iris had difficulty
in securing TO the wall, and finally went
alongside the Vindictive with the in
tention Of Disseminating her men over
that ship.
The Germans appear to have been
taken completely by surprise. Imme-
diately that they had heard the ap-
proach of the vessels they fired many
hundreds of star shells. But the smoke
screens prevented the enemy from dis
corning the nature of the attack until
it was too late. An old submarine. fit
ted with explosives, had run into and
secured herself under the yiaduct, and
had been blown up after the crew had
escaped in small dinghy. This ter
rife explosion in their rear, the attack
of the storm party in their midst. and
the general confusion which must have
reigned amongst them, We're probably
the cause of the Germans not noticing
the approach of the block ships These
latter passed close around the end of
the Mole and made direct for the canal
entran g. The leading ship. II. NJ. S.
Thetis, was heavily engaged by the
shore batteries. but although in sink
ing condition managed TO direct the
other two vessels toward their desti-
nation. The Thetis herself struggled
on, and finally sank very close off the
canal entrance and right across the
fairway. The Intrepid and the Iphe-
genia proceeded into the canal en-
trance and sank in the positions or
dered by blowing out their bottoms
by mines especially placed for the pur-
p~se. Motor launches had followed
in after the three blocking ships and
under terrific fire from almost point
blank range they went around the sunk
en- vessels ana took off the crews. This
rescue work was so magnificently car
ried out that practically none of the