New-York tribune., 1918-04-26
British Ad17,iralty's
Story of Brilliant
Attack on Zeebruqee

Story of Brilliant
Attack or, Zeebrugge
LONDON, April 25-(To Reuters
Ottawa Agency )-The Admiralty has
issued the following official narrative
on the Zeebrugge affair:
"Those who recall High Wood upon
the Sommc as it was after the battles
Of 1916 may easily figure to them
selves the decks Of II. NJ. S. Vindic
tive. as she lies to-day in stark, black
profile against the sea haze Of the har-
Dor, amid the stripped, trim shapes of
fighting ships which throng these
waters.
THAT wilderness of debris, that lit
ter OF used and broken tools Of war.
that lavish ruin that prod:gal evidence
OF death and battle, are AS obvious and
plentiful here as there. The ruined
tank, nosing at the stou. tree which
stopped it, has its parallel in the flame
thrower's hut st the pors wing of the
I Nlndlctlve's bridge; its iron sides
ftecked with rents from mschine gun
bullets and she'll splinters. The tall
white cross which commentaries the
martyrdom of the Londorers is sister
I TO the dlngy pierced white ensign
which ftoated over the FIGHT at Zee
brugge mole.
Ships Packed With Concrete
Looking aft from the chaos Of her
( wrecked bridge one sees snug agains.
/ the wharf the heroic bourgeoise shapes
OF the two Liverpool boats, the Iris
and the Daffodil, which shared with
the Vindictive the honors Of the ardu-
Gus fight. The epic of their achieve
ment shapes itself in the light of that
In 1
decks in that environment of gray
water and great still ships.
Then oblectlvcs were the canal at
Aeebrugge and the harbor at Ostend.
Inree OF the cruisers, the Intrepid, the
lphegena and the Thetis, each duly
packed with concrete and with mines
attached to their bottoms for the pur
/ pose Of sinking them, Merrimac fash
ION, IN the neck of the canal, were
aimed at Zeebrugge. Two others.
similarly prepared, were directed at
Ostend.
The function of the Vindictive
with her ferryboats. was to attacl thn
great halfmoon mole which guards the
Aeebrugge Canal, to land bluejackets
ana marines upon it to DESTROY what
stores and guns of the Germans thcy
could ind and generally create a d.
version while the block ships ran in
and sank themselves in the appointed
place.
"Nlce-Admiral Keyes in the destrov-
er Warwick commanded the operation.
There had been two previous at
'empts to attack capable of being
pushed home if weather and other con.
oae'ohs served. The night of the 22d
OF April offered nearly all the re.
quired conditions and some fifteen
miles off Zeebrugge the ships took IN
the formation for attack.
THE Vindictivc, which had been
loving the Iris and Daffodil, cast off
TO follow under their own steam The
intrepid, lphegenia and Thetis slowed
down to give the first three fine 10
get alongside the mole. The Sirius
and the Brilliant shifted their cours :,
for Ostend, and great swarm of de-
stroyers and motor craft spread them
selves abroad upon their multifarious
and particular duties.
Inc night was overcast and there
was drifting haze. Down the coast
a great searchlight swung it's beam to
and fro in the small wind and short
sea. From the Vindictives bridge, as
she headed in toward the mole, with
thc faithful ferry boats at her heels,
there was scarcely a glimmer Of light
to be seen shoreward Ahead. as She
drove through the water, rolled the
smoke screen. her cloak Of invisiblity
wrapped about her by small craft
lhls was the device of Wing Com
mander Brock without which, ac-
knowledges the admiral in command
the operation could not have been
| conducted.
Concealed by Smoke Screen
"A northeast wind moved the vol
ume OF 1T shoreward ahead of the
ships. Beyond it was the distant town
lis defenders unsuspicious. 1t was not
until the Vndctve, with blucjackets
and marines standing ready for land
ing, was close upon the Mole that the
wlhd lullcd, and came away again from
the southeast, sweeping back the smoke
screen and laying her bare to ewes
that looked seaward
r, 1herc was moment immediately
afterwards when it seemed TO those
on the ships as if the dim coast hid
aen harbor exploded into light. A sta1
smell scared aloft, then a score ot
star shells The wavcring seams of the
searchlights swung around and settled
INTO INTO a glare. wild fire of our
llashes lcaped against the sky. strings
or luminous green beads shot aloft
; hung and sank. The darkness Of The
night was supplemented by NIGHT.
mare daylight of battlefired guns ant
machine guns along the Mole. The
batteries ashore awoke to life
Swept by Gale of Shells
ut was in a gale Of shcllinr that
the vindictivc laid her nose agnjns,
the 3o-foot high concrete side Of tn,
mole, Jet go her anchor and sienallef
10 the Daffodil to shove her stern in.
lhc r's went ahead and cndeavorct
70 get alongside likewise. The fire was
intense while the ships plunged and
;,' rolied beside the mole in the seas, thu
vlho'ct'vc, with her greater drafi
.nrrlhg against the foundations of tn.
swept .diagonally by rnmchinc gun Gr'
rom both ends of the mole and b,
the heavy batteries on shore.
! commander |now caJJain) Carpcn