The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-10-11
Zeebrugge Raid Told
By Commanding Officer
SUperhman Work Face Of Wwnd Of Fire and Heroic Attack
of StOming Party Graphically DeSCribed-BIOck Ships
still in Position Sealing the Navgabe Channel
Into CanaIs-KeyeS in CHARGE

the attention OF the Mole batteries be
fore the block ships arrived In the vi,
entity, and In the latter case 10 keep
them diverted until after the blocklnl
ships had arrived at their destination
Use Special Storm Parties.
THE German garrison in the Mole
was believed 10 consist of about one
thousand men, Il was decided IA
storm the Mole with special storm par,
ties Immediately prior 10 the arrival
of the blocking ships. Tho necessity
Of holding the Mole for certain length
OF time would also provide opportunity
to carry out certain amount of de-
Structivc work on the Mole. The pos
| Sibllity 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 of from shore by blowing up
the railway viaduct.
"The Mole is n mile and n half long
and so yards wide. On the outer side
1t is flanked by wall 30 feet high.
Five feet below the top of this wall is
narrow gangway or parapet running
the whole length of the Mole, with an
iron handrail on its inner side. From
the parapet there rs Il 18-foot drop TO
the Mole proper. The inner side of the
Mole is fitted 10 allow ships berthlng
alongside; whereas II probably was
never considered that any ships would
wish 10 berth along the other side.
The ships carrying the storming party
could not 20 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 3O-foot wall
down 10 the parapet, and thence over
the handrail and drop 10 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 Nindictive, Iris and Daifodl pro-
ceeded alongside the Mole in spite of
Il 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 Nindictive with the in
tentlon Of disembarking her men over |
that ship.
The Germ'Ts 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
il was too late. An old submarine, fit
ted with explosives. had run into and
secured herself under the viaduct and
had been blown up after the crew had
in small dinghy. This ter
rife explosion in their rear, the attack
" the storm party in their midst, and
he general confusion which must have
relgned amongst them, were probably
he cause of the Germans not noticing
he approach of the block ships These
after passed close around the end Of
he Mole and made direct for the canal
entrance. The leading ship, II. NJ. S.
rhetis, was heavily engaged by the
shore batteries, but although in a sink
ng condition managed TO direct the
Dther two vessels toward their deSti-
latton. The Thetis herself struggled
m, and finally sank very close off the I
anal entrance and right across the
airway. The Intrepid and the Iphe- I
yenia proceeded into the canal en-
rance and sank in the positions or {
Tered by blowing out their bottoms {
" mines especially placed for the pur-
Iose. Motor launches had followed j
n after the three blocking ships and Y
nder terrific fire from almost point S
lank range they went around the sunk, I
n vessels and took Off the crews. This c
escue work was so magnifcently car b
led out that practically none Of the c
o.,1. ~ 4. =