Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-10-25
Zeebrugge Raid Told
By Commanding Officer
Superunan Work Face Of Wwn of Fire and Heroic Attack
Of storn,ing Party Graphically Observation-Disclosures Ships
Still in Position Sealing the NavigabIe Channel
Into Canals-Keyes in Charge

the attention of the Mole batteries be-
fore the block ships arrived in the vi
entity, and in the latter case to keep
them diverted until after the blocking /
ships had arrived at their destination.
Use Special Storm Parties.
'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 certain length
of time would also provide opportunity
to carry out certain amount of de-
structive work on the Mole. The pos
sibility 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 viaduct.
'"The Mole is a mile and half long
and 80 yards wide. On the outer side
it is flanked by wall 30 feet high.
Five feet below the top Of this wall is
a narrow gangway or parapet running
the whole length Of the Mole. with an
iron handrail on its inner side. From
| the p0rapet there is 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 to berth along the other side.
The ships carrying the stOrning 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.
Wherefore it 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 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 O.
Il heavy fire from the Mole batteries
The arrival was ut one minute pas
: midnight, April 222-2233, and the storm
party .disembarked on the Mole imme
diately. The Daffodil, pushing the Vim
dictive alongside the Mole, enable,
this to be done. Because Of the rough
ness OF the sea the Iris had difficult,
in securing to the wall, and finally wen
alongside the Vindictive with the in
tention Of discriminating her men owe
that ship.
''The Germans appear to have bee
: taken completely by surprise. Imme
diately that they had heard the ar
prOach of the vessels they fired man
= hundreds of star shells. But the smOk
screens prevented the enemy from di.
corning the nature Of the attack mt
it was too late. An Old submarine, fl
ted with explosives, had run into an
secured herself under the viaduct, an
. had been blown up after the crew ha
escaped in small dinghy. This tie
rife explosion In their rear. the attaC
:. Of the storm party in their midst, an
the general confusion which must hay
: reigned amongst them, We're prObab
the cause Of the Germans not nOticir
the approach Of the block ships The.
latter passed close around the end
the Mole and made direct for the can
- entrance. The leading ship, H. NJ.
:, Thetis, was heavily engaged by tt
= shore batteries, but although in a sin
. ing condition managed to direct Il
= other two vessels toward their des
:, nation. The Thetis herself struggl
on. and finally sank very close off t
canal entrance and right across t
a. fairWay. The Intrepid and the Ipl
q genia proceeded into the canal G
al trance and sank in the positions ,
n, dered by blowing out their botto1
~ by mines especially placed for the III
30 pose. Motor launches had follow
in after the three blocking ships a
IN under terrific fire from almost POI
~ blank range they went around the SUI
IT., en- vessels and took off the crews. II
,,+ rescue work was so magnif1cently G
e, ried out that practically none Of [