New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-04-26
V|NDICTIVE UNDER
fire FOR AN HOUR
Landed Raiding Party Of 800 on
Mole at Zeobru6ge

tied the cruiser VindictiVe yesterday
as the guest of Captain Alfred +. B.
Carpenter who commanded her In
the expedition last Tuesday against
the German submarine base at Zee
brugge on the Belgian coast.
Captain Carpenter received the cor
respondent with his arm In a sling
from q shell splinter wound. The
ship showed innumerable signs Of
conflict, her decks and superstructure
being covered With the scars of shells
and machine gun hits, During the
attack the commander was at the end
of the bridge in a small steel box or
cabin which had been specially con-
structed to house a flame thrower, In
the course of a long account of the
part taken by the Vindictive in the
raid Captain Carpenter said to The
Associated Press
"Our chief purpose in the expe-
dition was to distract the attention
of the batteries while the block ships
ran in, especially the battery of elev-
en-inch guns which occupied a COM
handing position at the tip of the
mole. Our ship was deliberately pre-
pared for the business of landing SOL
dierS on the mole, which is stone,
forty feet high and fifteen feet above
the NindictiVe's top deck at the state
of the tide when the attack took
place.
1--WE had special superstructure
over the upper deck, and three long
gangways, or 'brows,' which were de-
signed to take the men up to the
level Of the mole as soon as we got
alongside. Exactly according to plan
we ran alongside the mole, approach
ing it on the port side, where We
were equipped with specially built
buffers Of wood two feet wide.
500 Swarm Onto Mole.
"As there was nothing for us to tie
up tC, we merely dropped anchor
there, while the Daffodil kept US
against the mole with her nose
against the other side Of our ship. In
held, and 500 men swarmed up this
onto the mole. The gangway was two
feet wide and 80 feet long. The men
who went up 1t included 500 marines
and $50 storming seamen from the
Vindictive, and so or SO from the
Daffodil. They swarmed up the steel
gangway, carrying hand grenades
and Lewis guns. No Germans sue
.ceeded in approaching the gangway,
but a hand to -hand fight took place
about 200 yards up the mole to ward
the shore
1.-The Vindictives bow was pointed
toward the shore, so the bridge got
the full effect of enemy fire from the
shore batteries. One shell exploded
against the pilot house, killing nearly
all It's ten occupants. Another lrst
in the fighting top, killing lieuten-
ant and eight men, who were doing
and four machine guns.
1.-THE battery of 11-inch guns at
the end of the mole was only 800
yards away and it kept trying to
reach us. The shore batteries also
were diligent. Only few German
shells hit our hull, because it was we'll
protected by the wall of the mole,
but the upper structure, mast, stacks
and ventilators showed above the wall
and were riddled. "A considerable
proportion of our casualties were
caused by splinters from these upper
works.
"Meanwhile the Daffodil continued
to push us against the wall as if ID
battle was on, and if she had failed
to do this none Of the members Of tho
landing party would have been able
to return to the ship.
"Twenty-five minutes after the VIM
dictive had reached the wall the first
block ship passed in and headed for
the canal. Two others followed in
leisure1y fashion while we kept UP
the fight on the mole. One of the
block ships stranded outside Of the
canal, but the two others got two or
three hundred yards inside, where
they were successfully sunk across
the entrance.
Little Rehearsal Possible.
Zone difficulty we had in prepar-
ing the expedition was that we could
not have open practice Of what wa
contemplated doing, for fear the
enemy might get information Of the
plan. Our preparation, therefore,
was limited to a certain amount u
intensive training at night fighting
and bombing, while officers wera
carefully drilled in dealing with all
exigencies likely to occur. All the
men were tuned up to a high pitch
and it was with very anxious hearts
that we waited for a suitable time to
strike, knowing that every day We
waited there was a greater chance or
! our secret leaking out
"Fifteen minutes after the Vindlc-
| tive arrived alongside the mole ON
| submarine exploded under the VIA
| duct connecting the mole with the
| mainland. The Germans had sent
| considerable force to this V1aduct as
| soon as the submarine arrived, and
these men were gathered on the via
duct, attacking our subm ersible with
machine guns. When the explosion
occurred the viaduct and Germans
| We're blown up together. The crew
of the submarine, consisting of six
| men, escaped on board q dinghy to a