Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-11-07

lure the Dlt'ck ships arrived in the VI
clnity, 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
ues 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 DOS
slbility 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.
1.-The Mole is a mile and a half long
and 80 yards wide. On the outer side
it is fianked by a wall 80 feet high.
Five feet below the top of this wall is
a narrow gangway or parapet running
the whole length Of the Mole, with en-
iron handrail on it's inner side. From
the parapet there lis 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 to 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 it 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.
1.-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
dictiyo alongside tie Mole, enabled
this to be'done. Because Of the rough
ness Of the sea the Iris had difficulty
IL securing 10 the wall, and finally went
alongside tie }indjutive with the IN.
tentiol Of GiSoInbarsing her Il over
That snip.
"IA& Germans appear to have been
taken completely ~ surprise. Tnlne-
dfate!y tnat they had heard the an
n23ach 81 tie 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 vas too late. An old submarine, it,
ted With explosives, had run into and
secured herself under The Niaduct, anu
he'd boon blown UP after the crew had
escaped il 6 small. dinghy. This ter
riiic explosion in their rear, the attack
Of the storm party in their MIDST, and
the general confusion Which must have
T2iG1el @Ia1nG5t ih"u3, were probably
the cause OF The Gagmans not noticing
the approach Of TIC block ss,;n aasa
latter passed close around .,-a n Il ae
the Mole and made direct for The canal
entrances. TIL, leading slip. III. ne. q.
16ce.s Es heavily engaged by tho
..l4 Ie e1ies, but although ia a ai.L-
500 "~nrEfs'I91 T>1r--,--!. !, -.--L ~