Bisbee daily review., 1918-04-28
fBy Review Leased wirel


 on the Zeebruggee affair:
 Those who recall high wood upon the SOmme as it was after the bat ties of 1916 may easily figure to them selves the decks of H. M s. Nindictive as she lies today in stark, black pro file against the sea haze of the har- bor.
 That wilderness of debris, that lit ter of used and broken tools of war, that lavish ruin, that prodigal evidence of death and battle, are as obvious and plentiful here as there.
 Looking aft from the chaos of her wrecked bridge, one sees something against the wharf, the heroic bour- geoise shapes of the two Liverpool boats, the Iris and Daffodil, which shared with the Vindictive the hOnors of the arduous fight.
 We'll Laid Plans
 Their objectives were the canal at Zeebruggee and the harbor at Ostend. Three of the cruisers, the Intrepid, the Iphegenia and the Thetis, each packed with concrete and with mines attached to her bottom for the pur- pose of sinking her, Merrimac-fashion, in the neck of the canal, were aimed at Zeebruggee. Two others, similarly prepared, were directed at Ostend.
 The functions of the Vindictive, with her ferryboats, was to attack the great half-moon mole which guards the Zeebruggee canal, to land blue jackets and marines upon it to destroy what stores and guns of the Germans they could find, and generally create a diversion while the block ships ran in and sank themselves ill the ap- pointed places.
 "Vice Admiral Reyes, in the destroy CT Warwick, commanded the opera tion.
 There had been two previous at tempts to attack, capable of being pushed home, if weather and other conditions served. The night of the 22nd of April offered nearly all the required conditions and some fifteen miles off Zeebruggee the ships took up the formation for attack.
 "The Vindictive, which had been towing the Iris and DaffOdil, cast off. The Intrepd, Iphegenia and Thetis slowed down to give the first three time to get alongside the mole.
 Destroyers Start Work
 "The Sirius and the Brilliant shifted their course for Ostend and a great swarm of destroyers and motorcraft spread themselves abroad upon their multifarious and particular duties.
 'sThe night was overcast and there was a drifting haze. Down the coast a great searchlight swung it's beam to and fro. From the Vindictive bridge as she headed in toward the mole, with the faithful ferry boats at her heels there was scarcely a glimmer ol light to be seen shoreward. Ahead, as she drove through the water rolled the smoke screen, her cloak of invls- ibility wrapped about her by small craft. This was the device of Con- mander Brock, without which, ac- knowledges the admiral in command the operation could not have been con- ducted.
 "A northeast wind moved the vol ume of it shoTeward ahead of the ships. It was not until the Vindictive, with blueiackets and marines stand ing ready for landing, was close upon the mole that the wind lulled, and came away again from the southeast sweeping back the smoke screen ana laying her bare.
 There was a moment Immediately afterward when it seemed to those on the ships as if the harbor eXploo- ed into light A star shell scared aloft, then a score of star shells. The wavering beams of the searchhehts swung around and settled into glare. A wild fire of gun flashes leaped against the sky, springs of luminous green beads shot aloft, hung and sank The darkneHs from the night was supplemented by a nightmare day light of battle fired guns and machine guns along the mole. The batteries ashore awoke to life.
 'It was in a gale of shelling that inc Vindictive laid her nose against the thirty foot high concrete side of the mole. let go her anchor ana -signalled to the DaffOdil to shove her stern in.
 Fire Intense
 "The Iris went ahead and endeav- ored to get alongside likewise. The fire was intense while the ships plunged and rolled beside the mole III LLlt 6tdns AAlG A4AAANNAfN ''-NA greater draught jarTing against the foundations of the mole with every plunge. They were swept diagonally by machine gun fire from both ends of the mole and by the heavy bat teries on shore.
 Commander (now Captain) Carpen- ter conned the Vindictive from the open bridge until her stern was lad in. when he took up his position m the flame thrower hut on the port side. It is marvellous that any occu- pant should have survived a minute, so riddled and shattered is it.
 "The officers of the Iris, which was in trouble head of the Vindictive, de scribe Captain Carpenter as handling her like a picket boat The Vim dictive was fitted alCng her port side with a hgh false dc l.. from which ran is brows or gangways by |licA the storming and demolition parties were to land.
 "Thc men gathered in readiness on tbe main lower decks while Colonel Elliott. who was to lead the marines waited on the false deck just ahait AL h-fIuo Taaf1fu HaI19nau. who