The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-04-26
Men Faced German Fire
Without Thought of
Their Own Safety
ADMIRALTY IN
NEW STATEMENT
Storming and Demolishing
Parties Had Little Re
sistance on Mole

London, Thursday, April 25.--
ITO Reuters Ottawa Agency
Captain Carpenter, Of the Vim
dictive, says that before starting
on his dash for Zeebrugge, Ad-
miral Keyes signalled ''St.
George for England"
The Vindictive replied:
May we give the dragons tail
q damned good twist"
London, April 26.-(To Reuter- OF
tawa. Agency "Details OF the Brit
ish naval raid on the German sub
marine base at Zeebrugge as con-
tained in the official narrative issued
by the admiralty show to what
lengths the crews OF the Cruiser Vim
dictive and the Liverpool ferryboats
Iris and Daffodil sacrificed them
selves to draw the attention Of the
Germans from the three cruisers as
signed to block the canal. Concern
ing the engagement on the mole
where the Vindictive landed storm
ing parties, the account says:
"The Daffodil, after aid to berth
the Vindictive should have proceed
ed to land her own men but Captain
Carpenter ordered her 10 remain az
che was with her bows against ths
Vindictiye's quarter, pressing the
latter ship into the mole. Her cast
ualtieA ewing to her position durtne
the fight, were small, one killed and
eight wounded, among the latter be-
ing her commander, Lieut.. Campbell
who was struck in the right eye BY
a shell splinter.
Hsroisnl Of Men.
"The Iris had trouble. Her own
first attempts to make fast to the
mole ahead OF the Vindictive failed
as her. grapnels were not large
enough to span the parapet. Two Of
ficers, Bradford and Hawkins, climb
ed ashore and sat astride the para
pet. trying to make the grapnels fast,
tin each was killed and fell down be-
tween the ship and wall. Com
rnander Gibbs had both legs shot
away and died next morning.
lieutenant Spencer though
wounded. took command and refused
to be relieved. The Iris was obliged
al last to change her position and fall
III astern OF the Vindictive. She suf-
fered very. heavily from the fre. A
single big shell plunged through the
upper deck and burst below at the
point where 56 marines waited the
order to 20 to the gangways. Forty
nine were Killed, the remaining seven
being wounded. Another shell burst
in a ward room which was serving as
sick bay and killed four ofElcers
and 26 men. Her total casualties
were eight officers and SO men killed,
l02 men and six officers wounded.
Little Opposition on Mole.
The st0rming and demolishing
parties upon the mole met with no
resistance from the Germans other
than intense and unremitting fire.
The geography Of the great mole
with It's railway line and many build
fngs, hangers and store sheds was all
ready well known and the demolition
parties moved to their appointed
work In perfect order.
"And while they worked and de-
stroyed, the covering party below the
parapet could see In the harbor by
the light OF the German star shells
the shapes OF blockships stealing I'm
out OF their own smoke and making
for the mouth OF the canal. The
Thetis came first, running into q
tornado OF shells from the great bait
teries ashore The crew, save a
remnant which had remained TO
steam her in and sink her, had al
ready been taken off by ubiquitous
motor launches. But the remnants
Ccontinued on page 81