Evening star., 1940-06-04
Allies Blocked Canal
Under Heavy Fire,
Brjton Asserts
First Attempt Failed
Because Of Grounding
Of Ships, He Says
Sy the Associated Press.

Sy the Associated Press.
LONDON. June 4.-The successful
blocking of the Bruges Canal at the
Belgian port of zeebrugge by sink
ing ships filed with concrete was
described today by a British naval
officer who witnessed the operation.
He said the canal would not be
usable by the Germans "for at least
several months"
This eyewitness said two block
ships" escorted by warships and
guided by small craft, steamed
slowly parallel to the Belgian coast
under cover of darkness May Is, but
that the operation failed when one
''blockship" grounded near the en-
trance to the harbor channel inside
the mole leading to the canal
mouth.
The naval force found the en-
trance to the channel, marked by a
buoy above the wreck of the old
Thetis, sunk in a similar British
operation in 1918, but a small de-
tachment moving ahead to try to
approach the canal gate was fired
on heavily from machine-gun en-
placements along the waterfront.
Bombed Continuously.
The warships escorting the
'rblockships' were bombed continu-
ously for one and quarter hours by
squadron of German planes, but
were not hit, he added.
Although the British force could
see the end of the mole, thick haze
shrouded the harbor and the first
concrete laden ships grounded and
could not be refloated
The naval officer said the British
withdrew, but returned two days
later and sank two ships immedi-
ately outside the canal gates which
already had been blocked by a sub
merged dredger. apparently sunk by
the Belgians.
The grounded "blockship" subse-
quently was ref1oated and. with an
other, was sunk inside the mole at
the entrance to the channel. he
said. Although not completely
blocking it, the officer said, they
form serious obstacle to naviga-
ton.
! Both expeditions were completed
without a casualty, the eyewitness
declared.
Attacked by Squadron.
{ The second trip. he said. also Was
harassed by German bombing at
tack and when the helm of the
leading "blockship' broke down
small naval vessel was sent along
side to tow her to the canal gate.
When the skeleton crew left and
tried to blow her up. the electric
circuit failed because of a wire
fouled on a propeller. but, on
second attempt the ship exploded,
he related.
=. AS the second turned into the
harbor channel, he said. squadron
of IS Heinkels attacked and the
ship grounded. Working clear. how
ever, it steamed to the canal gate.
rammed the sunken dredger and ex-
ploded
The officer said the second opera
ton was completed in five hours
from the zero hour when the first
"blockships" entered the channel
The crews of the sunken vessels
escaped in boats, racing up the
canal to the warships. which then
steamed home at high speed, ne
said.
Base for Undersea Raiders.
Recalling that in the World War
submarine parts were shipped over
land to Zeebrugge and were assem-
bled along the canal bank. the Of
ficer said that in some ways the port
would be the best base for undersea
raiders that Germany could have.
He pointed out that the British
expedition lacked aid in navigation
from ashore and had no protective
forces on land, on the mole or else
where.
He compared the operation to the
famed British storming OF Zee
brugge which, led by Admiral Sir
Roger Keyes in the World War. put
the port out of action in a similar
way.