THE ATTACK BEGINS
The main force was divided into three columns. The center column was led
by the Vindictive, with the Brigadier second and the Iris in tow, followed
by the five blocking ships and the paddle mine-sweeper Lingfield,
escorting five motor launches for taking off the surplus steaming parties
of the blocking ships. The starboard column was led by the Warwick, flying
the flag of Admiral Keyes, followed by the Phoebe and North Star, which
three ships were to cover the Vindictive from torpedo attack while the
storming operations were in progress.
The submarines were towed by the Trident and Mansfield. The Tempest
escorted the two Ostend block ships.
The port column was led by the Whirlwind, followed by Myngs and Moorsom,
which ships were to patrol to the northward of Zeebrugge; and the
Tetrarch, also to escort the Ostend block ships. Every craft was towing
one or more coastal motor boats, and between the columns were motor
launches.
The greater part of the passage, as Jack had explained, had to be carried
out in broad daylight, with the consequent likelihood of discovery by
enemy aircraft or submarines. This risk was largely countered by the
escort of all the scouting escort under Admiral Keyes' command.
On arrival at a certain position, it being then apparent that the
conditions were favorable and that there was every prospect of carrying
through the enterprise on schedule, a short prearranged wireless signal
was made to the detached forces that the program would be adhered to.
On arrival at a position a mile and a half short of where Commodore
Boyle's force was stationed, the whole force stopped for fifteen minutes
to enable the surplus steaming parties of the block ships to be
disembarked and the coastal motor boats slipped. These and the motor
launches then proceeded in execution of previous orders. On resuming the
course, the Warwick and Whirlwind, followed by the destroyers, drew ahead
on either bow to clear the passage of enemy outpost vessels.
When the Vindictive arrived at a position where it was necessary to alter
her course for the Mole, the Warwick, Phoebe and North Star swung to
starboard and cruised in the vicinity of the Mole until after the final
withdrawal of all the attacking forces. During the movement and through
the subsequent operations, the Warwick was maneuvered to place smoke
screens wherever they seemed to be most required, and when the wind
shifted from northeast to southwest, her services in this respect were
particularly valuable.
The monitors Erebus and Terror, with the destroyers Termagant, Truculent
and Manly, were stationed at a position suitable for the long range
bombardment of Zeebrugge in co-operation with the attack.
Similarly, the monitors Marshal Soult, General Sraufurd, Prince Eugene and
Lord Clive, and the small monitors M-21, M-24 and M-26 were stationed in
suitable positions to bombard specified batteries. These craft were
attended by the British destroyers Mentor, Lightfoot and Zubian, and the
French Capitaine Mehl, Francis Garnier, Roux and Bouclier. The bombardment
that ensued was undoubtedly useful in keeping down the fire of the shore
batteries.
The attack on the Mole was primarily intended to distract the enemy's
attention from the ships engaged in blocking the Bruges canal. Its
immediate objectives were, first, the capture of the four 1-inch batteries
at the sea end of the Mole, which were a serious menace to the passage of
the block ships, and, second, the doing of as much damage to the material
on the Mole as time would permit, for it was not the intention of Admiral
Keyes to remain on the Mole after the primary object of the expedition
had been accomplished.
The attack was to consist of two parts: The landing of storming and
demolition parties and the destruction of the iron viaduct between the
shore and the stone Mole.
The units detailed for the attack were:
H.M.S. Vindictive, Captain Alfred F.B. Carpenter; the Brigadier, Captain
Jack Templeton; special steamers Iris, Commander Valentine Gibbs;
Gloucester, Lieutenant H.G. Campbell, the latter detailed to push the
Vindictive alongside the Mole and keep her there as long as might be
necessary.
Submarines C-3 and C-1, commanded by Lieutenants Richard Sanford and
Aubrey Newbold, respectively, attended by picket boat under Lieutenant
Commander Francis H. Sanford.
Besides these, a flotilla of twenty-four motor launches and eight coastal
motorboats were told off for rescue work and to make smoke screens or lay
smoke floats, and nine more coastal motorboats to attack the Mole and
enemy vessels inside it.
At 11.40 p.m. on April 22, 1918, the coastal motorboats detailed to lay
the first smoke screen ran in to very close range and proceeded to lay
smoke floats and by other methods make the necessary "fog." These craft
immediately were under fire, and only their small size and great speed
saved them from destruction.
At this moment the Blankenberghe light buoy was abeam of the Vindictive
and the enemy had presumably seen or heard the approaching forces. Star
shells lighted the heavens. But still no enemy patrol craft were sighted.
At this time the wind had been from the northeast, and therefore favorable
to the success of the smoke screens. It now died away and began to blow
from a southerly direction.
Many of the smoke floats laid just off the Mole extension were sunk by the
fire of the enemy, which now began to grow in volume. This, in conjunction
with the wind, lessened the effectiveness of the smoke screen.
At 11.56 the Vindictive, the Brigadier close behind, having just passed
through a smoke screen, sighted the Mole in the semi-darkness about three
hundred yards off on the port bow. Speed was increased to full and the
course of both vessels altered so that, allowing for cross tide, the
Vindictive would make good a closing course of forty-five degrees to the
Mole. The Vindictive purposely withheld her fire to avoid being
discovered, but almost at the moment of her emerging from the smoke the
enemy opened fire.
So promptly, under the orders of the commander, was this replied to by the
port 6-inch battery, the upper deck pompoms and the gun in the foretop
that the firing on both sides appeared to be almost simultaneous.
The Brigadier, under Jack's command, opened fire at almost the same
moment. Heavy shells flew screaming into the enemy lines. German
projectiles began to kick up the water close to the Vindictive and the
Brigadier. But in the first few volleys, none of the enemy shells found
their marks. Jack was conning the ship from the port forward, the
flame-thrower hut. Frank, with directions as to handling of the ship
should Jack be disabled, was in the conning tower, from which the
Brigadier was being steered.
At one minute after midnight on April 23, the program time for attack
being midnight, the Vindictive was put alongside the Mole and the
starboard anchor was let go.
At this time the noise of cannonading was terrific. During the previous
few minutes, the ship had been hit by a large number of shells, which had
resulted in heavy casualties.
As there was some doubt as to the starboard anchor having gone clear, the
port anchor was dropped close to the foot of the Mole and the cable
bowsed-to, with less than a shackle out. A three-knot tide was running
past the Mole, and the scene alongside, created by the slight swell,
caused the ship to roll. There was an interval of three or four minutes
before the Brigadier or the Gloucester could arrive and commence to push
the Vindictive bodily alongside.
During the interval the Vindictive could not be got close enough for the
special Mole anchors to hook and it was a very trying period. Many of the
brows had been broken by shell fire and the heavy roll had broken the
foremost Mole anchor as it was being placed. The two foremost brows,
however, reached the wall and enabled storming parties, led by
Lieutenant-Commander Bryan F. Adams, to land and run out alongside them,
closely followed by the Royal marines.
It was at this juncture that a slight change was made in the original
program. It developed, as the first storming party moved out, that
Commander Adams' men were not in sufficient strength for the work ahead.
Captain Carpenter of the Vindictive called for support from the Brigadier.
Jack acted promptly.
"Lieutenant Chadwick!" he called.
Frank stepped forward and saluted.
"You will take one hundred men and join the storming party," said Jack.
At this moment the Brigadier was rubbing close to the Vindictive. This was
fortunate at the moment, for there was then no other means by which a
party from the Brigadier could reach the Mole.
Hurriedly Frank gathered the men, and then leaped from his own vessel to
the deck of the Vindictive. A moment later they joined Commander Adams and
his party.
Owing to the rolling of the ship, a most disconcerting motion was
imparted to the brows, the outer ends of which were "sawing" considerably
on the Mole parapet. Officers and men were equipped with Lewis guns,
bombs, ammunition, etc., and were under heavy machine-gun fire at close
range; add to this a drop of thirty feet between the ship and the Mole,
and some idea of the conditions which had to be faced may be realized.
Yet the storming of the Mole was carried out without the slightest delay
and without any apparent consideration of self preservation. Some of the
first men on the Mole dropped in their tracks under the German fire, but
the others pushed on, with the object of hauling one of the large Mole
anchors across the parapet.
The Brigadier arrived alongside the Mole three minutes after Frank and his
men had leaped to the deck of the other ship, followed by the little Iris.
Both suffered less in their approach, the Vindictive occupying all the
enemy's attention. The Gloucester also came up now to push the Vindictive
bodily on to the Mole to enable her to be secured, after doing which the
Gloucester landed her parties over that ship. Her men disembarked from her
bows on to the Vindictive, as it was found essential to continue to push
the Vindictive on to the Mole throughout the entire action.
This duty was magnificently carried out. Without the assistance of the
Gloucester very few of the storming parties from the Vindictive could
have landed, or could have re-embarked.
The landing from the Iris was made under even more trying circumstances.
She rolled heavily in the sea, which rendered the use of the scaling
ladders very difficult. But at this time, according to calculations,
enough men had been landed to complete the work.
The fighting on the Mole became hand-to-hand.