At Zeebrugge-Plage (Beach), near the Pilots' House, _turn to the left
alongside the railway, to_ the mole which bounds the Port of Zeebrugge
on the west _(photo below, and sketch-map on page 77)_.
The port is situated about ten kilometers from Bruges, with which it is
connected by a ship canal running straight across the littoral plain.
This canal, which is about 230 feet wide and 26 feet deep, is
accessible to large ships. It cost forty-two million francs to
construct. Communication with the roadstead is obtained by means of an
inner-harbour which is provided with locks and sluice-gates.
[Illustration: +Entrance to the Mole at Zeebrugge+ _(See sketch, p.
77.)_
_At the entrance to mole: 6in. guns on concrete platforms. To the
right, at the end of the Mole: German Destroyer sunk by the British
during the blockading operations (photo, p. 78.)_]
The port is protected by a semi-circular jetty or mole which stretches
out into the sea for a distance of about two kilometres; an elevated
side-walk leads to the end of the jetty. The latter, built of blocks of
concrete each weighing three thousand tons, is divided into four parts:
the first, which spans the beach, is solid; the second is of open-work,
to prevent the port becoming choked with sand; the third comprises the
wharves proper, and forms the terminus of a special railway siding; it
is solid and has an elevated walk running along the left hand side; the
fourth, or Lighthouse Jetty, is also solid and acts as a break-water.
This immense undertaking, begun in 1893, was completed ten years later,
and the new port, on which great hopes were set, was solemnly opened,
amid popular rejoicings, by King Leopold.
[Illustration: +The Wharves on the mole beyond the open-work portion of
the latter+
+The Lighthouse Pier seen in the photographs on page 81.+
+The Mole of Zeebrugge.+
_An assemblage of aeroplane photographs taken in 1917._
_On the left, a number of seaplanes are visible. German warships moored
alongside the quay._
=THE BLOCKING OF THE PORT OF ZEEBRUGGE.=
=April 22, 1918.=]
In October 1914, the Germans made a "pirates nest" of the port, which
was consequently attacked unceasingly by British ships and Allied
aeroplanes. The most important of these attacks was that which resulted
in the blocking of the port.
_Motor-cars may go along the mole as far as the end of the wharves. See
text and photographs on pages 80 and 81._
In spite of the enemy's formidable defences around Zeebrugge, the
British determined to block that port, at the same time as Ostend _(See
page 68)_.
[Illustration: +Vice-admiral Keyes.+]
The operations, carefully planned in all details, were extremely
perilous on account of the minefields, the nature of the landing-places
(unmarked by any lights), and the difficulty of finding one's bearings
near a coast where the dunes of varying heights are indistinguishable
one from another. The enterprise was entrusted to Vice-Admiral Keyes,
Commander of the Naval Forces at Dover. The attacking flotilla was
composed as follows:
Three old cruisers the _Iphigenia_ (Lieut. Billyard-Leake), the
_Intrepid_ (Lieut. Stuart Bonham-Carter) and the _Thetis_ (Captain
Sneyd), which, loaded with concrete, were to be sunk in the channel.
The protected cruiser _Vindictive_ (Capt. Carpenter), was armed for
an attack on the mole; sailors and marines were to land, destroy the
guns, drive back the Germans, and create a diversion, thus enabling the
blockading ships to carry out their mission.
Two ferry-boats: the _Iris_ and _Daffodil_, armed for landing
operations; two submarines, loaded with explosives, to attack the mole;
destroyers to defend the flotilla against enemy attacks; launches and
motor-scouts to pick up the crews of destroyed or sunken vessels, and
smoke boats.
[Illustration: +The Attack on Zeebrugge.+
_1. The "Vindictive" alongside the mole, on which the Marines
disembarked._
_2. The "Daffodil" holding the "Vindictive"._
_3. The "Iris" alongside the mole._
_4. The "Thetis" sunk in front of the Channel._
_5. The "Intrepid" and "Iphigenia" sunk in the Channel._
_6. Submarine blown up alongside the open-work pier._
_7. 6in. guns at entrance to mole (photo, p. 75._)
_8. Church and cemetery in which several of the British killed during
the operations were buried (photo, p. 80.)_]
Vice-Admiral Keyes was on board the _Warwick_. All the men were picked
volunteers of tried courage and energy.
The attack, several times postponed owing to the unfavourable weather,
was carried out on April 22, 1918. The flotilla put to sea during the
day. When about twelve miles off Zeebrugge, the boats parted company,
each taking up its assigned position. The _Vindictive_, _Iris_ and
_Daffodil_ advanced behind a smoke screen to within a few cable-lengths
of the mole, when a change of wind dispersed the smoke, leaving them
fully exposed to view. Enemy sirens immediately gave the alarm.
Searchlights, rockets and star-shells lit up the scene, and the air
was immediately filled with the roar of artillery and the crackling of
machine-guns.
Amid bursting shells, and swept by machine-gun fire, the _Vindictive_
succeeded in anchoring alongside the mole, but her deep draught
and the surf prevented her remaining in position, until held by the
_Daffodil_. Most of the eighteen gangways were smashed by the cruiser's
rolling. The _Iris_ was also in difficulties, her grappling irons
being too small to catch hold. Two officers, Capt. Bradford and Lieut.
Hawkins, climbed up the side of the mole and endeavoured to fasten
the grappling irons. Both were killed. A landing was nevertheless
effected, and in spite of heavy losses and the death of Colonel Elliot
and Captain H. C. Halahan, the sailors and marines advanced along the
mole, under very heavy fire, and for an hour destroyed the enemy's
organisations, magazines, sheds, machine-gun posts, etc.
[Illustration: +Zeebrugge. One of the German destroyers sunk by the
British.+ _(See photo, p. 75.)_]
[Illustration: +Zeebrugge. The "Intrepid" and "Iphigenia", sunk in the
Channel.+ _Beyond, in the harbour:_ +the "Thetis"+ _(See sketch, p.
77.)_]
Meanwhile, the blockading cruisers had entered the port and were
steering for the channel, despite the violence of the bombardment.
The _Thetis_ was leading, but her propeller becoming entangled in a
net, she was unable to advance further, and her crew blew her up on
a sandbank in front of the channel. The _Intrepid_, followed by the
_Iphigenia_, reached the channel, placed themselves across it and were
then blown up. The crews were picked up by the motor-boats.
[Illustration: +The funnels of the "Vindictive", on her return from
Zeebrugge.+
_After being summarily repaired, the "Vindictive" accomplished her last
exploit, by bottling up Ostend Harbour on May 11, 1918. (See page 68.)_]
Just at the time when these operations were being completed, Lieutenant
Sandford's submarine succeeded, despite the terrific artillery fire,
in reaching the open-work part of the mole, where she was blown up,
shooting flames to a height of nearly 5,000 feet, and making a breach
over 60 feet wide in the jetty. A motor-boat picked up her crew.
A German torpedo-boat and the _Brussels_ were sunk by motor-launches.
_(The "Brussels" was captured by the Germans on June 24, 1916. Her
commander, Captain Fryatt, was shot on July 27, for having rammed the
German submarine U-33)._
[Illustration: _The open-work portion of the Mole destroyed by the
British submarine, (Lieut. Sandford). Inset: temporary bridge built by
the Germans and destroyed by them before their retreat._]
The _Vindictive's_ siren recalled the landing-party, who succeeded
in bringing back most of their killed and wounded. The flotilla then
weighed anchor and returned to Dover.
The operation had succeeded as well as could be expected. The two
cruisers, although displaced slightly later by the Germans, blocked the
channel, making it impossible for ships of other than light draught to
go through. The _Thetis_ also helped to obstruct the entrance to the
channel.
[Illustration: +British Graves in Zeebrugge Cemetery.+
_The cross bears the following inscription (in German): "Three English
officers, seven English marines, two English sailors, two English
stokers"._]
[Illustration: +The end of the Wharves and the Lighthouse Pier.+
_The upper view is looking from the lighthouse; the lower view takes in
the whole of the roadstead. See photos, pp. 76 and 77._]
[Illustration: +A nest of submarines with their shelters of reinforced
concrete.+
_These were the only shelters, built by the Germans at Zeebrugge, which
they failed to destroy before retreating._]
_Cars can go to the end of the wharves on the mole._ Right and left
of the entrance to the jetty are two 6in. guns on concrete platforms
_(photo, p. 75)_. Next comes the open-work part, repaired by a
temporary bridge built in the first instance by the Germans to replace
that part of the jetty destroyed by Lieut. Sandford's submarine, and
later rebuilt by the Belgians, after the Germans had destroyed it
previous to retreating _(photos, p. 90)_. The tourist now arrives
at the mole, on the right side of which are the wharves with their
sidings, sheds and cranes which were damaged either by air-raids and
the British attack, or by the Germans previous to their retreat. On the
left are concrete shelters which were used by the gunners for storing
shells, etc. During the German occupation, the enemy's torpedo-boats
and submarines were moored alongside the wharves. Along the elevated
side-walk are a battery of four 3½in. guns and a number of 6in., 4in.,
3in. and 1½in. guns. The entrance to the channel, with the sunken
cruisers and the "_Thetis_" stranded in front of them, can clearly be
seen from the side-walk.
[Illustration: +The four guns of the "Friedriechsart" Battery.+]
_Return to the road and before crossing the canal take the road on the
left which leads close to where the "Intrepid" and "Iphigenia" still
lie._ The work of clearing the entrance to the canal has begun.
[Illustration]
_Cross the =Bruges Canal= by the locks, and proceed to =Zeebrugge= (2
kms.)_, an important town which grew up around the port. On the left,
in the cemetery behind the church, are the graves of several of the
British who were killed in the expedition against Zeebrugge _(photo, p.
80)_, and of the aviators who were brought down in the neighbourhood.
[Illustration: +The "Friedriechsart" Battery. One of the guns in
casemate, and shelters.+]
_On leaving Zeebrugge, notice the ="Friedriechsart" Battery=_, on the
right armed with four 6½in. naval guns in closed turrets, turning on
circular rail tracks mounted on concrete platforms. Between the guns
are ammunition shelters connected with the guns by lifts, as on a
battleship. In front are infantry defence-works which extend on both
sides as far as the Bruges and Leopold Canals.
[Illustration: +The "Freya" Battery.+ _On the left: Heyst-sur-Mer. On
the skyline: Zeebrugge Mole._]
_Cross the Léopold Canal; immediately beyond, on the left, is the
="Kanal B" Battery=_, armed with 3½in. guns, and on the right a battery
of 3in. anti-aircraft guns.
[Illustration: _+"Augusta" Battery+ situated between the "Freya"
Battery and Duinbergen, the first houses of which are seen in the
photo. In the inset: One of the battery's guns._]
[Illustration: +Duinbergen.+
_A, B and C: German Observation-Posts on the house-tops. (Seen from the
observation-post on the Dune reached by following the arrow shown in
the lower half of photo)._]
_Continuing along the road, the tourist next reaches =Heyst-sur-Mer=
(2 kms.) skirting the hotels and villas on the dike. Beyond the last
houses of Heyst, on the right, is the ="Freya" Battery=_, armed with
four 8in. protected long-range guns, on circular concrete platforms.
Between the left-hand gun and Heyst are two large ammunition shelters;
the gunners' shelters are behind. This battery is prolonged by the
="Augusta" Battery=, armed with three 6in. guns on concrete platforms.
There is a searchlight on the dike in front of the two batteries.
[Illustration: +Kaiser-Wilhelm II Battery+,
_to the west of Knocke (seen in the upper half of photo). Lower photo:
the entrance to the battery, near the windmill._]
_The road next passes through =Duinbergen= (1½ kms.)_, where the
Germans had observation-posts on the roofs of three houses. _In the
village, turn to the right, at the corner of Pauwers Hôtel (photo, p.
84) coming out behind the square which stretches as far as the dike,
near_ a concrete observation-post, built on the top of a high dune, and
commanding a fine view over the sea _(Photo, p. 84)_.
_Keep along the street in front of the square, going away from the sea;
about 100 yards beyond the tram-lines, turn left towards =Knocke= (2½
kms.)_
_Turn left, before reaching the church, to the mill, near which is_
the entrance to the ="Kaiser Wilhelm II" Battery=. The latter is armed
with four 12in. long range guns, mounted on bridges, and pivoting round
circular tracks in concrete pits, by means of electric motors _(Photos,
p. 84)_.
_If it is desired to go as far as =Knocke-sur-Mer= (1 km.), turn left,
beyond the church, along Boulevard de Lippens._
This is the most northern seaside place on the Belgian coast. Its
church (St. Margaret's) possesses a 15th century tower. During the
war, the Germans transformed several houses on the dike into concrete
shelters.
_Return to Knocke, proceeding thence to =Heyst= along the road
previously taken. Enter +Heyst+ (3 kms.) by the Chaussée de Knocke;
take Rue du Kursaal, on the left, then the Ramscappelle Road, on
the right, bearing left again 400 yards further on. 2½ kms. beyond
=Ramscappelle-lez-Bruges= take the road on the right and cross the
Leopold Canal._
_Go through =Dudzeele= village, to the right of which are_ the remains
of a battery position, _and further along the road,_ several concrete
shelters.
_=Bruges= (18 kms.) is entered by the Chaussée de Dudzeele. Take the
=Fort Lapin=, on the left, then cross the bridges, on the right, to the
=Plaine des Ecluses=._
_Beyond the latter, follow Rempart des Bassins, then, on the left,
Rue du Calvaire, prolonged by Rue St. Claire, Rue St. Georges and Rue
Flamande, coming out at the =Grand'Place= (See plan between pp. 88 and
89.)_
[Illustration: _+Bruges+, seen from Quai du Rosaire. In the
background:_ +The Belfry+. _(See p. 97.)_]
[Illustration: +Bruges. Triumphal Entry of the Belgian Army, with King
Albert and Queen Elizabeth at their head, on October 25, 1918.+]