Zeebrugge Raid

Because Of Devastating Submarine Attacks

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The Zeebrugge Raid, which took place on St Georges Day on the 23rd April 1918, was an attempt by the British Royal Navy to neutralize the key Belgian port of Bruges at Zeebrugge.

The port was used by the German Navy as a base for their U-boats and light shipping, which was a serious threat to Allied shipping, especially in the English Channel.

During the winter of 1917-18, the submarine menace had become so serious that our chances of victory were in the greatest jeopardy. Unless we could master the U-boats, there would be nothing left for us to do except come to terms with Germany.

The devastating submarine attacks on merchant ships threatened to starve Britain into submission. With the enormous loss of lives on the western-Front; the threat of starvation could severely damage the morale of the British Public.

Colonial Marines 1808

The Great Mole

Before the war the Belgians built a harbour wall forty feet high, which was eighty feet wide and stretched for a mile and a half out to sea. 'The Mole' was one of the first German targets of the war, they could clearly see its full potential for protecting the great harbour; they captured it in the early days of the war.

The Germans built massive formidable defences all along the top of the Mole and they built a large submarine base in the rear harbour. Cutting three hundred miles off the travelling distance of its ocean going submarines.

It was known the main base for the German submarines was at Zeebrugge, and early in 1918, Admiral Sir Roger Keyes was ordered to prepare and execute a plan for the blocking and the destruction of the heavily fortified harbour.

In technique and in danger it was an operation which called for Royal Marines, and at the end of February a special 4th Royal Marine Battalion, composed of twenty-six officers and over six hundered R.M.L.I. Was formed.

It began secret training at Deal whilst its Artillery Detachment of two officers and fifty-one men of the Royal Marine Artillery, went into training on the gunnery rangers at Shoeburyness.

Not A New Idea

A raid on Zeebrugge was first proposed in 1917 by Sir John Jellicoe, but was rejected because it was considered too dangerous an operation. Now, through desparation, it was being re-considered by Vice-Admiral Sir Roger Keyes.

He had been alloted the most demanding task of creating a plan for a blocking operation which would make it difficult for German ships and submarines to leave the port; as much as he tried he couldn't find another idea that was less strenuous to execute.

The raid was formally approved by the British Admiralty in February 1918, and launched two months later consisting of 76 volunteer ships and volunteer seamen and soldiers, which were, 50 Seamen and 730 all ranks of Royal Marines.

The cruisers involved in the blockade; including "H.M.S. Vindictive" were equipped in Chatham, an operation which involved over 2,000 workers for the special fitting out, and stripping out in the case of the ships to be sunk, of all unnecessary equipment including their masts.

The Mersey ferries "Iris II" and "Daffodil" and two submarines were fitted out in Portsmouth. In 1906, two new ferryboats came into service on the River Mersey, the "Iris II" and the "Daffodil".

They were twin-screw steamers capable of handling 1,735 passengers each. They were built on the Tyne by Robert Stevenson & Company and were towed to the Mersey to have their engines fitted.

Each had three separate saloons on deck, both of them were 159 feet in length, the 'Iris' was 491 Tons and the 'Daffodil' was 482 Tons. 12 years later, on St. Georges Day 1918, the two ferryboats sailed with glory into the annals of British Naval History.

The two ferryboats were to be towed by "H.M.S. Vindictive". All three vessels would carry the 730 men ot the landing parties made up from Royal Marines Light Infantry and Royal Marines Artillery.

Clacton-on-Sea Rendezvous

On The Afternoon Of 22nd April 1918

The Fleet made its rendezvous at Swin Deep about 8 miles or 7.0 nautical miles south of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. Almost none of the participants were aware of their target.

The first opportunity for the raid was early in April 1918, and on 2nd April, a first attempt was initiated and Zeebrugge was subjected to an initial air raid by 65th Squadron from Dunkirk.

The success of the Zeebrugge raid depended upon smoke-screens to avoid a massacre of the British Fleet, by the strong German batteries, but as the wind direction was unfavourable the attack was postponed. The element of surprise had now been lost.

By this time, Zeebrugge was visible to the fleet, and the fleet to the Germans along the coast and in Zeebrugge. The Germans would now have nearly three weeks; which was ample time to bring in all the reinforcements they needed and to prepare for the imminent attack.

An Armada of seventy-six ships of all sizes were swilling around in the North Sea. Some with their lights already switched off; had to make a sharp turn to the west and return to their bases.

The Raid Was A Naval Gamble

In the early hours of the 23rd April, St Georges Day, in a battle order of three lines led by "H.M.S. Vindictive" towing the "Iris II" and the "Daffodil" they all set sail.

The three ships were accompanied by two old submarines, which were filled with explosives to blow up the wooden viaduct that was the connection of the mole to the mainland shore.

When they neared the Belgian coast, the raid began with a diversionary bombardment against the long Zeebrugge mole and with a fleet of fast boats laying their effective smoke-screen.

When they were within striking distance, disaster struck; the wind blew the smoke away from the attackers, leaving them fully exposed.

Star shells lit up the whole area giving the shore batteries a clear view; then the search-lights came on a lit the force all up. The Germans immediately opened up with everything they had.

Their sitting targets were easy prey once inside the harbour; the German destroyers moored along side of the warf on the mainland also opened up. Small-arms and machine-guns joined in the melee.

The "Vindictive" "Iris" and "Daffodil" was supposed to land a force of some 730 Royal Marines at the entrance to the Bruges Canal undercover of a huge smoke-screen.

However, at the time of the landing the exposed Marines, whose objective was to destroy the many German gun positions, immediately came under concentrated heavy fire and instantly suffered numerous casualties.

This was before they landed; they were lined-up on the deck in platoons ready to charge over the specially build gangways to get onto the mole. Shells landed amongst them wiping out some platoons and leaving others with only a fraction of their men to take they objectives.

"Vindictive" had come under constant heavy fire by the German's large gun batteries, heavy mortars and heavy machine-gun positions.

Because of the fire she was taking "Vindictive" had been forced to land her Marines in the wrong location, resulting in the loss of more of the Royal Marines and their heavy gun support.

Eventually, the submarine "H.M.S. C3" commanded by Lieutenant R.D. Sandford destroyed part of the viaduct as planned, by explosion. Lt. Sandford was awarded the Victoria Cross for his deeds in this action.

The plan to sink three old cruisers to block the flow of traffic in and out of the Port of Bruges-Zeebrugge did not go as planned. The failure of the attack on the Zeebrugge mole resulted in heavy German fire on the three blocking ships; "H.M.S. Thetis" "Intrepid" and "Iphigenia" which were filled with concrete.

"Thetis" did not make it to the canal entrance, after it had hit an obstruction, and had to be scuttled prematurely, due to the damage from heavy fire from the batteries the two other ships were sunk at the narrowest point of the canal.

The submarines "C1" under Lieutenant A.C. Newbold and "C3" under Lieutenant R.D. Sandford were old, each with a volunteer crew of one other officer and four ratings.

They each had five tons of amatol packed into their fore-ends and were to be driven into the viaduct and then blown up to prevent further reinforcement of the German garrison reaching the mole.

The crews were to abandon their submarines shortly before the collision with the viaduct, leaving the submarines to steer themselves automatically, but during the passage from Dover, "C1" parted with her tow wire and consequently arrived too late to take part in the operation.

Fast Pick-Up Boats

With-in a short time all the "Vindictive's" guns were put out of action by the hammering she received. The 'Iris' and the 'Daffodil' had to be severed and had to make and get underway under their own steam, both the ferryboats were severly battered and shell pocked. All three boats completed their tasks of landing their troops somewhere on the mole.

It was intended that the crews of abandoned cruisers and submarines were to be picked up by fast boast; they would take them to the destroyers waiting further out in the harbour.

The fast boats were kept busy as they sped around picking up crews who were in dangerous waters and under fire from the shore based machine gunners and the guns on the Mole and the ships. They could see the landing parties reeling under the ferocious attacks, and suffering many casualties.

When the signal for the withdrawal was given covering fire was given to those carrying their wounded comrades, by those still surviving the horrifying situation they were faced with.

Back In The UK

Back Home the raid had been declared a huge success with bravery and valour displayed as rarely seen elsewhere. All of the Allies and people throughout the realm rejoiced. Everywhere in the Empire the names of the gallant Marines were on everybody's lips.

But in reality, in that brief and glorious hour the Royal Marines suffered grievously. out of seven-hundred and thirty embarked, one hundred and nineteen had been killed a further two hundred and thirty-four wounded.

Captain Palmer, two sergeants and nine other ranks were taken prisoner; the signal for the withdrawal was the wrong signal; Captain Palmer and his reduced party, carried on with the task he was set, only to see the "Invictive" draw away from the mole.

The Navy lost ships, and one hundred and eight men were killed with another one hundred and twenty-two wounded. None of the objectives were achieved; everything that could go wrong, did go wrong; unknowing to the general public the raid was a complete failure.

The Truth And The Facts

Eight Germans killed; against two hundred and twenty-seven British killed; and sixteen Germans wounded; against three hundred and fifty-six British wounded tells the truth of the effects of the action.

Of the batteries and heavy machine-gun positions, none were over-run by the Marines. Only one submarine reached its location and blew-up its target, which was ineffective because although some of the columns were destroyed the road over the viaduct still held for reinforcement troops to get across.

The viaduct required all the columns to be destroyed for the track to collapse. However, the Germans seeing that they were being targeted, had nineteen days before the attack would take place.

They had ample time to prepare for the inevitable. The destruction of the viaduct would have made minimal difference to the end result.

Eight Dead For Two Hundred & Twenty-Seven

These figures alone explain the difficulty the attackers must have faced. These brave men were sent into the wrong location; into a hail of fire from German heavy and light machine-guns and rifles; let alone the mortar and shell fire from the bigger guns; they stood little if any chance of success.

Sent ashore away from their objectives, climbing up ladders to climb onto the high, long mole, under consistant and determined enemy concentrated fire from all sides; to fight.

Well trained, heavily armed, German troops embedded in well positioned reinforced bunkers, that were left unscathed by the naval bombardment and bombing by the Air Force. This 'Raid' had to be nothing short of "Honourable Suicide".

THey Achieved Nothing

Those Royal Marines that were killed or wounded achieved nothing; except to cover themselves in fame for their outstanding courage; and their excellent brave determination to carry out their orders to the very end.

The Royal Navy achieved nothing; the men in the ships fought resolutely, the firmness of their actions was unwaving. Like the Marines together they battled against odds that far outweighed any advantages on that day.

The ship that was supposed to block the dock entrance came under such heavy fire she was sunk in the centre of the canal before she could reach her destination. She lay on the bottom preventing any other ship from passing by, sinisterly, defending the dock entrance she was sent to destroy.

The blockships were not in the correct position when they were sunk; they only managed to block the canal for a few days. The Germans removed two piers in the western bank of the canal, near the blockships, and created a channel through the silt near the blockships' sterns. They were then able to move submarines past the blockships at high tide.

The Big Cover-Up

Everybody in high places knew they had screwed up badly; and the blame would fall heavily, and deservedly on their shoulders.

A big, justified, show of valour was made, showering praise and glory on those incredibly brave men who lost their lives in the Great Battle of the "Zeebrugge Raid".

The Zeebrugge Raid was promoted by Allied propaganda as a key British victory and resulted in the awarding of seven Victoria Crosses.

Of the men involved in the operation, some died of their wounds back in Englad. Among those killed was Commander Frank Arthur Brock, (of Brock Fireworks Ltd) the man who devised and commanded the operation and the ineffective smoke screen.

Some of the casualties were buried in England, either because they died of their wounds en route or because their comrades had recovered their bodies with the intention of repatriating their remains.

Seven Victoria Crosses

With seven Victoria Crosses, numerous D.S.O.s and over two-hundred medals for exceptional bravery. It was hoped the raid claimed to be a success, would be seen that way.

Fortunately. It was. The Raid failed against the Germans; but it raised the morale of the British people and their Allies.

For the Royal Marines, Admiral Keys praised them personnally for the success of the raid; these men who had lost half their men in action; through death or injury, and who had achieved none of their objectives; knew the difference.

Royal Marine Awards For Action

After the action the King directed that two Victoria Crosses should be granted to the Battalion and that the recipients should be selected by secret ballot. The two chosen were Captaim E. Bamford, D.S.O., R.M.L.I., and Sergeant N.A. Finch, R.M.A.

Captain Bamford won his cross for his daring courage and magnificent example during the fighting on the Mole.

Sergeant Finch, second in command of the pom-poms and Lweis guns in the foretop of the "Vindictive", had performed exceptional abilities of valour, for, when all his comrades in the top had been either killed or wounded, he had continued, though himself severely wounded, to work his gun and by doing so saved many lives.

Of special interest are the two D.S.O.s awarded to two young Marine Captains. One was Captain R.A.D. Brooks, later Commandant-General of the Corps and the other, Captain Arthur Chater, a most versatile officer who had seen service in many lands and ended his brilliant career as Major-General Chater C.B., D.S.O., O.B.E., commanding the Senior R.M. Division at Chatham.

As Major-General Lamplough C.B.E., D.S.C., also took part in the glorious adventure. The Corps had in 1947, the remarkable distiction of having Zeebrugge men in three out of five of its highest commands.

The "Iris" And The "Daffodil"

The two ferryboats were repaired and returned to their peaceful occupation of crossing the River Mersey. King George V in a proclamation commanded that these ferryboats were to be given the honour of being awarded the pre-fix of 'Royal'.

They were hence-forth and forever more to be known as the 'Royal Iris' and the 'Royal Daffodil' to link their names forever more with her gallant passengers of the raid the Royal Marines.

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Memorial Service

On April 23rd 1964, some of the 46 survivors of the raid, along with the families, the mayor of Deal, and a large Royal Marines Honour Guard, held a service of commemoration for their fallen comrades at the Royal Marines Barracks in Deal, and a tree was planted near the officers' quarters in remembrance.

The event gained major press coverage and was reported in The Deal, Walmer and Sandwich Mercury newspaper, dated 23rd April 1964, and April 30th, and a message to the veterans from a by-now very ill Winston Churchill was read to those assembled.

There are two memorials to the Zeebrugge Raid in Dover. the first is the Zeebrugge Bell, which was given to Dover by the King of the Belgians in 1918, and is to be found with a memorial plaque in Dover's Town Hall.

The second is the Zeebrugge Zeebrugge Cross of Sacrifice memorial in St James's Cemetery. A regular memorial service is held there.

"H.M.S. Intrepid" and "Iphigenia" were sunk as blockships at the entrance to the canal and the "SS Brussels" was torpedoed several times during the raid by the British was scuttled by the Germans in October 1918.

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