CHAPTER VII
A BIT OF EXPLANATION
It is probable that the sealing of the harbors of Ostend and Zeebrugge,two of the most important German submarine bases, was one of the greatestfeats of the whole European war. The attempt was extremely hazardous andcould never have been successful except for the gallantry and heroism ofthe British crews.
Not the least of the bravest among them were Jack and Frank and the otherofficers and crew of the destroyer Brigadier. It is true that theoperation has been planned primarily with the idea of having the destroyerDaffodil in line, but it was the withdrawal of this vessel that permittedJack and Frank to have a hand in the operation.
In order that all parts of the naval service might share in theexpedition, representative bodies of men had been drawn from the GrandFleet, the three home depots, the Royal marine artillery and lightinfantry. The ships and torpedo craft were furnished by the Dover patrol,which was reinforced by vessels from the Harwich force and the French andAmerican navies. The Royal Australian navy and the admiralty experimentalstation at Stratford and Dover were also represented.
A force thus composed and armed, obviously needed collective training andspecial preparation to adapt both the men and their weapons to theirpurpose. With these objects, the blocking ships and the storming forceswere assembled toward the end of February, and from the fourth of April onin the West Swim Anchorage--where training especially adapted to the planof operation was given--and the organization of the expedition was carriedon.
The material as it was prepared was used to make the training practicaland was itself tested thereby. Moreover, valuable practice was afforded byendeavors to carry out the project on two previous occasions, on which theconditions of wind and weather compelled its postponement, and much waslearned from these temporary failures.
The Hindustan, at first at Chatham and later at the Swim, was the parentship and training depot. After the second attempt, when it became apparentthat there would be a long delay, the Dominion joined the Hindustan andthe pressure upon the available accommodation was relieved by the transferof about 350 seamen and marines to her.
Two special craft, Liverpool ferry steamers, Iris and Gloucester, wereselected after a long search by Captain Herbert Grant. They were selectedbecause of their shallow draft, with a view in the first place to theirpushing the Vindictive, which was to bear the brunt of the work, alongsideZeebrugge Mole; to the possibility, should the Vindictive be sunk, oftheir bringing away all her crew and the landing parties; and to theirability to maneuver in shallow water or clear of mine fields or torpedoes.The blocking ships and the Vindictive were especially prepared for theirwork long before the start.
Vice-Admiral Sir Roger Keyes devoted personal attention and time toworking out the plan of operations and the preparation of the personneland material. Rear Admiral Cecil F. Dampier, second in command of theDover flotilla, and Commodore Algernon Boyle, chief of staff, gaveconsiderable assistance.
When, as vice-admiral of the Dover patrol, Admiral Keyes first began toprepare for the operation, it became apparent that without an effectivesystem of smoke screening such an attack could hardly hope to succeed. Thesystem of making smoke previously employed in the Dover patrol wasunsuitable for a night operation, as this production generated a fierceflame, and no other means of making an effective smoke screen wasavailable. Nevertheless Wing Commander Brock, at last devised the way.
The commander-in-chief of the Grand Fleet, Admiral Beatty, sent to AdmiralKeyes a picked body of officers and men. Support also was received fromthe neighboring commands at Portsmouth and the Nore, the adjutant general,Royal Marines, and the depot at Chatham. The rear-admiral commanding theHarwich force sent a flotilla leader and six destroyers, besidesprotecting the northern flank of the area in which operations were to beconducted.
To afford protection at a certain point in the route and to maintain theaids to navigation during the approach and retirement of the expedition, aforce consisting of the flotilla leaders Scott and the destroyersUlleswater, Teazer and Stork, and the light cruiser Attentive, flying thepennant of Commodore Boyle, was organized. This force, as it developed,was instrumental in patroling and directing the movements of detachedcraft in both directions, and relieved Admiral Keyes of all anxiety onthat score.
At the moment of departing the forces were disposed as follows:
In the Swim--For the attack on the Zeebrugge Mole: Vindictive, Iris,Gloucester. To block the Bruges canal: Thetis, Interprid and Iphigenia. Toblock the entrance to Ostend: Sirius and Brilliant.
At Dover--Warwick, flagship of Vice-Admiral Keyes; Phoebe, North Star,Brigadier, Trident, Mansfield, Whirlwind, Myngs, Velox, Morris, Moorsom,Melpomene, Tempest and Tetrarch.
To damage Zeebrugge--Submarines C-1 and C-3.
A special picket boat to rescue crews of C-1 and C-3.
Minesweeper Lingfield to take off surplus steaming parties of blockships, which had 100 miles to steam.
Eighteen coastal motorboats.
Thirty-three motor launches.
To bombard vicinity of Zeebrugge--Monitors Erebus and Terror.
To attend monitors--Termagant, Truculent, and Manly.
Outer patrol off Zeebrugge--Attentive, Scot, Ulleswater, Teazer and Stork.
At Dunkirk--Monitors for bombarding Ostend: Marshal Soult, Lord Clive,Prince Eugene, General Sraufurd, M-24 and M-26.
For operating off Ostend--Swift, Faulknor, Matchless, Mastiff and Afridi.
The British destroyers Mentor, Lightfoot, Zubian and French torpedo boatsLestin, Capitaine Mehl, Francis Garnier, Roux and Boucier to accompany themonitors.
There were in addition to these, three American destroyers--the Taylor,the Alert and the Cyprus.
Eighteen British motor launches for smoke screening duty inshore andrescue work, and six for attending big monitors.
Four French motor launches attending M-24 and M-26 and five coastal motorboats.
Navigational aids having been established on the routes, the forces fromthe Swim and Dover were directed to join Admiral Keyes off the GoodwinSands and to proceed in company to a rendezvous, and thereafter asrequisite to their respective stations.
Those from Dunkirk were given their orders by the commodore.
An operation time table was issued to govern the movements of all theforces. Wireless signals were prohibited, visual signals of every sortwere reduced to a minimum and maneuvering prearranged as far as foresightcould provide.
With few and slight delays the program for the passage was carried out aslaid down, the special aids to navigation being found of great assistance.
The Harwich force, under Rear-Admiral Tyrwhitt, was posted to cover theoperations and prevent interference from the north.
Jack and Frank, having reported to Admiral Keyes upon leaving LordHastings, had received necessary instructions as to their part in theraid. They had passed the word to the other officers of the Brigadier, whoin turn had informed members of the crew what was about to happen.
There was wild cheering among the British tars on the Brigadier when theylearned they were to have a hand in one of the greatest and most dangerousenterprises attempted in the whole war. Needless to say, Jack and Frankalso were immensely pleased.
"Tell you what, Jack," said Frank, after they had returned aboard theBrigadier, "it seems to me as though your work had come to the ears of theAdmiralty with a vengeance."
"Oh, I guess that isn't it," Jack laughed. "They just happened to needanother ship and picked on me. That's all."
"Perhaps," Frank admitted. "But just the same it seems that we are alwaysin the midst of things. I wouldn't call it all luck, if I were you."
"Well, it's not good judgment, that much is certain," said Jack. "For goodjudgment would tell me to keep in a safe place as long as possible."
"If you want to know what I think about it," said Frank, "this raid isgoing to be one of the greatest blows struck at the enemy."
"It certainly will do the enemy a lot of harm if i
t's successful," Jackconfessed.
"It'll be successful all right. I can feel that."
"A hunch, eh?" laughed Jack.
"Call it what you like. Nevertheless, I am absolutely certain AdmiralKeyes will not fail. And what are the Germans going to do for submarinebases if Ostend and Zeebrugge are bottled up?"
"Maybe we'll catch most of them in there," said Jack hopefully.
"They won't be able to get out again if we do," declared Frank.
"Right," Jack agreed, "and the ones that are outside won't be able to getback in again."
"So you see," Frank continued, "we have them coming and going, as we sayin America."
"I see," said Jack.
"And what time are we to start?" asked Frank. "You must remember you werein private conference with Admiral Keyes. You're a captain now, and thebig fellows talk to you. I'm still only a lieutenant."
"The passage will most likely be made by daylight," said Jack. "That hasbeen decided in order that we may do our work there under the cover ofdarkness so far as possible. Of course, this may be changed, but that'sthe way the plan lies now."
"Strikes me we are taking a pretty big force along, from what you say."
"Necessary, I guess," said Jack. "It seems that the admiral has overlookednothing that will go toward making the attack a success."
"Well, we can't start any too soon to suit me," declared Frank. "When doyou expect to get orders to move?"
"I'm not certain, but I wouldn't be surprised to receive them early in themorning."
As it developed Jack was a good prophet.
Bright and early next morning, a small boat approached the Brigadier. Afew moments later an officer came aboard and presented Jack with adocument. Then he departed.
Jack read the paper, then leaped to the bridge.
"To your post, Mr. Chadwick," he called to Frank, who had been standingnear by. "Pipe all men to quarters and signal for half speed ahead."
The passage was about to begin.