The Boy Allies with the Victorious Fleets; Or, The Fall of the German Navy

e 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

rident and Mansfield. The Tempest

rol to the northward of Zeebrugge; and the Tetrarch, also to escort the Ostend block ships. Ever

ght, with the consequent likelihood of discovery by enemy aircraft or submarines. This risk

nd that there was every prospect of carrying through the enterprise on schedule, a short prea

us 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 previo

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

culent and Manly, were stationed at a position suitable for the lo

uitable positions to bombard specified batteries. These craft were attended by the British destroyers Mentor, Lightfoot and Zubian, and the French Ca

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

storming and demolition parties and the destruction o

ailed for the

steamers Iris, Commander Valentine Gibbs; Gloucester, Lieutenant H.G. Campbell, the latter deta

Sanford and Aubrey Newbold, respectively, attended by p

oats were told off for rescue work and to make smoke screens or lay smoke floats

very close range and proceeded to lay smoke floats and by other methods make the necessary "fog." These

forces. Star shells lighted the heavens. But still no enemy patrol craft were sighted. At this time the wind had been from the no

the fire of the enemy, which now began to grow in volume. This, in co

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-fiv

the port 6-inch battery, the upper deck pompoms and the gun in the fo

ter 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

time for attack being midnight, the Vindictive was put

the previous few minutes, the ship had been hit by a larg

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.

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

irst storming party moved out, that Commander Adams' men were not in sufficient strength for the work

Chadwick!"

ed forward

red men and join the st

e. This was fortunate at the moment, for there was then no othe

om his own vessel to the deck of the Vindictive. A m

n the Mole parapet. Officers and men were equipped with Lewis guns, bombs, ammunition, etc., and were under heavy machine-gun fire at close r

ration of self preservation. Some of the first men on the Mole dropped in their tracks under the German f

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 lan

nce of the Gloucester very few of the storming parties from

avily in the sea, which rendered the use of the scaling ladders very difficult. But at

the Mole becam