Show ZEEBRUGGE HARBOR DEFENSES RAZED BY RAIDERS Thrilling Bravery of Ship Crews Inspires All Allies By Associated Pre Press LONDON LOOX LO- LO OX April 24 24 ot Not only was the mouth of the canal at Zeebrugge blocked but British sailors sailor and marines marines marines ma ma- rines who participated in the raid on the German submarine bases believe that they destroyed every gun on th the I mole demolished the sheds throughout its entire length and blew up large the stores of munitions contained in sheds according to stories given by bythe bythe bythe the survivors to the correspondent of oC the Dally Daily Chronicle at a Kentish port Until they were within a half mile of tho the harbor of oC Zeebrugge no ships inthe Inthe in inthe the attacking force had picked up the I light on the mole The attacking ship which started for Cor the mole followed by muttered calls of Good luck from Crom the ships' ships companies of the escorting fleet outside the harbor had scarcely got within sight of the light when it was discovered by the Germans Germ ns Star shells Instantly pierced the thick haze showing up the crul cruiser er as clearly as though it had been daylight SHELLS FALL LIKE HAIL In one second it seemed as if iC every battery in the neighborhood had concentrated concentrated concentrated con con- Its fire on the cruiser How she was able to get ahead none of oC those watching her understood Great Inch 17 shells and others of smaller I caliber flew around her I like hail hall She Sho was apparently hit by some of the smaller ones but she plugged ahead I and was seen fen to be In the corner of I the mole and and gain the tho inside of the I harbor harbol The German fire apparently was deflected from her vital parts by bythe bythe bythe the intervening structure of the mole and most of the damage done was above the water line ITS THE YANKEES Disregarding all that had happened the cruiser went u up to the n mole and landed a large party party of and I marines The German defenders conceived conceived con con- con I the idea that their assailants I were Americans and according to some of the survivors this cry was heard Its the Americans Its It's the Yankees Yankees Yan Tan kees Some of the Germans bolted en masse from the nearest batteries lavIng leaving leaving leav leav- ing their puns guns to the British The guns gums were destroyed one by one while others in the landing party dealt with the sheds an and stores with flame throwers Apparently under cover of oC this oper oper- atlon continues the account sent by bythe bythe II fJ I the Daily Dally Chronicles Chronicle's correspondent the concrete laden cruisers with which I I I it was intended to block the channels mad made their way way through the harbor accompanied d as as fa far I as it can be he ascertained ascertained as as- J by only one submarine As they approached the entrance they anchored swung around on the cables and according to the testimony of one of the observers were sunk within twenty-three twenty minutes CANAL GATES EXPLODED One of the destroyers or submarines exploded a charge at the gates g-ates of the lock to the Bruges canal and they are believed to have been destroyed Meanwhile four destroyers enter entered the harbor and cruised around making observations observations ob oh- but were unable to take I part In the battle When the attacking ship and its I landing party had completed their work the sailors an and marines were taken aboard again despite the damaged condition condition condition con con- of oC the cruiser which then began began be be- began gan to make its way out of the har har- bor One bile of the 17 inch 17 Inch shells out of the hands of various calibers fired at the cruiser got well home in her upper works Her steering gear was injured I and she signaled an escort ship to show her the way out but before beCore help I arrived she had found her hr way out and I taken her place under her own steam behind the th lines of protecting cruisers MEN WORK LIKE TROJANS I One man who watched the operation n from an escorting ship said to the Daily Dally Chronicles Chronicle's correspondent t I I sui suffered When e l it we e esSe seemed saw e the le s scarcely damage f she possible s had t tI I I that she was able to keep leep afloat The Themen men below must have worked like trojans trojans tro- tro I jans for she was throwing flames ten feet reet high from her funnels and she made the fastest time she probably ever accomplished I The narrator described the combined com com- noise of the German gunfire and I II the explosions on the mole on a ten ten- tenfold tenfold tenfold ten I fold hell He added We Ye were only or BOO yards away away from the point of oC the mole but were afraid to fire a shot lest we reveal our exact whereabouts to the enemy Apparently Apparently Apparently Ap Ap- Ap- Ap he nearly judged judg-ed it for he threw any number of shells around us I At a moderate estimate between I and shells shelIa were fired at the at attacking attacking attacking at- at tacking squadron DESTROYER SUNK The German destroyer which was sunk was rammed amidships and tor tor- I Those returned to the Kentish port also say that boarders rushed on the German destroyers anchored in the thel I harbor taking them completely by sur- sur sur sur- I prise Some of the Germans hurried up to the hatchways in their night nightclothes nightclothes clothes but before they could reach the decks the British sailors knocked them on the heads with clubs and andt rifles e and sent them tumbling down t eaf af t the hatchways w I I Articles by naval writers and editorials edlI edi edl- in the morning newspapers eulogize eu- eu eu eulogize eU 1 I with natural pride the volunteers olun volun 1 I who carried out the raid against against I Zeebrugge and Ostend and discuss the I II probable Importance of the enterprise Lieutenant Hobsons Hobson's feat at Santiago I and Admiral Togo's exploit at Port I Arthur are arc recalled as notable precedents precedents precedents precedents' prece prece- dents dents' but the landing on the beach at I Gallipoli Is regarded by some writers as the only real parallel i FATE OF CREWS CREW Curiosity is expressed as to the fate fata I of the crews of the two old submarines submarines submarines rines w which ich were assigned to blow up the piling at the approach to the mole I at Zeebrugge Their devotion to duty appeals to the tho imagination of the writers writ ers era for it is assumed that they vol voluntarily voluntarily volun volun- I accepted almost certain death and that only by something akin to un-I un a miracle i could those who remained aboard to explode th the charges have I survived Stories of survivors who I have arrived flushed with be belief belief belief be- be lief in the full tun success of the expedition be I are not corroborated in every detail 1 by the official report The reported II fJ destruction of the lock gates and the I consequent draining of of the Bruges canal lack confirmation If substantiated substantiated this presumably would 1 be the greatest achievement of the tho raiding squadron Estimates of oC the time the Germans j will need to remove the obstructions from the channel and repair the damaged damaged damaged dam dam- I aged mole vary Some assume that many days will intervene others many weeks while still others seem to suppose suppose sup sup- pose that the damage cannot be SUP SUP-I repaired repaired re- re paired for fOI a very vry long time L 14 o hI T. T |