passage across the crashing and splintering gangways, a drop over the
parapet into the field of fire of the German machine-guns which swept
its length, and a further drop of some sixteen feet to the surface of
the mole itself. Many were killed and more wounded as they crowded up
the gangways, but nothing hindered the orderly and speedy landing by
every gangway. The lower deck was a shambles, as the commander made the
round of the ship, yet the wounded and dying raised themselves to cheer
as he made his tour.

The Iris had trouble of her own. Her first attempts to make fast to the
mole ahead of the Vindictive failed, as her grapnels were not large
enough to span the parapet. Two officers, Lieutenant-Commander Bradford,
and Lieutenant Hawkins, climbed ashore and sat astride the parapet
trying to make the grapnels fast, till each was killed, and fell down
between the ship and the wall. Commander Valentine Gibbs had both legs
shot away, and died next morning. Lieutenant Spencer though wounded,
took command and refused to be relieved.

[Illustration: Layout of harbor; North sea at top, with lighthouse, quay
and wireless station. Foreground shows harbor facilities and submarine
pens.]
ZEEBRUGGE HARBOR, BLOCKED BY BRITISH

The Iris was obliged at last to change her position and fall in astern
of the Vindictive, which suffered very heavily from fire. Her total
casualties were eight officers and sixty-nine men killed, and three
officers and 103 men wounded.

The storming parties upon the mole met with no resistance from the
Germans other than an intense and unremitting fire. One after another
buildings burst into flames, or split and crumbled as dynamite went off.
A bombing party working up toward the mole in search of the enemy
destroyed several machine gun emplacements but not a single prisoner
awarded them. It appears that upon the approach of the ships and with
the opening of fire the enemy simply retired and contented themselves
with bringing machine guns to the short end of the mole.

The object of the fighting on the mole was in large part to divert the
enemy's attention while the work of blocking the canals was being
accomplished.

Of this operation the official narrative says: "The Thetis came first
steaming into a tornado of shells from great batteries ashore. All her
crew save a remnant who remained to steam her in and sink her, already
had been taken off her by a ubiquitous motor launch. The remnant sp