f their fortified position at top speed. But the
British sailors kept close on their heels, and they reached the coveted
spot at almost the same time. There the fighting was resumed, but after a
short resistance the enemy again retreated, leaving the position in the
hands of the British.

Immediately Commander Adams ordered the machine-guns which had been
abandoned by the foe in his flight turned on them and the Germans were
mowed down in great numbers.

Having gained his objective, Commander Adams ordered his men to proceed
down the Mole and hold a position there so as to cover the operations of
the party of destruction, which was now hard at work. To expel these
British, German troops were now advancing from the landward end of the
Mole.

The destruction of the viaduct by the submarine C-3 had been designed to
aid the efforts of the landing party by preventing reinforcements reaching
the Mole from the shore. Owing to the Vindictive coming alongside to
landward of this zone, Commander Adams' men were now faced with a double
duty of preventing an enemy attack from the shore and of themselves
attacking a second fortified zone ahead of them. The casualties already
sustained were so great that the Iris could not remain alongside the
Vindictive to land her company of Royal Marines. This left insufficient
men in the early stages of the landing to carry out both operations.

The situation was a difficult one, for to attack the fortified zone first
might enable the enemy to advance up the Mole and seize positions abreast
of the Vindictive, with the most serious consequences to the whole landing
force, whereas, by not attacking the fortified positions, the guns at the
Mole head could not be prevented from firing at the block ships.

Therefore, Commander Adams instructed Frank to secure the landward side,
at the same time instructing Commander Hastings to attack the fortified
zone. Commander Adams knew that he was taking a long chance by thus
dividing his forces, but in no other manner, it seemed to him, could the
success of the expedition be assured.

Frank led his men forward promptly. Apparently the Germans had not
realized the full strength of the British attack on the Mole, for no
effort had been made to get reinforcements to the men there from shore.
Consequently, Frank's work was not so hard as that set for Commander
Hastings.

The few Germans who were guarding the landward side of the Mole fired one
volley at Fra