British Pathe

Re-enactment of Zeebrugge Naval Raid (a BIF production), Belgium.

Title reads: "Zeebrugge - part 4".

Title reads: "On board VINDICTIVE (Captain A. F. B. Carpenter) all was in readiness, storming parties awaited the supreme moment to attack".

British marines on board warship...

Re-enactment of Zeebrugge Naval Raid (a BIF production), Belgium.

Title reads: "Zeebrugge - part 4".

Title reads: "On board VINDICTIVE (Captain A. F. B. Carpenter) all was in readiness, storming parties awaited the supreme moment to attack".

British marines on board warship HMS Vindictive holding rifles and ropes - they are waiting for a signal, suddenly one soldier pitches forward as if he has been shot.

Intertitle reads: "Howitzer-crews on the main deck stood ready by their guns".

Big howitzer guns on main deck, crews are ready to open fire.

Intertitle reads: "Then broke out in all its fury. The mole batteries opened fire immediately. VINDICTIVE was 320 feet long and less that 300 yards away!"

German attack from shore begins. Crew rushes to fire gun. Explosion.

Intertitle reads: "VINDICTIVE'S speed was increased to the utmost and every gun that would bear opened fire on the mole battery".

Howitzer crew working. Ship moving past, only top half visible over harbour breakwater. She it hit by fire from mole batteries - pieces fall off, much smoke.

Intertitle reads: "Battered but undaunted the old ship drew up at the mole one minute after midnight, her scheduled time, but was unable to berth owing to the heavy swell".

Ship rocking.

Intertitle reads: "Then the Liverpool ferryboats were seen approaching according to plan, DAFFODIL (Lieut. H. G. Campbell) steamed straight at VINDICTIVE and pushed her bodily against the mole, while IRIS (Commander V. Gibbs) took up positions 100 yards ahead".

Shot from above showing long narrow arm of the mole (harbour breakwater).

Intertitle reads: "Only two of the brows had survived the onslaught of the mole guns. These were immediately lowered".

Shot from above of harbour breakwater.

Intertitle reads: "Men with ladders followed to enable the storming parties to reach the floor of the mole 16 feet below.

Landing party go over harbour wall. Men climb down long ladders and ropes. More marines set off. Men running with rifles.

Intertitle reads: "Lieut. Commander A. L. Harrison although wounded, gallantly led a charge of seamen along the parapet. He was killed at the head of his men, only two of whom survived. He was awarded a posthumous VC".

Spacing.

Troops leaving warship.

Intertitle reads: "Meanwhile the submarine detailed to blow up the viaduct was steadily approaching her objective".

Submarine moving along surface of water.

Intertitle reads: "Undoubtedly these diversions had deceived the enemy as to the real nature of the attack".

Intertitle reads: "From the top of the viaduct and from the shore a storm of shot and shell was directed against the submarine which has been forced between the piles of the viaduct".

German soldiers firing guns. Explosion (obviously a model). German soldiers firing. British soldiers jump into dinghy from submarine they have boarded. CU soldier lighting fuse. The soldiers push the dinghy away from submarine and row into darkness. Explosion.

Story continues in ON 374 B and ON 374 C - see separate record for details.

Cataloguers' note: military re-enactment from World war one. Royal Navy's raid on Zeebrugge was attempt to seal up the Bruges Canal to prevent its use by the German Navy. They brought in old cruisers filled with cement and sunk them in the harbour while at the same time creating distractions. Although this wasn't completely successful - the canal was not entirely blocked - it was one of the most daring of the war and gave a boost to British morale.