ZEEBRUGGE

[Cnock]

When the German army seized the ports of Zeebrugge and Ostend in October 1914, the harbour installations had not been destroyed. The British had thought that Zeebrugge and Ostend would be reoccupied within 3 months, and the harbour facilities were left undamaged during the retreat.

In attachment, pic of Zeebrugge early 1915.

Although all seems peacefull, a seaplane base is in use on the mole since december 1914 (later named Seeflugstation Flandern 1)

[Cnock]

On 2/11/1914 the German marine wireless stations of Zeebrugge, Ostend and Zeebrugge became opeartional.

The first U-Boat, U-12 arrived at Zeebrugge on 9/11/1914, after the harbour entry was declared free of mines.

In attac.

Pic of U-Boat of 'U'-class.

These U-Boats had Körting petrol engines for running on the surface.

Though a weapon of stealth and ambush, the exhaust gave a black smoke and by night brilliant flames could bespotted, what attracted the enemy attention.

Only 20 U-Boats were available for action at the outbreak of the war.

[Cnock]

Zeebrugge.

On 28/3/1915 the neutral Dutch steamer Zaanstroom was brought in.

On her way from Amsterdam to London, she was intercepted by U28.

The Zaanstroom transported food supplies, and also French and Belgian passengers, who were considered by the Germans as prisoners of war.

[Cnock]

In April 1915, the Unterseeboot Flottilla Flanders was in service, after that the small U-Boat UB10 had arrived at Zeebrugge.

The UB-Boats were small size submarines, suited to operate in the shallow waters of the Dover Strait and East England. They carried two 45 cm torpedoes. Built in Germany, they were transported in parts to Belgium and were assembled at the shipyards of Hoboken near Antwerp.

Pic : UB 5 during diving training.

[Cnock]

Another UB-class submarine of Zeebrugge, the UB-16.

The submarines of Unterseeboot Flotilla Flanders had an eye painted on the bow.

[Cnock]

Rear Admiral BACON , commander of the Dover Patrol was convinced that the Germans had to be chased from the Belgian coast, in order to secure Allied shipping routes in the Channel.

The first minefield barrages (22 in total), laid east of the Dover Strait between October 1914 and February 1915 , included more than 7.000 mines, but they were no success.

Nets, entented to entangle submarines, and mines laid at a certain depth, were introduced. This was to become the Dover barrage, guarded by armed drifters and trawlers of the Dover Patrol.

Pic : Zeebrugge.

Buoys, anchors and nets brought in by German submarines from their voyages to the Channel.

The U-Boats were equipped with steel net cutters and saw back-frame, fitted on the bow of the ship.

'Minenabweiser' were steel cables attached from bow to the stern, preventing contact of the conning tower with the mines.

[Cnock]

Zeebrugge

Overhanging submarine shelter-protection (Kragenunterstand)

at the inner mooring-side of the Mole.

The U-Boats were hidden from aireal observation and protected against shrapnel and bomb splinters.

[Cnock]

Submarine shelter protection (see previous post)

[Cnock]

Zeebrugge Churchyard Cem

Burial stone of Gustav Reinhardt, Unterseeboot Matrose ( member of U-Boat crew), died 3/12/1917

The U-Boats crews had to work and live in cramped spaces, full of damp and clammy condensation.

The smell of the engines and lack of hygiene added to the dirth, discomfort.

Nevertheless morale and spirits kept high, considering that more than 40% of the U-Boat crews did not return from operations.

[Cnock]

Between March and July 1916, larger torpedo boats and destroyers were sent to the Marinekops Flandern, to carry out hit an drun raids on the British coastal ship routes.

Allied shipping between Calais and Dover was attacked, as were the drifter boats that guarded the Dover barrage.

Pic:

Zeebrugge : Torpedo boat with captured flying boat

[Cnock]

Zeebrugge Churchyard Cem

Motor Mechanic W.J.N. Wheelock, RNVR, crew member Coastal Motor Boat nr.1

Wheelock was killed in action on 20/6/1917, when his CMB was blown up by German destroyers, while searching for a crashed aircraft.

[Cnock]

Zeebrugge,

Bridge over on of the locks at the canal Brugge-Zeebrugge

The locks were the most important target of the long range naval shelling with monitors, but the lock installations proved difficult to hit, and all attempts failed.

[Cnock]

Marshall von Hindenburg visited Zeebrugge in May 1917.

In 1916 Kaiser Wilhelm II and General Ludendorff had already inspected the German defences at Zeebrugge.

[Cnock]

Zeebrugge,

The seaplane base on the Mole after the war.

[Cnock]

The Mole, a vast semicircular construction of granite blocks, was more than 1,5 mile slong.

Curving North-East, it ended in the Mole extension with a ligthouse

Ships moored along the inner side wall.

An anti-torpedo net line and a barge boom had been struck from the Mole to the shore.

[Cnock]

The Mole was defended by different batteries, that could engage an enemy coming from the open sea or heading to the canal entrance. A battery was situated at the Mole-end, another one at the mole extension.

It was essential to silende these guns, when the British attacked with block ships.

Therefore Royal Marines were to land on the outer side of the Mole.

[Cnock]

The Lübeck Battery ( 2 x 15 cm) was situated at the entrance of the Zeebrugge Mole, and in action on 23/4/1918.

The curved mole is connected with the shore by the iron railway viaduct, that was blown up by Submarine C3.

[Cnock]

Zeebrugge

German harbour defences and position of the Vindictive and the block ships.

At that time, the SS Brussels of captain Fryatt was moored alongside the Mole and used as living quarters for the personnal of the German sea plane base.

It was sunk near the Mole at the end of the war.

[Cnock]

The SS Brussels, sunk by the Germans near the Mole at the end of the war.

[Kath]

Great Archive - THANKS, Cnock.

Kath.

[Cnock]

Thank You Kath!

Will be continued.

Regards,

Cnock

[Cnock]

In april 1918, some 30 U-Boats and 35 Torpedo-boats were anchored at Bruges and the 8 miles long canal to Zeebrugge.

Vice-Admiral Keyes wanted the vital canal exits to be blocked and the Bruges dock sealed.

At Zeebrugge, the canal mouth had accumulated silt, banking on each side. Ships could be sunk across the central channel. This would be done with block ships.

Pic : Concrete Observation post of Battery Goeben.

Near this spot the old cruiser Vindictive berthed alongside the Zeebrugge Mole to relase the storming parties of 4th Bn Royal Marines and 200 bluejackets.

[Cnock]

The Battery Goeben ( 4 x 17 cm), also named Friedrichsort, was situated behind the railway embankment at Zeebrugge.

On pic : Battery Goeben after the war

[Cnock]

Another pick of Battery Goeben

[Cnock]

The assault party had to destroy the guns at the lighthouse, in the other direction towards land, the harbour installations, living quarters and machinegun post would be attacked.

Pic :German blockhouses and barbed wire entanglements on the Zeebrugge Mole.

The seaward side (right) is protected by a concerreet wall, that had to be surmounted by the Naval assault parties on 23/4/1918