Zeebrugge Raid

23 April 1918, Zeebrugge, Belgium

German success; canal blocked only briefly

Roger Keyes's plan to block the canal used by U-boats from Bruges. Vindictive landed storming parties on the long harbour mole to silence its guns while the submarine C3 blew a gap in the viaduct behind it. Three old cruisers filled with concrete were then to be sunk in the canal mouth; two got there, but not in quite the right place, and within days U-boats could pass at high tide. About 227 British were killed. Eight Victoria Crosses were awarded.

Royal Navy

7+ ships, 5 lost

Ship	Type	Outcome
HMS Vindictive Landed the storming parties	Protected cruiser	Damaged
HMS Iris II	Auxiliary	Damaged
HMS Daffodil	Auxiliary	Survived
HMS C3 Blown up under the viaduct	Submarine	Scuttled
HMS Thetis Disabled short of the canal	Protected cruiser	Scuttled
HMS Intrepid Blockship	Protected cruiser	Scuttled
HMS Iphigenia Blockship	Protected cruiser	Scuttled

Flotillas and other craft	Number	Lost
Destroyers, motor launches and coastal motor boats The destroyer North Star was sunk by shore batteries.	about 70	1

Flotillas and other craft

Number

Lost

Destroyers, motor launches and coastal motor boats

The destroyer North Star was sunk by shore batteries.

about 70

German Marine Corps Flanders

No ships engaged

Forts, batteries and aircraft	Strength	Outcome
Guns and garrison of the mole A battery at the end of the mole covered the canal entrance. The storming parties landed in the wrong place and never silenced it.	Not recorded	Held
Coastal batteries ashore Fired on the blockships and on Vindictive as she withdrew.	Not recorded	Held

Forts, batteries and aircraft

Strength

Outcome

Guns and garrison of the mole

A battery at the end of the mole covered the canal entrance. The storming parties landed in the wrong place and never silenced it.

Not recorded

Held

Coastal batteries ashore

Fired on the blockships and on Vindictive as she withdrew.

Not recorded

Held

Map

Raiding force crosses to Zeebrugge 22–23 April 1918