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Updated: July 25, 2025
Of the two Belgian ports, Ostend and Zeebrugge, the latter was much more useful to the Germans because better protected, less exposed to batteries on the land front, and connected by a deeper canal with the main base 8 miles distant at Bruges.
There is only one fly in the ointment, and that is that this premature return to North Sea waters might conceivably mean a visit to Zeebrugge, though this class are not likely to be sent there. Though it is many weeks since I left Zoe, I have not been able to forget her. I continually wonder what she is doing, and often when I am not on my guard she wanders into my thoughts.
It was the naval airmen who protected and made possible the safe withdrawal of the troops from Suvla and Helles; it was they who discovered and destroyed the mines along our coasts; who fought the enemy seaplanes man to man, and gun to gun; who gave the pirate nests of Zeebrugge and Ostend no rest by day or night, who watched over the ceaseless coming and going of the British, Dominion, and American troops across the Channel; who were the eyes of our coasts as the ships, laden with the men, food, and munitions, which were the life-blood of the Allied Cause, drew homeward to our ports, with the submarines on their track, and the protecting destroyers at their side.
Efforts were made to damage the base, from which many of the German submarines had been putting out at Zeebrugge, with aircraft.
On May 26 and 30, 1917, Hest, Blankenberghe, Zeebrugge, and Ghent were attacked and considerable damage was inflicted on railway stations, docks, and other buildings of military value. Again on June 4, 1917, British aeroplanes attacked and severely damaged German vessels in Zeebrugge. French airmen were busy, too, in June, 1917.
"They must be the three Tommies who escaped from Germany. Brave lads they are. A couple more days and we'll have them hack in England." "A couple of days?" I exclaimed. "Why, it's only eight hours to the Thames estuary, isn't it?" "Eight hours in peace time; and eight hours for Dutch boats now when the Germany don't kidnap them away to Zeebrugge. But the course to the Thames is not our course.
Here are the orders that I have just received from the Admiral, in conference with other American and English naval commanders. A picked fleet from the allied navies has been selected for the attack on Zeebrugge. Our American submarines are to lead the way. We are expected to worm our way inside the enemy port and open the attack, Then the battleships will open fire on the coast fortifications.
We may, then, begin the following chapter with a scene in Kiel, Zeebrugge, or any German submarine base. A first lieutenant with acting rank of commander takes the order in the gray dawn of a February day.
Belgian and French airmen, as well as British, flew almost constantly over Ostend, Zeebrugge, Roulers, Aubers, and such other places as German soldiers and their supplies were in evidence. The Belgian airmen dropped bombs on the aviation field at Ghistelles on March 27, and on the following day a Zeppelin hangar was destroyed at Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, near Brussels.
What appeared to astonish him was the fact that the British boat had been able to make an attack in such weather. We are now charging on one engine, 500 amperes on each half-battery. We are due back at Zeebrugge at 10 p.m. to-night.
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