Katru gadu 23rd Aprīlis Dovers atceras pateicību un pagodina vīriešus, kuri cīnījās un nomira reida laikā uz molu Zeebrugge tajā dienā 1918. Pašreizējie Covid-19 ierobežojumi nozīmē, ka tradicionālie atceres pasākumi nevar notikt. Šogad mēs aizsargājam neaizsargātos mūsu sabiedrībā, ieskaitot mūsu veterānus un mūsu kadetu spēku jauniešus, kuri parasti būtu pievienojušies dienestam un parādei Svētā Džeimsa kapsētā un ārpus Doveras rātsnama, lai gredzenos Zeebrugge Bell..
Šogad, lūdzu, pagodiniet kritušos jūsu sirdīs mājās.
Zeebrugge citāts, Kohima lūgšana un ode tiek lasīti katru gadu piemiņas aktu laikā Doverā.
Mūsu fotogrāfijā redzams Cinque ostu Kungs Vordens, Flotes admirālis Lords Boyce KG GCB OBE DL, kurš simtgades piemiņas laikā, pieminot, katram no kritušajiem, kas atrodas miera stāvoklī, Svētā Džeimsa kapos 2018.
Zeebrugge citāts
Pusnaktī uz ST. Džordža diena 1918, tieši
102 pirms gadiem, šodien, Lielbritānijas karaliskās flotes un
Royal Marines veica visvairāk
Pārmērīgs kara reids.
Lai liegtu ienaidniekam zemūdenes pildspalvu izmantošanu,
Karaliskie jūrnieki un “Bluejackets” sašāva
Mols pie Zeebrugge.
Saskaroties ar niknu uguni punktu tukšā diapazonā no akas
stiprināts ienaidnieks, Viņi cīnījās krastā,
Parāda lielisku drosmi, ārkārtēja drosme un patiesa
Britu gars.
Tie drosmīgie vīrieši turpināja iesaistīt ienaidnieku
Kamēr viņu kolēģi iesita kuģus ieejā
no kanāliem, efektīvi bloķēt tos
Atlikušā kara daļa.
Pret visām izredzēm, their action was a success but at
the cost of many lives. It covered the Royal Navy
with a renewed glory and eight Victoria Crosses were
awarded in an action which lasted little over one hour.
That night, the British showed to the world how they
could fight and die for the freedom of Belgium and of Europe.
We remember before God and commend to His keeping,
the memories of all the Sailors and Marines
who gave their lives for their country
on the 23rd Aprīlis 1918.
THE KOHIMA PRAYER
When you go home,
tell them of us and say,
for your tomorrow,
we gave our today.
THE ODE (EXHORTATION)
They shall grow not old,
As we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them
Historical background to the raid on the mole at Zeebrugge 23rd Aprīlis 1918
By 1917, U-laivas, kas reidē kuģniecības joslas Atlantijas okeānā, Ziemeļjūra un Anglijas kanāls nogrima līdz 400 Kuģi mēnesī, apdraudot pārtikas un kara materiālu krājumus, kas ir svarīgi kara centieniem.
U-laivas atradās ar stipri stiprinātām pildspalvām Brigesā un piekļuva kanālam caur astoņu jūdžu kanālu līdz Zeebrugge ostai, un vecāks, šaurāks kanāls līdz ostendam. Tajā laikā, Zeebrugge bija pasaulē lielākā cilvēka veidotā osta, Pusotras jūdzes pagarināšana jūrā.
Mēģinājumi bloķēt zemūdenes piekļuvi ostai ar bombardēšanu, lobīšana, Mīnu lauki un neto baržas nebija izdevušies, Tātad Karaliskā flote izšķīrās ar plānu izkrāpt trīs vecus kreiserus, piepildīts ar betonu, Kanāla ieejā Zeebrugge, lai neļautu U-laivas piekļūt viņu mājas bāzei, lai atjaunotu, uzrādīt, aizmugurē un uzpildīt degvielu.
The 75-strong British armada, commanded by Vice Admiral Roger Keyes, was led by HMS Vindictive, an Arrogant-class cruiser, supported by two submarines and a flotilla of smaller craft, including two former Mersey ferries, which made ideal landing craft. The force of volunteers who took part in the raid consisted of 82 officers, 1,000 sailors and 700 marines.
Things soon started to go wrong. The diversionary attack on the harbour was supposed to be covered by a smokescreen, but thanks to an unexpected change of wind direction the smoke blew away and German gunners on the mole were able to continue to fire at the invaders at close range, inflicting many casualties as the marines sought to seize and destroy the gun emplacements, engaging them at close quarters.
The strong current made it difficult for HMS Vindictive to discharge men on the breakwater and the landing craft were severely damaged, suffering many casualties as they tried to get the raiders ashore. In total, 277 men were killed and 356 wounded.
The crews of two of the blockships did manage to get to the entrance of the inner harbour and sink them but did not fully block it. The Germans were able to dredge a new channel round the obstacles and the port was back in operation within days. German casualties were just eight dead and 16 wounded.
A simultaneous raid on Ostend failed but the Royal Navy returned in May to try again, when the HMS Vindictive was sunk in an attempt to block the port.
Both sides claimed success, the Germans maintaining that U-boats were able to pass the scuttled wreck within two days. tomēr, Winston Churchill insisted that the action had severely curtailed submarine operations against Allied shipping and described the raid as “the finest feat of arms of the Great War”.
Eleven Victoria Crosses and hundreds of other decorations were awarded to those who took part in the attacks. Most of the Zeebrugge casualties were buried in England either because they died of their wounds en route or because the survivors recovered their bodies to repatriate them. HMS Vindictive returned the majority to Dover, where 156 bodies were kept in a makeshift morgue in the town’s Market Hall. A mass funeral took place at St James’s Cemetery, Dover, uz 27 Aprīlis, 1918 with sailors and marines buried in one mass grave under the spur that overlooks the cemetery from the south-west. The Zeebrugge plot of St James’s Cemetery, Dover, has nine unidentified men and 50 named men who died on 23 Aprīlis 1918 but most fatalities were returned to their families for local burials. On his request, Keyes was buried here beside his men following his death on 26 Decembris 1945. Four Royal Navy personnel who died in the raid are buried in the cemetery at Zeebrugge where there is also a memorial to the raid.
Shortly after Zeebrugge was liberated by advancing Allied troops in October 1918, The ‘Zeebrugge Bell’ was given to Dover’s Mayor, Edwin Farley by Vice Admiral Keyes. It had served as an alarm bell on the mole and was given to Keyes to pass to Dover by Albert I, The King of the Belgians, as a souvenir of the raid and a tribute to the heroism of the attackers. The bell was first placed at St Mary’s Church but in 1921 it was moved to the Grade I listed Maison Dieu. uz 1933, the bell briefly returned to St Mary’s Church for a special service broadcast on BBC radio.