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DESTRUCTION OF THE FLANDERS TRIANGLE
By LIEUTENANT Z. W. WICKS, U. S. Navy

The first and only real offensive against the German submarine menace in the North Sea and adjacent waters was the attack, successfully carried out, against the submarine base in Flanders. The attack took place on the night of April 22 and 23, 1918, but owing to the miscarriage of a portion of the plan a second attempt at Ostend had to be made. This was accomplished on May 10, 1918.

Zeebrugge Harbor is an open one protected by a quadrantal mole which is connected at one end to the mainland by an iron viaduct. The entrance is well protected on the land side by shallow water. During the German occupation the channel was equipped with a strong net and barge barrier.

This harbor is connected by a ship canal with the inland docks at Bruges, which are further connected to Ostend Harbor by a system of smaller canals. The whole forms a triangle with Bruges at the apex and a sea entrance at each end of the base. The two legs are 8 and 11 miles long respectively and the base 12 miles. At the time this operation was conducted the base of this triangle was heavily fortified and the defences extended along the coast, eastwardly to the Dutch frontier and westwardly to the right flank of the German Army operating before Nieuport. The strength of this stretch of coast, 27 miles in length, could be reckoned in the number of guns installed, more than

225, or an average of at least 8 to the mile, of which 136 were of not less than 6-inch caliber and some as large as 15-inch, the last ranging up to 42,000 yards.

The Straits of Dover and the English Channel formed a sector of the main line of communication of the British Army and had been greatly harassed by the attacks delivered by the submarines operating from this strongly held base. The proximity of the objectives to the base added greatly to the efficient performance of the smaller types of submarines. After getting in an attack they could make the coast of Flanders before being detected and return to their base under the protection of their shore batteries. Mission. The objective of this offensive can be classed as primary and secondary. The primary objective was to block the Bruges ship-canal at its entrance in the harbor of Zeebrugge, and to block the entrance to Ostend Harbor from the sea; a successful accomplishment of which would have meant, practically, the destruction of the triangle, leaving only its fortified base as of military importance. The secondary objective was to accomplish as much damage as possible to the fortified ports of Zeebrugge and Ostend, or in other words to the base of the triangle, while at the same time causing a distraction from the main attack.

Plan of Attack.-With the objectives clearly defined it was necessary to draw up a comprehensive plan of attack before the preparation of material and the training of the personnel could be undertaken, on account of the singularity of the operation.

The following summary of suppositions and decisions is offered by the writer to show what the undertaking faced and is considered sufficient for a clear understanding without encumbering the narrative with a mass of technical detail.

Suppositions. (a) A strong German raiding or patrol force might be encountered.

(b) It was believed that the shallow waters in the vicinity of Zeebrugge and Ostend were heavily mined.

(c) A strong counter-attack by the German destroyer flotilla lying behind the Zeebrugge Mole might be expected.

(d) Good protection was afforded the entrance of the Zeebrugge-Bruges Canal by the Mole, heavy shore batteries and shoal water.

(e) During an attack on the Mole the defenders could receive reinforcements from land over the iron viaduct.

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