The
aptly-named Mole is a crescent-shaped concrete breakwater viaduct, jutting in a
north-easterly direction towards the North Sea. It was originally built to
protect Zeebrugge Harbour from the harsh North Sea storms that swept in from
the west.
 |
| Foreshortened View of the Mole after the Zeebrugge Raid |
Concluding
with a lighthouse at one end, the Mole is 1.5 miles in length and sturdily
built. It was completed in 1903 to great ceremony by King Leopold III of
Belgium. But little did anyone realise at the time, that the German forces
would utilise it as a fort, heavily guarded by 1000 men and countless
battery-guns. The lighthouse formed the ideal watch-post against allied
invasions from the sea.
Entrance to the Bruges Canal
The
causeway running along the Mole had been laid with a road and a railway within
the shadow of a 15 foot concrete wall, 10 feet thick on the seaward side. This
provided protection from the inclement weather (and during wartime) allied
invasion. Incredibly, the top of the wall provided a secondary roadway and a
further wall, 4 feet higher than the wall at its base.
Any
raiding vessel stood little chance of overcoming the strong ocean tides, harsh
sea gales, countless gun emplacements, cannons, nets and artillery. And this
without being spotted first by powerful searchlights or the lighthouse itself.
Captain
Roger Keyes, chosen to raid the Zeebrugge Mole on St George’s Day 1918, must
have been too aware of the challenges that he faced.
No comments:
Post a Comment