The Zeebrugge raid

The Belgian seaport of Zeebrugge was a vital submarine base for the Germans in World War I. In the spring of 1918, Admiral Roger J. B. Keyes was given the task of stopping the "marauding" submarines - and he set his sights on the port at Zeebrugge. The daunting plan of sealing the harbor by sinking some of their own vessels was entrusted to a group of 700 Royal Marines and 200 Royal Navy seamen. Noted for its examples of individual heroism, this operation led to as many as eight VCs being awarded. This brilliant and heroic raid on the canal entrance at Zeebrugge is covered here in vivid detail.