- Author
- Loxton, Bruce, Commodore, RAN Rtd
- Subjects
- Ship histories and stories, History - WW1, WWI operations
- Tags
-
- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- December 1998 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
Crutchley’s citation for his own Victoria Cross, gazetted on August 28th 1918, best describes what followed as ML254 made her way slowly stern first to seaward:
“Lieutenant Crutchley took command of ML254 when the Commanding Officer sank exhausted from his wounds, the second in command having been killed. The vessel was full of wounded and very badly damaged by shell fire, the forepart being flooded. With undaunted energy and by dint of bailing with buckets and by shifting weight aft, Lieutenant Crutchley and the unwounded kept her afloat but the leaks could not be kept under and she was in a sinking condition with her forecastle nearly awash when picked up by HMS WARWICK.“
Not surprisingly the citation concluded that:
“The bearing of this very gallant officer and fine seaman throughout these operations off the Belgian coast was altogether admirable and an inspiring example to all thrown into contact with him.”
WARWICK together with three consorts had moved inshore to within close range of the batteries soon after VINDICTIVE was due to be abandoned and was moving slowly along the coast when ML 254’s SOS was seen. The recovery of personnel took half an hour so that dawn was breaking by the time ML 254 was cast off and scuttled. The destroyers headed for Dover at 25 knots through a gap in the nets defending Ostend but the enemy had anticipated such a route home by any raiding force and had mined it. As a result WARWICK struck a mine aft which demolished the after end of the ship. All survivors from VINDICTIVE and the ML were once again transferred, this time to the destroyer VELOX. WHIRLWIND took WARWICK in tow and as she was unable to steer VELOX remained alongside until the ships were in open waters.
Due to the fog, rain and smoke which severely limited visibility, casualties were astonishingly light amounting to three officers and six men killed, two officers and nine men missing (all from VINDICTIVE) and five officers and 25 men wounded, a total of 50.
When Crutchley reported to Keyes that a considerable channel was still open between VINDICTIVE’S stem and the western pier, Keyes decided to try again. SAPPHO was repaired and the old battleship SWIFTSURE prepared as a second blockship. The operation was timed for the first week in June but in the meantime a reappraisal of the availability of both Zeebrugge and Ostend as exit ports for Bruges was carried out. It was assessed that Zeebrugge had been effectively blocked as the Germans had been unsuccessful in dredging a passage between the two block ships in the channel. They were making no attempt to maintain the alternative passage from Bruges through Ostend to the sea. Therefore the use of Bruges as a base appeared to be effectively denied to them. The third attack on Ostend was accordingly cancelled. Keyes’ mission, had been accomplished.