The Zeebrugge raid was a daring British attack on the German naval base at Zeebrugge on the coast of Belgium in April 1918. The town was used by the Germans as a U-Boat base. It was finally put out of action by a British attack on the 23rd of April 1918. A party of Royal Marines was landed from HMS Vindictive on the mole, to cause what damage they could, while a submarine packed with explosives went beneath the bridge connecting the mole with the shore and exploded, cutting off the defenders on the mole from any reinforcement. All this was a diversion to attract the attention of the German defences, and while they were diverted, three blockships were sailed into the harbour and sunk in the channel so as to prevent any German vessels entering or leaving. The Vindictive then recovered the landing parties and sailed back to Britain, leaving Zeebrugge sealed up for the rest of the war. Research Zeebrugge Raid