Submarines C-3 and C-1, commanded by Lieutenants Richard Sanford and
Aubrey Newbold, respectively, attended by picket boat under Lieutenant
Commander Francis H. Sanford.

Besides these, a flotilla of twenty-four motor launches and eight coastal
motorboats were told off for rescue work and to make smoke screens or lay
smoke floats, and nine more coastal motorboats to attack the Mole and
enemy vessels inside it.

At 11.40 p.m. on April 22, 1918, the coastal motorboats detailed to lay
the first smoke screen ran in to very close range and proceeded to lay
smoke floats and by other methods make the necessary "fog." These craft
immediately were under fire, and only their small size and great speed
saved them from destruction.

At this moment the Blankenberghe light buoy was abeam of the Vindictive
and the enemy had presumably seen or heard the approaching forces. Star
shells lighted the heavens. But still no enemy patrol craft were sighted.
At this time the wind had been from the northeast, and therefore favorable
to the success of the smoke screens. It now died away and began to blow
from a southerly direction.

Many of the smoke floats laid just off the Mole extension were sunk by the
fire of the enemy, which now began to grow in volume. This, in conjunction
with the wind, lessened the effectiveness of the smoke screen.

At 11.56 the Vindictive, the Brigadier close behind, having just passed
through a smoke screen, sighted the Mole in the semi-darkness about three
hundred yards off on the port bow. Speed was increased to full and the
course of both vessels altered so that, allowing for cross tide, the