Valentine Gibbs, who had remained on the bridge throughout the operation, was mortally wounded. I had known "Val," as we had always called him, since he was a boy of thirteen. Even at that age he had shown himself to be absolutely fearless. Later in life he pad risen rapidly in his profession and would assuredly have been marked out for high command in due course. In peace days he had won the great race on the Cresta Run at St. Moritz, in war he had volunteered for every dangerous operation for which he had the remotest chance of selection. At last his opportunity had come and he lived for nought else than to put _Iris_ alongside Zeebrugge Mole. I was told afterwards that in his short periods of consciousness after being wounded he asked and repeated but one question, "How are things going?" and he continued to ask how things were going until he died. I cannot write more of "Val"--words and phrases fail to do him justice. The havoc in _Iris_ was serious. From _Vindictive_ she appeared to have been sunk, for she suddenly disappeared in a cloud of smoke and flame. Major C. E. E. Eagles, D.S.O., in command of the Marine storming parties in _Iris_, was killed, and many of his men were killed and wounded at this period. Artificial smoke was emitted and a small motor boat also laid a smoke screen to shoreward of _Iris_--this probably accounted for her sudden disappearance from view. [Illustration: LIEUT. GEORGE N. BRADFORD, R.N., LIEUT. CLAUDE E. K. HAWKINGS, R.N., LIEUT. RICHARD D. SANDFORD, R.N., COMMANDER VALENTINE F. GIBBS, R.N.] {209} The navigating officer had been seriously wounded. Lieutenant Oscar Henderson took command. Petty Officer Smith was illuminating the compass with a torch in one hand and steering with the other. Able-Seaman F. E. Blake, having extinguished the fire on the bridge, employed himself in throwing overboard live bombs which were lying amongst the burning debris on the upper deck. _Iris_ had not received her share of good fortune. Nevertheless, although she actually failed to land her storming parties, there is every probability that her proceedings assisted to enhance the success of the diversion at the Mole and thereby materially assisted towards the safe passage of the blockships, i.e., the attainment of our object. {210} CHAPTER V THE ATTACK ON THE RAILWAY VIADUCT. In the previous chapter I mentioned that the explosion of the submarine took place shortly after the storming of the Mole had commenced.