Studies of 'iris', 'daffodil' and 'vindictive' after the zeebrugge raid of 23 april 1918
the two sketches at the top are inscribed by wyllie (left) 'daffodil lieut cambell rn iris comd valentine gibbs 24th april 1918' and (right) ' chart house / vindictive'. The three below are inscribed generally as 'port side of vindictive funnels': that on the left shows all three as seen from the port wing of the bridge looking aft; that at centre shows the second and third funnels from just ahead of the first, on the port side; that on the right is a close view of the shattered top of the first funnel showing the siren bracket. The date of 24 april is when the ships returned to dover from the zeebrugge raid of the previous day, which is probably where wyllie saw and did this accurate group of studies, subsequently used for making other images of the raid. 'daffodil' and 'iris' were two mersey ferries used in the raid, with remarkably little damage. The old protected cruiser 'vindictive' (1897) was adapted especially for it in terms of armament and to land marines, survived a heavy beating alongside the zeebrugge mole and was sunk as a blockship on the second ostend raid on 10 may 1918. After she was later raised and scrapped, her bow section was returned to ostend where it forms part of a memorial: one of her 7. 5-inch guns is in the imperial war museum collection. Date: 1918. Dimensions: Sheet: 254 x 355 mm. Collection: Fine art.
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