1 October 1944

1 October 1944 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

Source covers: Roll 2422, scans 0846–0847. Wrapper for 1–31 October 1944, archival reference KA 45160 a; secret diary cover for 1–15 October, attachment G 5392 A I and West Group G 4882/44. Translation from local scans. Ship identifications, damage assessments and traffic totals are the diary's observations; totals need not match the individually timed sightings. LST denotes tank landing ship. Editorial qualifications in square brackets.

06:00 weather: wind north force 4, sea 2–3, visibility five nautical miles, lightly clouded, cloud base 1,500 metres. 09:45: Alderney sighted three freighters, each with two masts and one funnel, and one passenger ship in BF 3528, northbound. Also at 09:45, seven freighters in BF 3528, southbound.

12:00 weather: north-north-west force 4, sea 2–3, visibility fifteen nautical miles, lightly overcast, cloud base 1,000 metres. 13:20: Alderney sighted one Liberty ship and four LSTs in BF 3552, northbound. 14:00: seventeen LSTs in BF 3528, southbound. 16:15: three escort destroyers and one auxiliary aircraft carrier in BF 3528, southbound.

18:00 weather: north-west force 5, sea 2–3, visibility eighteen nautical miles, partly overcast, cloud base 1,500 metres.

Enemy convoy traffic observed during the day: from Cherbourg, three freighters with two masts and one funnel, one passenger ship, one Liberty ship and four LSTs; towards Cherbourg, seven freighters, one guard vessel, seventeen LSTs, seventeen Liberty ships, three escort destroyers and one auxiliary aircraft carrier. From St Malo, two freighters and one corvette; towards St Malo, four freighters with one funnel and two masts.

Roll 2422, scan 0848, original page 182.