11 October 1944

11 October 1944 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

08:00 weather: south force 5–7, sea 3–5, visibility ten nautical miles, wholly overcast, cloud base 1,200 metres. 08:07: Alderney sighted an auxiliary aircraft carrier and an unidentified vessel northbound in BF 3552. Guernsey–Jersey convoy of two FK boats with forces' mail and small army supplies postponed 24 hours owing to weather.

11:30: Little Sark battery operational with three 8.8-cm S.K.C./35 guns from decommissioned Vp 203, M 4610 and M 4615. Manned by Vp 203's crew; battery commander Oberleutnant zur See Martienssen. 12:00 weather: south force 5–10, sea 3–5, visibility six nautical miles, wholly overcast, cloud base 1,200 metres. 18:00 weather: south-west force 7–9, gusty, sea 4–6, visibility ten nautical miles, partly overcast, cloud base 1,000 metres.

18:17: Doyle naval signal station reported the British fishing boat White Heather, which regularly supplies civilians on Herm and Sark, drifting without sail between Herm and Jethou. 19:00: Ida Fritz navigation light lit. 20:00: Vp 229 and Fl 13, both KFKs, left Peter Port to recover White Heather but could not find it in the darkness. 20:50: White Heather entered Peter Port. 20:53: Oberleutnant zur See Lilienthal, KFK Group commander, ordered by wireless to return immediately. 21:10: Vp 229 and Fl 13 entered Peter Port. 21:15: Ida Fritz extinguished.

One destroyer on each southern and northern waiting station throughout the day. Minquiers reconnaissance postponed another 24 hours owing to weather.

Roll 2422, scans 0858–0859, original pages 192–193.