13 May 1944

13 May 1944 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

Weather: wind from 90°, 3 metres per second. 01:35: Batterie Strassburg and Rabenstein strongpoint report engine noises south and south-west of the island, bearing 190°–210°, approximately fifteen to twenty kilometres away, naval grid BF 2690. Report broadcast on harbour-protection and K.W.A. frequencies at 01:40. Radar sets directed onto the area obtained no detections.

02:45: Alderney Artillery Group alerted following three detections by Alderney naval radar east of the island, range three to five kilometres. 02:52: radar could no longer detect the target. 03:10: harbour naval signal station reported engine noises to the south; radar obtained no detections.

03:40: FK 27 signalled that it was being attacked by enemy motor torpedo boats in BF 3544. Report broadcast on K.W.A. Three motor torpedo boats attacked the harbour-protection boats, which immediately returned fire. The British boats then turned west. No hits observed. FK 26 slightly damaged; one seriously and one lightly wounded. Ammunition expenditure: ninety-eight 2-cm rounds.

According to the commanding officers of the two harbour-protection boats, the motor torpedo boats overtaking them from astern were, inexplicably, initially taken for escorts of a German convoy. The commanders ought to have known that the convoy concerned must still have been far south of Jersey. The rear harbour-protection boat should therefore have opened fire first and would probably have achieved considerable success at the very short range of approximately 300 metres. Rapid recognition and action were unfortunately lacking. Once the leading enemy boat opened fire, however, the German crew defended itself vigorously and caused the enemy to turn away immediately. This brief action demonstrates that even slow, more lightly armed vessels have some chance against enemy motor torpedo boats if they act quickly and vigorously. The British boats' offensive spirit cannot be rated highly in this case: their obvious superiority would have made it easy to put the harbour-protection boats entirely out of action. [The criticism and speculation are the diary's assessment.]

The action occurred approximately abreast of Sark, immediately off Guernsey, yet the motor torpedo boats were not detected by radar. Reference is again made to the comments of 8 May.

03:57: Alderney Group's sea-target alert ended. 04:00: Rabenstein and Strassburg reported a sea action to the south. 04:05: Strassburg alerted because of the observed action in BF 2696; radar obtained no detections. 04:10: Vp 203 signalled an engagement with enemy motor torpedo boats in BF 2696. Since radar detected nothing and enemy ships were not sighted, the island batteries did not intervene. 04:35: Vp 203 reported four motor torpedo boats withdrawing west under smoke. 04:39: Strassburg alert ended. 04:45: action between German patrol boats and British motor torpedo boats in BF 3574, lower right, reported by Sark lighthouse, Strassburg and Steinbruch; report broadcast on K.W.A. and harbour-protection frequencies.

Construction, Naval Artillery Battalion 604, Batterie Mirus: Würzburg set, transformer station, camouflage at Rebeplatz [uncertain reading], anti-aircraft-landing stakes near the airfield and Epa–Seipa continued. Camouflage begun at No. 4 gun and finished at No. 3. Degree-scale markings at No. 3 gun renewed. Storeroom for the galley installed in the passage around No. 3 gun. Searchlight Bremen camouflaged. Water pipe to Hamburg and Köln anti-aircraft positions complete; interior fittings at Düsseldorf. Work on two 7.5-cm embrasured positions and the garage for searchlight Rötenstein suspended for lack of cement.

Batterie Steinbruch: electrical cabling between machinery house and fire-control post to the town mains, and between guns and anti-aircraft positions, continued; telephone cabling continued. Splinter-proof room at searchlight Bruno built. Wire obstacles, camouflage and infantry positions continued. Work on 7.62-cm positions, searchlight Bruno shelters and anti-aircraft positions 5 and 6 suspended for lack of cement.

Batterie Lothringen: earth removal before the old fire-control post, excavation of the E-bunker–fire-control-post cable trench, battery camouflage and roofing and creation of shelter holes continued. Outside workers continued heating installation in the new fire-control post. Work on the 7.5-cm position suspended for lack of cement.

Batterie Strassburg: shelter holes, second 7.5-cm position, Brown House demolition and development and camouflage of infantry positions continued. Alternative position for 7.5-cm or 7.62-cm guns begun. Ammunition shed camouflaged with earth banking. Camouflage firm's battery work complete. Embrasured positions for two 7.5-cm guns and two searchlight shelters remain suspended for lack of cement.

Roll 2422, scans 0834–0836, original pages 47–49.