14 August 1942 Part 2

14 August 1942 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

Weather: wind from 160°, 2 metres per second.

03:30: Batterie Strassburg reported muzzle flashes and searchlight activity in naval grid 3577. Enquiries elsewhere initially failed to confirm the observation. Enquiries during the day established that Vp. 704 and 707 had sailed from Lézardrieux to Cherbourg without their intention or departure being reported here. [This complaint was challenged in Naval Commander Channel Coast’s letter of 14 September; retained separately under that date.]

After entering Cherbourg, Vp. 707 reported: 14 August, 03:15–03:25, grid 3577 lower part, outpost pair 707/704 engaged two British fast motor boats. After fifteen observed hits with 2-cm weapons the enemy turned away south-east; its destruction could not be established. German losses: three wounded on Vp. 704; damage to its hull, MES [source abbreviation] and funnel, and other damage to both boats.

A larger convoy carrying men on leave sailed Guernsey–St Malo that night. The diary assumes that the British fast boats had intended to attack it; it reached its destination without incident. Boats of Guernsey Group returning after daylight confirmed Batterie Strassburg’s report.

23:30: H.S. 191 sank off St Peter Port; personnel and secret material were saved. H.S. 191 had returned from Sark at 23:00 and sailed again from St Peter Port at 23:15 to occupy Position 9. It steered east-south-east for about fifteen minutes. Dark night, moderate visibility, westerly wind force 1–2, sea 2, tidal set 3–4 knots south to north. The buoy could not be found in the darkness, and the commander circled slowly near its presumed position. The boat grounded and flooded; flooding in the port engine room was too great for sealing efforts and it sank within minutes.

On 15 August the position was established as 49°28.6′ N, 2°28.8′ W, in ten metres of water. The diary attributes the grounding to insufficient allowance for the strong tidal set, aggravated by slow circling. Raising and repairing the boat with local resources was intended.

T-1022 Roll 2422, PG 37996, scan 0483–0484.