18 August 1942

18 August 1942 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

Weather: wind from 135°, 1 metre per second.

09:58–11:38: Batterie Lothringen, Jersey, carried out full-calibre firing at sixty hectometres, bearing 240° from the battery centre. Expenditure: twenty-three practice shells with practice charges, fifteen practice shells with combat charges, and eleven high-explosive shells with nose fuze and cap with combat charges. No defects.

S-boat S.A. 5 joined the Channel Islands harbour-protection force after completing a special task. Its berth was St Peter Port.

23:40: Batterie Strassburg observed muzzle flashes, probably heavy anti-aircraft fire on Alderney, white flares and explosions on bearing 20°. Harbour Commandant Alderney reported more than four vessels on bearing 90° at 23:15, without recognition signals; at 23:35 searchlights shone several times on bearing 340° from the lighthouse.

24:00: Anti-Aircraft Regiment 39 reported anti-aircraft and Army batteries firing at ships in the Alderney sector. Naval Artillery Battalion 605’s anti-aircraft radar located ships on bearing 0° which gave no recognition signals despite requests. On orders from Artillery Commander Alderney, Batterie Elsass fired seven illuminating rounds between 23:31 and 23:33½ at eighty hectometres on bearings 360°, 5°, 10°, 15°, 20° and 25°. No targets were seen.

T-1022 Roll 2422, PG 37996, scan 0489.