22 May 1944

Summary

Normandy radar reports concerning the Channel Islands

Location Details

Jersey; Guernsey; Alderney; Cherbourg; Cap de la Hague; Normandy

Diary Entry

22 May 1944 Normandy radar reports concerning the Channel Islands

Normandy radar reporting station — 1944-05-22

Night 22/23 May. Wind N–NW1–2, visibility 8–12 nautical miles, sea 1. 2005–2015 bombing attack by eight Lightnings and about 20 Thunderbolts on Arromanches strongpoint. Stick bombing of both radars with high-explosive and rocket bombs, plus aircraft gunfire. Dive approach from south, flying height about 100 m, 40 bombs. Casualties: two seriously wounded, including naval artillery lance-corporal Wilhelm, personnel no. N15967, who died after one hour; two slightly wounded. Damage: FuMO214 badly damaged by splinters and aircraft fire, restoration begun. FuMO2 less severely damaged, expected return to service in a few days. About 1,300–1,400 litres diesel fuel destroyed. Two field bunkers destroyed by direct hits, quarters slightly damaged, anti-aircraft weapons operational. Two Thunderbolts shot down.

0815–0840 Percée strongpoint attacked by 20 aircraft with guns and rocket bombs. Losses: one dead and one wounded. Radio senior lance-corporal Gräbe killed, naval artillery lance-corporal Gabel wounded. Damage: service hut direct hit; accommodation hut uninhabitable. Set: penetration of reflector and cabinet. Converter and diesel operational. Wiring destroyed. One aircraft jointly shot down with Army anti-aircraft position Igel. After inspection, diesel and FuMO2 serviceable by 1200.

Normandy radar reporting station — 1944-05-22

Continuation of 22/23 May. 1030–1032 enemy fighter-bombers attacked FuMO214 Jobourg strongpoint. Cluster-bomb drop, about 60 bombs, 30 unexploded. No casualties or material damage. Bombs close to set. Unexploded bombs removed same day by Cherbourg Naval Artillery Arsenal. Renewed attack by four fighter-bombers on Arromanches: two heavy bombs, one unexploded in strongpoint; aircraft gunfire; one wounded, no material damage. Renewed attack on Jobourg radar 1045–1047 by eight aircraft of unknown type. Heavy damage to huts, set undamaged, no casualties.

Radar situation 22/23 May: particularly good radar weather with very good ranges, but tendency to false contacts. Air Force Mammut Jobourg received enemy transmissions 2241–0200. Percée radar reports metal-foil interference 0100–0120 on 23 May. Five own E-boats Cherbourg not detected departing; detected returning from west by FuMO214 Jobourg at 5 km. FuMO2 Guernsey II tracked unknown targets 0006–0018 in lower-left corner BF3574, course 162°, speed 7–8 knots. Second target 0007–0037 in upper-left corner 3577, course 65°, speed 7 knots. 0018 unknown-target locating signal; 0037 enemy-target signal; 0110 targets-lost signal. FuMO2 Jersey tracked same targets 0018–0022, but reciprocal course. Since own movements passed shortly afterwards, false contacts from both sets also possible; no enemy contact or sighting.

FuMO51 Cap de la Hague II tracked unknown target 0034–0102 from upper-left corner BF3528 to right centre, course 120°, speed 8 knots. Unknown-target locating signal 0055; 0118 target lost. Same set 0036–0104 tracked enemy targets from lower centre BF3188 to lower-right 3523, course 130°, speed 18 knots. No locating signal. Both detections probably false. FuMO51 Cap de la Hague II tracked enemy targets 0203–0445 from left-edge centre BF3534 to centre 3524, course 270°, speed 20 knots, then departing north to centre 3187, again reciprocal south to centre 3524, then east to upper centre 3525, then departing northeast to upper-right corner 3522. Continuous enemy-target locating signals (destroyers) radioed. Quality of detections and attained range indicate larger vessels, destroyers.

Normandy radar reporting station — 1944-05-22

Continuation of 22/23 May. FuMO214 Jobourg confirmed these contacts with coincident detections 0217–0222, then directed towards presumed further targets. 0240–0503 tracked several small enemy targets from lower-left BF3527 via 3518, 3519, then departing to upper-right corner 3524. Same targets confirmed by FuMO2 Alderney 0312–0409. Continuous enemy-target locating signals enabled warning of own minesweepers and holding them back in Cherbourg until enemy forces withdrew. All detections continuously passed to Sea Commandant Normandy, preferably by battle connection.

Sea Commandant Normandy ordered battle connection with Battery 1/1262 and FuMO214 Jobourg only at 0345, when targets already withdrawing. Brief technical failure of emergency converter at Jobourg set prevented artillery fire. Air Force Mammut Jobourg tracked enemy convoy 0855–1435 from upper-right corner BF3149 to upper-left 3154 via left-edge centre 3147, 3148 to 3146. FuMO51 Cap de la Hague II same targets 0920–0946 and 1325–1613. New targets 1632–1647 from centre BF3147 to left-edge centre.

Enemy targets tracked by FuMO214 Jobourg continuously confirmed by good cross bearings from Normandy interception network and tracked withdrawing to upper centre BF3191 until 0610. After Air Force reporting post 8/3 reported fighter-bomber attacks on own movements, locating signals sent to warn own forces. Particularly good ranges attained against own and especially enemy targets. Forty enemy locating signals and 14 for navigational assistance.

Source of Information