28 July 1942

28 July 1942 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

Weather: wind from 225°; speed not entered.

02:20: naval engagement between outpost boats Vp. 202 and 203 and three British destroyers off Cap de la Hague [the diary’s identification]. After severe damage, Vp. 203 was beached off Cap de la Hague [as recorded in the initial account].

05:20: three harbour-protection boats sailed from Alderney to assist. Survivors were taken aboard by six E-boats sailing from Cherbourg. Vp. 203 was towed into Cherbourg by two harbour-protection boats, a “Kimose” [source term retained] and two other vessels. Vp. 203’s commander was killed in the engagement.

The commander of the 2nd Outpost Flotilla subsequently reported: Vp. 202 was beached and sank after severe damage. The enemy avoided closing within 2,000 metres, rendering machine weapons ineffective. Total losses: one commander dead, fifty missing (probably dead), seventeen seriously wounded and numerous lightly wounded. [The initial beached-vessel number and the subsequent Vp. 202 report are preserved; compare the separately dated St Malo reports.]

T-1022 Roll 2422, PG 37996, scan 0475.