4 April 1942

4 April 1942 Alderney Harbour Captain diary

Cloudy with rain, visibility 5–6 nautical miles, falling to 1–2 in the evening; SE 3–4, later 8–9, rough sea, no moonlight. 1125: Vp 704/1510 with Georgi, Gerfried and Schwalbe departed for Cherbourg. 1140: Henca arrived from Guernsey. 1915: HS 183/192 departed for Cherbourg.

2021: 1.2 nautical miles SE by E of La Hague, HS 183 stopped its engines because the dynamo transmission had failed, putting the radio out of action. 2024: Air-raid warning. Four Spitfires emerged from low cloud and attacked at low level from the port quarter, firing 2 cm high-explosive ammunition and steel-jacketed bullets. The 2 cm Oerlikon could not fire because its crew was immediately put out of action. Gun commander Matrose Klarmann suffered an abdominal wound and Matrosengefreiter Orbach a lung wound. Boatswain’s mate Brodersen dressed both men’s wounds. 2029: HS 183/192 continued at full speed for Cherbourg. 2217: They berthed at Quai de France; an ambulance took the wounded to the naval hospital.

The report records retrospectively that Klarmann died at 0030 on 5 April, and Orbach that afternoon. Both were buried at 1400 on 8 April in the military cemetery at Cherbourg. HS 192 was not attacked and remained undamaged. HS 183 had five holes in hull and superstructure; the bilges were dry and both boats remained operational.

T-1022 Roll 2422, PG 37995, scan 0362–0363.