8 September 1942

8 September 1942 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

Weather: wind from 270°, 1–2 metres per second.

07:42: Guernsey radar located a target on bearing 206°, eighteen kilometres distant. Telephone enquiry to Batterie Strassburg confirmed the position and identified a sailing vessel. Because unidentified sailing vessels had repeatedly appeared in Channel Islands waters, permission was obtained from the naval command [title as printed: Marbef. Kanalinseln] to use fast boat S.A. 5. 09:20: S.A. 5 sailed from Guernsey.

Investigation of the fishing cutter brought in under tow established that it was about the size of a medium harbour-protection boat. Its five-man crew had been at sea since 24 August and did not know where they had been intercepted: they carried only a Bay of Biscay chart. Boat and crew were handed over to Guernsey naval intelligence. Home port: Lorient.

A pair of Focke-Wulf fighters had also been sent to investigate this sailing vessel. The diary states that only their failure to find it prevented its destruction. Such vessels appearing within sight of the islands had to be prevented: as the 2 September case demonstrated, French fishermen’s lives were endangered and the island defence authorities faced avoidable uncertainty. Appropriate action was initiated.

T-1022 Roll 2422, PG 37996, scan 0503–0504.