13 February 1944 Part 1

13 February 1944 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

Weather: wind from 360°, 5 metres per second. At 00:10 FK 26 radioed: FK 23 has struck a mine in grid square BF 3845, upper right; crew rescued; FK 23 sunk.

Since nothing was known about the fate of FK 25 and 26, the Sea Commandant radioed FK 26 to report its position immediately. This signal received no answer. Subsequent investigation established that only FK 26's transmitter was serviceable. Investigation of the radio defect was not yet complete.

The regrettable loss of the two harbour-protection boats, fortunately without personnel losses, nevertheless enabled the leave convoy planned from Guernsey to St Malo that same night to be stopped in time. A mine hit on the fully occupied leave steamer would certainly have caused extremely heavy loss of life.

01:30 — FK 25 and 26 entered St Malo.

The entire radio and teleprinter installation of the Channel Islands Naval Signals Officer was moved into the completed bunker, standard design V 142; the power and emergency-power supplies were likewise moved into the machinery bunker, standard design H 619. From 10:00 operations were conducted from the bunker. All internal fitting-out and radio installation had been carried out by the unit's own personnel.

Construction, Naval Artillery Battalion 604. Batterie Mirus: camouflage and infantry positions at Nos. 1 and 2 guns; building a 7.5-cm gun position at No. 2 gun; fitting armour plates at No. 3 gun; drainage in anti-aircraft bunker Düsseldorf; continued construction at anti-aircraft position Essen; preparatory work for installing the Würzburg equipment.

Batterie Steinbruch: pouring the base slab at searchlight position A; shuttering at searchlight positions A and B. The gardening firm carried out levelling and planting.

Batterie Strassburg: searchlight A shelter poured; searchlight B base slab poured; excavation begun for a second 7.5-cm position and a 7.5-cm ready-use ammunition bunker. Wire obstacles at the fire-control post continued, and camouflage in the close-defence sector improved. The camouflage firm continued its work.

Batterie Lothringen: work on the shelter for searchlight A's generating set, the alternative position for the 7.5-cm gun and its shelter; development of the fire-control post.

Naval Artillery Battalion 605, Batterie Annes: Organisation Todt continued banking earth against accommodation bunker I and excavating its drainage ditch. Electrical cables brought into the machinery bunker, fire-control post and fire-control accommodation bunker were laid and fitted with cable terminations. Fackler's painting firm began painting. Concentration-camp prisoners were put to excavating the stowage position for both searchlights [source term: KZ-Sträflinge].

The battery laid the telephone and alarm-bell cable between the fire-control post and its accommodation bunker. Remaining earth banking at that accommodation bunker continued. A trench was begun for the telephone and alarm-bell cable from No. 1 gun to accommodation bunker I. Work continued on the communication trench to the fire-control post and excavation at the mortar position. Camouflage screens for Nos. 1 and 2 guns were bent, welded together and installed. Levelling and camouflage continued.

Batterie Elsass: excavation for the mortar position was completed. Splinter-proof rooms for gas-protection equipment and strongpoint supplies were finished, and the material was stored in them. Wire obstacles continued. Cover pits were covered against falling phosphorus. The guns were camouflaged; the battery's internal telephone network was overhauled; camouflage repaired; the lighting generator given a general overhaul.

Artillery command post: Organisation Todt began installing ventilation. Naval radar: construction of protection around the equipment continued. Naval Artillery Battalion 605 headquarters: development of infantry defences continued.

Roll 2422, scans 0787–0789, original pages 10–12.