15 June 1943 Part 5

15 June 1943 Engineering accounts of damage and the sinking of M 483

Editorial note: Selected technical accounts of the same 15 June attack. Individual air-alarm times differ slightly. Mainland mine incidents and the unrelated coal table have been omitted.

M 422 [boat label faint in copy]: no special occurrences 1–14 June; air alarm 0614 on 15 June, about 20 aircraft attacked, five claimed shot down. Bullet holes in empty port-side cell plugged; staff calm and alert.

M 442 no special occurrences 1–14 June. On 15 June air alarm 0618, about 20 aircraft. Entered St Peter Port at three times utmost-speed order. Hits in funnel and superstructure; underwater hits in port feedwater cell IV 4.2 and coal bunker V 4.2 plugged. Deck oil drums damaged, loss 150 litres machinery oil and 50 litres cylinder oil. Wounded Staff Machinist Grabia, service number I 407/25 I [faint], and machinery mate Schwob, N 3183/38 T. Technical staff calm and alert.

M 452 no special occurrences 1–9 and 13–14 June. Docked St Malo 10–12 June for bottom cleaning and repainting; thin steel wire removed from starboard propeller. On 15 June air alarm 0615, about 20 aircraft. Port ejector air-discharge stage II hit; pipe resealed with clamp and putty. Hits below waterline in feedwater cell IV 4.2 and compartment III, second watch officer’s cabin, caused leaks plugged. All shell-plating holes above and below water plugged. Technical staff alert and fully ready.

M 483 no special occurrences 1–14 June. At 0615 on 15 June air alarm. Strafing damaged port shell plating at compartment IV and steam/water pipes in main engine room, slight steam danger. Bomb then struck port side compartment IV at frames 15–18, penetrated deck and exploded in main engine room. Severe steam danger and flooding forced immediate evacuation. From upper deck emergency boiler-fire extinguishing operated for both boilers, main and auxiliary stop valves closed and safety valves lifted. Boat sank within nine minutes.

T-1022 Roll 3252, 24th Minesweeping Flotilla and reviewing commands. Supplied English translation T1022_R3252_English_Translation.docx. 1 June 1943 | Entry 0225 | Source PDF pages 225–227. Selected island-related extract; the date above identifies the event or later report, while the source reference may identify the start of its diary period.