2 November 1943 Part 1

2 November 1943 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

Weather: wind 225°, 5 m/sec. On the basis of contacts from naval radar sets I and II on Guernsey and the Luftwaffe set Adlerschloss, Army coast-artillery battalions and naval batteries Mirus and Steinbruch fired at unknown targets between 02:18 and 05:00, from BF 2692 upper-left edge through BF 2668 centre to BF 2668 lower-right edge. No hits or enemy counter-action were observed. A white point seen in the light of illumination shells could not be clearly distinguished.

Ammunition expenditure: Army Coast Artillery Battalion 727, 117 rounds of 22 cm and 143 rounds of 15 cm; Battalion 452, 161 rounds of 21 cm; Batterie Steinbruch, twelve 15-cm illumination shells and sixty-eight 15-cm rounds; Batterie Mirus, eight 30.5-cm rounds.

The Guernsey Artillery Group commander, deputising for the absent Sea Commander, issued the orders and instructions for firing on radar contacts. The diary comments on these orders as follows.

Radar set I gave continuous contacts from 01:52, bearing 291° and range 135 hectometres, until about 03:00, bearing 2° and range 90 hectometres. They could initially have suggested sea targets. It would have been understandable to fire a few salvos from one or two batteries, then observe whether and how the targets reacted. In all previous local engagements, hostile sea targets had immediately turned away and left the artillery’s range at high speed. Here, however, the target maintained a steady course at about eight knots. Minor course variations were certainly attributable to differences in measurement.

Given the constant course and speed under continuous fire, and the very considerable ammunition expenditure, the following question should have been asked: could enemy craft steam at eight knots, only 8–10 hectometres off Guernsey’s north-west coast, under concentrated fire from six to ten heavy batteries, without even trying to escape by changing course or increasing speed? Experience made such behaviour highly improbable, if not impossible. In bright moonlight, coastal observation posts saw no evidence of an enemy except a white object later identified as a balloon envelope. Without definite evidence of enemy vessels, expenditure of 500 rounds was unjustified. Even if one or two slow-moving parallel targets were believed hostile, they presented no threat warranting such expenditure.

The examination of the radar contacts established the following explanation. Radar I showed a target initially moving with the wind from south-east to north-east, then remaining stationary for a time, then moving back. Radar II also observed the stationary and returning movements, and Adlerschloss detected all the targets.

Three British barrage balloons, two entangled by their anchor cables, drifted east-south-east at an altitude of about 500–600 metres, roughly ten kilometres off Guernsey. Initially none touched the water, so they moved with the wind. One of the entangled pair then lost gas and descended onto the water, temporarily holding the other balloon stationary and explaining the stationary plots. The current carried the waterborne balloon southwards, dragging its still-airborne companion by the cable against the relatively weak wind. The wet balloon eventually drifted ashore at strongpoint Burgturm. The other broke free and its cable caught in Batterie Strassburg’s barbed-wire obstacle.

The diary considered a connection between the balloons and the enemy minefield laid that night in BF 3574 lower-left edge unlikely. If such a connection were assumed, the balloons could only have been intended to distract the radar sets. Dropping the customary silver-paper strips would have achieved such distraction or interference much more effectively.

Translator’s note: the narrative calls the expenditure 500 rounds, while the listed quantities total 509. Both source figures are retained.

14:08–17:40. Batterie Annes conducted Abkomm practice firing, expending 361 rounds of 7.5-cm ammunition. From 19:15 to 19:30, it carried out full-calibre practice at a towed target with illumination shells and searchlights. Expenditure: fifteen 15-cm illumination shells and twenty-three 15-cm practice shells. Three illumination shells failed to function (Durchfaller).

T-1022 Roll 2422, scans 0717–0718.