23 December 1944 Part 29

Item 16 — S 112 War Diary continued

03:32

Made fast. Docking was necessary but could not be undertaken because the water level was too low. A diver’s examination showed that a large piece had broken from one blade of the starboard propeller and the other two blades were damaged. The starboard propeller was unusable. The shaft bracket of the starboard propeller shaft had been torn out. Water entered Compartment 1 through the holes in the ship’s side where the retaining bolts had been seated. Within 24 hours it was necessary to pump out for approximately four to five hours. A final assessment of the damage could be made only after docking. Because of the water level, docking could not take place before 30 December 1944. Closed 23 December 1944. — Nikelowski.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 37998, Commander of Sea Defences, Channel Islands. Source scan 0169 — decoded-message annex, continuation