29 August 1943 Part 1

29 August 1943 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

Weather: wind 200°, 3 m/sec. At 07:05, Harbour Commandant Jersey reported that the French motor lighter Mazagran had grounded at 05:40. At 08:05, he reported that she had sunk at 07:00 and her crew had been rescued. At 09:05, in answer to the duty officer’s enquiry, Harbour Commandant Granville confirmed that she carried special coal from Granville to Guernsey.

09:25. The Commanding Admiral was informed that the French motor lighter Mazagran, 500 GRT, carrying special coal from Granville to Guernsey, had grounded at 05:40 in approximately BF 3813 centre and sunk at 07:00. The crew had been rescued; a detailed report would follow.

The Sea Commander questioned the continued use of harbour-protection craft for escort through the Jersey Narrows after another loss. Their seaworthiness, speed and armament were inadequate; navigation relied on a chart, dividers and tide tables. Low engine power made towing assistance impossible where a patrol boat could have helped. Patrol boats themselves avoided the night passage, despite gyrocompasses, bridge-wing bearing arrangements, echo sounders, powerful engines and trained helmsmen. It was unreasonable to expect less well-equipped harbour-protection craft to perform it. Jersey also had too few such boats for their existing duties. They should assist or take over convoys at Noirmont, rather than Corbière, where the sea often barely allowed them to maintain station, let alone escort or tow.

14:10. Harbour Commandant Jersey reported that on entering Dogs Nest, Mazagran had been driven westwards by a westerly wind of about force 5 and sea state 3–4 and grounded. Distress flares prompted harbour-protection craft to sail and a tug to be prepared. The lighter refloated and tried to enter, but steering damage caused her to drift onto rocks. Both anchors were dropped. When a harbour-protection boat attempted a tow, one anchor could not be raised, so the attempt failed. The crew was rescued; the tug could not get alongside and returned.

The wreck was at approximately 49° 8.9′ N, 2° 6.7′ W. It was no danger to navigation and would probably dry at low tide. The diary records forwarding the report at 09:25 to the Commanding Admiral and Naval Group West, with a copy to the 3rd Security Division.

Translator’s note: the source places the detailed harbour report at 14:10 but subsequently gives its forwarding time as 09:25. This inconsistency is retained.

T-1022 Roll 2422, scans 0691–0693.