31 October 1943 Part 4

31 October 1943 Group A clearing the Lézardrieux entrance and Heart Route 25 October

31 October, 02:30: received division radio 0208/61: carry out task only far enough to be anchored again at Lézardrieux by 18:30. 04:05: reversed course one nautical mile before Ida 3. 07:50: recovered gear on entrance course, 48°56′ N, 2°54.6′ W. 08:40: anchored Coat-Mer. 11:38, G 187: reported 20:55 mine in 59 m water; none on bypass. 11:40, G 188 intention: sail 18:00, ORG at 30 m on Heart Route until about 22:00, then bypass via Ida 3 to Saint-Malo, speed 9.5 knots. 13:19–13:24: anti-aircraft alarm; two Whirlwinds approached from south. One remained out of range. Boats' anti-aircraft weapons brought down the attacking aircraft; see attached combat report [which gives different times].

18:00: air alarm. 19:00: weighed and sailed. Deployed ORG at 30 m on outward course, same formation. 19:03: M 4626 cleared mine, 48°53.7′ N, 2°58.2′ W. 19:04: M 4626 grapnel detonation; mine seen drifting astern. 19:10: M 4621 cleared mine at 48°54.8′ N, 2°56.5′ W; M 4626 grapnel detonation. 19:30: at Heart Route/leading-line intersection, turned east 5 cables south of Heart Route. 19:40: M 4623 grapnel detonation and M 4621 mine clearance. 19:41: M 4623 another grapnel detonation, 48°56.6′ N, 2°51.9′ W. 19:52: reversed 3 nautical miles east of leading line. 20:19: M 4621 grapnel detonation. 21:05: reversed 3 nautical miles west of leading line. 21:45: M 4621 grapnel detonation, 48°56.4′ N, 2°51.4′ W [summary gives 48°55.4′ N]. 22:05: reversed 3 nautical miles east of leading line. 22:12: northward course for bypass to Ida 3. 22:45: joined bypass 3.5 nautical miles before Point 334. 24:00: SW 4, sea 2, overcast, rain, occasionally very poor visibility, dark night.

Comment: several grapnel detonations occurred on west-to-east run. To avoid mines cut loose and drifting, following east-to-west pass was laid 5 cables north, rather than directly adjacent. Next west-to-east pass lay farther south for same reason. Extremely dark night made drifting mines almost impossible to see.

T-1022 Roll 3129, 46th Minesweeping Flotilla and reviewing commands. Supplied English translation T1022_R3129_English_Translation.docx. Record 540 | Source PDF scans 540, 541, 542, 543, 544.