The Destroyer Scharnhorst
St. Peter Port, Guernsey. At 7.5 on the evening of the 24th of January, 1961, the St. Peter Port signal station informed the honorary secretary that a message had been received from the island of Brechon that a vessel to the north-west of the island was flashing white lights and that a great deal of shouting was to be heard. A strong, south-south-easterly breeze was blow- ing, causing a moderate sea. The weather was squalJy with rain. The tide was flooding. At 7.30 the life-boat Euphrosyne Kendal left her moorings, and on reaching the position given she found the German destroyer F.218 an- chored to the north-west of Brechon and another destroyer Scharnhorst an- chored to the north of the island. The Scharnhorst was considered to have anchored in a dangerous position, and a member of the life-boat's crew was put on board her to advise moving to a safer one. Half-an-hour later, when this had been done, the life-boat returned to her station, which she reached at 9.47..