French tug PRESIDENT POINCARE

[davidships]

The River Seine tug PRÉSIDENT POINCARÉ was built in 1931 by Boel at Temse/Tamise for Les Bleus - Société de Remorquage les Batelleries Réunis (A Piéplu et Compagnie).
displ.23.2t, L23.20m, B5.13m, Dr2.10m, 575bhp Deutz diesel

At some point she was seized by German authorities and allocated to KM Kanalinselversorgung, according to Gröner.
Apparently she was lost on 1/8/1943 at Grunes aux Darnes, near Jersey, but I have not found more, including where "Grunes aux Darnes" (or "Grunes aux Dames"?) is. There is a reef off Noirmont at the entrance to St Helier Bay shown as "Les Grunes du Port" - perhaps the same thing.

Does anyone know

• when she was seized?

• the circumstances and location of her loss?

[maurice]

Hello David,


Here some details about the loss of this tug.


Regards
Maurice

[davidships]

Thank you Maurice.
The location now clear: https://mapcarta.com/18819836

As I have to rely on Mr Google for my German understanding, is this roughly correct?

Remarks - On 1.8. (Page 2)
In the section for 1/2.8 there is no reference to the sinking of the tug "Poincare", which, after being released [authorised?] to enter Jersey, ran onto the "Grunes aux Dardes" rocks and was lost. The cause is seen by the control centre and the Channel Islands sea commander as incorrect navigation by the tug's master.

Does this imply that the loss was during the night 1-2 August?

[Darius]

Hi,

in the first scan, you can read, the POINCARE was "entlassen" from the convoy at 0250. So it my be already the following day of 02.08.

Regards.

Darius