10 April 1942

10 April 1942 St Malo convoy diary

Weather improves and intended convoys are set in motion. Remark: I again draw attention to inadequate work by the wire-signals service. Following the failure to ready two boats on 8 April at 20:30 because of slow teletype transmission, enquiries with commanders of V 204/11/07/13 establish that my teletype about possible encounters also failed to reach them. It had been sent with SSD priority at 15:30 on 8 April, several hours before departure. Inspection of V 204/11’s degaussing protection shows both are now only quality class IV. The degaussing station considers their magnetic condition so poor that immediate demagnetisation, possible only at Brest, is necessary.

Correction to 9 April, item 3: readiness Guernsey, convoy postponed because of weather [as typed, despite the earlier Alderney location]. Corrected tonnage 850 GRT. Situation: V 206/08 evening RO 45 troop convoy Guernsey–St Malo; V 207/04 at midday St Malo–Granville without convoy, then Maas, St Antonius, Rabat and Comptoir 66 for Jersey, Tourane and Helma for Guernsey; V 209/10 ready Alderney, overnight RO 8 Alderney–Jersey; V 1510/704 ready Cherbourg, possible night convoys; V 211/13 evening St Malo–Jersey–Guernsey with Paul et Janine, H 49 and Nordplein for Jersey and Holland for Guernsey; V 212 boiler cleaning St Malo; V 205 dock Cherbourg. Escorted tonnage 11,500 GRT.

Intentions for 11 April: V 206/08 complete item 1; V 207/04 ready Guernsey; V 209/10 complete item 3; V 1510/704 ready Cherbourg, night convoys weather permitting; V 211/13 complete item 5; V 212 boiler cleaning; V 205 dock Cherbourg; V 204/11 to Brest for demagnetisation. All convoys carried out as planned.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0307.