10 August 1942 Part 1

St Malo Convoy Control Office 10 August 1942

Weather: Westerly moderate to fresh breeze; fair to cloudy. From midnight, cloudy with rain. Visibility 10–15 nautical miles, falling to 3–5 nautical miles in precipitation. Sea calm to slightly disturbed.

The combined convoy under V 711/24 had still been unable to sail because of the unfavourable weather.

0330 — Guernsey: V 712/08 arrived with convoy from Alderney.

0430 — Jersey: V 209/11 released La France to enter harbour and continued with convoy to Guernsey.

0630 — Guernsey: V 209/11 arrived with convoy.

Convoy tasks for today: (1) M 4605/04 were already under way with Gironde from Morlaix to Guernsey. (2) Escort Pierrot with barges from St Malo to Lezardrieux to join convoy 3391. (3) Now that the weather had improved, the combined convoy Cherbourg–Guernsey, convoy No. 3391. (4) Night troop convoy Guernsey–Alderney. (5) Convoy Alderney–Cherbourg. (6) Combined convoy Guernsey–St Malo. (7) Night troop convoy Jersey–St Malo. (8) V 213/08 were already under way from Guernsey via Granville to St Malo with H 49, Diamant and others.

For these tasks, insofar as the convoys were not already under way, the following were assigned with corresponding orders: for task 2, M 4611/01, to return to St Malo without convoy after handing over Pierrot and the barges at Lezardrieux; for task 3, V 711/24, to be joined by UJ 1411/04; for tasks 4 and 5, UJ 1411/04; for task 6, V 712/08. For task 7, V 209/11 were ordered to proceed without convoy from Guernsey to Jersey to carry out the night task. [Margin: “7 orders”.]

0915 — Guernsey: M 4605/04 arrived with Gironde from Morlaix.

0930 — St Malo: M 4611/01 sailed for Lezardrieux with Pierrot, Elbe and Mosel.

1200 — Cherbourg: UJ 1411/04 and V 711/24 sailed for Guernsey.

Remark: The convoy specified by the 3rd Security Division had not yet assembled in full at Cherbourg. A barge that was to be escorted was also under repair. I therefore ordered the boats to proceed to Guernsey without the convoy, since V 711/24 were ordered to Brest.

1330 — Guernsey: V 712/08 sailed with convoy for St Malo.

1400 — St Malo: A report arrived from V 213 that her machinery was unserviceable. The convoy had anchored off Guernsey. The wireless message by which I intended to assign V 209/11 to this convoy was not transmitted, because V 213 reported that her machinery would shortly be serviceable again. Execution of the convoy programme remained in doubt.

The following situation and intentions were reported to the 3rd Security Division.

A. Correction to the situation of 9 August 1942: For item 4: passage during the night of 9/10 August, Morlaix–Guernsey. For item 6: not carried out because of unfavourable weather.

B. Situation on 10 August 1942: (1) V 712/08, Guernsey–St Malo with Heinrich and Metor [name as typed; reading uncertain]. (2) V 213/08, Guernsey–Granville–St Malo with Diamant for Granville and H 49 for St Malo. (3) V 209/11, completion of the night troop convoy of 9/10 August, St Malo–Jersey–Guernsey; then without convoy Guernsey–Jersey for the night troop convoy of 10/11 August, Jersey–St Malo with La France. (4) M 4605/04, continuation of passage Morlaix–Guernsey with Gironde. (5) M 4611/01, St Malo–Lezardrieux with tug Pierrot, Elbe and Mosel; return to St Malo without convoy. (6) V 711/24, Cherbourg–Guernsey with Gueppe 71/56 and barges; then readiness. (7) UJ 1411/04, Cherbourg–Guernsey with the convoy in item 6; then night convoy of 10/11 August, Guernsey–Alderney with Rob. Müller 8 and Karel. [The situation list retains the planned convoy for item 6; the 1200 remark records departure without it.]

Escorted tonnage: 8,100 GRT. [The following day's entry reduces the tonnage for 10 August by 3,360 GRT.]

C. Intentions for 11 August 1942: (1) V 712/08, rest at St Malo. (2) V 213/08, St Malo–Lezardrieux with Livadia; return without convoy. (3) V 209/11, completion of the night troop convoy of 10/11 August, Jersey–St Malo; then readiness. (4) M 4604/04 [as typed], readiness at Guernsey. (5) M 4601/11 [as typed], completion of passage Lezardrieux–St Malo; readiness. (6) V 711/24, readiness at Guernsey for the night troop convoy of 11/12 August, Guernsey–Lezardrieux. (7) UJ 1411/04, completion of the night convoy of 10/11 August, Guernsey–Alderney; then Alderney–Cherbourg with convoy. [Items 4 and 5 differ from M 4605/04 and M 4611/01 elsewhere in this entry.]

1500 — St Malo: A telephone message arrived stating that V 213's machinery would be serviceable again at 2000. It was now too late to assign V 209/11 to the intended convoy, because they had meanwhile sailed at 1500. [The paired place entry gives Guernsey for their departure.]

Remark: Since both section leaders knew the convoy tasks, H 49 and Diamant should appropriately have been transferred, even without orders, from section V 213/08 to section V 209/11, which was proceeding without convoy.

1630 — Guernsey: UJ 1411/04 and V 711/24 arrived from Cherbourg.

1730 — Jersey: V 209/11 arrived without convoy from Guernsey.

1800 — Lezardrieux: M 4611/01 arrived with convoy from St Malo.

2120 — St Malo: V 712/08 arrived with convoy from Guernsey.

2200 — Guernsey: UJ 1411/04 sailed for Alderney with Rob. Müller 8, Schwalbe and Hubbastone [name reading uncertain].

2220 — St Malo: A teleprinter message arrived from the 3rd Security Division concerning the Livadia escort. This was to be carried out by V 711/24 if convoy 3291 had not yet reached Guernsey. I ordered V 711/24 to be at St Malo roadstead at 1900 on 11 August for the Livadia escort.

I sent the following teleprinter message to the 3rd Security Division: (1) Convoy 3291 remained at Cherbourg because of barge repairs. (2) V 711/24 had arrived at Guernsey. (3) V 711/24 would proceed to St Malo on 11 August for the night convoy with Livadia, St Malo–Lezardrieux. [The earlier task list gives convoy 3391; this passage gives 3291. Both numbers are retained as written.]

2230 — Lezardrieux: M 4611/01 sailed without convoy for St Malo.

Signed: Dr Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scan 0444, original page 15, and scan 0445, corrected original pages 16–17.