11 August 1942 Part 1

St Malo Convoy Control Office 11 August 1942

Weather: South-westerly stiff to strong wind, slowly moderating; cloudy. Visibility about 10 nautical miles. Sea fairly rough to moderately disturbed, with a moderate south-westerly swell.

0115 — Guernsey: V 213/08 sailed with Diamant for Granville and H 49 for St Malo.

0210 — Alderney: UJ 1411/04 arrived with convoy from Guernsey.

0310 — Jersey: V 209/11 sailed with night troop convoy for St Malo.

0530 — St Malo: M 4611/01 arrived without convoy from Lezardrieux.

0600 — Alderney: UJ 1411/04 sailed with convoy for Cherbourg.

0645 — St Malo: V 209/11 arrived with convoy from Jersey.

0745 — Granville: V 213/08 released Diamant to enter harbour and continued to St Malo.

0910 — Cherbourg: UJ 1411/04 arrived with convoy from Alderney.

1000 — St Malo: V 213/08 arrived with H 49 from Guernsey.

Convoy tasks: (1) Day convoy Cherbourg–Alderney. (2) Day convoy Alderney–Guernsey. (3) Night troop convoy with Minotaure, Guernsey–St Malo. (4) Night troop convoy with Livadia, St Malo–Lezardrieux.

I assigned the following: for tasks 1 and 2, UJ 1411/04, with orders to return to Alderney after completing task 2 and take any available convoy; for task 3, M 4605/04; for task 4, V 711/24, which were to come from Guernsey and be at St Malo roadstead at 1900.

1100 — Guernsey: V 711/24 sailed without convoy for St Malo.

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

A. Correction to the situation of 10 August 1942: For item 2: postponed because of machinery damage to V 213. For item 6: without convoy because of barge repairs. Escorted tonnage: 3,360 GRT less.

B. Situation on 11 August 1942: (1) V 712/08, readiness at St Malo. (2) V 213/08, Guernsey–Granville–St Malo with Diamant for Granville and H 49 for St Malo; readiness. (3) V 209/11, completion of the night troop convoy of 10/11 August, Jersey–St Malo with La France; readiness. (4) M 4605/04, readiness at Guernsey for the night troop convoy of 11/12 August, Guernsey–St Malo with Minotaure. (5) M 4611/01, readiness at St Malo; minor repairs. (6) V 711/24, independent passage Guernsey–St Malo; then night troop convoy of 11/12 August, St Malo–Lezardrieux with Livadia. (7) UJ 1411/04, completion of the night troop convoy Guernsey–Alderney with Rob. Müller 8 and Karel; then Alderney–Cherbourg with Dora, Weber, Hubbastone [name reading uncertain] and Lena. Later, Cherbourg–Alderney–Guernsey with convoy. (8) V 206, undocking; readiness. [Karel is listed here, whereas the preceding day's 2200 departure lists Schwalbe and Hubbastone with Rob. Müller 8.]

Escorted tonnage: 11,100 GRT.

C. Intentions for 12 August 1942: (1) V 712/08/209/11/06, readiness at St Malo. (2) V 213/08, replenishment of stores. (3) M 4611/01, minor repairs. (4) M 4505/04 [as typed; elsewhere M 4605/04], completion of the night troop convoy of 11/12 August, Guernsey–St Malo; readiness. (5) V 711/24, night passage of 11/12 August, Lezardrieux–Brest with Livadia; section released to the disposal of the 3rd Security Division. (6) UJ 1411/04, Guernsey–Alderney with any available convoy. [The later 1710 order dates the Lezardrieux–Brest passage to the night of 12/13 August.]

1550 — Cherbourg: UJ 1411/04 sailed with convoy for Alderney. [Time reading uncertain; first digits darkened.]

1710 — St Malo: V 711/24 anchored in the roadstead. They received orders, in accordance with the 3rd Security Division's instructions, to proceed with Livadia by night to Lezardrieux and during the night of 12/13 August from Lezardrieux to Brest. I released V 711/24, with this task, from my disposal.

1835: A teleprinter message arrived from the Alderney Harbour Commandant requesting an escort for Rob. Müller 8 from Alderney to Guernsey during the night of 11/12 August 1942.

Remark: This request was itself too late. The Alderney Harbour Commandant should also have known that UJ 1411/04 had orders to bring Georgi to Guernsey during the night of 11/12 August. I instructed him to attach Rob. Müller 8 to this convoy.

1900 — Alderney: UJ 1411/04 arrived with convoy from Cherbourg.

2230 — Guernsey: M 4605/04 arrived with convoy from Alderney. [Vessel designation retained as written; the preceding movement entries concern UJ 1411/04. The 12 August entry subsequently records UJ 1411/04 arriving at Guernsey at 0315.]

2400 — St Malo: V 711/24 sailed from St Malo for Lezardrieux.

Signed: Dr Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scan 0445, corrected original page 17, and scan 0446, corrected original pages 18–19.