14 August 1942 Part 1

St Malo Convoy Control Office 14 August 1942

Weather: SW–W, light to moderate breeze; cloudy to overcast; visibility 10–15 nautical miles, reduced to 3–5 nautical miles in precipitation in the morning; slightly to moderately disturbed sea; long westerly swell.

0015 — Guernsey: I begin the passage with Minotaure. Formation: V 206 leading, Minotaure 300 metres astern, and M 1201 a further 300 metres astern.

0030 — Alderney: UJ 1411/04 arrived from Cherbourg.

0100 — Alderney: UJ 1411/04 sailed with Georgi (troops) for Guernsey.

0200 — Jersey: I leave M 1201 with Minotaure south of Corbière and proceed in V 206 to the St Aubin's Bay roadstead, where La France and H 49, carrying troops, should be ready to sail at 0230. The night is very dark. At first I cannot find the two vessels; they also fail to answer Morse calls.

0300 — St Aubin's Bay: La France and H 49 have been picked up. Proceeding towards Corbière with both vessels astern in line.

0320–0327 — ESE of Corbière: Heavy anti-aircraft fire is observed over Jersey at approximately 300° true, immediately followed by flashes from the muzzles of heavy guns. I order the alarm. Further details cannot be observed because the cliffs obstruct the view to the north.

0327: Alarm ended, as there are no further observations.

0335: A short radio message arrives from V 707 concerning an engagement with British motor torpedo boats [German: S-Boote; the subsequent commentary calls them gunboats].

0350: M 1201 with Minotaure joins up. In view of the engagement observed, I order the convoy to close up as tightly as possible in the following formation: V 206 ahead; La France to port and H 49 to starboard in the next rank; Minotaure to port and M 1201 to starboard in the rear rank. Spacing 200 metres; speed 11 knots. I choose this disposition so that, while heading south, the full firepower of both boats can be brought to bear against any attack from the west. H 49 has only a few troops aboard and no cargo.

Remark on the British gunboat attack: This was the first attack of this kind between the islands. Presumably the enemy had established that, since 28 July, no forces of ours had opposed him in the Cherbourg–Alderney area. I assume that he advanced into the island area south of Guernsey to ascertain whether there was shipping or whether patrol positions were occupied.

In doing so he encountered V 707/04, proceeding north. He did not notice the convoy of V 206/M 1201, which was assembling south of Corbière, although the action took place in grid square BF 3377, only about 5–6 nautical miles from the rendezvous of V 206 with La France and H 49 and M 1201 with Minotaure. The cliffs prevented him from seeing V 206 to the south-east, whereas M 1201, standing somewhat farther west, was able to observe the engagement. [This commentary gives BF 3377; the situation report below gives BF 3577. Both readings are retained.]

UJ 1411/04, escorting troops from Alderney to Guernsey, was likewise not seen by the enemy, who had probably suffered damage. Convoy traffic therefore remained undetected that night. A repetition of this hitherto unique incursion into the island area must be expected. The following should therefore be considered:

1. Allow only one troop-carrying vessel at a time to proceed at night, protected by four boats.

2. Change to daytime convoys on the Alderney–Guernsey–Jersey–Malo route.

Regarding (1): The still considerable traffic carrying troops on leave would be greatly slowed, since a shortage of boats would prevent convoys in both directions from being run simultaneously. [“Simultaneously” is inserted by hand in the source.]

Regarding (2): Day convoys should receive fighter escort. La France and Minotaure now provide more suitable vessels, allowing the troops to be accommodated below deck. If direct fighter escort has to be dispensed with, this should happen only if fighters can be held ready at the airfields on Guernsey, or preferably Jersey, with the standby harbour equipped for radio-telephone communication. Both islands have usable airfields. From Jersey, Malo is 63 kilometres away, Guernsey 43 kilometres and Alderney 57 kilometres: approximately ten, seven and ten minutes' flying time respectively for fighters.

This would be a substantial improvement over the fighter-cover arrangements hitherto customary; for the Alderney–Guernsey passage and return, cover could also be provided from Théville. In any case, once a second enemy incursion into the island area is detected, stronger protection of troop transports must be provided in some form. I regard the protection proposed under (2) as the preferable solution, because night attacks by surface craft also employing torpedoes can have more serious consequences in these strong tidal waters than daytime air attacks when the soldiers aboard the transports are below deck. [Other marginal routing notes are partly illegible.]

0430 — Guernsey: UJ 1411/04 arrived with convoy from Alderney.

0700 — Guernsey: V 213/08 sailed without convoy for Cherbourg.

0700 — Guernsey: UJ 1411/04 sailed with Georgi for Alderney.

0730 — Malo: I enter harbour with V 206/M 1201 and convoy.

Convoy tasks: (1) Lézardrieux–Cherbourg. (2) Escort Georgi, Guernsey–Alderney. (3) Convoy Alderney–Cherbourg. (4) Passage of V 213/08, Guernsey–Cherbourg. (5) Schokland and Rob. Müller 8 with troops, Malo–Jersey. (6) RO 21 with troops, Jersey–Guernsey.

I assign: UJ 1411/04 for (2) and (3); V 209/11 for (5) and (6).

When it becomes clear that V 707/04 suffered damage in the night action, I order UJ 1411/04 to take their place at the disposal of the 3rd Security Division. I report by teletype to the Division that V 213/08 and UJ 1411/04 are available. I instruct the commander of V 707 to send a short account of the action by teletype to the 3rd Security Division, BSW [abbreviation retained] and others.

0925 — Alderney: UJ 1411/04 arrived with convoy from Guernsey.

0950 — Alderney: UJ 1411/04 sailed with convoy for Cherbourg.

1015 — Cherbourg: V 213/08 arrived from Guernsey.

1230 — Cherbourg: UJ 1411/04 arrived with convoy from Alderney.

Report to the 3rd Security Division — Special occurrence: On 14 August 1942, 0315–0325, V 707/04 engaged British motor torpedo boats in grid square BF 3577.

A. Correction to the situation report of 13 August 1942: Item (2): delete the night troop convoy of 13/14 August. Item (5): add the night troop convoy of 13/14 August to Malo with Minotaure from Guernsey and H 49 and La France from Jersey, transferred from item (2). Item (6): V 707/04, passage Lézardrieux–Cherbourg in accordance with the 3rd Security Division's orders.

B. Situation on 14 August 1942:

1. V 712/08: readiness at Malo for convoy 3291 westwards.

2. V 213/08: independent passage Guernsey–Cherbourg; at the disposal of the 2nd Security Division. [The typed report specifies the 2nd Division here, whereas the earlier narrative refers to the 3rd.]

3. V 209/11: readiness at Malo for the night troop convoy of 14/15 August, Malo–Jersey with Rob. Müller 8 and Schokland; then night troop convoy Jersey–Guernsey with RO 21.

4. UJ 1411/04: completion of the night troop convoy of 13/14 August, Alderney–Guernsey with Georgi. Later Guernsey–Alderney with Georgi; then Alderney–Cherbourg with Dorsch, Schwalbe, Tinda, Antonius and Georgi; thereafter at the disposal of the 2nd Security Division.

5. V 206/M 1201: completion of the night troop convoy to Malo with Minotaure from Guernsey and H 49 and La France from Jersey; readiness at Malo.

6. V 707/04: completion of the night passage Lézardrieux–Cherbourg; repairs to battle damage at Cherbourg.

7. M 4611/01/05/04: readiness at Malo.

Escorted tonnage: 9,700 GRT.

C. Intentions for 15 August 1942:

1. V 712/08: readiness at Malo for convoy 3291 westwards.

2. V 213/08: Cherbourg, at the disposal of the 2nd Security Division.

3. V 209/11: completion of the night troop convoy Malo–Jersey–Guernsey; later Guernsey–Malo with Loriot and H 274 PM.

4. UJ 1411/04: Cherbourg, at the disposal of the 2nd Security Division.

5. V 206: readiness at Malo.

6. V 707/04: repairs at Cherbourg.

7. M 4611/01: independent passage Malo–Granville; Granville–Jersey–Guernsey with a combined convoy.

8. M 4605/04: readiness at Malo.

9. M 1201: again at the disposal of the 12th Minesweeping Flotilla.

2200 — Malo: V 209/11 sailed with night troop convoy for Jersey–Guernsey.

2328: A radio message arrives from harbour-protection boat 206 reporting light signals sighted towards Jersey, repeated after four minutes.

Remark: An enquiry to Guernsey establishes that these are exercise signals, of which I had not been notified.

Signed: Dr Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scan 0448, original page 23 (from the 14 August heading); scan 0449, corrected original pages 24–25; and scan 0450, original page 26 (through the signature before 15 August). St Malo Convoy Control Office war diary. Report numbering and the first-person voice follow the source; bracketed notes identify source discrepancies and uncertain readings.