15 March 1942

15 March 1942 St Malo convoy diary

Weather: S–SW moderate to fresh breeze, visibility 10 nautical miles, slight sea. V 204/V 206/V 209/V 210 sailed with the Siebel ferry for anti-aircraft protection of the assigned object under divisional Gkdos 745. The convoys promised for 15 March were withdrawn. V 204/V 206/V 210 entered St Malo at 18:45 under divisional orders. [The 8 April review identifies the protected vessel as Sperrbrecher 2 at anchor in St Malo roadstead.]

Situation: V 207/V 213 boiler cleaning/condenser repairs Brest. V 211/V 212 ready Cherbourg. V 209/V 204/V 210/V 206 St Malo roadstead, anti-aircraft protection. V 208 unfit for service at St Malo; V 205 in dock Cherbourg. Escorted tonnage: dash. [The situation list includes V 209 although the narrative names only three returning boats.]

Intention for 16 March: V 207/V 213 boiler cleaning/condenser repairs Brest. V 211/V 212 ready Cherbourg; V 210/V 208 ready St Malo. V 204/V 209 from St Malo overnight 16/17 March with Claus Wilhelm and Schockland for Jersey. V 206 ready St Malo; V 205 in dock Cherbourg.

Closing escorted-tonnage table, GRT: first row typed “16 March”, evidently in the 1 March position, 5,188; 2 March 5,600; 3 March 3,045; 4 March 5,578; 5 March 2,277; 6 March 9,761; 7 March 4,664. Printed subtotal 36,113. 8 March 11,647; 9 March 2,536; 10 March 8,321; 11 March 714; 12 March 4,698; 13 March 4,829; 14 March 8,290 [overtyped]; 15 March dash. Printed subtotal 40,435; printed total 76,548 GRT. [The table’s 10 March figure differs from the daily 8,521, and its 14 March figure does not incorporate the correction to 300. The second subtotal does not reconcile with the listed figures; all are retained as printed.] Closed 15 March; signed Rall, Korvettenkapitän and acting Chief of the 2nd Patrol Flotilla and Convoy Control Office.

Annex, requested convoys during 1–15 March. Figures below give requested / carried out / not carried out or carried out later: 1 March 5/5/0; 2 March 3/3/0; 3 March 3/3/0; 4 March 4/3/1, under Jersey harbour commandant Gkdos F 0303; 5 March 3/2/1, a boat out of action, delayed until 6 March; 6 March 3/1/2, departure report of a Sperrbrecher and weather, delayed until 8/9 March; 7 March 4/3/1, weather, delayed until 8 March; 8 March 1/1/0; 9 March 3/3/0; 10 March 2/2/0; 11 March 4/1/3, under divisional G 3987, delayed until 12/13 March; 12 March dashes; 13 March 5/2/3, divisional Gkdos 694; 14 March 2/1/1, divisional Gkdos 744 [number as printed]; 15 March 2/0/2, divisional Gkdos 747 [number as printed]. Printed totals: 44 requested, 30 carried out, 14 not carried out or delayed.

T-1022 Roll 2423, PG 38000, scans 0278–0279.