16 August 1942 Part 4

16 August 1942 St Malo Convoy Control Office

War diary of the St Malo Convoy Control Office, 16–31 August 1942. Secret command matter. Head of the office, 16–24 August: Frigate Captain Dr Diederichs, Commander of the 2nd Patrol Boat Flotilla; 25–31 August: Lieutenant Commander Wunderlich, acting. Begun 16 August; closed 31 August. Cover endorsements include enclosure 2 to Naval Group Command West Gkdos 5118/42 and the handwritten reference 3862, dated 9 October 1942. Other registration marks are partly illegible.

Weather: Southerly moderate to fresh breeze; slight to moderate sea; overcast; visibility 10 nautical miles.

St Malo — convoy tasks: (1) Night troop convoy RO 21, Guernsey–Alderney. (2) Night troop convoy Minotaure and Nordplain, St Malo–Jersey–Guernsey. I issue orders for task 1 to V 206/11, which are to proceed without a convoy to Guernsey for the night troop convoy, and for task 2 to V 712/08.

1140: A teleprinter message from the 3rd Security Division orders V 712/08 to Lézardrieux for the westbound convoy Pierrot with its accompanying vessels.

Remark: I retain the convoy order under task 2 for V 712/08. The boats can no longer sail at midday high water, being at three hours’ readiness. They therefore cannot start westward from Lézardrieux on the night of 16/17 August, but only on 17/18 August. They will reach the required position in time even after completing the night convoy to Guernsey. The 3rd Security Division is informed accordingly.

1230, St Malo: V 206/11 sail without a convoy for Guernsey.

1555, St Malo: A teleprinter message from the 3rd Security Division announces a reorganisation of ship reporting. Before dark each day, teleprinter reports of convoy positions for the next 24 hours are to be sent to Naval Commander, Channel Coast; Sea Commander, Normandy; Sea Commander, Channel Islands; Fighter Sector 3; and the 2nd and 3rd Security Divisions.

Remark: These reports present difficulties because Channel Islands convoy traffic frequently has to be arranged at short notice. Movements often cannot be foreseen 24 hours ahead. Departure times and speeds depend on local circumstances, the machinery characteristics of the escorted vessels—often not yet known in advance—and, to a considerable degree, weather and tidal streams. Daily reports submitted 24 hours ahead will require frequent corrections.

The reports ordered will mostly be extensive and, together with the necessary corrections, will further burden the already heavily loaded teleprinter traffic in the Channel Islands area. Today’s first report contained 170 words. For two convoys, the information proved incorrect during the night because the reported sailing times could not be kept; changed tidal conditions then also altered their speeds.

Situation for 16 August reported to the 3rd Security Division: (1) V 712/08: night troop convoy of 16/17 August from St Malo, with La France to Jersey and Minotaure to Guernsey. (2) V 213/08/UJ 1411/04: Cherbourg, at the disposal of the 2nd Security Division. (3) V 206/11: independent passage St Malo–Guernsey for the Guernsey–Alderney night troop convoy of 16/17 August with RO 21. (4) V 209/M 4605/04 [first minesweeper number partly unclear]: St Malo, ready. (5) V 707/04: Cherbourg, under repair. (6) M 4611/01: night passage Guernsey–St Malo. (7) V 210/12: passage IJmuiden–Rotterdam. Escorted tonnage: 3,900 GRT.

Intentions for 17 August: (1) V 712/08: finish the St Malo–Guernsey night troop convoy, then proceed independently Guernsey–Lézardrieux as ordered by the 3rd Security Division; release for the westward passage with the remainder of convoy 3291. (2) V 213/08/UJ 1411/04: at the disposal of the 2nd Security Division. (3) V 206/11: finish the Guernsey–Alderney night troop convoy, then proceed independently Alderney–Guernsey. (4) V 209/M 4605/04: St Malo, ready. (5) V 707/04: Cherbourg, ready for any convoys. (6) M 4611/01: Guernsey, ready. (7) V 210/12: degaussing at Rotterdam.

1555, St Malo: A secret-command teleprinter message from BSW concerns an operation by five boats of the 8th Minesweeping Flotilla on the night of 16/17 August, followed by entry into St Malo. I inform the St Malo Harbour Commandant to provide berths; tell the flotilla commander that no lock passage is available at St Malo between 0200 and 0800 on 17 August; and request positions in the island area.

1730, Guernsey: V 206/11 arrive without a convoy from St Malo.

1820, St Malo: A war teleprinter message from the 3rd Security Division reports four boats of the 5th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla sailing from Cherbourg. Through M.N.O. Cherbourg, I notify that flotilla and the 8th Minesweeping Flotilla of shipping movements in island traffic on the night of 16/17 August.

2145, St Malo: V 712/08 sail with the night convoy to Jersey and Guernsey.

2155: A teleprinter message from the commander of the 8th Minesweeping Flotilla gives positions on the return passage to St Malo during the night of 16/17 August.

2230, Guernsey: V 206/11 sail with a convoy for Alderney. Signed on behalf: Wunderlich.

Reading note: The initial task list names Nordplain; the later situation report names La France. Both are retained at their respective points. Slash-separated boat designations follow the source.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scan 0456 right-hand page (title page 1), scan 0457 left-hand page (page 2) and right-hand page (page 3, through the signature preceding 17 August).