16 July 1942

16 July 1942 — St Malo Convoy Control Office

Weather: west, light to moderate breeze; occasional rain; visibility 10–15 nautical miles; coastal haze; very smooth to smooth sea.

04:20, Jersey — M 1204/05 arrived from St Malo with a night troop convoy and continued to St Malo without a convoy. 05:30, Cherbourg — V 209/04 arrived from the outpost position. 08:00, St Malo — V 206/02 sailed for Jersey with the Army Commander-in-Chief and staff and the head of the Convoy Control Office on board.

09:08 — According to a radio message from V 206, fighter escort had not yet arrived. 09:12 — A telephone enquiry to Jafü 3 established that Seventh Army Headquarters had not made the agreed subsequent notification of the sailing time. 09:40 — Jafü 3 reported by telephone that fighter take-off was currently impossible because of the weather; aircraft would take off immediately if possible. I immediately sent a coded teletype message to the Naval Signals Officer Cherbourg for onward transmission by radio: “To V 206: take-off for fighter escort is temporarily impossible because of bad weather.”

10:00 — Requests for night troop convoys: (1) Jersey–St Malo with Ad. le Prince and H 49; (2) Guernsey–St Malo with Holland; (3) Alderney–Guernsey with Georgi. Only M 4601/04/05, lying at Guernsey, were available. Because the short nights prevented combining both convoys, the Sea Transport Chief decided that the Guernsey–St Malo convoy should have priority. M 4601/4/5 therefore received orders to proceed to Jersey with a daytime convoy, taking a floating crane if weather permitted, and carry out the Jersey–St Malo night troop convoy on 16/17 July. V 711/24 was ordered to proceed by day from Guernsey to Alderney to carry out the night troop convoy requested from there to Guernsey. In view of this convoy, the Sea Transport Officer Cherbourg was instructed to have V 713/204 occupy Position Caruso during the coming night. [The priority statement and the ensuing Jersey–St Malo instruction are reproduced as recorded.]

10:15 — V 729 reported itself out of operational readiness through 20 July inclusive to repair battle damage sustained in the engagement with gunboats. The two pairs intended for Cherbourg–Alderney convoys and regular occupation of the night outpost position were consequently no longer available. I paired V 713 with V 204 and granted V 209 rest at Cherbourg because of its heavy service commitments.

12:00, Jersey — V 206/02 arrived from St Malo. Jafü 3 reported, in reply to an enquiry, that the weather at Théville airfield, from which fighter escort was provided, still prevented take-off. I received confirmation that the scheduled times for V 206/02’s onward Jersey–Guernsey voyage were known and that fighter escort would be provided if the weather improved in time.

14:00, St Malo — An escort request arrived for a combined daytime convoy from Granville to Jersey and Guernsey at 11:00 on 17 July. I ordered M 4605/1/4 by telephone through Harbour Commandant Jersey to proceed to Granville after completing the Jersey–St Malo night troop convoy of 16/17 July.

Situation sent to the 3rd Security Division for 16 July: (1) V 204/09 at Position Caruso, then Carmen, during the night of 15/16 July, then Cherbourg; V 209 resting. (2) V 713/204 Cherbourg–Alderney with Georgi and others; at readiness. (3) V 729 at Cherbourg, out of operational readiness. (4) V 711/24 Guernsey–Alderney without a convoy, then the Alderney–Guernsey night troop convoy of 16/17 July with Georgi. (5) V 206/02 St Malo–Jersey, then Jersey–Guernsey with the Commander-in-Chief, Seventh Army, the flotilla commander and five accompanying officers. (6) M 4601/4/5 Guernsey–Jersey with a convoy if required, then the Jersey–St Malo night troop convoy of 16/17 July with Ad. le Prince and H 49. (7) V 203 at St Malo, ready. (8) V 211 at Cherbourg, ready. (9) M 1204/05 returning Jersey–St Malo without a convoy, then at the disposal of the commander of the 12th Minesweeping Flotilla. (10) M 4611 at St Malo, out of operational readiness. Escorted tonnage: 3,380 GRT.

Intentions for 17 July: (1) V 713/204 at Position Caruso during the night of 16/17 July, then an Alderney–Cherbourg convoy. (2) V 209/211 at Cherbourg, ready. (3) V 711/24 to finish the night troop convoy of 16/17 July, then stand ready for the Guernsey–St Malo troop convoy of 17/18 July with Holland. (4) V 206/02 at Guernsey, ready, then return to St Malo with the Commander-in-Chief, Seventh Army, flotilla commander and five accompanying officers. (5) M 4605/1/4 to finish the night troop convoy of 16/17 July, then proceed St Malo–Granville without a convoy for the combined Granville–Jersey–Guernsey convoy. (6) V 203 at St Malo, ready.

16:45, Guernsey — M 4605/1/4 sailed for Jersey without a convoy. 17:00, Cherbourg — V 713/204 sailed with a convoy for Alderney. 17:15, Guernsey — V 711/24 sailed for Alderney without a convoy. 19:00, Jersey — V 206/02 sailed for Guernsey without a convoy, carrying the Commander-in-Chief and staff; no fighter escort was provided because of the weather. 19:10, off St Aubin’s Bay — V 206/02 passed M 4605/1/5 to port [numbers as printed]. 19:25, Jersey — M 4601/4/5 arrived from Guernsey without a convoy.

20:50, Alderney — V 713/204 arrived with a convoy from Cherbourg. 22:00, Guernsey — V 206/02 arrived from Jersey without a convoy. 22:00, Alderney — V 711/24 arrived from Guernsey without a convoy. 22:45, Jersey — M 4605/1/4 sailed for St Malo with a night troop convoy. 23:10, Alderney — V 713/204 sailed for Position Caruso. Signed: Diederichs.

T-1022 Roll 2423, scans 0414–0415 (original pages 2–4).